The 2026/27 ETTU Europe Cup Women begins on Friday, 13 November, with 16 clubs gathering in Novi Sad, Serbia, for three days of competition. The opening stage will run until Sunday, 15 November, with teams battling for a place in the next phase of the competition. Organised by TTC Novi Sad, the tournament will take place at the SPENS Arena. The 16 participating clubs have been divided into four groups of four, with each team playing three matches over the weekend. Hosts TTC Novi Sad will face Spain’s Girbau Vic TT in their opening encounter on Friday at 16:30. The Serbian club will continue its campaign against another Spanish representative, MIRÓ Ganxets, on Saturday, before concluding the group stage against Austria’s TTV Tulln on Sunday. The same group promises an interesting contest between the three clubs competing against the hosts, with Girbau Vic TT and MIRÓ Ganxets bringing Spanish opposition to Novi Sad. Group А features Italy’s ASD Quattro Mori, France’s CP Lyssois Lille Métropole, Spain’s Museo de la Almendra Francisco Morales and Poland’s PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow. ASD Quattro Mori will open against Museo de la Almendra Francisco Morales, while CP Lyssois Lille Métropole meets PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow in Friday’s first session. Croatia’s STK Dr. Časl heads another competitive group alongside Austria’s SU Sparkasse Kufstein, Poland’s MAWA AZS UJD Częstochowa and Spain’s Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca. The opening matches will see STK Dr. Časl face SU Sparkasse Kufstein, while MAWA AZS UJD Częstochowa takes on Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca. The Group C brings together Hungary’s Budaörsi Sport Club, Romania’s CSM Constanta, Spain’s CD Indiana Games and Slovakia’s SK SOG Nitra. Budaörsi Sport Club begins against CSM Constanta on Friday evening, while CD Indiana Games meets SK SOG Nitra. Six clubs competing in Novi Sad have already tested themselves in European competition this season, having participated in Stage 1 of the ETTU Champions League Women in Budaörs at the end of August. Italy’s ASD Quattro Mori, Croatia’s STK Dr. Časl, Spain’s MIRÓ Ganxets and Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca, Poland’s PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow and Hungary’s Budaörsi Sport Club all featured in the Champions League opening stage before continuing their European campaigns in the Europe Cup. ASD Quattro Mori and STK Dr. Časl came particularly close to progressing, both finishing second in their respective groups with two victories from three matches. Quattro Mori narrowly missed qualification after losing their decisive encounter against SKST Plus Hodonin 8-4, while Dr. Časl finished behind unbeaten group winners Linz AG Froschberg. MIRÓ Ganxets and Budaörsi Sport Club each recorded one victory in Budaörs, while Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca and PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow will be looking for their first European wins of the season. The competition will follow the same daily schedule throughout the weekend, with matches beginning at 11:00, 13:30, 16:30 and 19:00. ETTU Europe Cup Women – Stage 1 Friday, 13 November 11:00 13:30 16:30 19:00 Saturday, 14 November 11:00 13:30 16:30 19:00 Sunday, 15 November 11:00 13:30 16:30 19:00
Varaždin Ready to Host Europe Cup Men Opening Stage
The 2026/27 ETTU Europe Cup Men gets underway on Friday, 13 November, with 16 clubs competing in Stage 1 in Varaždin, Croatia. The three-day competition, running until Sunday, 15 November, will bring together teams from across Europe as they begin their European campaign. Hosted by STK STARR Croatia, the matches will take place at the Gospodarska škola Sports Hall, with eight team encounters scheduled each day across two competition tables. The opening stage features clubs from Austria, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Slovakia, Czechia, Croatia and Romania, divided into four groups of four teams. Each club will play three matches over the weekend. Hosts STK STARR Croatia will begin their campaign against Slovakia’s TJ Geolog Roznava on Friday afternoon. Their group also includes Czech side SKST Havirov and Spain’s Irun Leka Enea, with the hosts facing the Spanish club on Saturday before concluding against Havirov on Sunday. Austria’s SPG Felbemayr Wels opens against Portuguese representatives Clube Desportivo 1º de Maio. The same group includes Poland’s KS Olesno and Spain’s CTT Les Borges Vall. Group C brings together Spain’s CTT Olot, Slovakia’s AŠK Mária Huta, Poland’s Energa Manekin Torun and Czechia’s TTC Ostrava 2016. Slovakia’s STK Vyhne will