Following a successful start to the ETTU Champions League Women Stage 2 and a 3–1 away victory over Poland’s PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszów, French side Metz TT continued their strong run by defeating Italy’s ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari at home. Last season’s runners-up in the ETTU Champions League Women, and finalists twice in the past three years, the French club once again demonstrated their quality with an impressive team performance. Egypt’s 18-year-old prodigy Hana GODA (World No. 23) gave Metz the perfect start, overcoming China’s Hengyu MA to put the hosts in front. The lead was extended in an all-Russian encounter, as Mariia TAILAKOVA (European ranking No. 154) defeated Elizabet ABRAAMIAN (European ranking No. 126), strengthening the position of the No. 2 seeds. The tie was sealed in an all-Romanian clash, with Europe’s No. 26 Adina DIACONU defeating No. 111 Tania PLAIAN in straight games. “The Italian team is very strong and has quality players, which makes this victory even more valuable,” said DIACONU. “We are happy with our performance, and especially pleased that we could celebrate Hana’s 18th birthday in this way. We tried to give her the best present possible with this win.” Reflecting on facing her national teammate, DIACONU added that PLAIAN is still in the process of returning from injury. “Tania and I have been teammates in the national team for many years, and we know each other very well. She is coming back slowly after a recent injury.” Metz TT – ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari 3–0
LINZ AG Froschberg and SPG LINZ Seeking Head Coach
LINZ AG Froschberg and SPG LINZ are looking for an experienced Head Coach to lead their professional table tennis programme. The clubs operate a high-performance tournament system focused on top-level national and international competition, with the clear goal of developing players to world-class level and promoting table tennis through modern, attractive formats. The Head Coach will be responsible for managing and further developing training operations at the highest national level, planning and delivering individual and team sessions, creating training and tournament schedules, and supporting the development of young talents. Coaching at national and international events and close cooperation with the sports management and tournament organisation are also key parts of the role, as well as building and leading a professional team of coaches and support staff. Candidates should hold a top-level coaching licence (e.g. A-licence or equivalent) and bring several years of experience as a professional or national coach, with proven success in player development and competition coaching. Leadership, organisational strength, strong communication skills, resilience, and a passion for table tennis are essential. Very good English is required; additional languages are an advantage. Applications (CV, cover letter, references) should be sent to: robert.renner@mail.com
Draw for the WTT Finals Hong Kong 2025
Only 16 men, 16 women, and 8 mixed doubles pairs have been invited to the prestigious WTT Finals Hong Kong 2025, taking place from 10–14 December. The Men’s Singles draw opens with several high-profile European clashes. France’s Alexis LEBRUN will face Germany’s Dang QIU, while an all-Scandinavian duel features No. 4 seed Swede Truls MOREGÅRD against Denmark’s Anders LIND. Another highlight sees Félix LEBRUN renew his rivalry with Brazil’s Hugo CALDERANO, just five months after their dramatic Ljubljana final. Germany’s Benedikt DUDA meets former WTT Champions winner LIN Yun-Ju, and France’s Simon GAUZY will take on Japan’s Tomokazu HARIMOTO. The opening round also includes a headline showdown between three-time WTT Finals champion Wang Chuqin and rising star Sora MATSUSHIMA, fresh from his WTT Frankfurt triumph. In Mixed Doubles, Spain’s María XIAO and Álvaro ROBLES arrive as the world No. 7 pair, following a standout season highlighted by a semifinal run at the Singapore Smash 2025 and their title at WTT Contender Muscat 2025. Only eight pairs worldwide qualified for the Finals, placing the Spanish duo among the sport’s elite. Xiao and Robles have been drawn into a highly competitive Group 2, where they will face: Each pair will play three matches from 10–12 December, with the top two advancing to the semifinals on 13 December and the final scheduled for 14 December.
