2019/20 ECLW quarter-finals leg no.1 January 10th Never-ending fight between Metz TT and Linz AG Froschberg will be uplifted to another stage in the upcoming 2019/20 European Champions League Women quarter-finals having first leg scheduled for this Friday January 10th 19:30 CET. Former two-time ECLW champion Linz AG Froschberg (no. 2 seed) travels to France to meet 2017/18 Europe Cup winner Metz TT (France no. 10). European no.1 Under 21 player Adina DIACONU and her teammates will try to stop best ranked European player at the ITTF Rankings Sofia POLCANOVA (world no.14) who has 5-2 win-loss record after group stage. It will be a fourth knockout clash between these two clubs in last five seasons. Austrian team emerged victorious in previous three meetings each time in the quarter-finals. First match-up 2015/16 has been decided by just one-point difference – 5:5 in matches (19:19 sets 347:346 points) while the second one in 2016/17 Linz won 6-2 on aggregate. Gunther RENNER’s side eliminated Metz in 2018/19 quarter-finals after two 3:2 wins. “We expect again full house in Metz always thrilling to see the massive number of fans in France. Traditionally we have expectations to win but both teams can act on the same level the match day performance will decide and which team is more hungry will finally make it” stressed Linz president Gunther RENNER. Reigning ECLW champion KTS Enea Siarka Tarnobrzeg (Poland no. 3 seed) faces last year’s ECLW quarter-finalist SKST Stavoimpex Hodonin (Czech Republic no. 5). Former Tarnobrzeg’s Natalia PARTYKA is going to host her compatriots in the leg no.1 to be held in the Czech city of Hodonin. Polish champion enters knockout phase unbeaten (4-0 Group C) as well as its best player HAN Ying (6-0) but host side prepares strong respond with Hong Kong’s NG Wing Nam (6-1). Four-time ECLW champion TTC Berlin Eastside (Germany no. 1 seed) is going to play against 2015/16 ECLW semi-finalist and 2018/19 Europe Cup winner UCAM Cartagena TM (Spain no. 7). Berlin who beat twice Spanish side last year in a group stage is a huge favorite in this match-up. Sweden’s player Matilda EKHOLM faces her former club. Three-times in a row ECLW quarter-finalist in the last four seasons TT Saint-Quentinois (France no. 4) will meet ECLW newcomer GIRBAU VIC TT (Spain no. 11) aiming its very first semi-finals. Polina MIKHAILOVA (5-0) and Sofia-Xuan ZHANG (4-1) should take leading roles in this meeting. “For the fourth time in five seasons TT Saint-Quentin is through the ECLW quarter finals. It is a new challenge against another Spanish team Girbau-Vic TT runner-up of the 2018 ETTU Cup. After the first place in Group B coach Franck DELCAMBRE would like to keep on the good results with the same players: Canadian Mo ZHANG French Aurore LE MANSEC and Russians Polina MIKHAILOVA and Olga MIKHAYLOVA. The opposition will be strong with four international players including Sofia-Xuan ZHANG. The result of the away match should influence the February match in Saint-Quentin where the French public would like to support their favourites. Both clubs have never reached the ECLW semi-finals. What a challenge” stated Jean-Louis POLARD TT Saint-Quentin team manager. Three ECLW champions enter knockout stage unbeaten: former four-time winner TTC Berlin Eastside 4-0 (12-1) actual champion KTS Enea Siarka Tarnobrzeg 4-0 (12-2) and two-time winner Linz AG Froschberg 4-0 (12-5). Linz’s Chief Marketing Officer Robert Renner commented on the “upcoming ECLV 2020/21 revolution”: Linz’s head of marketing Robert Renner commented “the upcoming revolution of 2020/21 ECLW”: “It`s a good development to tighten the period the ECLW is played in including quarterfinals because who can understand a 10 months season with 5 home matches maximum. Getting more focus from media and for sponsors should be easier then shorten the duration of a Team Matches and the single matches inside a team match to reach the window of an 90-120 minutes that should make it more relaxed for the spectators and easier to handle for the broadcasters. The