compete against SKST Chodov of Czechia, Alicante TM of Spain and Romania’s CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc. Several clubs arriving in Varaždin have already gained valuable European experience this season, having competed in Stage 1 of the HYLO ETTU Champions League Men in Lille at the end of August. Hosts STK STARR Croatia, Slovakia’s STK Vyhne, Spain’s CTT Olot and CTT Les Borges Vall, Czechia’s SKST Havirov and TTC Ostrava 2016, Austria’s SPG Felbermayr Wels and Romania’s CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc all featured in the Champions League opening stage before continuing their European campaigns in the Europe Cup. Among them, SPG Felbermayr Wels, CTT Olot, SKST Havirov and STK Vyhne each recorded one victory in Lille, while the remaining four clubs will be looking to improve on their earlier European performances. Their previous experience against strong international opposition adds another dimension to the competition in Varaždin, where they will face a fresh challenge in the opening stage of the Europe Cup. The opening day begins at 10:00 on Friday, with four sessions scheduled at 10:00, 13:00, 16:00 and 19:00. The same timetable will apply on Saturday and Sunday. ETTU Europe Cup Men – Stage 1 Friday, 13 November 10:00 13:00 16:00 19:00 Saturday, 14 November 10:00 13:00 16:00 19:00 Sunday, 15 November 10:00 13:00 16:00
Metz Fight Back to Defeat ttc berlin eastside in Champions League Women
Metz TT opened their 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women Stage 2 campaign with a 9-6 away victory over ttc berlin eastside, recovering from a 6-2 deficit to secure an important win in Germany. The French side faced a difficult task after the hosts made a strong start, but outstanding performances from France’s Charlotte LUTZ and Egypt’s Hana GODA helped Metz turn the encounter around. Charlotte LUTZ gave Metz the early advantage with a 2-1 victory over Germany’s Josephina NEUMANN (11-1, 14-16, 11-8). However, Berlin responded immediately through SHAN Xiaona, who defeated Hana GODA in straight games (11-6, 11-9, 11-7), putting the hosts ahead 4-2. Serbia’s Sabina SURJAN then extended Berlin’s advantage to 6-2 by winning the opening two games against compatriot Izabela LUPULESKU (11-3, 14-12). However, LUPULESKU fought back to take the third game 12-10, reducing the deficit to 6-3 and keeping Metz in contention. The momentum shifted dramatically in the fourth encounter, as GODA returned to the table and defeated NEUMANN 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-3), levelling the team score at 6-6. LUTZ completed the comeback with another straight-games victory, overcoming SHAN Xiaona 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 15-13). The French player contributed five game victories across her two appearances, while GODA added three and LUPULESKU one. “I played well, and so did my teammate. We were trailing 6-2, but as a team, we knew we could come back and win the match. We are very happy that we managed to turn things around in our favour. This victory gives us confidence for the upcoming matches. We know that every encounter will be tough because all the teams are strong, but we are ready to fight,” said Charlotte LUTZ. The victory completed the opening round of Stage 2, following Tuesday’s successes by Etival ASRTT, UCAM Cartagena TM and Saint-Quentin TT. The eight clubs compete in a single round-robin group, with the top two qualifying directly for the Final Four on 1-2 May 2027. Teams finishing third to sixth will contest Stage 3 play-offs for the remaining two places. ETTU Champions League Women – Stage 2 ttc berlin eastside (GER) – Metz TT (FRA) 6-9 Tuesday, 10 November 2026
Opening Day Drama as 16 Teams Secure Places in Stage 2
The 2026 European Under 13 Championships got underway on Wednesday at the Hacı Bektaş Veli University Sports Centre in Nevşehir, Türkiye, with the opening stage of the Mixed Teams Event producing close encounters, impressive individual performances and several unexpected outcomes. Thirty teams competed across eight groups, with the top two in each group advancing to the A Final stage and the remaining teams continuing in the B Final. With all five individual contests played in each team encounter, every point proved important in determining the final standings. Among the biggest stories of the opening day were Türkiye’s elimination from the A Final despite defeating Germany, England finishing ahead of unbeaten Romania, and Poland progressing at Lithuania’s expense despite losing their direct encounter. Spain dominated Group A, recording successive 5-0 victories over Georgia and Bulgaria to finish with a perfect record. Ladimir