Two matches of the Round 1 were held tonight: AS PONTOISE CERGY – ESLOVS 3:2 BORUSSIA DUSSELDORF – SPG WALTER WELS 3:0 One more exciting fight was delivered by the latest TTCLM finalists at the beginning of the 2016/17 TTCLM season: AS PONTOISE CERGY – ESLOVS 3:2. Ten times TTCLM champion BORUSSIA DUSSELDORF proved its class against SPG WALTER WELS 3:0. Pontoise and Eslovs have played their fifth match in last twelve months and it was the third win of French team. Like in the ultimate showdown of the 2015/16 season Tristan FLORE managed to take deciding point. But Marcos FREITAS enabled him to play the fifth encounter against Daniel KOSIBA. After three matches Swedish side had an advantage while two best players were required to give their best. Marcos FREITAS and XU Hui met four times in four clashes between these two clubs last year and their mutual score was 2:2. Tonight European star beat Chinese in five games of the fourth match. XU fought to secure new victory to his side but Portuguese prevented him despite being one set down twice. FLORE has opened the fifth encounter against KOSIBA in a style having 7:0 lead. In third game he had three match points but guest reversed from 7:10 to 13:11. Finally Frenchman reached the fourth set to secure victory to the reigning TTCLM champion. Borussia`s legend Timo BOLL has returned to the TTCLM stage after season in which he missed many games because of an injury. Tonight he wasn’t in his best shape but it was enough to beat Mihai BOBOCICA in four games. Italian won opening set. Two former team mates from golden team of Pontoise met in the second clash as Kristian KARLSSON defeated WANG Jian Jun in straight games. They won last season`s TTCLM playing for the French club. Second newcomer of ten times TTCLM champion was also successful in his debut. Austrian Stefan FEGERL prevailed against Serbian Zsolt PETO in four games. The 2016/17 TTCLM Round 1 GROUP B AS PONTOISE CERGY – ESLOVS AL BORDTENNIS 3:2 Marcos FREITAS – Daniel KOSIBA 3:2 (11:9 5:11 7:11 11:4 11:4) Tristan FLORE – XU Hui 0:3 (8:11 3:11 9:11) Mattias KARLSSON – Robert SVENSSON 0:3 (10:12 4:11 4:11) Marcos FREITAS – XU Hui 3:2 (11:9 13:15 5:11 11:9 11:6) Tristan FLORE – Daniel KOSIBA 3:1 (11:4 11:9 11:13 11:9) GROUP D BORUSSIA DUSSELDORF – SPG WALTER WELS 3:0 Timo BOLL – Mihai BOBOCICA 3:1 (9:11 11:5 11:8 12:10) Kristian KARLSSON – WANG Jian Jun 3:0 (11:5 11:7 11:8) Stefan FEGERL – Zsolt PETO 3:1 (11:5 11:8 9:11 11:8)
TTCLM strong favorite presented its improved line-up
Top seeded TTC FAKEL GAZPROM ORENBURG showed his strength in the opening round of 2016/17 season beating VAILLANTE SPORTS ANGERS TT 3:0 Top seed of the 2016/17 TTCLM FAKEL GAZPROM ORENBURG won the opening match of Group A in a superb style defeating at home VAILLANTE SPORTS ANGERS 3:0. First time in this prestigious competition one team played with three Top 10 players at the ITTF World Rankings list: Jun MIZUTANI (Japan No. 5) Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (Germany No. 6) and Vladimir SAMSONOV (Byelorussia No. 9). Even more all three are medalists from all biggest events on the planet winning many medals at the World Championships and Olympic Games as well as at the continental championships. Actual individual European