OLÁH Cruises to Finlandia Open Title With Los Angeles 2028 Already on His Mind
Finland’s top player Benedek OLÁH claimed the men’s singles crown at the traditional Finlandia Open, held at the Kisakallio Sports Institute in Lohja. In the final, OLÁH defeated Denmark’s Dominykas SAMUOLIS in straight games, 3–0 (11–9, 11–5, 11–3). “Preparation was a bit tricky, as I had a fever earlier in the week and was still recovering from jet lag after returning from the United States. By Friday the fever had settled, but at times it felt like I couldn’t see the ball properly or hear anything,” OLÁH reflected after the victory. Earlier on Sunday, OLÁH swept aside Sweden’s Obada TABBAKH in another 3–0 win (11–3, 11–7, 11–2). His tightest challenge came in Saturday’s quarter-final, where Sweden’s Noa DAHLSTRÖM pushed him to a deciding fifth game before Oláh narrowly prevailed. “On Saturday I still felt a bit foggy, but on Sunday the game really clicked. I’m very pleased with that.” A Rio 2016 Olympian, OLÁH currently competes professionally across four leagues in the United States, Poland, Spain and Saudi Arabia. After missing out on Tokyo and Paris, he remains determined to return to the Olympic stage. “I’ll try to earn a bit of money over the next couple of years and then make a real push for Los Angeles.” The Finlandia Open win marks the third title of his career, and his second in Kisakallio after triumphing there in 2023. In the bronze-medal match, Finland’s Alex NAUMI defeated Norway’s Khai LAM 3–0 (11–6, 11–5, 11–3). Naumi narrowly missed out on the final, having held two match balls in his semifinal against SAMUOLIS before losing in a tight fifth game. In the women’s final, Luxembourg’s Vivian SCHOLTZ overcame Denmark’s Maja HANSEN 3–0 (11–6, 11–2, 11–9). Belgium’s Julie VAN HAUWAERT secured the bronze medal. This year’s Finlandia Open featured 169 players from 27 countries, with a remarkable 777 matches contested. Results and photo gallery.
Germany’s Secures First Ever European Podium at the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup
The third edition of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup concluded in Chengdu today, with China claiming the GUOLIANG-SÖRLING Trophy in a tournament that showed the growing depth and diversity of table tennis ahead of the format’s Olympic debut at LA28. Germany claimed the bronze medal with an 8-7 victory over Korea Republic China defeated Japan 8-1 in the final to secure their third consecutive Mixed Team World Cup title, demonstrating their dominance in the format that will make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The semifinals saw China overcome Korea Republic 8-3 in the morning session, whilst Japan defeated Germany 8-3 to set up the final. Germany claimed the bronze medal with an 8-7 victory over Korea Republic in a thrilling encounter, capping off an impressive tournament that saw them reach the podium. Germany have now become the first-ever European team to reach the podium at a ITTF Mixed Team World Cup. Germany entered the match with confidence, having already defeated Korea Republic by the same scoreline in Stage 2. This time, however, they made a crucial tactical adjustment: Qiu DANG was assigned to both the Mixed Doubles and Men’s Doubles, while Patrick FRANZISKA took over the Men’s Singles, a strategic choice given Dang’s previous 0-3 loss to Woojin JANG. Qiu DANG and Annett KAUFMANN surged ahead with two dominant games against Nayeong KIM and Ganghyeon PARK. Attention then shifted to the Women’s Singles, a repeat matchup from Stage 2: Sabine WINTER vs. Eunhye LEE. WINTER’S clever use of anti-spin controlled the opening game 11-5, repeatedly forcing LEE into hesitation over the spin content. Though Lee struggled early in the second, she suddenly found her timing and reversed the momentum to win 11-9. The decider was tense: LEE led 10-9 but missed a sitter; WINTER responded with two unforced errors, handing Lee a dramatic 12-10 victory and a 2-1 match win. Germany slipped further behind in the Men’s Singles, where FRANZISKA endured a poor start against Woojin JANG, losing 5-11. He stabilised to take the second 11-7, but Jang tightened his countering play to claim the decider 11-7 and extend Korea Republic’s advantage. The tide shifted again in the Men’s Doubles, with DANG and Benedikt DUDA stepping up under pressure. After dropping the first game, they crushed the second 11-3 against Junsung Oh and PARK. The final game became a nerve-shredding duel, PARK producing late fireworks once more, but Dang and Duda edged it 11-9 with two spectacular rallies to seal the 2-1 win and pull Germany level. With the match locked at 6-6, everything hinged on the Women’s Doubles: Sabine WINTER and Nina MITTELHAM vs. Eunhye LEE and Hyojoo CHOI. Germany snatched the opening game, Korea responded instantly, and the tie stood at 7-7 overall heading into the final showdown. The last game became a showcase of German precision. Capitalising on an early error from Lee, WINTER and MITTELHAM shifted into a flawless rhythm, racing to an 11-1 victory.