MAYOROV and Carmen GOMEZ were particularly effective, winning both their Mixed Doubles encounters and remaining unbeaten in their singles appearances. Bulgaria secured second place with a 5-0 victory over Georgia. Yoan GEORGIEV and Damyana STOILOVA contributed in Mixed Doubles, while Meylin OSMANOVA and Adem AHMEDOV were among the singles winners. Group B produced one of the day’s closest battles, with Czechia overcoming Portugal 3-2 to secure first place. Richard FEBER JR. and Adela BRHELOVA gave Czechia the advantage in Mixed Doubles, but Portugal responded through Lara MONTEIRO and Rodrigo LOURENCO, both recovering from two games down to win their singles encounters. BRHELOVA levelled the team score before FEBER JR. defeated João COSTA in straight games to secure the Czech victory. Portugal, which also defeated Hungary 5-0, progressed in second place. Italy completed an unbeaten campaign in Group C, defeating Croatia and Moldova 4-1 before overcoming Slovenia 5-0. Pietro CAMPAGNA and Serena ROSSATI won all three Mixed Doubles encounters without dropping a game, while CAMPAGNA also remained unbeaten in singles. Luca FRANZONI contributed two particularly demanding victories, overcoming Croatia’s Petar GRDEN and Moldova’s Nicolae BUCUR in five games. Moldova secured second place after a dramatic 3-2 victory over Croatia. Nicolae BUCUR settled the encounter by defeating Petar GRDEN 3-2 (11-6, 6-11, 2-11, 11-7, 11-7), while Alex MITIC also contributed a five-game victory. Croatia finished third, ahead of Slovenia. Group D delivered one of the most dramatic outcomes of the day, with Germany, France and Türkiye all finishing with two team victories and one defeat. Germany secured first place after defeating France 4-1 and Estonia 5-0, despite suffering a 3-2 defeat against Türkiye. The hosts produced several outstanding performances. Defne UZUMCU and Emre BUCAK won all three of their Mixed Doubles encounters, while UZUMCU remained unbeaten in singles. Zeynep DURAN also contributed an important straight-games victory over Germany’s Hannah SCHLAUCH. However, France’s narrow 3-2 victory over Türkiye proved crucial. Hachim TISSAFI IDRISSI produced one of the day’s most remarkable comebacks, recovering from a 0-2 deficit against Emre BUCAK to win 3-2 (3-11, 5-11, 14-12, 11-5, 11-9). Germany and France eventually claimed the two A Final positions, leaving Türkiye third despite its victory over the group winner. Estonia finished fourth. Group E provided another example of the importance of individual contest victories in the standings. Romania won all three team encounters, defeating Belgium and England 3-2 and Kosovo 4-1. Nevertheless, England finished first with 12 individual contest victories, compared with Romania’s 10. England recorded convincing 5-0 victories over Kosovo and Belgium. Against Belgium, Serene RAHMANI recovered from a 1-2 deficit to defeat Lore GOETHALS in five games, while Dimitar DIMITROV completed the sweep with a 3-2 victory over Florian CAMBIER. Romania’s success included an impressive comeback from Adriana IVAN, who recovered from two games down to defeat Belgium’s Marie CHAPODZE 3-2. Against England, IVAN, Vladimir FILIMON and Bianca TOMA secured the three singles victories that gave Romania a 3-2 team win. England and Romania advanced to the A Final, ahead of Belgium and Kosovo. Sweden emerged unbeaten from Group F, recording victories over Latvia 5-0, Ukraine 3-2 and Azerbaijan 4-1. The meeting with Ukraine was particularly competitive. Mark VORONOI and Lidiia SHYIAN gave Ukraine the lead in Mixed Doubles, while SHYIAN later defeated Nikki HON in straight games. However, Nina LAZIC and Tomas LARSSON contributed important singles victories for Sweden before Filip AROSELL overcame VORONOI 3-1 (11-5, 11-9, 12-14, 11-9) to secure the 3-2 team success. Ukraine recovered to finish second after defeating Azerbaijan 3-2 and Latvia 4-1. Azerbaijan took third place, ahead of Latvia. Greece completed Group G with three victories, overcoming Belarus 3-2, Slovakia 4-1 and Bosnia and Herzegovina 5-0. Theofanis MARKOULAKIS played a decisive role against Belarus, defeating Daniil LEVANENIA in straight games in the final contest. Against Slovakia, Argyro KOUTROUMBA overcame Adela VASKOVA in five games, while MARKOULAKIS defeated Daniel SUCHY by the same margin. Kleio MADESI and Nikolaos ALEXIDIS also contributed to the Greek team’s successful campaign. Belarus secured second place with victories over Bosnia and Herzegovina 5-0 and Slovakia 3-2. In the latter encounter, Tsimur KOT and Boyao FANG won the Mixed Doubles, Sofiya TSIKHAMIRAVA defeated Sofia TRUSKOVA in five games and Platon KANAVALAU overcame Denis VECEREK in straight