LINZ AG FROSCHBERG clinched their twelfth Austria Cup title with a hard-fought 3:2 victory over Gartenstadt Tulln in the final, though the journey was more difficult than expected. Tulln’s LIU Yuan shone with victories against Britt EERLAND and Ivana MALOBABIC. However, LINZ AG FROSCHBERG scored points through MALOBABIC, Andrea PAVLOVIC, and EERLAND. In the men’s final, hosts Baden will face Panaceo Stockerau. The opening match set the tone: LIU Yuan took a 1-0 lead against Linz’s top star EERLAND, missed five (!) set points in the second game, lost 14:16, but regained focus to win 3:1 and deliver an early surprise. “It was a surprise for me too. I had a lot of luck in the third set,” said the Austrian national champion modestly. EERLAND commented, “I was under pressure and Yuan capitalized on that.” MALOBABIC (3:1 against Nicole GALITSCHITSCH) and the newly crowned Croatian champion PAVLOVIC (walkover against Heike MILLER) gave Linz a 2:1 lead. LIU then delivered another brilliant performance, edging past MALOBABIC 3:2 to level the score at 2:2. But EERLAND secured the final match with a clear 3:0 win over GALITSCHITSCH, giving Linz the 3:2 overall victory and completing a dozen cup triumphs. Linz AG Froschberg now aims to seal the double with a Bundesliga final win against Kufstein on April 22. Linz AG President Günther RENNER, after lifting the new Austria Cup trophy, said: “We know Liu Yuan can play very well. It’s all the more unfortunate that Tulln didn’t compete with a full team. A walkover in a final, broadcast live on TV, isn’t good promotion. We must consider consequences for the future.” Austria Cup Final 4 in Baden – Results Women’s Final LINZ AG FROSCHBERG – GARTENSTADT TULLN 3:2 Men’s Final (Sunday in Baden) Badener AC – Panaceo Stockerau 2:3 Women’s Semifinals (Saturday in Baden) LINZ AG FROSCHBERG – Olympic Wien 3:0 GARTENSTADT TULLN – Indigo Graz 3:0 Men’s Semifinals (Saturday in Baden) Panaceo Stockerau – Sparkasse Salzburg 3:0 Khalid ASSAR – Tomas SANCHI 3:1 Austria Cup Champions – History Men 2012 – SVS Niederösterreich 2013 – SVS Niederösterreich 2014 – Weinviertel Niederösterreich 2015 – Weinviertel Niederösterreich 2016 – SG Stockerau 2017 – KSV HiWay Grill Kapfenberg 2018 – SPG Walter Wels 2019 – SG Stockerau 2020 – SPG Walter Wels 2021/22 – SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt 2023 – SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt 2024 – SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt 2025 – Panaceo Stockerau Women 2012 – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG 2013 – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG 2014 – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG 2015 – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG 2016 – TTC CarinthiaWinds Villach 2017 – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG 2018 – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG 2019 – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG 2020 – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG 2021/22 – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG 2023 – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG 2024 – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG 2025 – LINZ AG FROSCHBERG
ASC Grünwettersbach Dominant in First Leg of Europe Cup Quarterfinals
In the final match of the Europe Cup Men’s Quarterfinals first leg, ASC Grünwettersbach delivered a commanding performance, defeating SKST Havířov 3:0 on home soil in Germany. The team needed just three matches to secure a strong advantage ahead of the return leg, scheduled for April 18. “The team is happy to win 3:0! We managed to put ourselves in a good situation, but there’s still the away match and we’re ready to give 100 percent effort to clinch our ticket for the semifinal,” said Leo DE NODREST. Other First Leg Results: UKS Dojlidy Białystok lost at home to HB Ostrov z.s. 0:3 in Poland, Cajasur Priego TM narrowly defeated Post SV Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. 3:2 in Spain, TK Vyhne suffered a 0:3 loss to SF SKK El Nino Praha in Slovakia. ASC Grünwettersbach vs SKST Havířov (3:0)
Dang QIU Opens the Door to the Final
