Men’s and Women’s ETTU Cup Russia’s UMMC cruised through the first leg of the ETTU Cup quarterfinal. In Belgium they beat Logis Auderghem giving host crowd only moments of hope during the match between Jean Michel SAIVE and Andrej GACINA. World’s no25 from Croatia made advantage first but SAVE recovered; GACINA had 2:1 when legendary player put him once again under pressure and forced the match into deciding fifth game. In Women’s ETTU Cup the firs semifinalist is already known. BURSA BÜYÜKŞEHİR BELEDİYESPOR succeded against Hungarian Budaorsi 2i Sport Club. Both matches were played this weekend. In first leg guests lost by narow margin 2:3 but today they won by 3:1. The back bone of their success was HU Melek with two very impressive wins in straight games. With superb win in Russia over Kazan Postas Sport Egyesulet is very much in the driving seat before the second leg in Hungary. LI Jiao and Ruta PASKAUSKIENE showed no mercy. Logis Auderghem – UMMC 0:3 Florent LAMBIET – Alexander SHIBAEV 0:3 (5:11 6:11 7:11) Jean Michel SAIVE – Andrej GACINA 2:3 (5:11 11:9 5:11 11:8 4:11) Ludovic BIERNY – Grigory VLASOV 0:3 (2:11 9:11 5:11) TTC Kazan – Postas Sport Egyesulet 1:3 Antonina SAVELYEVA – Ruta PASKAUSKIENE 1:3 (9:11 5:11 11:3 9:11) Anna BLAZHKO – LI Jiao 2:3 (11:8 9:11 4:11 11:7 8:11) Svetlana MOKHNACHEVA – Rita KERTAI 3:1 (11:9 11:8 8:11 15:13) Antonina SAVELYEVA – LI Jiao 0:3 (13:15 5:11 6:11) BURSA BÜYÜKŞEHİR BELEDİYESPOR – Budaorsi 2i Sport Club 3:1 HU Melek – Maria FAZEKAS 3:0 (11:2 11:4 11:7) Alexandra PRIVALOVA – Szandra PERGEL 3:2 (11:8 11:9 9:11 6:11 11:9) Siman KULAKCEKEN – Timea VARGA 0:3 (6:11 10:12 4:11) HU Melek – Szandra PERGEL 3:0 (11:6 11:5 11:6)
Budaorsi 2i Sport Club survived tough challenge
In the opening leg of the Women’s ETTU Cup quarterfinal Hungarian Budaorsi 2i Sport Club was stretched to full distance but survived serious pressure from the Turkish BURSA BÜYÜKŞEHİR BELEDİYESPOR. Most dangerous player European champion HU Melek justified her status and won both points for Turkish side but even HU struggled. The victory over Maria FAZEKAS did not came easy. She was forced to play the five games match. Also Maria showed she had better nerves in the finish when she beat Siman KULAKCEKEN in the decisive game. Szandra PERGEL and Timea VARGA also contributed with one victory each. Another Turkish representative Tigem SC Ankara overcame Germany’s TuS Bad Driburg 3:1 Budaorsi 2i Sport Club – BURSA BÜYÜKŞEHİR BELEDİYESPOR 3:2 Szandra PERGEL – Siman KULAKCEKEN 3:2 (11:6 8:11 7:11 11:5 11:9) Maria FAZEKAS – HU Melek 2:3 (9:11 5:11 11:5 11:9 4:11) Timea VARGA – Alexandra PRIVALOVA 3:1 (12:14 11:9 12:10 11:6) Szandra PERGEL – HU Melek 0:3 (8:11 8:11 6:11) Maria FAZEKAS – Siman KULAKCEKEN 3:1 (8:11 11:7 11:7 11:8)
One more spectacular game in Metz