games. Slovakia finished third despite opening with a 5-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina. Russia produced one of the strongest performances of the opening day in Group H, collecting 14 individual contest victories from a possible 15. After defeating Poland 4-1, Russia recorded successive 5-0 victories over Austria and Lithuania. Mikhail KIRILLOV, Viktoriia RYBALCHENKO, Olesia ILINA and Elisei KLOCHKO contributed to the team’s dominant campaign. Against Poland, KIRILLOV recovered from a 1-2 deficit to defeat Jakub BLASZCZYK in five games. The battle for second place produced another unusual outcome. Lithuania defeated Poland 3-2 in their direct encounter, with Kaja TVOROGAL and Mindaugas STONYS winning the final two contests. However, Poland collected eight individual contest victories across the group, compared with Lithuania’s seven, securing the second A Final position. Lithuania finished third, ahead of Austria. Following the opening stage, the 16 qualified teams will continue in the A Final groups, with the four group winners progressing to
European Giants Enter the Race as HYLO Champions League Men Round of 16 Begins
The battle for the 2026/27 HYLO ETTU Champions League Men title moves into a new phase this week, as the eight highest-seeded clubs enter the competition in the Round of 16. Defending champions 1. FC Saarbrücken TT, record European title contenders Borussia Düsseldorf and last season’s runners-up Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier headline an impressive field of 16 teams, with the opening legs scheduled for 12-14 November. Following the conclusion of Stage 1 in Lille, eight successful qualifiers are ready to challenge the clubs that earned direct entry into the knockout stage. HB Ostrov z.s, ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi, SF SKK El Nino Praha, Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61, TTC Sokah Hoboken, Lille Metropole TT, KS Dojlidy Białystok and AS Pontoise Cergy TT have all secured their places among Europe’s last 16. Four of those teams – HB Ostrov, El Nino Praha, Hoboken and Dojlidy – progressed from Lille with perfect records, winning all three of their group matches. The spotlight now turns to the continent’s leading clubs and the international stars who will join the competition. Top seeds 1. FC Saarbrücken TT open their campaign on Friday, 13 November, against French side Lille Metropole TT. The German champions enter the knockout stage with a significantly reshaped squad following the departures of FAN Zhendong and Darko JORGIC. However, their line-up remains formidable. Sweden’s Truls MOREGARD, Germany’s Patrick FRANZISKA and Brazil’s Hugo CALDERANO lead the challenge, supported by Romania’s Eduard IONESCU, Spain’s Álvaro ROBLES and Korea Republic’s OH Junsung. Lille secured second place in Group C during Stage 1 and will now face a much greater challenge. The French club can call upon Croatia’s experienced Andrej GACINA, Romania’s Rares SIPOS and France’s Fabio RAKOTOARIMANANA. One of the most anticipated storylines of the new season is the arrival of Olympic champion FAN Zhendong at Borussia Düsseldorf. The Chinese superstar has joined the German giants after helping Saarbrücken claim last season’s title, adding further strength to a squad featuring Germany’s QIU Dang, Sweden’s Anton KÄLLBERG and Kanak JHA. Second seeds Düsseldorf begin their campaign on Thursday, 12 November, away to AS Pontoise Cergy TT, who advanced from Stage 1 after a dramatic 3-2 victory over TTC Ostrava 2016. Pontoise’s squad includes Italy’s Mihai BOBOCICA, Chinese Taipei’s HUNG Jing-Kai and China’s ZHOU Kai, who played a decisive role in securing qualification from Lille. Last season’s runners-up Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier return with the ambition of going one step further. Fourth seeds in the competition, the French club will once again rely on brothers Alexis and Félix LEBRUN, both European champions in Ljubljana last month. With India’s Manav THAKAR also in the squad, Nîmes/Montpellier possess the quality to challenge for the trophy. Their first opponents are Denmark’s Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61, who secured second place in Group B in Lille. Roskilde’s experienced Swedish players Jens LUNDQVIST and Anders ERIKSSON, alongside Tobias RASMUSSEN and Dominykas SAMUOLIS, will look to make the most of home advantage in Friday’s opening leg. Seventh seeds GV Hennebont TT have assembled another exceptionally strong squad, led by France’s Simon GAUZY, China’s WEN Ruibo and ZHOU Qihao, and Russia’s Vladimir SIDORENKO. The French side will face HB Ostrov z.s., one of the four unbeaten teams from Stage 1. The