biggest step forward will be the ranking/qualification for ECLW through Clubs results/all-time table with three years recalculation. All these impulses could have huge positive impacts on the future of ECLW and I`m personally thankful to ETTU Executive Board to give our league the chance to make this step.” 2019/20 ECLW quarter final leg 1 January 10th SKST Stavoimpex Hodonin (CZE) – KTS Enea Siarka Tarnobrzeg (POL) 18:00 CET UCAM Cartagena TM (ESP) – TTC Berlin Eastside (GER) 19:00 CET Girbau-Vic TT (ESP) – TT Saint Quentinois (FRA) 19:00 CET Metz TT (FRA) – Linz AG Froschberg (AUT) 19:30 CET
Calella invites you to learn with Petr KORBEL
XIII Butterfly Open & International Training Camp Calella (Costa Barcelona Maresme) will host the XIII Butterfly Open & International Training Camp from August 3rd to 14th. Butterfly offers all the players to participate in the campus and the meeting opened to any kind of players (high technical improvement or initiation level) of any age. Main camp coach of the first week will be Petr KORBEL who will work with Joaquim MALLORQUÍ. International high level sparrings and coaches will also be on duty in Spain. http://www.zonatt.com www.es.butterfly.tt Tel: (+34) 910 582 095 E-mail: butterflymadrid@zonatt.com
Berlin sixth time on the top
Women’s National Cup of Germany TTC Berlin Eastside beat SV DJK Kolbermoor 3:0 to clinch its sixth DTTB Cup in the concluding clash at the Final Four held in Bertha Benz Hall in Pforzheim in front of about 350 fans. FU Yu beat Kristin LANG after five exciting games in the opener 3:2 (8:11 11: 5 19:17 10:12 11: 7). SHAN Xiaona overcame American player Lily ZHANG while 23-year-old member of German National Team Nina MITTELHAM prevailed against DING Yaping in straight games. FINAL SV DJK Kolbermoor – TTC Berlin Eastside 0:3 Kristin LANG – FU Yu 2:3 Lily ZHANG – SHAN Xiaona 1:3 DING Yaping – Nina MITTELHAM 0:3 SEMI-FINALS TTC Berlin Eastside – TV Busenbach 3:0 FU Yu – Jessica GÖBEL 3: 1 Matilda EKHOLM – Tanja KRÄMER 3:1 Nina MITTELHAM – Lea GROHMANN 3:0 SV DJK Kolbermoor – TSV Langstadt 3:1 DING Yaping – Dina MESHREF 3:0 Kristin LANG – Petrissa SOLJA 1:3 Lily ZHANG – Janina Kämmerer 3:0 DING Yaping – Petrissa SOLJA 3:2
ASV Grünwettersbach makes history in Ulm
Men’s National Cup of Germany ASV Grünwettersbach scored a sensational victory in the Germany’s 2019/20 Liebherr Cup final overcoming defending champion TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen 3:2. It was the exciting conclusion of the Final Four held in the Ratiopharm Arena Ulm / Neu-Ulm filled with the 4600 spectators in the final. Like both semi-finals the final clash was decided after doubles encounters. DANG Qiu and Tobias RASMUSSEN prevailed against Stefan FEGERL and Jakub DYJAS 3:1 (8:11 11:4 11:4 11:7) in the fifth game to secure first ever trophy for ASV Grünwettersbach. Germany’s Cup record holder Borussia Dusseldorf the winner of nine out of last 12 editions was beaten by TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen in the semi-final while 2012 champion Saarbrucken has been upset by ASV Grünwettersbach. Final ASV Grünwettersbach – TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen 3:2 Sathiyan GNANASEKARAN – Jakub DYJAS 1:3 (4:11 1:11 11:9 5:11) DANG Qiu – Simon GAUZY 3:1 (11:5 11:9 7:11 11:7) WANG Xi – Stefan FEGERL 3:0 (11:6 11:5 11:7) Sathiyan GNANASEKARAN – Simon GAUZY 1:3 (7:11 5:11 11:7 10:12) DANG Qiu/Tobias RASMUSSEN – Stefan FEGERL/Jakub DYJAS 3:1 (8:11 11:4 11:4 11:7) Semi-finals TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – Borussia Düsseldorf 3:2 Hugo CALDERANO – Kristian KARLSSON 3:0 (11:9 11:8 13:11) Jakub DYJAS – Timo BOLL 1:3 (9:11 11:8 9:11 11:13) Simon GAUZY – Anton KÄLLBERG 3:1 (17:15 11:7 8:11 11:8) Hugo CALDERANO – Timo BOLL 0:3 (5:11 2:11 0:11) Stefan FEGERL/Simon GAUZY – Kristian KARLSSON/Anton KÄLLBERG 3:1 (11:9 12:10 5:11 11:8) ASV Grünwettersbach – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT 3:2 Sathiyan GNANASEKARAN – SHANG Kun 3:2 (11:8 7:11 11:9 6:11 11:9) DANG Qiu – Patrick FRANZISKA 0:3 (8:11 5:11 8:11) WANG Xi – Darko JORGIC 3:0 (11:7 11:7 11:6) Sathiyan GNANASEKARAN – Patrick FRANZISKA 0:3 (8:11 9:11 4:11) DANG Qiu/Tobias RASMUSSEN – Darko JORGIC/Tomas POLANSKY 3:0 (13:11 15:13 11:9)