champion Dimitrij OVTCHAROV was extended to full distance by Jon PERSSON in the opening clash ended up by narrow margin in the fifth set (12:10). Guest had advantage of one set twice. Fourth placed played at the recent 2016 Rio Olympics Vladimir SAMSONOV was better than Jens LUNDQIST in close match which took four games. Each had its chances in the first two very intense sets but both belonged to the host. These moments were crucial for the final outcome though Swede managed to take the third set. When one side have such strong line-up its normal to see World No. 5 as team`s No. 3! Former UMMC`s member Jun MIZUTANI debuted in Orenburg`s jersey overcoming Christophe LEGOUT in straight games. French side played without its best ranked player Emmanuel LEBESSON The 2016/17 TTCLM Round 1 Group A TTC FAKEL GAZPROM ORENBURG – VAILLANTE SPORTS ANGERS TT 3:0 Dimitrij OVTCHAROV – Jon PERSSON 3:2 (9:11 11:9 8:11 11:5 12:10) Vladimir SAMSONOV – Jens LUNDQVIST 3:1 (12:10 13:11 7:11 11:8) Jun MIZUTANI – Christophe LEGOUT 3:0 (11:7 11:7 11:8)
TIMO BOLL: I´m happy that I can play for my team BORUSSIA DÜSSELDORF
The best player of ten times TTCLM champion doesn’t know on which level he can play against Walter Wels this Thursday in the Round 1 of 2016/17 TTCLM. Coach of Austrian club Attila SZÜCS believes that his side is ready for the opening game Ten times TTCLM winner BORUSSIA DUSSELDORF changed his line-up but not ambitions! Six times individual European champion Timo BOLL missed four out of six matches at the group stage last year due to injury and now he hopes that he can be able to help his side in a full range. His team hosts Austrian SPG Walter Wels in the Round 1 of 2016/17 TTCLM (October 6th 19:00). “I´m happy that I can play for my team Borussia Düsseldorf the first time this season. But I don´t know on which level I can play on Thursday after this long break. Wels has got a strong team. We have to show good performances.” Two newcomers in Borussia`s squad World No. Stefan FEGERL and No. 29 Kristian KARLSSON just returned from the LIEBHER 2016 ITTF World Cup held in Saarbrucken. Coach Danny HEISTER explains: “After World Cup last weekend Kristian KARLSSON and Stefan FEGERL have to come down to find in a normal course of life. Hopefully they will be fresh against Wels to play on the level they did in Saarbrücken. And we don´t know Timo BOLL`s current standard. I hope that all players of my team are on fire to win the first match in TTCL this season.” Two well experienced players will try to push SPG WALTER WELS to the second stage Chinese WANG Jian Jun from China and Singaporean ZHAN Jian. Walter Wels` President Mr. HUMER stated: “We are very happy to participate at the competition also this year. The group this year despite being very strong is also very interesting for us having two Austrians (GARDOS and FEGERL) which will guarantee a sold-out hall at our home matches. For our upcoming match in Düsseldorf however our expectations are realistic. Winning one or two games will be a success for us”. Coach of Austrian club Attila SZÜCS added: “We have been preparing very well for our first TTCLM match the team had an intensive training week and is in good shape. I think this will be a tough match worth watching.”