Czech club impressed in Lille with three consecutive victories, led by Tomas TREGLER, Pavel SIRUCEK and Tomas POLANSKY. Moldova’s Vladislav URSU is also included in their squad. Poland will have four representatives in the Round of 16, including third seeds KS Orlen Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki. Led by Croatia’s Tomislav PUCAR, Poland’s Milosz REDZIMSKI and Greece’s experienced defender Panagiotis GIONIS, Bogoria will face Italian qualifiers ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi. Sixth seeds KS Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów, strengthened by the arrival of Slovenia’s Darko JORGIC from Saarbrücken, face compatriots KS Dojlidy Białystok in an all-Polish encounter. JORGIC is joined by fellow Slovenian Deni KOZUL and Austria’s Robert GARDOS. Dojlidy arrive in excellent form after completing Stage 1 with three victories from three matches. Fifth seeds KS Dekorglass Działdowo will meet SF SKK El Nino Praha, another unbeaten Stage 1 qualifier. The Czech side can rely on Martin SIP, Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA and Tomas KONECNY, while Dekorglass’s squad includes India’s Manush SHAH and Italy’s Matteo MUTTI. The remaining encounter features eighth seeds Real Club Cajasur Priego TM against Belgian qualifiers TTC Sokah Hoboken. Hoboken were particularly impressive in Lille, finishing top of Group C with three victories, including a convincing 3-0 win over hosts Lille Metropole TT in the final round. Benjamin BROSSIER, Olav KOSOLOSKY and Quentin ROBINOT all contributed to that success. Priego’s squad includes Spain’s Norbert TAULER and Carlos MACHADO, Sweden’s Hampus SÖDERLUND and Portugal’s Diogo CHEN. The Round of 16 will be contested over two legs, with the eight winners advancing to the quarterfinals. The ultimate goal remains a place at the HYLO Final Four in Saarbrücken on 8-9 May 2027. HYLO ETTU Champions League Men – Round of 16 Thursday, 12 November Friday, 13 November Saturday, 14 November
Etival Stun Defending Champions as Cartagena and Saint-Quentin Make Strong Starts
The opening night of Stage 2 in the 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women produced a major upset, as French side Etival ASRTT defeated defending champions and No. 1 seeds KTS Enea Siarkopol TARNOBRZEG 8-7 in Poland. Spain’s UCAM Cartagena TM and France’s Saint-Quentin TT also made impressive starts to their campaigns, recording identical 11-4 victories over SKST Plus HODONIN and Linz AG Froschberg respectively. Under the Stage 2 format, all 15 games are played in each team encounter, with the final result determined by the total number of games won. Every game therefore carries importance in the race for places in the Final Four. The French visitors made an outstanding start in Tarnobrzeg, winning the first three individual encounters to establish a 7-2 advantage. Australia’s Liu YANGZI opened the contest with a 2-1 victory over China’s Zhuojia HE (11-7, 11-8, 4-11), before Sweden’s Christina KÄLLBERG produced one of the evening’s standout performances, defeating Germany’s Ying HAN in straight games (11-8, 12-10, 12-10). Portugal’s SHAO Jieni then strengthened Etival’s position with a 2-1 success against compatriot Fu YU (11-8, 11-6, 4-11), leaving the defending champions facing a difficult task. However, TARNOBRZEG responded strongly. Zhuojia HE defeated Christina KÄLLBERG 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-8), reducing the deficit to 7-5 and keeping the Polish club’s hopes alive. Ying HAN then overcame Liu YANGZI 2-1 (11-3, 10-12, 11-8), but the comeback fell just short. Etival secured an 8-7 victory, delivering an early statement of intent in the battle for places in the Final Four. “We are very happy that we managed to beat a club that has been at the top for so many years. We gave our best and managed to make a better start. I played very well in the opening match, then Christina KÄLLBERG recorded a clear 3-0 victory, and Jieni SHAO did her job very well. I am so happy that I managed to keep my nerves under control and win the final game to secure the victory,” said Liu YANGZI. Despite the narrow defeat, Ying HAN remained optimistic that TARNOBRZEG would adapt to the competition format. “We are very sad now. We lost by the narrowest of margins despite putting up a great fight. The new rules were a little difficult for me. However, after a few matches, once we all get used to this system, everything will be better,” said HAN. In Hodonin, UCAM Cartagena TM proved too strong for Stage 1 qualifiers SKST Plus HODONIN, winning 11 of the 15 games. The Czech hosts initially took the lead through Slovakia’s Karin GROFOVA, who defeated England’s HO