POLCANOVA and FALCK heads the Top 16 Cup list
2020 CCB Europe Top 16 Cup There is a little more than a month before the start of another glamorous edition of Europe’s most elite tournament. The 2020 CCB Europe Top 16 Cup once again to be held in dreamy lakeside town Montreux will be played from Saturday 8th to Sunday 9th February. All Europe’s best players are invited to the shores of Lake Geneva. Salle Omnisport du Pierrier will be the venue for the mouthwatering clashes against the table tennis greats for the prestigious title and luxury prize money fund. The last year’s winners Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and Petrissa SOLJA of Germany are both invited and they are seeded at the position no. three in their respective Men’s and Women’s Events. Top seeded players are Mattias FALCK of Sweden and Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria. It is FALCK’s third appearance at the tournament with the best result achieved in 2018 when he was seventh. Seeded at the position no. two is legendary Timo BOLL who finished third last year and with six titles at Top 16 under his belt is the favorite once again. He won the title in 2018 last time whilst the first one at the same tournament was in 2002 in Dutch city of Rotterdam. Title holder Dimitrij OVTCHAROV is third at the list with five titles overall. No. four is Simon GAUZY of France. He was seventh last year and his best result is bronze in 2017 in Juan-Les-Pins Antibes. At position no. 5 is Liam PITCHFORD of England who played for a first time at the event last year. One place below is Vladimir SAMSONOV of Belarus last year’s runner up and the man who has played 22 times and won 4 titles. The list goes on with Kristian KARLSSON of Sweden Marcos FREITAS of Portugal who won the title in Lausanne in 2014 Jonathan GROTH of Denmark Daniel HABESOHN of Austria Tomislav PUCAR of Croatia Robert GARDOS of Austria Darko JORGIC of Slovenia and Lionel WEBER of Switzerland. The top seed in the Women’s Event Sofia POLCANOVA played four times and she is yet to win the title. The winner of the 2018 edition Bernadette SZOCS of Romania is no. two seed followed by title holder Petrissa SOLjA of Germany. Her compatriot HAN Ying is no. 4 seed. The list continues with another Romania’s star Elizabeta SAMARA who played at the event 9 times and LI Qian of Poland who won the event in 2009. Matilda EKHOLM of Sweden Margaryta PESOTSKA of Ukraine Georgina POTA of Hungary are also invited. The winner from the 1996 Top 12 NI Xia Lian of Luxembourg proved last summer with the place at the 2020 Olympic Games that she is still in game for top prizes. At the list of the invited players are also Britt EERLAND of Netherlands Polina MIKHAILOVA of Russia Hana MATELOVA of Czech Republic Barbora BALAZOVA of Slovakia LI Jie of Netherlands and Rachel MORET of Switzerland as host representative. Event information here Tickets here
Club Competitions announcement: Suspension of VS Angers TT
1st January 2020 The French club VS Angers TT has been suspended from the European Table Tennis Union club competitions for 2019-2020 and has been fined 5 000 euros following an investigation into the build up to and playing of their Men’s Champions League group stage match against Leka Enea TDM (Spain) on 10th December 2019. ETTU finds that the VS Angers TT club has violated a core value of sports competitions not wanting to win a match and a Champions League quarter final place but has preferred to lose and has deliberately lost by purpose in order to take a place in the Europe Cup Men quarter final and by doing so has behaved in a way that brings the sport of Table Tennis into disrepute. VS Angers TT club has decided not to appeal the decision. In the Europe Cup Men quarter final draw SF SKK El Nino Praha (Czech Republic) receives a walkover.