Germany Reached Semifinals of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup Chengdu
The Stage 2 phase concluded in Chengdu with China, Japan, Germany and Korea Republic securing their places in the semifinals. The final round delivered high drama across the tables, with Korea ending Croatia’s breakthrough run, China finishing unbeaten, and Germany edging a thriller to confirm their spot among the last four. Germany clinched a Stage 3 berth with an 8–5 win over Hong Kong, China. Dang QIU and Annette KAUFMANN opened with a solid Mixed Doubles victory, followed by a composed win from WINTER over Doo Hoi Kem. Hong Kong rallied through Chun Ting WONG, who stunned Benedikt DUDA in Men’s Singles, but Germany immediately restored control when QIU and DUDA defeated the World No. 1 pair in Men’s Doubles. WINTER and KAUFMANN closed out the match in Women’s Doubles to complete a confident German performance. Croatia’s remarkable campaign came to a close despite another spirited display. Ivor BAN and Hana ARAPOVIĆ squeezed out a point in Mixed Doubles, while Lea RAKOVAC and Tomislav PUCAR claimed strong singles wins to bring Croatia level at 5–5. From there, Korea took full control: KIM anf CHOI swept the Women’s Doubles, before OH and PARK secured the decisive Men’s Doubles point, sealing Korea’s progression to the semifinals. Already assured of qualification, China rotated their squad but still proved too strong. World No. 1 pair Man KUAI and Shidong LIN opened with a straight-games win, while Yidi WANG recovered from a slow start to edge Linda BERGSTRÖM. Sweden hit back through a dominant display from Anton KALLBERG, but China closed the match efficiently in the Women’s Doubles, with Man KUAI and Manyu WANG sealing their unbeaten Stage 2 campaign. France produced the upset of the tournament, overturning a 1–5 deficit to defeat second seeds Japan 8–7. Japan dominated early, with Mima ITO and Hiroto SHINOZUKA sweeping the Mixed Doubles and Satsuki ODO edging Prithika PAVADE, putting France in deep trouble. Then came the turnaround. Felix LEBRUN launched the comeback with a spectacular 3–0 win over Tomokazu HARIMOTO, before joining brother Alexis to sweep the Men’s Doubles and push France ahead 7–5. Japan forced a decider through Women’s Doubles, but Jia Nan YUAN and PAVADE held firm in the final game, completing a stunning French victory.
Croatia continued their dream run, defeat Hong Kong
Croatia produced another outstanding performance, overcoming 10th seeds Hong Kong, China to extend their remarkable campaign in the Stage 2 of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2025 8-6. Ivor BAN and Hana ARAPOVIĆ opened with a clutch Mixed Doubles win, before Lea RAKOVAC added an early singles point in the 1-2 defeat against Chengzhu ZHU. With the score tight at 3–3, Tomislav PUCAR delivered the match of the tie, sweeping Siu Hang LAM 3–0 to give Croatia control. Hong Kong, China fought back in Women’s Doubles, but Croatia held firm. BAN and Frane KOJIĆ sealed the victory in the final match, securing a historic 8–5 result. Germany carried the momentum from their strong display against China into an impressive 8–7 victory over Korea Republic. Patrick FRANZISKA and Annett KAUFMANN gave Germany an ideal start in Mixed Doubles, followed by a solid win from Sabine WINTER, who recovered after losing the opening game. Korea replied through Woojin JANG, who beat Dang QIU 3–0 to tighten the score. But QIU struck back in Men’s Doubles alongside Benedikt DUDA, taking a tense decider. With the tie poised at 6–6, WINTER and Nina MITTELHAM stepped up in the Women’s Doubles, overturning a narrow start to clinch the tie and secure Germany’s hard-fought victory. France closed the morning session in style, defeating Sweden 8–3. Simon GAUZY and Prithika PAVADE overturned a slow start in Mixed Doubles, before Charlotte LUTZ continued her impressive form with a controlled win over Linda BERGSTRÖM. Alexis LEBRUN added another point against Mattias FALCK, and the LEBRUN brothers later teamed up to dominate the Men’s Doubles, sealing an important win as Stage 2 approaches its conclusion.