Just like last year, TSV Bad Königshofen and Borussia Düsseldorf met in the TTBL Play-off Semifinals. At that time, the underdogs shocked the record champions with a first-leg win. This year, however, Düsseldorf was determined to avoid a repeat—and they succeeded. Led by a strong performance from Dang QIU, the team secured a 3:1 away victory, earning a solid advantage for the return leg in two weeks. As the saying goes, third time’s the charm. This was already the third meeting between Borussia Düsseldorf and TSV Bad Königshofen this season in the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL)—and once again, Düsseldorf came out on top with a 3:1 scoreline. The standout of the evening was Dang QIU, who lived up to his top billing. The penhold player delivered commanding performances against both Bastian STEGER and Jin UEDA, winning both matches 3:0 without giving his opponents much of a chance. His victories laid the foundation for Düsseldorf’s success. In contrast to QIU’S dominant outings, Timo BOLL suffered a clear defeat at the hands of Filip ZELJKO. The Croatian played with trademark fighting spirit and neutralized the 44-year-old veteran, who will retire at the end of the season. ZELJKO’S 3:0 win briefly gave Bad Königshofen hope for a comeback, but QIU quickly put those hopes to rest in the final match. The evening began with Anton KÄLLBERG taking on Jin UEDA. At first, it looked like history might repeat itself—Ueda took the first game as Källberg struggled to find rhythm. But once the Swede settled into his aggressive playing style, he took control and won the match. “Of course, we remember what happened here last year,” KÄLLBERG said after the match. “We didn’t want to find ourselves in that position again. Starting the series with a 1:0 lead is a great feeling.” In the other semifinal, TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen also made a strong statement, defeating 1. FC Saarbrücken TT with a commanding 3:0 win. All three matches ended in victories for the home side, giving them a strong hand heading into the second leg. The second matches in both semifinals will be played on Sunday, April 27. TSV Bad Königshofen – Borussia Düsseldorf 1:3 TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT 3:0
Dr. Časl Wins 10th Consecutive, 12th Overall National Title
In the Croatia’s Women’s Superleague, nothing new Dr. Časl’s table tennis team has claimed their 10th consecutive Croatian national championship title, and 12th overall. Heading into the final round, the Zagreb-based team held a significant lead over their only title contender, Aquaestil from Duga Resa. Although they were practically guaranteed the trophy, the team left nothing to chance. They fielded their strongest lineup and secured convincing 3:1 victories against Sveta Nedelja and in the derby against Aquaestil. This season, they recorded 15 wins and only 1 loss. After a morning win over Sveta Nedelja, Dr. Časl only needed to win a set against Aquaestil to officially secure the title. However, they could already begin celebrating even before that match started. Namely, Aquaestil lost 3:1 to Mladost Tia Mobiteli for the second time this season, eliminating their theoretical chances of taking the title. What’s more, that defeat cost them second place as they later lost the derby against Dr. Časl. Aquaestil, who had finished second in the league for two years in a row and missed the runner-up spot only once in the last seven seasons, now ends the season in third place with the same win-loss record (12–4) as second-placed Mladost Tia Mobiteli. The Zagreb side from the Sava River recorded their best result since the 2014/15 season when they shocked the league by winning the title—back then, they surprised Dr. Časl in the playoffs. Since then, the title has been reserved exclusively for Dr. Časl, and all signs suggest that the dominance will continue. “Of course, we’re continuing in the same rhythm, and now we’ve finally won something ten times. The only motivation left is to win the Europe Cup, it’s the only trophy missing from our collection. We’ve won the Champions League, Central European League, Mediterranean Cup, Europe Trophy, Superleague, Croatian Cup… It’s only fair we try to add that one too, but we’ll see. My philosophy is that when we enter a competition, we want to have a realistic chance of winning. Of course, it would be great to win, but it’s not a matter of life or death. We’ve played both men’s and women’s ETTU Cup multiple times but never went beyond the quarterfinals,” said Martin Tino ČASL, club President. The championship team featured NI Xia Lian, Mirela ĐURAK BLAŽIČEVIĆ, LIU Jiaqi, Tamolwan KHETKHUAN, LEE Ho Ching, Bruna BOROVEC, Dorina SREBRNJAK, and coach Luka VRANČIĆ.
