Following the conclusion of Stage 1 of the 2026/27 HYLO ETTU Champions League Men in Lille, the draw for Stage 2 was conducted on Tuesday, setting the path for the 16 clubs continuing their pursuit of the title. The eight teams that progressed from Stage 1 – 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 now joined the eight directly qualified clubs in the competition.
Linz AG Froschberg and SKST Plus Hodonin Book Stage 2 Places as Champions League Women Stage 1 Concludes
The 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women Stage 1 concluded in Budaörs on Sunday, with Linz AG Froschberg and SKST Plus Hodonin emerging as group winners and securing the two available places in Stage 2. Linz and Hodonin now will join the six directly qualified clubs in a single group of eight teams. Each club will face every other team once over seven rounds, with the battle for the next phase of the Champions League continuing from there. Linz AG Froschberg secured their place in Stage 2 of the 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women after completing Group A with three victories from three matches. The Austrian side closed the group with an 8-1 win over PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow, while STK Dr. Časl Zagreb finished their weekend with an 8-2 victory over MIRÓ Ganxets. Pictures by Szilvi HOFFER here. Linz entered the final day as the only unbeaten team in Group A after Friday’s narrow 8-7 victory over Dr. Časl and Saturday’s 8-2 success against MIRÓ Ganxets. Against Rzeszow, Emiko TAGUCHI collected two points in the opening encounter with Ilona SZTWIERTNIA. TAGUCHI edged the first game 12-10, SZTWIERTNIA responded 11-8, before the Linz player took the third 11-7. Yurika NAMBA then gave Linz complete control with three straight games against Paula KRYSINSKA, winning 11-4, 11-2 and 11-3. Tatiana KUKULKOVA completed the job against Oliwia WATOR. She took all three games 11-3, 11-7 and 11-8 to secure the 8-1 victory and Linz’s place in Stage 2. Earlier, STK Dr. Časl Zagreb finished their Group A programme with an impressive 8-2 victory over MIRÓ Ganxets. Kotomi OMODA recovered after losing the opening game against Anastasia KOLISH 10-12, winning the next two 11-8, 11-8. Margaryta PESOTSKA followed with two points against Olga VOROBEVA, before Yun-En TSAI took all three games against Olga BLIZNET. OMODA then returned against VOROBEVA and won 11-6 to bring the contest to an early conclusion. Linz finishes Group A with a perfect three victories from three matches and progresses to Stage 2. Dr. Časl takes second place with two wins, MIRÓ Ganxets finishes with one, while Rzeszow ends the group without a victory. In Group B, hosts SH-ITB Budaörsi Sport Club finished Stage 1 on a positive note, recording an 8-4 victory over Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca to claim their first win of the weekend. Son Cladera had the better start through Adina DIACONU, who took the opening two games against Leila IMRE 11-4 and 11-7. IMRE responded in the third, winning 11-8. Dora MADARASZ then collected two points for Budaörs against Paulina VEGA. Both of her wins came after close games, 12-10 and 11-9, before VEGA took the third 11-9. Nora DOHOCZKI added another two points against Eugenia SASTRE. DOHOCZKI won the opener 11-6, SASTRE responded 11-7, but the Hungarian took the third 11-8. IMRE returned to the table against VEGA with Budaörs in a strong position and this time took all three games. She won 11-8, 11-4, 11-4 to complete the 8-4 victory for the hosts. Budaörs therefore finishes its Group B run with one victory, while Son Cladera ends Stage 1 without a win. In the decisive Group B match, SKST Plus Hodonin secured their place in Stage 2 of the 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women with an 8-4 victory over ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari. Both teams entered the final round with two wins, leaving the group winner to be decided in their head-to-head meeting. Vlada VORONINA gave Hodonin an excellent start against Tania PLAIAN, taking all three games 11-5, 11-8 and 11-6. Binyue ZHANG followed against Elizabet ABRAAMIAN. The Quattro Mori player took the opening game 11-9, but ZHANG responded with two 11-7 wins to add another two points for the Czech side. Pauline CHASSELIN kept Quattro Mori in contention against Karin GROFOVA. GROFOVA won the first game 11-8, but CHASSELIN edged the second 12-10 and the third 11-9. VORONINA then returned to face ABRAAMIAN with Hodonin closing in on qualification. She took the opening game 11-8, ABRAAMIAN replied 11-9, before VORONINA won the third 11-7 to deliver the decisive eighth point and send Hodonin through to Stage 2. SKST Plus Hodonin finishes Group B with a perfect three victories from three matches and takes the only available place in Stage 2. ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari finishes second with two wins, hosts SH-ITB Budaörsi Sport Club third with one victory, while Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca ends the group without a win.