Juchnaite and Floro Crowned U21 Champions at the 2025 Finlandia Open
Lithuania’s Lukrecija JUCHNAITĖ and Slovakia’s Damian FLORO claimed the Under-21 singles titles at the 2025 Finlandia Open, staged at the Kisakallio Sports Institute in Lohja. In the U21 Women’s Singles final, JUCHNAITĖ prevailed against Ukraine’s Daria KOVALOVA with a 3–1 victory (11–8, 10–12, 12–10, 11–6). The bronze medals were awarded to Sweden’s Alice NILSSON and Ukraine’s Alina OVIRIAKH. In the U21 Men’s Singles final, Slovakia’s FLORO overcame Czech player Jakub MAKAR by the same 3–1 margin (11–8, 11–3, 10–12, 11–4). Slovakia’s Samuel PALUSEK and Sweden’s Noa DAHLSTRÖM secured the bronze medals. The men’s and women’s senior singles champions will be crowned on Sunday. The ETTU-sanctioned event features around 180 players from nearly 30 national associations. All results, live stream links and the photo gallery are available here: https://finlandia-open.sportsoftware.ai/
ITTF Welcomes French President Emmanuel Macron in Chengdu
French President Emmanuel MACRON visited the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu, where he met both Team France and Team China during his state visit to China. He was welcomed by ITTF President Petra SÖRLING and CTTA President Liqin, who introduced him to leading Chinese stars Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu WANG, and Shidong LIN, as well as coaches Lin MA, Hao WANG and Zhan XIAO. MACRON also greeted the French squad, including Felix and Alexis LEBRUN, Prithika PAVADE, Simon GAUZY and Jia Nan YUAN. President MACRON even stepped to the table himself, receiving a racket from ITTF President Petra SÖRLING and enjoying brief friendly rallies with players. Delegations exchanged commemorative gifts, including a special ITTF Centenary racket and national team jerseys. The ITTF expressed its honour at being part of the French President’s official visit, noting table tennis’s long tradition of fostering friendship and international cooperation from historic ping-pong diplomacy to its modern global reach. The ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2025 runs in Chengdu from 30 November to 7 December, ahead of the discipline’s Olympic debut at LA28.
Croatia Claim Win Over Sweden, FRANZISKA beat World No. 1, as Europe Battles Through a Challenging Day
It was a mixed and demanding day for European teams in the Stage 2 of the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2025, but Croatia delivered the standout performance, defeating Sweden 8–1 . Croatia started strongly through Ivor BAN and Hana ARAPOVIĆ, whose composed and well-balanced mixed doubles display earned the opening point against Kristian KARLSSON and Christina KALLBERG. Momentum continued with an exceptional win from Lea RAKOVAC, who overcame Linda BERGSTRÖM 3–0 by smartly adjusting her tempo and exploiting the chopper’s variations. The decisive blow came from Tomislav PUCAR, who dominated Anton KALLBERG in straight games. Mixing his trademark backhand power with timely forehand attacks, PUCAR ensured Croatia completed a confident and controlled victory—one of their strongest performances of the tournament. France fell 8–7 to Hong Kong, China, despite strong singles wins from Charlotte LUTZ and Simon GAUZY. Germany lost to China 4-8, despite the Patrick FRANZISKA’s superb win over World No. 1 Wang Chuqin.