ANDREEV: FAKEL GAZPROM wants all titles LEGOUT: ANGERS targets 2nd place in the group
Two clubs with the different ambitions will play one against another on Thursday October 6th: FAKEL GAZPROM ORENBURG – VAILLANTE SPORTS ANGERS TT (14:00 CET). LEGOUT: Angers targets 2nd place in the Group A Top seeded FAKEL GAZPROM ORENBURG hosts VAILLANTE SPORTS ANGERS TT in the opening round of the 2016/17 TTCLM. They met last year in the same group (A) and each won on its soil. Russian club triple TTCLM champion is considered as a huge favorite for the title having three Top 10 players at the ITTF World ranking list: No. 5 Jun MIZUTANI No. 6 Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and No. 9 Vladimir SAMSONOV. “The new TTCLM season TTC FAKEL GAZPROM ORENBURG starts with considerable strengthening of the team. Now Jun MIZUTANI – one of the strongest players in the world silver in team and bronze in singles competitions at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil – is the player of our team. Three our players are among Top 10 players of the world: Vladimir SAMSONOV Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and Jun MIZUTANI. Such a strong team in the European Champions League was not yet. In the forthcoming season we expect to win the European and Russian Club Championship though the opposing teams are very strong too” stated Orenburg`s head coach Victor ANDREEV. French side signed World No. 38 Emmanuel LEBESSON who joined last season`s line-up Christophe LEGOUT Jens LUNDQVIST and Jon PERSSON. LEGOUT believes that his side is capable to reach at least 3rd spot in the group: “Our group looks really strong between the Russian club with all their stars and Ochsenhausen with a lot of young and potentials players. For us it would be nice to visit and to receive them because two of us played there in the past. Moreover their number 1 Simon GAUZY is French and a lot of French players and coaches are working hard in Ox. Of course our Swedish players will be happy also to play against their best Danish friends in Roskilde. Our aim is of course to finish 2nd of the group to still have a chance to continue in this Champion’s League competition but if we finish 3rd we also have a great team with our new player Emmanuel LEBESSON to try to win the ETTU Cup”. After all LEGOUT wanted to stress next: “We wish to all the teams good luck and let the competition starts…”
Final selection camp in 2016 underway in Slovenia
The final selection camp in Slovenia’s Otocec is underway. ETTU Eurotalents (TI&S) invited 35 players selected from Pre-Selection Camps 2016 and Eurominichamp’s tornament 2016 in Schiltingheim to Otočec (October 2nd – 9th 2016). In Slovenia 27 of them are on duty. The best of 16 boys and 11 girls from 16 countries currently on trainings in Slovenia will be selected to join the group of 23 players already selected in 2014 and 2015. All of them are the part of the ETTU Eurotalents Development U-15 project. “We have three trainings per day as well as numerous testing conducted by Dr. KONDRIČ i Mr. FUCHS. We are enjoying the best possible hospitality and players are working in excellent conditions provided by our hosts ” said ETTU Development Manager Neven CEGNAR who will be part of the evaluation team together with Istvan KORPA and Joze URH. Coaches in Slovenia -Jože URH national coach and Head coach of Slovenian Training center – head coach -Vesna OJSTERŠEK DRNOVŠEK National coach -Andreja OJSTERŠEK URH Assistant Coach of Slovenian Training Center -Mate LEJO Assistant Coach of Slovenian Training Center -Istvan KORPA (ETTU) -Neven CEGNAR (ETTU)
The 2016/17 TTCLM Round 1: Latest finalists open new season