Tin-Tin 2-1 (11-6, 7-11, 12-10). However, CARTAGENA quickly turned the contest around. Spain’s Maria XIAO overcame Marketa SEVCIKOVA 2-1 (2-11, 11-5, 11-7), before Chile’s Daniela ORTEGA recorded a convincing 3-0 victory over Anna KLEMPEREROVA (11-2, 11-7, 11-9). XIAO continued her excellent performance with a straight-games victory over GROFOVA (11-9, 11-7, 16-14), winning a closely contested third game to complete her second individual success of the evening. HO Tin-Tin then secured the final two games for CARTAGENA, defeating SEVCIKOVA 2-1 (11-4, 9-11, 11-7). With XIAO contributing five game victories, ORTEGA adding three and HO Tin-Tin another three, the Spanish club completed a convincing 11-4 triumph. “It was a very good start to the season, and we are very happy with today’s performance. Their Chinese player was unable to play today, and things might have been different if she had been available. Nevertheless, we are delighted that we managed to take our chances and secure the victory,” said Maria XIAO. Saint-Quentin TT matched CARTAGENA’s winning margin with an 11-4 home success against Austrian qualifiers Linz AG Froschberg, taking all five individual encounters. Canada’s ZHANG Mo gave the French club a winning start, recovering from the loss of the opening game to defeat Slovenia’s Sara TOKIC 2-1 (8-11, 11-6, 11-9). France’s Camille LUTZ then produced an emphatic performance against Japan’s Yurika NAMBA, winning 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-4) to extend the hosts’ advantage. Polina MIKHAILOVA followed with a 2-1 victory over Japan’s Emiko TAGUCHI (9-11, 11-3, 11-5), putting Saint-Quentin firmly in control. ZHANG Mo returned to the table for another demanding contest, overcoming NAMBA 2-1 (8-11, 11-8, 13-11). After losing the opening game, ZHANG fought back and edged a tense third game to secure two more valuable points for the French side. LUTZ completed the victory with a 2-1 success against TOKIC (11-6, 8-11, 11-8), finishing the evening with five game victories from her two appearances. ZHANG also contributed four game wins, while MIKHAILOVA added two, giving Saint-Quentin an impressive 11-4 result against a Linz side that had progressed through Stage 1 unbeaten. “Nice evening for us! We knew we could win this one but we didn’t expect with this marging. Hopefully we can continue in Metz this Saturday,” said LUTZ. The competition features eight clubs in a single round-robin group, with each team playing seven encounters. The top two clubs will qualify directly for the Final Four, scheduled for 1-2 May 2027, while teams finishing third to sixth will contest Stage 3 play-offs for the remaining two places. Tomorrow, Germany’s TTC Berlin eastside hosts French contenders Metz TT. KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL TARNOBRZEG – ETIVAL A.S.R.T.T 7-8 SKST PLUS HODONIN – UCAM CARTAGENA TM 4-11 SAINT-QUENTIN TT – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG 11-4
Walk-in Kids: clubs invited to apply for the 2027 HYLO ETTU Champions League Men Final 4
ETTU is inviting clubs across Europe to take part in the “Walk-in Kids” initiative at the 2027 HYLO ETTU Champions League Men Final 4, taking place on 8-9 May 2027 at the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrücken, Germany. Children under 13 will have the unique opportunity to accompany the teams onto the Field of Play during the official pre-match presentation. How to take part Each club can register up to five children aged under 13 (U13) per day: Participating clubs must commit to purchasing at least 20 tickets for their members and supporters. ETTU can reserve seats so the group can enjoy the event together. Walk-in Kids receive free tickets and sit with their club. How to apply Clubs must complete the online application form by 11 December 2026, providing: A signed Parental Authorisation and Consent Form is required for every child. Clubs must retain the signed forms and provide them to ETTU upon request. Give your young players a moment to remember! APPLY NOW
European Under 13 Championships: Mixed Team Groups Revealed
The draw for the Mixed Team event at the 2026 European Under 13 Championships in Nevşehir, Türkiye, has been completed, with 30 national teams divided into eight groups for the opening stage of the competition. Spain heads Group 1, Czechia leads Group 2, Italy tops Group 3, while Germany is the leading team in Group 4, which also features hosts Türkiye, France and Estonia. Romania heads Group 5, Ukraine leads Group 6, Slovakia is at the top of Group 7, while Lithuania heads Group 8. The top two teams from each group will advance to the second stage, continuing their battle for places in the semifinals.