Strong Start for Rzeszów and Hodonín in Europe Cup Quarterfinal First Legs
In the opening leg of the Europe Cup quarterfinals, Poland’s FIBRAIN KU AZS POLITECHNIKA RZESZÓW secured a confident win over Novi Sad, while SON CLADERA TTC – Mallorca suffered a home defeat against SKST Plus Hodonín of Czechia. In Mallorca, SON CLADERA TTC fell in four matches to the visiting Czech side. Despite a promising start in front of the home crowd, with Pauline CHASSELIN defeating Solomiya BRATEYKO, Karin GROFOVÁ turned the momentum in favor of Hodonín. She emerged as the backbone of the Czech team’s success, securing two crucial victories—including the fourth match, where she overcame CHASSELIN. Additionally, Markéta ŠEVČÍKOVÁ contributed with a win over Eugenia SASTRE. In Poland, European champion from Schwechat 2013, FIBRAIN KU AZS POLITECHNIKA RZESZÓW, enjoyed a dream start against Novi Sad. Fen LI opened the match with a dominant straight-games victory over Tijana JOKIĆ, while the final match between Katarzyna GRZYBOWSKA-FRANZ and Sara RADAK ended with the same scoreline in favor of the home side. The closest contest came in the second match, where Zuzanna WIELGOS faced Aneta MAKSUTI. Although the duel extended to four games, it did not produce major suspense, as Rzeszów maintained control throughout. The return leg of all four quarterfinals is scheduled for 27th April. Previously, Saint-Denis 93 TT beat CTM Mirandela 3-2 and UNIVERSIDAD DE BURGOS – RM TERAN overcame Budaörsi Sport Club 3-1. FIBRAIN KU AZS POLITECHNIKA RZESZOW – Novi Sad 3-0 SON CLADERA TTC – MALLORCA – SKST Plus Hodonín
President MOURA Visits Para Event in Pajulahti
The ITTF World Para Future tournament, held at the Pajulahti Sports Institute from April 6–10, brought around 100 para table tennis players from 20 countries to Finland for a week. Some of the most distant participants traveled from Japan, Hong Kong, and the United States. The event also welcomed ETTU President Pedro MOURA, who attended the tournament to familiarize himself with Finnish table tennis. From 2027 onwards, the European Para Table Tennis Championships will come under ETTU’s governance, following a recent decision by the ITTF Executive Board. “During my visit to Pajulahti for the ITTF World Para Future Lahti 2025, I had the opportunity, together with ETTU Vice President in charge of Para Table Tennis, Sonja GREFBERG, to meet with Pablo PEREZ, ITTF Para Table Tennis Event and Classification Manager, to better understand the complexities of organizing such events. At the same time, we have already begun planning the directives and regulations for our future European Para Table Tennis Championships. I also had the opportunity to meet the new President of the Finnish Table Tennis Association, Mr. Mika PYYKKÖ. I would like to publicly express my gratitude for the warm welcome extended to me by the Finnish Table Tennis Association,” said ETTU President Pedro MOURA. The results from the event you can see here.