In front of 1 000 spectators Linz AG Froschberg beat Metz 3:2 in the 1st quarter-final leg of ECLW Metz TT and Linz AG Froschberg fulfilled expectations in front of about 1 000 spectators playing 1st quarter-final game of 2016/17 European Championships League Women. Double ECLW champion from Austria won 3:2 after three hours what guarantee one more exciting clash in the returning leg. Last year these two clubs were involved in a spectacular quarter-final showdown decided by just one point (Froschberg won thanks to better point-ratio 347:346). The 2005 individual champion of Old Continent LIU Jia was Linz`s hero as she beat both FU Yu and Yunli SCHREINER. LIU did a big job at the beginning when she overcame in straight games actual runner-up in Singles Event of 2016 European Championships FU Yu. When Sophia POLCANOVA defeated 2015 European champion Elizabeta SAMARA host side found itself in very bad position. But in the next two games Pauline CHASSELIN and FU Yu beat ZHANG Mo and Sophia POLCANOVA respectively while LIU secured victory to Linz in the ultimate clash against Yunli SCHREINER. UCAM Cartagena upset no. 2 seed and actual ECLW runner-up Tarnobrzeg 3:0. Matilda EKHOLM beat former individual European champion Viktoria PAVLOVICH in the first match but the next one was crucial bearing in mind that Tetyana BILENKO overcame the best player of Polish team HAN Ying in the clash between two good defenders playing full five games. Iulia NECULA concluded the game being extended to full distance by LI Qian. One more drama was held tonight in France where Hungarian team Szekszard defeated TT Saint Quentin 3:2. Dora MADARASZ played her best ECLW match so far as she overcame both ZENG Jian and Daniela DODEAN-MONTEIRO. French side had an advantage after first three encounters but guests won next two matches: first Polina MIKHAILOVA leveled the score against ZENG Jian (reversed the score 1:2 to 3:2) and finally MADARASZ brought winning point against DODEAN-MONTEIRO after two thrilling sets (2nd 16:18 4th 14:16). European Champions League Women quarter-finals 1st leg UCAM CARTAGENA – KTS SIARKA ZOT TARNOBRZEG 3:0 Matilda EKHOLM – Viktoria PAVLOVICH 3:0 (13:11 11:6 11:4) Tetyana BILENKO – HAN Ying 3:2 (14:16 9:11 11:8 11:9 11:6) Iulia NECULA – LI Qian 3:2 (9:11 11:8 7:11 11:8 11:6) TT SAINT QUENTIN – SZEKSZARD AC 2:3 ZENG Jian – Dora MADARASZ 1:3 (11:5 9:11 10:12 8:11) Daniela DODEAN-MONTEIRO – Polina MIKHAILOVA 3:0 (11:9 11:9 11:8) Ran LI KATH – LIN Ye 3:2 (3:11 14:12 8:11 14:12 15:13) ZENG Jian – Polina MIKHAILOVA 2:3 (11:9 9:11 11:8 8:11 10:12) Daniela DODEAN-MONTEIRO – Dora MADARASZ 1:3 (5:11 16:18 11:4 14:16) METZ TT – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG 2:3 FU Yu – LIU Jia 0:3 (5:11 12:14 9:11) Elizabeta SAMARA – Sophia POLCANOVA 2:3 (6:11 11:7 11:5 8:11 6:11) Pauline CHASSELIN – ZHANG Mo 3:1 (6:11 11:9 11:8 11:8) FU Yu – Sophia POLCANOVA 3:2 (11:6 6:11 12:10 6:11 11:6) Yunli SCHREINER – LIU Jia 0:3 (7:11 5:11 6:11)
Simon GAUZY key man in all-German TTCLM quarter-final