Perfect Four Lead the Eight Qualifiers from Champions League Stage 1 (VIDEO)
The 2026/27 HYLO ETTU Champions League Men Stage 1 concluded in Lille on Sunday, with the eight places in Stage 2 decided after three days of competition. 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 all secured their passage to the next stage. HB Ostrov, El Nino Praha, Hoboken and Dojlidy completed the weekend with perfect records to finish top of their respective groups, while Santa Tecla, Roskilde, hosts Lille and Pontoise claimed the four remaining qualifying positions. The eight successful clubs will now join the eight directly qualified teams in Stage 2 of the HYLO ETTU Champions League Men. HB Ostrov z.s. and ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi secured the two Group A places in Stage 2 of the 2026/27 HYLO ETTU Champions League Men after an eventful final round in Lille. Ostrov completed the group with a perfect record after beating STK Starr Croatia 3-1, while Santa Tecla came through a dramatic five-match contest against STK Vyhne to win 3-2 and claim the other qualifying position. See photos by Remi GROS here Ostrov entered the final day as the only unbeaten team in the group after victories over Santa Tecla and Vyhne, and made it three wins from three despite Starr Croatia taking the opening point. Liang QIU gave the Croatian side the lead with a 3-1 victory over Tomas POLANSKY, but Ostrov quickly responded. Tomas TREGLER beat Riyan DUTTA in straight games before Pavel SIRUCEK did the same against Ante KOLAK. QIU returned to face TREGLER and came close to keeping Starr Croatia in the contest. The match went all the way to the fifth game, where TREGLER prevailed by the narrowest margin, 6-5, to complete Ostrov’s 3-1 victory and perfect Group A record. The battle between STK Vyhne and ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi was effectively a direct fight for the remaining place in Stage 2, and it went down to the final match. Adam KLAJBER put Vyhne ahead after a five-game battle with Jordy PICCOLIN, winning the decider 6-3. Tommaso GIOVANNETTI responded for Santa Tecla with a 3-1 victory over Dmitrij PROKOPCOV. Jakub GOLDIR restored Vyhne’s advantage by edging Tomas KOLDAS in another five-game contest, taking the decider 6-5. Once again, however, GIOVANNETTI brought Santa Tecla back. His straight-games victory over KLAJBER made it 2-2 and left everything to PROKOPCOV and PICCOLIN. PROKOPCOV twice moved ahead, including taking a dramatic third game 16-14, but PICCOLIN refused to let the opportunity slip away. He won the fourth 11-3 and then raced through the deciding game 6-3 to give Santa Tecla a 3-2 victory and a place in Stage 2. HB Ostrov finishes Group A with three victories from three matches, while Santa Tecla takes second place with two wins. STK Vyhne finishes with one victory and STK Starr Croatia without a win. In Group B, SF SKK El Nino Praha and Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61 secured the two places in Stage 2. El Nino completed the group with a perfect record after beating CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc 3-0, while Roskilde claimed the other qualifying position with a 3-0 victory over CTT Olot. El Nino entered the final day with two wins from two matches and completed their perfect run without dropping a match against Odorheiu Secuiesc. Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA opened with a straight-games victory over Sebastian LOSO, before Martin SIP had to dig much deeper against Szabolcs TAMAS. TAMAS won the opening two games 11-9 and 12-10 and was within sight of putting the Romanian side on the board, but SIP fought back. He took the next two 11-9, 11-9 and then edged the decider 6-5. Tomas KONECNY completed the victory in convincing fashion, beating Elias-Mate SIMO 3-0 to give El Nino their third win of the weekend. The other match was a direct battle for the second qualifying place, with Roskilde and CTT Olot both entering the final round with one