In the 4th Round of the Men’s Europe Cup CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc beat SK Vydrany 3:2 in Romania whilst PTE PEAC Kalo-Meh lost home match against Consult Wiener Neustadt 1:3. Austria’s club also played in Hungary. All three CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc’s players equily contributed the victory. Szilard GYÖRGY Cservik KRISZTIAN and Sebastian LOSO all scored whilst on the other side it was Peter SEREDA who kept Vydrany’s hopes alive. He won both his matches. Only Zsolt PETÖ won the opening duel between PTE PEAC Kalo-Meh and Solex-Consult Wiener Neustadt. After that Tomas KONECNY took the control and changed the course of the match. Tomas beat Lehel DEMETER and Zsolt PETÖ whilst Felix WETZEL produced third point. In Women’s Europe Cup TT Moravsky Krumlov lost to G.D. do Centro Social do Juncal 1:3 in Czech Republic.Only LIU Jing Xuan managed to score whilst on the other side of the net Leila OLIVEIRA and Tatiana GARNOVA proved too strong for the hosts. Men’s Europe Cup – 4th Round PTE PEAC Kalo-Meh – Solex-Consult Wiener Neustadt 1:3 Zsolt PETÖ – Ali ALKHADRAWI 3:0 (11:5 11:6 11:7) Lehel DEMETER – Tomas KONECNY 2:3 (8:11 11:6 11:6 6:11 8:11) Gabor GEROLD – Felix WETZEL 2:3 (5:11 11:6 11:5 5:11 4:11) Zsolt PETÖ – Tomas KONECNY 1:3 (4:11 11:2 8:11 12:14) CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc – SK Vydrany 3:2 Szilard GYÖRGY – Samuel NOVOTA 3:0 (12:10 14:12 11:9) Sebastian LOSO – Peter SEREDA 1:3 (5:11 11:13 11:8 3:11) Cservik KRISZTIAN – Zoltan LELKES 3:1 (7:11 11:3 11:0 11:0) Szilard GYÖRGY – Peter SEREDA 1:3 (6:11 11:8 5:11 2:11) Sebastian LOSO – Samuel NOVOTA 3:2 (11:6 5:11 9:11 14:12 12:10) Women’s Europe Cup TT Moravsky Krumlov – G.D. do Centro Social do Juncal 1:3 Ekaterina CHERNYAVSKAYA – Leila OLIVEIRA 2:3 (9:11 11:8 11:7 9:11 6:11) Renata STRBIKOVA – Tatiana GARNOVA 1:3 (11:6 3:11 8:11 14:16) LIU Jing Xuan – Gulchehkra KHUSSEINOVA 3:0 (11:4 11:7 11:3) Ekaterina CHERNYAVSKAYA – Tatiana GARNOVA 2:3 (12:10 5:11 11:8 6:11 9:11) ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari – ASKÖ LZ Linz Froschberg 0:3 Andreea CLAPA – Tin Tin HO 1:3 (11:7 5:11 5:11 8:11) WEI Jian – Karoline MISCHEK 1:3 (15:13 7:11 9:11 10:12) Rossana FERCIUG – Denise PAYET 2:3 (3:11 7:11 11:7 11:9 7:11)
Japan dominated in Team’s event at the Finlandia Open
Japan dominated in the first part of the Finlandia Open by taking gold and silver in both men´s and women´s events. Finland on home soil reached the semifinal in men´s team but lost to Japan in the penultimate stage clearly 0-2. Japan’s teams 1 and 2 in both events clinched gold and silver medals. Men’s team of Finland (Miikka O’CONNOR and Benedek OLÁH) and Belarus (Ulada RUKLIATSOU and Mik TSYHANOUSKI) clinched bronze. In Women’s Teams bronze went to Belarus (Darya KISEL and Ulyana ALKHOSKAYA) and Ukraine (Alina VYDRUCHENKO and Veronika HUD). It was great warm up for the forthcoming Singles Events on weekend. Men’s Team final Japan 1 – Japan 2 1-2 Koyo KANAMITSO – Seiya NUMAMURA 11-5 11-7 11-7 Kazto YOSHIDA – Naoka KAWAKAMI 11-6 8-11 7-11 10-12 KANAMITSO/YOSHIDA – NUMAMURA/KAWAKAMI 9-11 11-8 11-6 9-11 9-11 3) Finland 1 and Belarus 2 Women’s Team final Japan 1 – Japan 2 2-0 Shoko YAMAMOTO – Yuki SANJO 8-11 11-2 13-11 11-9 Yuka MATSUOKA – Hiyori OKAZAKI 6-11 11-3 11-6 11-6 3) Ukraine 2 and Belarus 2
ECLW Round 6: Metz and Hodonin reach quarter-finals
2019/20 European Champions League Women Metz TT and SKST STAVOIMPEX Hodonin will play in the 2019/20 ECLW quarter-finals as they won their Round 6 games against SH-ITB Budaörsi 2i SC and Leka Enea Tenis de Mesa respectively. The 2017/18 Europe Cup winner was in excellent shape in the most important moment of group stage beating away 2013 ECLW runner-up in straight games. Carole GRUNISCH paved the way to Metz victory as she prevailed against Szandra PERGEL in the opener. Daniela DODEAN MONTEIRO and Adina DIACONU beat Sabina SURJAN and Mercedes NAGYVARADY respectively. SKST STAVOIMPEX Hodonin defeated Leka Enea Tenis de Mesa 3:1 in the match held