TTCLM quarter-finals (1st leg): TTF LIEBHERR OCHSENHAUSEN – BORUSSIA DUSSELDORF 3:2 ESLOVS Al BORDTENNIS – TTC FAKEL GAZPROM ORENBURG 1:3 CHARTRES ASTT – FC SAARBRUCKEN TISCHTENNIS 1:3 TTF LIEBHERR Ochsenhausen beat at home Borussia Dusseldorf 3:2 in the 1st quarter-final leg of Table Tennis Champions League Men as Simon GAUZY secured two points against Timo BOLL and Anton KALLBERG respectively. The same score was seen when these opponents met in the first game of the 2008/09 TTCLM final (Borussia won 3:0 in the rematch Timo BOLL is unique player from both sides involved after eight years). Two more matches were held tonight. Eslovs Al Bordtennis – TTC FAKEL GAZPROM Orenburg 1:3 Chartres ASTT – FC Saarbrucken Tischtennis 1:3. Reigning TTCLM champion Pontoise earlier defeated Hennebont 3:0. Rematches are scheduled for February 10th. Two rising stars opened the all-German quarter-final as 19-year-old Anton KALLBERG beat one year older Hugo CALDERANO after full five games. Host led after third set but golden junior from 2015 European Youth Championships played excellent in the next two games. Current runner-up of European Championships Simon GAUZY leveled the score in the second encounter defeating six times individual champion of Old Continent Timo BOLL in four games. Jakub DYJAS brought first lead to his side as he defeated Stefan FEGERL whilst BOLL prevailed against CALDERANO. Finally GAUZY and KALLBERG met in the decisive encounter when Frenchman lost the opening set but responded by three in a row to secure victory to Ochsenhausen. Triple TTCLM champion Orenburg beat away current runner-up Eslovs 3:1 thanks to Japanese Jun MIZUTANI who beat both Robert SVENSSON and XU Hui. Third point for the top seeded team recorded Mr. TTCLM Vladimir SAMSONOV while Chinese XU defeated Dimitrij OVTCHAROV in the opener. German team Saarbrucken did a big step to the semi-final as they beat away 2013 runner-up Chartres 3:1.Slovenian Bojan TOKIC played one of his best TTCLM games in the last couple of seasons as he beat Robert GARDOS and Par GERELL. Third point came from Patrick BAUM who overcame GERELL in the first match. Table Tennis Champions League quarter-finals (1st leg) TTF LIEBHERR OCHSENHAUSEN – BORUSSIA DUSSELDORF 3:2 Hugo CALDERANO – Anton KÄLLBERG 2:3 (4:11 11:1 11:9 9:11 7:11) Simon GAUZY – Timo BOLL 3:1 (11:6 9:11 11:5 11:9) Jakub DYJAS – Stefan FEGERL 3:1 (10:12 13:11 11:4 11:6) Hugo CALDERANO – Timo BOLL 1:3 (4:11 11:7 4:11 7:11) Simon GAUZY – Anton KÄLLBERG 3:1 (10:12 11:6 11:7 11:7) ESLOVS Al BORDTENNIS – TTC FAKEL GAZPROM ORENBURG 1:3 XU Hui – Dimitrij OVTCHAROV 3:1 (3:11 11:8 11:9 13:11) Robert SVENSSON – Jun MIZUTANI 1:3 (11:7 7:11 5:11 2:11) Daniel KOSIBA – Vladimir SAMSONOV 1:3 (6:11 11:9 3:11 9:11) XU Hui – Jun MIZUTANI 2:3 (6:11 4:11 14:12 11:7 9:11) CHARTRES ASTT – FC SAARBRUCKEN TISCHTENNIS 1:3 Par GERELL – Patrick BAUM 0:3 (5:12 10:12 10:12) Robert GARDOS – Bojan TOKIC 2:3 (6:11 11:13 11:5 12:10 11:13) Joao MONTEIRO – Andrey SEMENOV 3:0 (11:7 11:7 11:8) Par GERELL – Bojan TOKIC 0:3 (9:11 7:11 9:11)
Drama in Halmstad in Men’s ETTU Cup