Nevşehir Ready to Welcome Europe’s Next Generation of Champions
The 2026 European Under 13 Championships will bring together some of Europe’s most promising young table tennis players in Nevşehir, Türkiye, from 11 to 15 November. The five-day competition will take place at the Hacı Bektaş Veli University Sports Centre. A total of 30 national teams will compete in the Mixed Team event, while 88 boys and 86 girls are entered in the individual singles competitions. Four titles will be contested: Mixed Teams, Boys’ Singles, Girls’ Singles and Mixed Doubles. The championships will feature several players who have already enjoyed success on the European youth circuit. Among those to watch in the Girls’ Singles is Türkiye’s Defne UZUMCU, who recently claimed the title at the 19th STIGA Masters. She will be joined in the home team’s line-up by Gizem CIGIL, winner of the U13 Girls’ Singles title at the JOOLA Europe Youth Series Serbia Open in Beočin. Italy will field a strong contingent featuring Pietro CAMPAGNA, winner of the U13 Boys’ Singles event in Beočin, alongside Luca FRANZONI and Giorgio BORGHESE. The Italian girls’ team includes Serena ROSSATI, Weilan CHEN and Maya PAVEL. Other notable entrants include Slovakia’s Adela VASKOVA, who reached the U13 Girls’ Singles final in Beočin, and Luxembourg’s Noah VALENTE, runner-up in the U13 Boys’ Singles competition at the same event. Portugal’s Lara MONTEIRO, a semifinalist at the recent STIGA Masters, is also among the Girls’ Singles entrants, along with Finland’s Kamilla KADAR. In Mixed Doubles, several partnerships will be looking to make their mark. Italy’s Luca FRANZONI and Weilan CHEN, winners at the Serbia Open, are entered together again, while Türkiye’s Emre BUCAK and Defne UZUMCU will represent the host nation. The competition will also feature pairs combining players from different national associations. The Mixed Team event will open the championships on Wednesday, 11 November, with the first group stage. Each team match consists of five contests, beginning with Mixed Doubles, followed by two Girls’ and two Boys’ Singles matches. All five contests will be played during the group stages. The 30 teams will initially be divided into eight groups, with the top two from each progressing to the second-stage A final groups. The four group winners from that stage will advance to the semifinals and compete for the medals. The individual competitions begin on Friday, 13 November, with the Boys’ and Girls’ Singles group stages. The top two players from each group will advance to the main draw, while the remaining players will enter the B final draw. The Mixed Doubles competition will be played in a direct knockout format, with pairs from different national associations also permitted to compete together. The championships will conclude on Sunday, 15 November, with the final stages of the individual competitions, bringing five days of competition in Nevşehir to a close.