in Czech Republic. Hong Kong’s NG Wing Nam secured two points for the host beating ZHANG Jin and Maria XIAO who overcame Natalia PARYIKA in the second encounter. Solomiya BRATEYKO beat Roxana IAMANDI in four games of the third clash. ECLW Round 6 GROUP C SH-ITB Budaörsi 2i SC – Metz TT 0:3 Szandra PERGEL – Carole GRUNDISCH 1:3 (6:11 4:11 14:12 9:11) Sabina SURJAN – Daniela MONTEIRO DODEAN 1:3 (8:11 14:12 9:11 7:11) Mercedes NAGYVARADI – Adina DIACONU 0:3 (7:11 9:11 9:11) GROUP D SKST STAVOIMPEX Hodonin – Leka Enea Tenis de Mesa 3:1 NG Wing Nam – ZHANG Jin 3:0 (13:11 11:7 11:5) Natalia PARTYKA – Maria XIAO 1:3 (11:3 8:11 7:11 9:11) Solomiya BRATEYKO – Roxana IAMANDI 3:1 (11:9 9:11 11:8 11:5) NG Wing Nam – Maria XIAO 3:2 (4:11 13:11 12:10 5:11 11:6)
Melbourne Düsseldorf and Durban submit final bids to host 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals
Melbourne (Australia) Düsseldorf (Germany) and Durban (South Africa) have all made final bids for the chance to host the 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals. While Kuwait had expressed an interest to stage this historic event they have not submitted a final bid. The candidates were to submit their bids by 30th November 2019. Now the deadline has passed between December 2019 and February 2020 ITTF Officials and Staff will conduct the evaluation of bids and inspections of these cities. Finally in March 2020 the candidates will be invited to present their bids as the ITTF AGM votes on the allocation of host for the 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals. The 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals will be the third edition under the revolutionary expanded format to ensure maximum participation of ITTF member national associations. Held since 1926 the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships represent the greatest annual event in the sport not merely in terms of historical significance but boasting the highest global interest among players fans media and partners. The potential economic impact for host cities weighs in at tens of millions US dollars. This is also a huge PR opportunity for cities thanks to unrivalled TV and digital media exposure. The fact that the three national associations bidding to host the 2023 Finals represent three different continents will ensure a truly international flavour to the sport’s most prestigious annual event which following this year’s event in Budapest (Hungary) will take place in Busan (Korea Republic) in 2020 Houston (United States) in 2021 and Chengdu (China) in 2022. “The race to stage the 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals is really exciting as we have two candidates Australia and South Africa who are vying to host the event for the very first time while Düsseldorf put on one of the most memorable events in our sport’s history in the 2017 edition. We are looking forward to seeing a highly competitive bidding process develop further now ” said Steve Dainton ITTF CEO. “The final three bids received to stage the 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals are all very exciting. Each of them is different in its own way but at the same time all are very promising potential hosts. Early in 2020 the ITTF will plan inspections with all three candidate hosts which will then be invited to present their bids at the 2020 Annual General Meeting for the final decision and allocation of the event ” added Vicky Eleftheriade ITTF Competition Director. It is interesting to note that from 2021 onwards every detail about the competition is being designed to make the event experience more compelling than ever. A grand total of 128 players in singles and 64 pairs in each of the doubles will be competing in a straight knockout to eventually be crowned world champions. The next steps for Melbourne Düsseldorf and Durban are to get ready for eventual site inspections and provide further conviction that they are up to the task of winning the right to host the 2023 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals.