Triple 6-0 score for UMMC in group stage
2019/20 TTCLM group stage Review The 2019/20 Table Tennis Champions League Men players with the best group stage win-loss records are two members of TTSC UMMC Jonathan GROTH and Alexander SHIBAEV. They won all six their encounters in Group B where their team also finished with six consecutive wins. Players with the best individual scores so far are following (at least four games played): Jonathan GROTH (UMMC) 6-0 (18-4) Alexander SHIBAEV (UMMC) 6-0 (18-4) Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (Orenburg) 4-0 (12-0) Darko JORGIC (Saarbrucken) 4-0 (12-2) Kristian KARLSSON (Borussia) 4-0 (12-3) Panagiotis GIONIS (Bogoria) 7-1 (22-10) Andrej GACINA (UMMC) 6-1 (20-4) Marcos FREITAS (Orenburg) 6-1 (20-8) Pavel SIRUCEK (Bogoria) 5-1 (16-3) Tomas POLANSKY (Saarbrucken) 5-1 (16-4) Vladimir SAMSONOV (Orenbrug) 4-1 (14-4) Cedric NUYTINCK (Hennebont) 4-1 (14-5) Quentin ROBINOT (Hennebont) 4-1 (12-6) Timo BOLL (Borussia) 3-1 (10-3) Anton KALLBERG (Borussia) 5-2 (18-8) SHANG Kun (Saarbrucken) 4-2 (14-6)… There are three more unbeaten players with only three encounters in group stage: Patrick FRANZISKA (Saarbrucken) 3-0 (9-2) Omar ASSAR (Borussia) 3-0 (9-1) Ricardo WALTHER (Borussia) 3-0 (9-1). Four teams enter knockout stage unbeaten: reigning TTCLM champion and five-time winner Fakel Gazprom Orenburg 6-0 (18-2) record holder and 11-time champion Borussia Dusseldorf 6-0 (18-3) current runner-up TTSC UMMC 6-0 (18-3) and 2012 finalist FC Saarbrucken 6-0 (18-4). Other 2019/20 quarter-finalists have the following win-loss records: KS Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki 4-2 (16-6) Roskilde Bordtennis BTK61 3-3 (13-10) GV Hennebont 3-3 (12-11) Post SV Muhlhausen 3-3 (10-11). The 2019/20 TTCLM quarter-finals will see the next four matchups: GV Hennebont TT (FRA) – Fakel Gazprom Orenburg (RUS) Post SV Muhlhausen 1951 e.V. (GER) – FC Saarbrucken TT (GER) K.S. Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki (POL) – TTSC UMMC (RUS) Roskilde Bordtennis BTK61 (DEN) – Borussia Dusseldorf (GER). Second placed clubs in group stage will play first leg on home soil scheduled for mid-January.