Round 1 will be held this Thursday and Friday as defending champion AS PONTOISE CERGY hosts current runner-up ESLOVS AI BORDTENNIS. Andreas PREUSS (BORUSSIA) Slobodan GRUJIC (SAARBRUCKEN) and Allan BENTSEN (ROSKLIDE) present their expectations about opening round… The 2016/17 Table Tennis Champions League Men commences this Thursday and Friday by the Round 1 which offers reprise of the latest TTCLM final between defending champion AS PONTOISE CERGY and runner-up ESLOVS AI BORDTENNIS (Group B October 6th 20:00 CET). As in last few seasons 16 clubs divided in four groups will play six rounds within group stage as two best will reach the TTCLM quarter-finals while third placed are going to play in the ETTU Cup Men quarter-finals. Top seeded triple TTCLM champion FAKEL GAZPROMA ORENBURG (Russia) will meet VAILLANTE SPORTS ANGERS TT (France) in the Group A clash. Russian giant is considered as huge favorite for the title having three Top 10 players at the ITTF World Ranking list: current Olympic bronze medalist in Singles Event Jun MIZUTANI (Japan No. 5) actual individual European champion Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (Germany World No. 6) and 2016 Olympic semi-finalist Vladimir SAMSONOV (Byelorussia No. 9). Japanese signed this summer after two season spent in other Russian club UMMC Verkhnaya Pyshma. ROSKILDE BORDTENNIS BTK 61 (Denmark) goes to Germany to face the 2009 TTCLM finalist TTF LIEBHERR OCHSENHAUSEN which coach Dubravko SKORIC counts on five young players (all five born from 1994 to 1996): Simon GAUZY Jakub DYJAS Joao GERALDO Hugo CALDERANO and Yuto MURAMATSU. Most experienced player of Danish side as well as its sport director Allan BENTSEN is looking forward to the opening match: „Our first match in Ochsenhausen will be very hard. They have a very strong team with players from both Olympic and just finished World Cup in Germany. We are happy to be in the Champions League again and hope to surprise some off the teams in our group. Our players are ready Chinese ZHAI Yulia are real happy to be tested in TTCLM then we have some young “guns” in Claus NIELSEN from Denmark and Ewout OOSTWOUDER from Netherlands they will have to get some experience from the matches there and with there young fighter hearts they will for sure be hard for some of the players”. BENTSEN added that his team also has some experienced players like himself and Michael MAZE: „We’ll see how to put the team from match to match. If we can disturb some teams and maybe take the third position we will be very happy”. Beside the game in Pontoise one more clash will be held in the Group B between the 2012 TTCLM runner-up UMMC and 2015 ETTU Cup finalist KS UNIA AZS AWFiS GDANSK. Coach of Russian club Tatiana KUTERGINA stated: „We will play the 1st round TTCLM match against Polish team which we are very good familiar with – last year because of this team we finished group stage on the second place. The team is strong they were semi-finalists of the TTCLM last year. Our group is very strong this year. The first match will be examination of our readiness for the season”. Fourth seed and 1985/86 Champions League winner and 3 times ETTU Cup winner 1.FC SAARBRUCKEN Tischtennis (Germany) hosts four times Pro A League winner G.V. HENNEBONT TT (France) leaded again by Kalinikos KREANGA. Other Group C match will be held in Poland: BOGORIA GRODZISK MAZOWIECKI – TTC OSTRAVA 2016. „We are expecting very tough team from France thus we need to show our best in order to win. We are focused on our side having some players which are not yet in their best shape after 2016 Rio Olympics. The group is really hard but our aim remains quarter-final what is realistic I think” stressed Saarbrucken`s coach Slobodan GRUJIC. In the Group D No. 2 seed and ten times TTCLM champion Timo BOLL`s BORUSSIA DUSSELDORF (Germany) plays on its soil against SPG WALTER WELS while the 2012 runner-up CHARTES ASTT (France) welcomes KST ENERGA – MANEKIN TORUŃ (Poland). BORUSSIA DUSSELDORF`s manager Andreas PREUSS hopes that his side can be better than last year taking some fresh energy from their newcomers (Kristian KARLSSON Stefan FEGERL Anton KALLBERG): “It feels great to start in TTCL 2016/17 now. We would like to reach the quarter finals and to finish first in our group. So we have to win against Wels on Thursday to be in a good position for it. We are favorite with our team but we know that it will be a close match.” The 2016/17 TTCLM Round 1 (October 6-7th) GROUP A TTC FAKEL GAZPROM ORENBURG – VAILLANTE SPORTS ANGERS TT (October 6th 14:00 CET) TTF LIEBHERR OCHSENHAUSEN – ROSKILDE BORDTENNIS BTK61 (October 7th 18:00 CET) GROUP B AS PONTOISE CERGY – ESLOVS AI BORDTENNIS (October 6th 20:00 CET) UMMC – KS UNIA AZS AWFiS GDANSK (October 7th 16:00 CET) GROUP C BOGORIA GRODZISK MAZOWIECKI – TTC OSTRAVA 2016 (October 7th 19:30 CET) FC SAARBRUCKEN TISCHTENNIS – G. V. HENNEBONT TT (October 7th 20:00 CET) GROUP D BORUSSIA DUSSELDORF – SPG WALTER WELS (October 6th 19:00 CET) CHARTRES ASTT – KST ENERGA-MANEKIN TORUN (October 7th 19:00 CET)