TTCLM Round 5: Hennebont into quarter-finals
Table Tennis Champions League Men Actual Europe Cup Men winner GV Hennebont TT reached 2019/20 TTCLM quarter-finals after 3:1 Round 5 victory over STK Starr Croatia 3:1. Quentin ROBINOT won two encounters against 16-year-old Starr’s newcomer Leon ŠANTEK and QIU Liang who was beaten by Samuel WALKER too. Most experienced player of Croatian side Ronald REDJEP overcame Konstantinos ANGELAKIS to reduce the score at 2:1. TTCLM record holder Borussia Dusseldorf beat away Sporting 3:0 to improve its win-loss record at 5-0. German side showed its power in spite of playing without Timo BOLL. Two matches were decided in straight games Anton KÄLLBERG vs. Diogo CARVALHO and Omar ASSAR vs. Paulo GUILHERME while Kristian KARLSSON defeated Bode ABIODUN after four games. Post SV Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. beat Leka Enea TDM 3:0 to get second place in Group A but German club has worse set-ratio in mutual score with currently 3rd placed Angers so the Round 6 will decide who will join reigning champion Orenburg in the quarter-finals. TTCLM Round 5 GROUP A Post SV Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. – Leka Enea TDM 3:0 Steffen MENGEL – Taras MERZLIKIN 3:2 (11:2 7:11 5:11 11:1 11:6) Lubomir JANCARIK – Endika DIEZ 3:1 (8:11 11:8 11:4 11:6) Ovidiu IONESCU – Daniel PALACIOS 3:0 (11:6 11:4 11:3) GROUP D Sporting Clube De Portugal – Borussia Düsseldorf 0:3 Diogo CARVALHO – Anton KÄLLBERG 0:3 (7:11 3:11 8:11) Bode ABIODUN – Kristian KARLSSON 1:3 (8:11 11:6 9:11 5:11) Paulo GUILHERME – Omar ASSAR 0:3 (5:11 2:11 2:11) GV Hennebont TT – STK Starr Croatia 3:1 Quentin ROBINOT – Leon ŠANTEK 3:0 (11:3 11:0 11:4) Samuel WALKER – QIU Liang 3:0 (11:7 11:6 11:9) Konstantionos ANGELAKIS – Ronald REDJEP 1:3 (11:9 9:11 6:11 7:11) Quentin ROBINOT – QIU Liang 3:1 (15:13 13:15 12:10 11:6)
ALCL TT Grand-Quevilly in the fast lane
With straight matches win ALCL TT Grand-Quevilly opened the 4th Stage of the Women’s Europe Cup. Tecnigen Linares failed to take advantage of home soil. It was Galia DVORAK’s match that produced the most thrill. She took an early lead but lost next two games before she recovered to win the first match against Roxana ISTRATE. Jiayi SUN and Roza SOPOSKI followed her path against Klaudia KUSINSKA and Lucia AGUAYO in less dramatic style. The return leg will be played in France on December 15th. Tecnigen Linares – ALCL TT Grand-Quevilly 0:3 Roxana Ana Maria ISTRATE – Galia DVORAK 2:3 (10:12 11:8 11:6 8:11 5:11) Klaudia KUSINSKA – Jiayi SUN 1:3 (7:11 9:11 11:6 3:11) Lucia AGUAYO – Roza SOPOSKI 0:3 (6:11 4:11 8:11)
ECLW Round 6: Battles for the second places
From Friday to Tuesday (Dec 6-10) group stage to be concluded. Special day for the Budaörs Sport Club Group stage of the 2019/20 European Champions League Women will be concluded by the Round 6 games scheduled from this Friday to Tuesday (Dec 6-10). Group winners are already decided – Berlin (A) Saint Quentinois (B) KTS Enea Siarka (C) and Linz AG Froschberg (D); but two best teams from each group will enter quarter-finals. So each group offers in Round 6 deciding encounters for the second spot. CP Lyssois Lille Métropole (0-3 win-loss record) host GIRBAU-VIC TT (1-2) in Group A. Spanish side won their first meeting 3:1. GIRBAU president Enric ROCA explains: “Girbau Vic TT second classified in Group A will play in Lille against CP Lyssois Lille Métropole the last match of the group stage. The meeting like the one held in Vic promises to be very disputed. The goal of the team led by Salvador SERRA and Gabriela FEHER who acts as a player and second coach is to try to qualify for the next phase. In Vic Girbau Vic TT won 3-1 with two points from ZHANG Xuan and one from Orsdolya FEHER. “ SH-ITB Budaörsi 2i SC team manager Krisztina SZVITÁN believes that her side is capable to reach next stage in spite of facing strong challenge in France: “This Champions League match is special to us because it takes place at the end of a full-day sports day at Budaörsi Sport Club. The Budaörs Sport Club Day presents leasure and competitive sports on the same day and at the same venue. During the sports day all children and adults can try out the 7 sports of the Budaörsi Sport Club and then all the participants can watch the Champions League match as well. The sport club prizes will be handed over in the match break for the best athletes in the sport sections. The team’s goal is to get the most out of the match against Metz of course we want to achieve a result that can make advancing to the Champions League. Metz is a very strong team but our players are really prepared and motivated to play against them tomorrow.” After 3:0 (9-0) away win against Leka Enea Czech team Hodonin has widely open way to the quarter-finals. However player of Spanihs side ZHANG Jin promises big fight: “We are very happy that we had the opportunity to play Champions League. Although it is very difficult but we will fight until the end and I hope we will have more opportunity to play Champions League. “ ECLW Round 6 GROUP A: CP Lyssois Lille Métropole -GIRBAU-VIC TT (Dec 10 19:00 CET) GROUP B: UCAM Cartagena TM – TTC CarinthiaWinds Villach (Dec 06 19:00 CET) GROUP C: SH-ITB Budaörsi 2i SC – Metz TT (Dec 06 17:00 CET) GROUP D: SKST STAVOIMPEX Hodonin – Leka Enea Tenis de Mesa (Dec 06 18:00 CET)
