On the second day of play at the 2026 CCB Europe Top 16 Cup in the Omnisports venue in Montreux, the tournament’s biggest names entered the arena as the Round of 16 in the men’s event got underway.
All matches of the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup will be available live worldwide on ETTU.tv and YouTube ETTU official, except in the following countries and territories, where specific broadcast agreements apply and access is restricted (geo-blocked). In these regions, fans should follow the tournament exclusively on the official local broadcasters listed here.
See the pictures by Remi GROS here.
Jonathan GROTH – Darko JORGIC 1–3 (14–12, 3–11, 8–11, 8–11)
Last year’s runner-up and three-time champion Darko JORGIC opened his campaign with a win over Denmark’s Jonathan GROTH. After a neck-and-neck battle in the opening game, JORGIC shifted into a higher gear and tightened his control of the match. In the fourth game, the Slovenian led 9–5, but GROTH forced a timeout at 9–8. The short break worked in JORGIC’s favor, as he regrouped and sealed the victory.
“I may have started the first game a bit too passively, waiting for Jonathan’s mistakes, and in a few rallies I was overly aggressive, going for full power. The opening round is always tough and very important, and that adds extra pressure. After that, I found my rhythm. In the second game I began to dominate with my serve, my returns improved, and my overall game became more stable. I avoided the quick mistakes I made at the beginning of the match. I’m happy with this first win. As I said, the opening rounds are always the hardest, the ice is broken and now we move forward,” said JORGIC.
Anders LIND – Dimitrij OVCHAROV 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-9)
On his third appearance in Montreux, Denmark’s Anders LIND defeated Dimitrij OVTCHAROV, one of the most successful players in the history of the event, who has competed 16 times at the Top 16 and lifted the trophy on five occasions.
“The opening round is always difficult. It never feels comfortable with new tables and new balls. Today I don’t think I played my best, but I performed as well as I could under these circumstances and got the most out of my game,” said LIND.
LIND had previously faced OVTCHAROV twice, beating him most recently in league competition, but this time he introduced a new weapon.
“I believe my serve made the difference today. I experimented with a few new variations and, for the first time in a match, I used some serves I had never tried before. They worked quite well. Sometimes trying new things can backfire, but today it helped me. I’m glad I took the risk and I plan to keep developing that part of my game.”
Reflecting on the closing stages of the third game, LIND added:
“I always get a bit nervous when I lead 2–0. I don’t really know why, but I rarely lose from that position, so it’s fine.”