IOC Approves Mixed Team Event at Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games
IOC Confirms Introduction of Mixed Team Event for Table Tennis at Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board has officially approved the addition of a Mixed Team event to the table tennis programme at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. This historic development marks a significant step forward for the sport, expanding the Olympic line-up to six events: Men’s and Women’s Singles, the reinstated Men’s and Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and—for the first time ever at the Olympic Games—the Mixed Team event. ETTU President Pedro MOURA welcomed the news with enthusiasm, highlighting the significance for European and global table tennis: “This is excellent news for our sport. The momentum that was built during the Paris Olympic Games is a unique moment for our sport, and the fact that we will have the possibility for another Olympic title—the sixth medal—is perfect news. Of course, now, we are curious about the qualification process, but I am sure this will be solved in the most constructive way. This outcome reflects the excellent work of actual ITTF leadership is doing, in collaboration with the IOC, to ensure we gain this extra medal at the Olympic Games,” said President MOURA. The Mixed Team format was first introduced at the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu, China, in December 2023. The innovative competition brings together male and female players in unified national teams, showing the sport’s values of gender equality, teamwork, and inclusivity. Its Olympic debut in LA28 is expected to offer fans a strategically rich and emotionally compelling new dimension to table tennis. ITTF President Petra SÖRLING also praised the IOC’s decision and the sport’s continuing rise on the Olympic stage: “This landmark decision by the IOC Executive Board builds on the incredible momentum that table tennis is experiencing and highlights its growing global appeal. Following the resounding success of the sport at Paris 2024, the introduction of the Mixed Team event in Los Angeles marks another historic milestone, fully aligned with our vision of a dynamic and inclusive future for table tennis.” “The ITTF has long believed in the potential of this event. It was first formally proposed by the Swedish Table Tennis Association during the 2021 Annual General Meeting, and brought to life at the inaugural ITTF Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu. I extend my sincere thanks to ITTF Deputy President LIU Guoliang for his instrumental role in delivering such a remarkable event, which truly demonstrated the format’s potential.” Since table tennis made its Olympic debut at Seoul 1988, the sport has continually evolved. The original four events included Men’s and Women’s Singles and Doubles. At Beijing 2008, Team events replaced Doubles, emphasizing national strength and strategy. Tokyo 2020 marked the debut of Mixed Doubles, promoting further gender balance. Now, with six events confirmed for LA28, table tennis enters a new era of prominence and diversity at the Games. Adding to the excitement, Men’s and Women’s Doubles will return to the Olympic programme for the first time since Athens 2004. Fans will be eager to see who will follow in the footsteps of former champions CHEN Qi and MA Lin (Men’s Doubles) and WANG Nan and ZHANG Yining (Women’s Doubles).
ETTU Expresses Full Support for Petra SÖRLING’s Re-Election as ITTF President
The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) wholeheartedly endorses the re-election of Ms. Petra SÖRLING as ITTF President.We strongly encourage all European Member Associations to unite in support of Ms. SÖRLING’s candidacy, ensuring the continued progress and implementation of impactful programs and reforms initiated under her esteemed leadership.As the first ITTF president to become an International Olympic Committee member, Ms. SÖRLING’s visionary leadership has significantly strengthened table tennis, fostering growth, innovation, and inclusion across all levels of the sport.Her exceptional commitment and unwavering dedication have earned the trust and support of the ETTU Executive Board, which fully endorses her continued presidency.We firmly believe that her leadership will ensure the continued development of table tennis globally, and we call upon all European federations to stand behind her in the upcoming ITTF election on Tuesday 27th May .ETTU EXECUTIVE BOARD
Novi and AQUAESTIL Clinched titles at Europe Trophy Grand Final in Herceg Novi