In The first leg of the Men’s and Women’s ETTU Cup two out of three French clubs recorded victories on the opening day of the quarterfinal. CP LYSSOIS LILLE METROPOLE beat SKST Stavoimpex Hodonin in Women’s Event whilst in Men’s tella Sport La Romagne overcame Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki and Halmstad BTK beat Vaillante Sports Angers TT. In Men’s opening leg of the quarterfinal Stella Sport La Romagne also showed no mercy. They were in fast lane against Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki. Only Gionis PANAGIOTIS managed to stretch the match to four games against CHEN Tian Yuan whilst WEI Shihao and Adrian CRISAN sealed their duels in straight games. The most thriling match of the day was played in Sweden. Halmstad BTK was at the edge of the defeat after they recovered to win the match. Jens LUNDQUIST and Emmanuel LEBESSON gave French team the lead but Elias RANEFUR in straight games victory over Jon PERSSON pushed club back into the game. Harald ANDERSSON and Fabian ÅKERSTRÖM seized the opportunity. CP LYSSOIS LILLE METROPOLE needed only three matches to secure very valuable points before return leg in Slovakia against SKST Stavoimpex Hodonin. Not only they won is straight matches but all three Bernadette SZOCS YANG Xiao Xin and Agnès LE LANNIC showed no mercy and won by three games to null. Women’s ETTU CUP CP LYSSOIS LILLE METROPOLE – SKST Stavoimpex Hodonin 3:0 Bernadette SZOCS – Renata STRBIKOVA 3:0 (11:8 11:5 11:8) YANG Xiao Xin – Natalia PARTYKA 3:0 (11:4 12:10 11:8) Agnès LE LANNIC – Lenka HARABASZOVA 3:0 (11:9 11:4 11:4) Men’s ETTU Cup Halmstad BTK – Vaillante Sports Angers TT 3:2 Harald ANDERSSON – Jens LUNDQUIST 2:3 (9:11 11:4 11:9 4:11 9:11) Fabian ÅKERSTRÖM – Emmanuel LEBESSON 1:3 (8:11 11:7 8:11 10:12) Elias RANEFUR – Jon PERSSON 3:0 (11:4 11:7 11:9) Harald ANDERSSON – Emmanuel LEBESSON 3:1 (14:12 9:11 11:9 11:9) Fabian ÅKERSTRÖM – Jens LUNDQUIST 3:2 (11:7 8:11 11:7 4:11 11:6) Stella Sport La Romagne – Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki 3:0 WEI Shihao – Artur MICHALCZYK 3:0 (11:2 11:7 11:4) CHEN Tian Yuan – Gionis PANAGIOTIS 3:1 (7:11 11:7 11:9 11:4) Adrian CRISAN – Daniel GORAK 3:0 (11:8 11:5 11:5)
Romanian Table Tennis Federation (FRTM) sets new standards for promoting the game
Bucharest Tuesday January 24th 2017: the Romanian women’s table tennis played against the national team from The Netherlands in a full TV studio and the match is directly televised on the TVR1 – the national broadcasting organisation in Romania. ETTU President Ronald KRAMER who attended the match was very pleased with what he sees as to be the success of playing ‘home and away’ qualification matches ‘all over Europe’. “If we want to revitalise European table tennis we should be putting much more effort in playing and presenting our qualification matches. These national team matches being played in almost all our countries get much more local and national attention than the official European Championships normally gets. What I have seen here in Bucharest is an example of how to promote our sport. I would very much like all our federations to follow this example”. President Kramer complimented President Cristinel ROMANESCU and his staff for the way this level of promotion has been achieved. Ronald KRAMER is convinced that if the European table tennis associations put more means and energy in promoting and marketing these qualification matches attention for table tennis will grow from bottom up. “ETTU will assist in increasing knowledge and sharing experience ” President KRAMER stated.
