Four-time Champions League winners, hosts and top seeds KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg secured their place in the final of the first-ever ETTU Champions League Women Final 4 after a commanding victory over reigning champions ttc berlin eastside in front of home spectators in Tarnobrzeg. The German club, one of the most decorated teams in European women’s table tennis history with seven Champions League titles, arrived with a very young line-up, while Tarnobrzeg relied on its vast experience and world-class quality to control the semi-final from start to finish. In tomorrow’s final, scheduled for 15:00 CET, KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg will face French club Metz TT, who earlier today defeated Spain’s UCAM Cartagena T.M. in the opening semi-final. In the opening match, 28-year-old Chinese player Zhuojia HE faced Germany’s rising talent, 16-year-old Josephina NEUMANN. HE’s constant variation of rhythm and spin prevented NEUMANN from settling into the match, allowing the Tarnobrzeg player to build an early advantage. In the second game, NEUMANN adapted better and tried to stay closer in the rallies, but HE remained fully in control. The German youngster opened the third game with a narrow lead, yet the advantage disappeared quickly as HE accelerated the pace and completely dictated the play. From that moment on, the encounter became a one-way street, with HE closing the match comfortably in straight games. Nineteen-year-old Japanese defender Yuka KANEYOSHI faced experienced 38-year-old Xiaoxin YANG in the second match of the semi-final. YANG once again confirmed her reputation as a player who feels very comfortable against defensive styles. Her powerful attacking play and sharp counter-topspin rallies quickly energized the spectators in Tarnobrzeg. Despite the straight-games result, KANEYOSHI showed courage and persistence throughout the encounter. The young Japanese player stayed level in the third game at 5-5 and 7-7 before moving ahead 9-7, threatening to extend the match. However, YANG remained patient under pressure, erased the advantage immediately and closed the duel in straight games with her experience and composure proving decisive. Europe No. 5 Ying HAN, 43 years old and fresh from winning a bronze medal with Germany at the World Championships, faced 20-year-old compatriot Mia GRIESEL in the third match. HAN opened the encounter in spectacular fashion, winning the first nine points of the match in rapid succession. GRIESEL responded better in the second game and briefly moved ahead 3-1, but HAN quickly closed the gap and once again took complete control with her trademark defensive precision and clever placement. “It was important to maintain focus. We did not give away easy points and we reduced our errors to a minimum,” explained HAN. “It was important for us to stay fully focused throughout the entire match. Of course, during the encounter we made some small adjustments, but the key was to concentrate on every ball and every game, and that is why we achieved such a good result. What pleased me the most today was Xiaoxin YANG’s performance. She has been working very hard to come back to her best form after her maternity break. She returned last November, and our strategy was to bring her back step by step through feeder tournaments rather than immediately putting pressure on her at the biggest events. She stayed in constant contact with our coaches, preparing carefully one tournament after another. Today she was focused from the very first to the very last ball. She looked fresh, disciplined and very consistent technically, and I am very happy because she is getting very close to her best level again. She is definitely on the right path to returning to top-level table tennis,” said coach Zbigniew NĘCEK.

The first-ever ETTU Champions League Women Final 4 began today in the Polish city of Tarnobrzeg, where four of Europe’s top clubs arrived with hopes of lifting the most prestigious trophy in European women’s club table tennis. In the opening semi-final, France’s Metz TT overcame Spain’s UCAM Cartagena T.M. after a tense and emotional battle to secure their place in tomorrow’s final, scheduled for 15:00 CET. Later today, hosts KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg will face Germany’s ttc berlin eastside for the second ticket to the title match. See the pictures here. Egypt’s Hana GODA, currently ranked No. 20 in the ITTF World Rankings, opened the match for Metz TT against Chilean international Daniela ORTEGA, ranked No. 109 in the world. Both players started with strong service games, with GODA looking aggressive from the first rallies, while ORTEGA tried to disrupt the rhythm by constantly changing the pace and varying the spin. Despite the resistance from the South American champion, GODA maintained a narrow advantage throughout the opening game to take the lead. ORTEGA struggled on receive in the second game, while GODA continued to apply pressure with her quick attacking play and solid placement. The Cartagena player showed signs of a comeback at the start of the third game, taking her first lead of the match at 3-2. However, GODA immediately responded, refusing to allow the momentum to shift. As the Egyptian accelerated the tempo even further and denied ORTEGA any opportunity to slow the rallies down, UCAM Cartagena coach Jesús CANTERO called a timeout in an attempt to break the rhythm. GODA, however, remained fully in control and closed the match in straight games. “She was playing really well, so I had to put a lot of power into my shots and keep the ball on the table. I’m happy I could bring this point to the team,” said GODA. The clash between Europe No. 8 Charlotte LUTZ and Europe No. 6 Maria XIAO leveled the match. XIAO justified her higher ranking by taking control early in the encounter. The players stayed close until the middle of the opening game, when the Spaniard began to pull away with precise placement and well-timed attacks down the line. LUTZ managed to keep pace at 4-4 in the second game, but XIAO once again created separation by constantly pushing the French player half a step behind and disrupting her rhythm. “I played without any pressure because I knew we were the underdogs here. Without QI Fei, it is very difficult to win this match, so I had nothing to lose. The last time I played against LUTZ, she beat me 3-0 and I had no chance, so today I was just thinking point by point and game by game. I think that was the key. The big difference this time was that she did not receive my serve very well, and that gave me the opportunity to be aggressive before her. She has a very attacking game, so if I could be aggressive first, it gave me the chance to control the point,” explained XIAO. Currently ranked No. 42 in Europe, Adina DIACONU faced Europe No. 43 Tin Tin HO in another tense clash of the semi-final. The Romanian international applied strong pressure from the start, using heavy spin and aggressive openings to force HO into errors. However, Tin Tin stayed calm and managed to shift the momentum in the second game. After a tense battle at 8-8, HO accelerated at the right moment to earn two game points at 10-8 and converted the second to level the match. The third game produced another neck-and-neck battle. Better receive and early initiative helped HO move in front, but DIACONU responded strongly in the fourth game, quickly building a 6-2 advantage. Although HO reduced the gap to 6-4, the Romanian player remained composed, extended the lead to 8-4 and forced the match into a decisive fifth game. In the decider, DIACONU completely took control, dominating the rallies and sealing an important victory for Metz TT. “It was a tough match, but I think I played very well in the first two games. I was leading in both of them, in the first set maybe 8-2, but she fought for every point and kept playing better and better. The same happened in the second game. I was in front again, but then I lost it, so I started to feel a little nervous.I also had some problems with my serve, many balls were going out and I really do not know why. But in the end, I am very happy that I managed to control my emotions and turn them to work for me.I tried to stay very calm because she is a very aggressive player. I just needed to stay in the rally and in the game, and that was the key for me today,” said DIACONU. “Today is my father’s birthday. I was sad that I could not celebrate it together with my family, but now I am so happy we won today.” GODA left nothing to chance in her second appearance at the table. The Egyptian star immediately put the match under control despite Maria XIAO’s experience and tactical variations. Hana dictated the tempo from the opening rallies and never allowed the Spaniard enough time to settle into rhythm. “My serve worked very well today, and that was the most important thing,” said GODA. Metz TT – UCAM Cartagena T.M 3-1