Prishtina played Table Tennis to help Albania
Prishtina Table Tennis Club in cooperation with Rotary Club Prishtina Newborn (RCPNB) have organized fundraising tournament to support Albania after the earthquake. Over 50 participants in this tournament have raised around 500 euros to help earthquake victims in three hours. Albania was hit by a 6.3-magnitude earthquake last week which left dozens dead and hundreds injured. Since the terrible earthquake almost all of Kosovo has started humanitarian action to help those affected by the earthquake. “We wish that in the future we will make more humanitarian organizations not only for disasters but for other events as well. With this event we are showing that we are all together solidarize with all those affected by the earthquake “said Nehat ÇITAKU president of the Kosovo Table Tennis Federation. Arjeta PAJAZITI-QERIMI from Rotary Club Prishtina Newborn on behalf of Rotary Clubs from Kosovo considered helping the affected whatever it may be “We want to help Albanians physically emotionally and financially”. Skender BOSHTRAKAJ from the Ministry of Culture and Sports thanked the participants adding that table tennis is the first sport to open its doors in the international arena.
TTCLM Round 5: Fight for the last three quarter-final spots
2019/20 Table Tennis Champions League Men The last two rounds will tell us who are the remaining three TTCLM quarter-finalists after Fakel-Gazprom Orenburg TTSC UMMC FC Saarbrucken TT KS Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki and Borussia Dusseldorf. The Round 5 is schedulled for the next two days December 5-6th excepting one between Ping Pong Club Villeneuvois and FC Saarbrücken TT (Dec 12). Post SV Mühlhausen (2-2 win-loss) host Leka Enea TDM (0-4) in Group A while reigning champion Fakel Gazprom Orenburg (4-0) travels to Angers (2-2). Mühlhausen and Angers have chances to reach next stage. “What could we except against the best team in Europe? Last season in the semi-final we have played the best match in the history of club and lost 3:2 after lead 2:0. I am just excepting a nice spectacle for all the people present” stated Angers president Gérard SARAZIN. TTC Fakel-Gazprom coach Vladimir ENDOLOV explains: “In my opinion the upcoming match with the French club VS Angers TT will be interesting and tense as always. Our team is very seriously preparing for this match and we believe in our victory. We hope that the players of both teams will be able to show amazing table tennis and please both French spectators and table tennis fans around the world.” Post SV Mühlhausen coach Erik SCHREYER aims clear victory against Spanish club: “In this game we are favourite and at home we are strong. When we win this match than we have a little final against Orenburg outside to get the second place in the group. “ Player of German club Lubomir JANCARIK added: “To the next TTCLM match against Spanish team Leka Enea we will come with full focus and concertation. And we believe that it will be nice table tennis evening for all.” TTSC UMMC (4-0) targets fifth win in a row in Group B playing with one newcomer in its line-up against TTC Ostrava 2016 (0-4). In same group SPG Walter Wels (2-2) host Roskilde Bordtennis BTK61 (2-2). “The Czech ranks the last in our group. But of course it is not a reason to chill” – said Tatiana KUTERGINA head coach of the UMMC club. “This is an opportunity to give our young tennis players chance to play an important tournament. We think this Friday a 16-year-old student of the Pyshma school of table tennis Semen SHEVNIN will come to the table. I am sure that for him the match will be an invaluable experience. Well the rest athletes are also ready to play. Alexander SHIBAEV is training in Kazan now Andrey GACINA is preparing in Croatia. Jonathan GROTH played at the World Cup in China though he couldn’t get into the main draw of the tournament but we are glad that the representative of the UMMC club was among the