Tomas POLANSKY lead the elite in Prague
JOOLA 2016 Europe Youth Top 10 The JOOLA 2016 Europe Youth Top 10 commences on Friday October 7th and after three days of fierce battles in Prague the winners will be crowned on Sunday evening. Entries list reveils the fact that only in Junior Girls Event we might see the player defending her title from the last edition in Buzau; in all other Events “new names” will enter the record books. Top seeded player in Junior Boy’s Event is Tomas POLANSKY of Czech Republic. Tomas won bronze medal at the European Youth Championships earlier this year in Zagreb. He will face very strong opposition from the no. two seed from France Joe SEYFRIED. In Both Boys categories France has maximum of three players and against Joe Irvin BERTRAND and Nolan GIVONE POLANSKY can expect very tough joureny. The winner of the Cadet Boys event last year in Buzau Cristian PLETEA will play in junior category. Aliaksandr KHANIN of Belarus is also on duty alongside Austria’s Andreas LEVENKO Carlos VEDRIEL of Spain Tobias HIPPLER of Germany and Anders LIND of Denmark. Top seeded player in Junior Girls Event is Adina DIACONU of Romania followed by last year’s winner in Cadet Category compatriot Andreea DRAGOMAN. Audrey ZARIF of France and NING Jing of Azerbaijan are seeded no. three and four. They are in front of last year’s winner Marie MIGOT of France. ZHANG Xuan of Spain Daria TRIGOLOS of Belarus Maria MALANINA of Russia Tin-Tin HO of England and Nikita PETROVOVA of Czech Republic complets the list. In Cadet Boys Event will play Vladimir SIDORENKO of Russia Truls MOREGARD of Sweden Carlo ROSSI of Italy Maksim GREBNEV of Russia Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK of Austria WANG Chenxi of Azerbaijan Lilian BARDET and Vincent PICARD of France Jan VALENTA of Czech Republic and Bilal HAMACHE of France. In Cadet Girls Singles Event will play last year’s silver medalist Anastasia KOLISH of Russia CHEN Xingtai of Azerbaijan host nation reperesentative Zdena BLASKOVA Romania’s Tania PLAIAN Croatia’s Marta VUKELIC Prithika PAVADE of France Anna WEGRZYN of Poland Ekaterina ZIRONOVA of Russia Laura TIEFENBRUNNER of Germany and ZHOU Chuyi of Azerbaijan. The first edition was in 1985. Until 2007 it was played as a Youth Top 12. From 2008 the event changed to Youth Top 10 with cadet boys and girls too.
KORBEL believes that TTC Ostrava 2016 can beat favorites
Team manager and player of Czech team is looking forward to the opening game of the 2016/17 TTCLM season against Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki (October 7th 19h30) The 2016/17 Table Tennis Champions League Men will be opened by the Round 1 this Thursday and Friday as one of eight matches will be held in Poland between 5th seed Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki and 14th seed TTC Ostrava 2016 (October 7th 19h30). We asked player and team manager of Czech team Petr KORBEL to say his expectations from that match and Group C in general (other Round 1 match is FC Saarbrucken Tischtennis – G.V. Hennebont TT) “Our team will face Polish team Grodzisk Mazowiecki which we already met twice in the last season (as HB Ostrov Havlickuv Brod). Last two matches we were successful and we would like to be it again. We know that Polish team is very strong and favorite in this match but we will fight as usually” stated legendary Czech player KORBEL semi-finalist of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. TTC Ostrava 2016 tops the Czech Republic`s Super League with all five victories after five rounds. Newcomer from Serbia Aleksandar KARAKASEVIC (World No. 84) brought new strenght to his side as well as Taipei`s CHIANG Hung-Chieh (No. 78). KARAKASEVIC and Tomas TREGLER (No. 163) contributed with two wins each in the latest victory against DencoHappel Liberec 4:2. Ostrava`s ranking is not so high on the TTCLM seeding list but they have a lot of experience and two former individual bronze medalist from European championships (KORBEL in 2000 KARAKASEVIC in 2011). “Our group with two more teams from Saarbrucken and Hennebont gives an opportunity to all of teams to advance into play-off round. It can count every match set ball…” concluded KORBEL.