Montenegro’s STK Novi and Croatia’s STK AQUAESTIL were crowned champions at the Europe Trophy Grand Final in Herceg Novi, triumphing in the Men’s and Women’s Events, respectively. After an unbeaten run through the group and knockout stages, STK Novi clinched the Europe Trophy Grand Final Men’s title by defeating Slovakia’s Čadca in four matches. Tomislav PUCAR was in dominant form, recording victories over Damian FLORO and Mykhailo LOVHA, while Enio MENDES added another point by beating Jakub GOLDIR. The sole win for the Slovak side came from LOVHA, who overcame Marko JEVTOVIC. This marks the second Europe Trophy title for PUCAR, who previously won the event in 2022 with Olympiacos in Piraeus, when the Greek club hosted the tournament. In the semi-finals, STK Novi edged past Železničar Niš in a tight 3-2 clash. Again, PUCAR delivered two vital points against Francisco SANCHI and Petyo KRASTEV, and veteran JEVTOVIC sealed the win in the deciding match over the Italian player. KRASTEV and Vladimir PETKOV had earlier kept Železničar in the contest with wins over Aleksandr KHANIN and MENDES. On the other side of the draw, Čadca secured a 3-0 victory over Austria’s UTTC PANACEO STOCKERAU, thanks to wins by LOVHA, FLORO, and GOLDIR over Julian RZIHAUSCHEK, Khalid ASSAR, and David SERDAROGLU, respectively. In the Women’s Event, STK AQUAESTIL of Croatia lifted the trophy after a confident 3-1 win over Serbia’s Josip Kolumbo in the final. Xue HAN VUKELJA led the way with two victories over Malamatenia PAPADIMITRIOU and Maria DOLGIKH, while Sofiia SHEREDEHA overcame Olga PAVLOVIC to seal the title. The only point for Josip Kolumbo came through DOLGIKH, who defeated Amy WANG. In the semi-finals, JOSIP KOLUMBO convincingly beat Belgium’s TTC MEERDAAL LEUVEN in straight matches. Wins came from PAPADIMITRIOU, DOLGIKH, and PAVLOVIC, who overcame Kathe DE MEYER, Kimberly T’HOOFT, and Lotte NUYTTENS, respectively. STK AQUAESTIL needed four matches to dispatch Panathinaikos A.C. of Greece. HAN VUKELJA was once again crucial with victories over Ana TOFANT and Aikaterini TOLIOU, while SHEREDEHA beat Ioanna GERASIMATOU. In the final rankings, SU SPARKASSE KUFSTEIN A of Austria finished fifth, followed by TalTech Sports Club in sixth, UTTC PANACEO STOCKERAU and ASVÖ TTC OLYMPIC WIEN in seventh and eighth, respectively. Malta’s MITTC placed ninth, and ASD TENNISTAVOLO SASSARI concluded the list in tenth place.
Host Club Novi Secures Semi-Final Spot at Europe Trophy Grand Final
Montenegro’s club Novi, host of the Europe Trophy Grand Final, booked their place in the semi-finals to be played tomorrow in Herceg Novi, Montenegro. In the quarter-finals, Marko JEVTOVIĆ, Enio MENDES, and Filip RADOVIĆ each recorded straight-match wins over Italy’s ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi, whose lineup included Ebrahim GUBRAN, Costantino CAPPUCCIO, and Petar Lubomirov VASSILEV. In the semi-finals, Novi will face Serbia’s Železničar Niš, who emerged victorious over Croatia’s GSTK Zagreb in a thrilling five-match battle. Italy’s Francisco SANCHI secured two wins for the Serbian side, and Petyo KRASTEV sealed the decisive point. For Zagreb, Leon BENKO and Lovro ZOVKO each won a match. The bottom half of the draw also delivered drama, with both quarter-finals going the distance. MSK Čadca (SVK), represented by Mykhailo LOVHA, Damian LORO, and Jakub GOLDIR, edged past Tenis de Taula Olot (ESP), featuring Rafael de las HERAS, Diogo PINHO, and Damien Rolland PROVOST. LORO remained unbeaten in the match. Austria’s UTTC Panaceo Stockerau defeated defending champions Panathinaikos A.C. (GRE) in another five-match thriller. All three players, Khalid ASSAR, Tarek AL-SAMHOURY, and David SERDAROGLU secured victories. For the Greek side, Konstantinos ANGELAKIS remained unbeaten. In the Women’s event, Serbia’s Josip Kolumbo, featuring Maria DOLGIKH, Gaia MONFARDINI, and Reka BEZEG, along with STK AQUAESTIL, represented by Xue HAN VUKELJA, Leeloo VUKELJA, Elena VUKOVAC, Amy WANG, and Sophia SHEREDEHA, directly secured spots in the semi-finals. In the remaining two quarter-finals, PANATHINAIKOS A.C. of Greece and TTC MEERDAAL LEUVEN of Belgium progressed to the penultimate stage. Aikaterini TOLIOU led PANATHINAIKOS to victory with two wins in the match against TalTech Sports Club, while Konstantina PARIDI added the third point. For the Estonian side, Airi AVAMERI secured a win against Ioanna GERASIMATOU. Kimberly T’HOOFT, Kathe MEYER, and Lotte NUYTTENS from the Belgian team overcame Austria’s SU SPARKASSE KUFSTEIN A, whose lineup included Olha PONKO, Danielle KELLY, and Renata PENGÖ-MURA.