Europe’s Elite Eight Set for Champions League Women Showdown
The 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women enters second stage this week, with eight of Europe’s leading clubs beginning their battle for places in the Final Four. Defending champions and No. 1 seeds KTS Enea Siarkopol TARNOBRZEG headline the competition, alongside French contenders Metz TT and Etival ASRTT, Germany’s TTC Berlin eastside and four other ambitious challengers. Unlike the men’s competition, which moves directly into the knockout rounds, the women’s Champions League features a single group of eight teams. Each club will face every other opponent once over seven rounds, making every result important in the race for the Final Four. Six directly qualified clubs are joined by Linz AG Froschberg and SKST Plus Hodonin, who earned their places through Stage 1 in Budaörs. Both teams completed the opening stage unbeaten, recording three victories from three matches. Polish powerhouse KTS Enea Siarkopol TARNOBRZEG returns as the defending champion after lifting the trophy at last season’s inaugural Final Four. The No. 1 seeds have retained an outstanding squad, led by Germany’s Ying HAN, Portugal’s Fu YU, Monaco’s Xiaoxin YANG and China’s Zhuojia HE. TARNOBRZEG begins its campaign at home against fourth seeds Etival ASRTT on Tuesday, 10 November. The French side will provide an immediate test for the title holders. Etival’s squad features Portugal’s SHAO Jieni, Sweden’s Christina KÄLLBERG and Australia’s Liu YANGZI, giving the visitors a strong international line-up. Second seeds Metz TT are among the strongest challengers to TARNOBRZEG’s dominance. The French club boasts an impressive squad led by France’s Charlotte LUTZ, Serbia’s Izabela LUPULESKU, Egypt’s Hana GODA, Croatia’s Lea RAKOVAC and Luxembourg’s Sarah DE NUTTE. Metz opens its campaign away to third seeds TTC Berlin eastside on Wednesday, 11 November, in one of the most anticipated encounters of the opening round. Berlin’s experienced squad features Germany’s Nina MITTELHAM and SHAN Xiaona, Poland’s Natalia BAJOR and Serbia’s Sabina SURJAN. With both clubs aiming for a place among the leading contenders, their opening meeting promises an early indication of the balance of power in Stage 2. Fifth seeds UCAM Cartagena TM will also have ambitions of reaching the Final Four. The Spanish club has assembled a strong line-up featuring Spain’s Maria XIAO, Wales’ Anna HURSEY, England’s HO Tin-Tin and Chile’s Daniela ORTEGA. Cartagena begins Stage 2 away to SKST Plus Hodonin, who impressed during the opening stage in Budaörs. Sixth seeds Saint-Quentin TT will rely on Sweden’s Linda BERGSTRÖM, Slovakia’s Barbora VARADY, Canada’s ZHANG Mo and France’s Camille LUTZ. The French club hosts Linz AG Froschberg in its opening encounter on Tuesday, 10 November. Austrian side Linz AG Froschberg secured its Stage 2 place by winning Group A in Budaörs with three victories from three matches. The team demonstrated its fighting qualities with a narrow 8-7 victory over STK Dr. Časl Zagreb before defeating MIRÓ Ganxets 8-2 and PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow 8-1. Linz’s squad includes Slovakia’s Tatiana KUKULKOVA, Belgium’s Lilou MASSART, Slovenia’s Sara TOKIC and Japanese players Emiko TAGUCHI and Yurika NAMBA, who contributed to the successful qualification campaign. SKST Plus Hodonin followed a similarly impressive route, finishing unbeaten at the top of Group B. The Czech club secured the decisive victory with an 8-4 success against ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari. Russia’s Vlada VORONINA and China’s Binyue ZHANG played important roles in that victory, while Karin GROFOVA and the other members of the squad provide additional depth for the challenges ahead. Both qualifiers now face a significant step up in competition as they join six of Europe’s strongest clubs in the battle for the Final Four. Stage 2 will feature seven rounds of matches, with all eight teams competing in a single round-robin group. The top two clubs in the final standings will qualify directly for the Final Four, scheduled for 1-2 May 2027. Teams finishing third to sixth will continue into Stage 3, where the third-placed team faces the sixth-placed side and the fourth-placed club meets the fifth-placed team. Both play-offs will be decided in a single match, hosted by the higher-ranked club. The two winners will complete the Final Four line-up, while the teams finishing seventh and eighth in Stage 2 will be eliminated. ETTU Champions League Women – Stage 2 Tuesday, 10 November Wednesday, 11 November Round 2 Saturday, 14 November Sunday, 15 November 16:00 – Linz AG Froschberg (AUT) – TTC Berlin eastside (GER)