Big advantage for Pontoise
First quarter-final leg of 2016/17 TTCLM: G.V. Hennebont – AS Pontoise Cergy 0:3 Defending TTCLM champion AS Pontoise Cergy secured a big advantage in the first quarter-final leg as they beat away G.V. Hennebont 3:0 in the all-French clash. The same score appeared two months ago in the national Pro A league so it`s clear that Marcos FREITAS & Co. are very close to the semi-final stage. Pontoise`s newcomer Mattias KARLSSON beat Englishman Liam PITCHFORD in four games of the opening set. Guest managed to win the first set by narrow margin. That provided him a lot of confidence. Two leading players met in the second duel as Marcos FRETIAS overcame CHEH-Chien An after full five games. That was a good sign for Pontoise. Two team mates from youth national team of France played one against another in the third encounter. The 22-year-old Tristan FLORE prevailed against two year older Quentin ROBINOT like in 2011 European Youth Championships gold medal clash. Beside that final FLORE took gold in the 2012 EYCH in Schwechat. Rematch will be held on February 10th. TTCLM quarter-finals (1st leg) G.V. Hennebont – AS Pontoise Cergy 0:3 Liam PITCHFORD – Mattias KARLSSON 1:3 (10:12 11:8 7:11 8:11) CHEN Chien-An – Marcos FREITAS 2:3 (11:7 7:11 5:11 11:8 8:11) Quentin ROBINOT – Tristan FLORE 1:3 (7:11 7:11 11:7 9:11)
Big guns entered the ETTU Cup series
The competition in the ETTU Cup reached the quarterfinal phase. Best four clubs who survived fights through out previous four stages of the competition in ETTU Men’a and Women’s Cup now faces new challenges. Clubs finished at the position no. three in their respective groups in the Table Tennis Champions League Men and European Championships League Women will join the ETTU Cup caravan this weekend. In men’s quarterfinal Polish Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki will meet French Stella Sport La Romagne Russia’s UMMC will meet Logis Auderghem and French Vaillante Sports Angers TT will play against Swden’s Halmstad BTK. Only Austria’s SPG Walter Wels await for their adversaries since the match between Turkish Besiktash Jimnastic Kulubu and STK Libertas Marinkolor was postponed. In Women’s quarterfinal Slovakia’s SKST Stavoimpex Hodonin will meet French CP Lyssois Lille Metropole Turkish Bursa Büyükşehir Belediyespor will play against Hungarian Budaorsi 2i Sport Club Germany’s TuS Bad Driburg will meet Turkish Tigem SC Ankara and Hungarian Postas Sport Egyesulet will face Russia’s TTC Kazan.
Metz TT and Linz AG Froschberg focused on each point
The 2016/17 European Champions League Women quarter-finals (1st leg) First quarter-final leg of 2016/17 European Champions League Women will be held this Friday and Sunday January 27th and 29th as double ECLW winner Linz AG Froschberg travels to Metz to play against 2014/15 ETTU Cup Women runner-up. Last season`s clash between same opponents – at the same phase of the proceedings – has been decided by a single point! They were leveled in terms of matches (5:5) and sets (19:19) but Austrian side was better in points (347:346). Linz`s president GÜNTHER Renner hopes that his side will reach semi-finals one more time: “We are preparing for this game since 1st January in the morning. The practice quality is good and stable the attitude in the hall is fine. No question our mission is to win this game. We are not the favorite but we feel in a positive way tensed and happy to continue the Champions League season finally.” Reigning champion triple ECLW winner and No. 1 seed TTC Berlin Eastside plays against ALCL TT GRAND-QUEVILLY. The best German club is undefeated in all competitions so far while French team (3-1: finished second in Group C. No. 3 seed UCAM Cartagena from Spain hosts current ECLW runner-up and No. 2 seed KTS Siarka ZOT Tarnobrzeg from Poland. Spanish side finished second in Group B with 2-2 score while Zbigniew NECEK`s team entered knockout phase from the top spot of Group D. Actual Hungarian champion Szekszard AC went to France to meet the 2012/13 ETTU Cup semi-finalist TT Saint-Quentin. Both sides have never played in the ECLW semi-final hence they consider this clash as historic chance. French club finished second in Group A with 2-2 score whilst Szekszard (3-1) topped Group C. ECLW quarter-finals 1st leg UCAM CARTAGENA – KTS SIARKA ZOT TARNOBRZEG (Friday Jan 27th 18:00 CET) METZ TT – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG (Friday Jan 27th 19:30 CET) TT SAINT QUENTIN – SZEKSZARD AC (Friday Jan 27th 19:30 CET) ALCL TT GRAND-QUEVILLY – TTC BERLIN EASTSIDE (Sunday Jan 29th 17:00 CET)