LIEBHERR 2016 ITTF Men’s World Cup: FAN new champion KARLSSON finished 4th
Last year’s runner-up beat 2013 champion XU Xin in five games to clinch his first ever title FAN Zhendong did one more big achievement after his recent victory against World and Olympic champion MA Long at China Open taking the title of LIEBHERR 2016 ITTF Men’s World Cup in Saarbrucken. The 19-year-old Chinese last year’s runner-up in Halmstad Sweden now beat his compatriot and 2013 winner XU Xin in five games of the final. Newly crowned champion easily took first three sets of the final clash but XU won fourth one and led 4:0 in the fifth game. FAN managed to reverse the game at 6:5 and lift the trophy after his second match ball (12:10). Kristian KARLSSON from Sweden finished on the fourth spot as he lost both his today’s matches in five games: in the semi-final he was beaten by FAN and finally in the bronze medal contest by Hong Kong’s WONG Chun Ting. Swede actual World No. 29 missed a set ball for 2:0 lead. WONG responded by three points in a row in the decisive moments of the game. However KARLSSON did a nice job in Saarbrucken bearing in mind that he beat 2015 bronze medalist and one of favorites Dimitrij OVTCHAROV. Semi-finals FAN Zhendong (CHN) – Kristian KARLSSON (SWE) 4:1 (11:4 11:8 7:11 11:9 11:7) WONG Chun Ting (HKG) – XU Xin (CHN) 1:4 (9:11 15:13 7:11 3:11 6:11) 3rd place match Kristian KARLSSON (SWE) – WONG Chun Ting (HKG) 1:4 (11:8 10:12 6:11 9:11 7:11) Final FAN Zhendong (CHN) – XU Xin (CHN) 4:1 (11:5 11:6 11:8 7:11 12:10)
WEIKERT Announces his ITTF Presidential Candidacy
Current ITTF President Thomas WEIKERT (GER) has announced today 2 October 2016 his candidacy for the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Presidential elections to be held on 31 May 2017 in Dusseldorf Germany. The lawyer from Limburg took over the presidency in September 2014 as Deputy President when then ITTF President Adham SHARARA (CAN) stepped down from the position he held for 15 years and this will be the first time the German will stand for election as ITTF President. During the announcement at a press conference organised by the German Table Tennis Association at the LIEBHERR 2016 Men’s World Cup Mr WEIKERT stated: “In 2014 I did not have to go through an election to become the ITTF President so I am delighted that I can now also stand for the delegates’ vote for the first time in Dusseldorf in 2017.” Mr WEIKERT announced in Saarbrucken Germany five key central themes as the focal points of his campaign: TTX: The new version of table tennis ‘Anytime Anywhere Anyhow’ shall be developed and promoted globally. The aim is to gain new fans and active participants for table tennis. Table Tennis Marketing: The ITTF will make a greater effort to market table tennis in the future through working with existing partners and finding new ones. One World – One Game – One Level: Further implementation and development of existing ITTF development programmes. Both establishing and further developing table tennis in ‘small’ nations with the help of the federation’s development programs and pushing high performance across the world. The joint project between China and the ITTF ‘Made by China’ has already been initiated to help develop more international stars across the globe to compete with China. Table Tennis Digital: Using new digital platforms to achieve an even stronger connection between fans and the sport and tap into additional markets and the younger generation. Table Tennis Future: The ITTF is firmly committed to keeping table tennis attractive for players spectators and the media to further improve its appeal through a variety of methods. The 54-year-old concluded: “We need to take some important and necessary decisions in our sport in the next four years. My goal is not only to secure an excellent position for table tennis within Olympic sports but also further develop it.” The deadline for National Associations to submit nominations for Presidential candidates is 30 April 2017.