HAN Ying enters knockout stage with 6-0
2019/20 ECLW group stage Review European Champions League Women player with the best win-loss record in last five years HAN Ying leads in the individual race in the ongoing season having 6-0 after group stage. One of the world’s best defenders a member of German National Team led reigning ECLW champion KTS Enea Siarka Tarnobrzeg to the perfect 4-0 score in Group C. Top 6 players in the group stage are next (at least four games played): HAN Ying 6-0 (game ratio 18-1 team KTS Enea Siarka Tarnobrzeg) Polina MIKHAILOVA 5-0 (15-5 Saint Quentinois) SHAN Xiaona 4-0 (12-1 TTC Berlin Eastside) NG Wing Nam 6-1 (19-11 SKST Stavoimpex Hodonin) Sofia-Xuan ZHANG 4-1 (14-6 Girbau-Vic) Sofia POLCANOVA 5-2 (19-9 Linz AG Froschberg). Three no.3 players in the line-ups of their teams finished unbeaten after six rounds having same 3-0 individual score: Nina MITTELHAM 3-0 (9-1 TTC Berlin Eastside) WU Yue 3-0 (9-3 KTS Enea Siarka Tarnobrzeg) and Linda BERGSTROM 3-0 (9-3 Linz AG Froschberg). Three ECLW champions enter knockout stage unbeaten: former four-time winner TTC Berlin Eastside 4-0 (12-1) actual champion KTS Enea Siarka Tarnobrzeg 4-0 (12-2) and two-time winner Linz AG Froschberg 4-0 (12-5). Other quarter-finalists have the following win-loss records: TT Saint Quentinois 3-1 (10-6) SKST Stavoimpex Hodonin 2-2 (10-7) UCAM Cartagena 2-2 (8-7) Metz TT 2-2 (6-7) Girbau-Vic 1-3 (5-10). The 2019/20 ECLW quarter-final comes with the next four matchups: UCAM Cartagena TM (ESP) – TTC Berlin Eastside (GER) SKST Stavoimpex Hodonin (CZE) – KTS Enea Siarka Tarnobrzeg (POL) Girbau-Vic TT (ESP) – TT Saint Quentinois (FRA) Metz TT (FRA) – Linz AG Froschberg (AUT). Second placed clubs in group stage will play first leg (10-12. Jan) as host sides. Second games are scheduled for February 14-16th.
World Table Tennis Day 2020: Start To Register Now
The countdown has begun! Last year’s edition was a total success with 922 events in 107 countries reaching more than 700.000 people – can we set a new record in 2020? The preparations for the 2020 edition are already in full swing. The power of the World Table Tennis Day is to make Table Tennis accessible for ALL. The ITTF Foundation invites you to join the annual celebration of table tennis on 6th April as our sport is suited for everyone everywhere! The focus is less on excellence more on inclusion less on competition more on fun and positive social outcomes. Help us to motivate more and more people to promote solidarity through table tennis in your community and share the passion with ALL. As in previous years a newsletter will be sent out to all those interested in order to stay up to date. We hope to provide you with all the support you need through our website and newsletters so we invite you to subscribe to receive the best tips and make the most of your event. The upcoming World Table Tennis Day will be about the environment. Of course climate change is an urgent matter but we won’t concentrate on the ecological environment exclusively. Our sport can have a great impact on the social as well as the ecological environment. Thus let’s make a change and grow together! As you can see we have a new website but the old one is still available in nine languages: Arabic Chinese English French German Portuguese Russian Spanish and Japanese. Like last year a toolkit and promotional package in these nine languages can be accessed via the Download section of the old website. Different logo templates are available and can be adjusted to your needs such as for training shirts stickers and banners. If your language is not available we will be happy to include it just let us know. So with only a few weeks to go to the 2020 World Table Tennis Day we want to invite experienced and new event organisers to join the celebration and make our sport even more popular universal and inclusive. To get inspired watch here the 2019 World Table Tennis Day Celebrations. So the countdown has begun – do not hesitate to register your event! Register your event!
Romania’s stars gathered at Gala evening in Buzau
Romania Table Tennis Federation celebrated the end of another successful year in the big style. The great Gala gathered all Romania’s table tennis stars as well as notable guests from sport and politic life. In the beautiful hotel Athena in Buzau FRTM awarded the most successful players and teams. Best coach in 2019 was Viorel FILIMON who lead Women’s Team to their gold medal at the European Championships in Nantes. Best team award went to the champions: Bernadette SZOCS Eliza SAMARA Daniela DODEAN MONTEIRO Adina DIACONU and Irina CIOBANU. Best player is Ovidiu IONESCU who won silver medal in doubles at the World Championships and silver in Mixed Doubles at European Games in Minsk. His doubles partner Bernadette SZOCS is also awarded for gold at Teams European Championships silver in Mixed Doubles silver in European Games in Teams Event and silver at the Top 16 Cup in Montreux. European Under 21 champion Adina DIACONU is awarded for her achievements as a young senior and as a member of senior team. Among players who received awards are: Darius MOVILEANU Elena ZAHARIA Iulian CHIRITA Tania PLAIAN Rares SIPOS Cristian PLETEA Eduard IONESCU Ioana SINGEORZAN Adela STRUNA and Bianca MEI ROSU.