French and German clubs have their own meetings in the TTCLM quarter-finals
First quarter-final games will be held this Thursday and Friday: Hennebont – Pontoise Ochsenhausen – Borussia Eslovs – Orenburg Chartres – Saarbrucken Table Tennis Champions League Men is continuing by the first quarter-final matches scheduled for this Thursday and Friday (January 26-27th). French and German clubs have their own meetings G.V. HENNEBONT vs. AS PONTOISE CERGY and TTF LIEBHERR OCHSENHAUSEN vs. BORUSSIA DUSSELDORF whilst other two pairs are ELOVS AL BORDTENNIS vs. FAKEL GAZPROM ORENBURG CHARTRES ASTT vs. FC SAARBRUCKEN TISCHTENNIS. “Ochsenhausen is a very difficult team to play and the strongest team in the draw we could get. The result is open for both teams. The team of coach SKORIC has made a huge development and is now one of the best in Europe. A top game and highlight! But we have also good players and will fight for the semi-finals” stressed Borussia`s manager Andreas PREUSS. TTCLM record holder with 10 titles Borussia is a leader of Bundesliga with 8-1 score ahead of Ochsenhausen Fulda and Saarbrucken (all three 7-3). Two weeks ago Borussia defeated Ochsenhausen 3:2 after almost four hours. It was Round 11 of national league held in the sold out ARAG CenterCort (1 100 spectators) decided by the rising star from Sweden Anton KALLBERG who got two points. Two strong players from both teams missed the clash: Timo BOLL and Stefan FEGERL in Borussia`s team and Hugo CALDERANO and Yuto MURAMATSU in the opposite side. Obviously it was a part of strategy focused on the TTCLM quarter-finals. In the beginning of the season Ochsenhause was better (3:1) as Hugo CALDERANO beat both Borussia`s newcomers Stefan FEGERL and Kristian KARLSSON. The 20-year-old world No. 20 Brazilian CALDERANO signed new contract with Dubravko SKORIC`s side until the end of 2018/19 season. Borussia and Ochsenhausen met in the 2009 TTCLM all-German final when Dusseldorf`s side lifted the trophy. Now it will be interesting to see how Timo BOLL will manage with rising stars of Ochsenhausen the club with the youngest line-up in the quarter-final. Defending TTCLM champion AS Pontoise Cergy and G.V. Hennebont play in all-French quarter-final. Pontoise is 4th placed team of French Pro A league Hennebont occupies 6th spot. Two months ago Pontoise beat Hennebont 3:0 in the Round 5 of national league. Next Tuesday one more super clash will be held in Pro A again between two TTCLM quarter-finalists Chartres vs. Pontoise. Current runner-up Eslovs hosts triple TTCLM winner and top seed Orenburg. Russian team is a clear favorite having three top 8 players in the ITTF World ranking list Jun MIZUTANI (No. 5) Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (No. 6) and Vladimir SAMSONOV (No. 8). But Swedish club beat the odds many times in the past. However the vice-president and the head coach of TTC Fakel Gazprom Orenburg Victor ANDREEV is careful: “We have never played with the TTС Eslövs Ai Bordtennis. This is a very strong Swedish team. The Chinese player XU Hui has the best individual score after the group stage: 10-2. This club reached the TTCL quarterfinals beating UMMC. Therefore the match is to be persistent and exciting.Our players are working hard and determined to win. Unique unbeaten team in the 2016/17 French Pro A league and the 2013 TTCLM runner-up Chartres ASTT will host 2011/12 TTCLM semi-finalist Saarbrucken. Both sides finished their group stage with 4-2 score but German club was the winner of Group C whilst French team was second behind Borussia Dusseldorf in the Group D. TTCLM quarter-finals 1st leg G.V. HENNEBONT TT – AS PONTOISE CERGY (Thursday Jan 26th 19:30 CET) TTF LIEBHERR OCHSENHAUSEN – BORUSSIA DUSSELDROF (Friday Jan 27th 18:00 CET) ESLOVS AI BORDTENNIS – TTC FAKEL GAZPROM ORENBURG (Friday Jan 27th 19:00 CET) CHARTRES ASTT – FC SAARBRUCKEN TISCHTENNIS (Friday Jan 27th 20:00 CET)