strongest in the world.” Sport director of Danish club Allan BENTSEN stated: “We look forward to visit Wels and are ready to fight for the second place in the group. We had a hard fight in Roskilde and expect the same there but we hope to make it for the quarter-finals. “ Group C match between Ping Pong Club Villeneuvois (1-3) and FC Saarbrücken TT (4-0) is postponed for December 12th but coach of German club Slobodan GRUJIC gave us short comment: “As we already secured our place in the quarter-finals our aim is to get top spot in our group. We have a lot of confidence and we hope we can make it.” KS Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki (3-1) is clear favourite in the other Group C clash as they host Portugal’s side GDCS Juncal (0-4) this Friday. TTCLM record holder actual no.2 seed Borussia Dusseldorf (4-0) is going to play its Group D game in Lisbon against Sporting (2-2). German side already secured its place among the top eight clubs while host team fights for the second spot. “We played a very good TTCL season and won all matches in our group until now. So we are in a comfortable situation that we would win the group with only one more victory. And that´s our goal for the match in Portugal. All my players are healthy and in a good shape and if we could show well performances against Lisbon I am sure that we will win. Sporting has got a strong team and we lost our match last year so we have to be very focused to win in their hall” explained Borussia’s coach Danny HEISTER Andreas PREUSS Manager of German club stated: “Our priority is to win the group and to reach the quarter finals as number one to play against a second placed team. But we have to play seven matches in Bundesliga and TTCL within 19 days and especially from 3/12 to 10/12 we will have four matches. So we have to play game by game and we have to see who shall play. But for sure if we could win against Sporting we reached our goal in group and that´s what we try to do.” Head coach and manager of the STK Starr Croatia (0-4) Matthias LANDFRIED explained situation in his club before the trip to France. He was forced to include 16-year-old Leon SANTEK against Hennebont (2-2): “Hennebont is one of the best teams in Europe and we are only able to win versus them with our best team. In the first match in Croatia it was a big fight between us and we even had two match balls to lead 2:0 versus them. We had high expectations for the second match in France but unfortunately we had to replace our best player some days ago. We got this bad news on Friday evening that his participation had been cancelled by his federation and the national-team. This is hard for us because this happened now the second time very short-dated. In this short period we had no chance
Anna KIRICHENKO on test in Finland
2019 Finlandia Open The 2019 Finlandia Open will kick off on Thursday for the 32nd time. The competition has been played since 1981 (though biennially in the early years) and the men’s singles winner list features well-known table tennis names from Jan-Ove WALDNER and LIU Guoliang to Mattias FALCK. Japan’s Hokuto KORIYMA who has dominated the last three years of the race is not involved this time. Home crowd naturally expects Benedek OLÁH to eventually win his home competition. First-seeded OLÁH would be the first Finnish winner in the history of competition. Women’s singles win has gone to Japan for the last five years. Now the first-seeded player is MA Wenting of Norway who was second after Ayane MORITA a year ago. The host country player Anna KIRICHENKO is also high on seeding list. On Thursday there will be a team competition and the singles will be played Friday to Sunday. In singles FTTA is using a very complex progressive knockout system that ultimately gives each player an accurate position. It is thanks to this system that the Finlandia Open has maintained its popularity as a popular competition for young players. At best the player will get 7-8 singles in the competition. There are 120 male and 75 female players from 29 countries. The venue is – for the 8th time – Kisakallio Sports Institute which provides players with excellent conditions. The venue is only a short walk from the rooms and dining takes place in the same center. The players are able to rest in their own rooms between the matches. At the same time the ETTU Executive Board will also have it meeting in Finland. Vice President Sonja Grefberg will get her colleagues home for the first time. It is snowy but this time not very cold just a few degrees below zero. Finnish winter wellcomes everyone! Jarmo Koskela The results & other information will be updated here