victory. Anders ERIKSSON put the Danish side ahead with a straight-games win over Rafael DE LAS HERAS, closing a tight third game 12-10. Jens LUNDQVIST followed with a 3-1 victory against Damien Rolland PROVOST. The Olot player kept the contest alive by taking the third game 12-10, but LUNDQVIST responded 11-9 in the fourth. Miguel PANTOJA then pushed Tobias RASMUSSEN all the way in the third encounter. They traded games throughout before RASMUSSEN pulled away in the decider, winning 6-3 to complete Roskilde’s 3-0 victory and secure their place in Stage 2. El Nino Praha finishes Group B on top with three victories from three matches, followed by Roskilde with two wins. CTT Olot finishes with one victory, while Odorheiu Secuiesc ends Stage 1 without a win. In Group C, TTC Sokah Hoboken and Lille Metropole TT had already secured the two places in Stage 2 before their final-round meeting, having both won their opening two matches. Hoboken finished the group on top with a perfect record after beating the hosts 3-0, while SKST Havirov closed their stay in Lille with a 3-1 victory over CTT Les Borges Vall. The meeting between the two unbeaten sides belonged to Hoboken. Benjamin BROSSIER opened with a straight-games victory over Tom BOYARD, winning 11-8, 11-5, 11-5. Olav KOSOLOSKY followed with a 3-1 win over Fabio RAKOTOARIMANANA. The Lille player responded after losing the opening two games, but KOSOLOSKY took the fourth 11-8 to put Hoboken one point away from victory. Quentin ROBINOT completed the 3-0 win with a commanding performance against Patrick ROUSSEL, taking the three games 11-7, 11-5, 11-3. The result gave Hoboken three victories from three matches and first place in Group C, with Lille progressing alongside them in second. In the other final-round match, SKST Havirov beat CTT Les Borges Vall 3-1 to record their first victory of Stage 1. Stepan BRHEL put Havirov ahead with a 3-1 victory over Francesc CARRERA before Marc DURAN responded for Les Borges Vall in a
Day 2 Brings First Qualification Clues in HYLO ETTU Champions League Men (VIDEO)
The 2026/27 HYLO ETTU Champions League Men continued in Lille on Saturday, with the second day of Stage 1 beginning to shape the race for the eight places available in Stage 2. See the pictures by Remy GROS here. After Friday’s opening round, two clubs in each of the four groups had one victory. In Group A, HB Ostrov z.s. defeated ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi 3-1, while STK Vyhne started with a 3-0 win over STK Starr Croatia. Saturday therefore opened with Ostrov and Vyhne meeting with perfect records, while Starr Croatia and Santa Tecla were both looking for their first victory. HB Ostrov emerged from the meeting of Friday’s winners with an impressive 3-0 victory over STK Vyhne, making it two wins from two for the Czech side. Pavel SIRUCEK opened with a straight-games victory over Adam KLAJBER, winning 11-5, 11-8, 11-9. Vladislav URSU followed against Jakub GOLDIR and also needed only three games. GOLDIR pushed him hardest in the third, but URSU closed it 12-10. Tomas POLANSKY completed Ostrov’s victory against Dmitrij PROKOPCOV. After POLANSKY won the opening two games, PROKOPCOV responded by taking the third 11-9. The Czech player regained control in the fourth, winning 11-7 to complete the 3-0 team success. The other Group A match could hardly have been closer, with ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi edging STK Starr Croatia 3-2 to claim its first victory. Liang QIU gave Starr Croatia the opening point after a remarkable comeback against Gabrielius CAMARA. Two games down, QIU fought back to force a decider and eventually won it 6-5. Jia ZENG then extended the Croatian side’s lead with a 3-1 victory over Jordy PICCOLIN, leaving Santa Tecla facing a difficult task. Tomas KOLDAS started the comeback. He overcame Ronald REDJEP in straight games, although all three were closely fought, before PICCOLIN returned to the table against QIU. That contest developed into another five-game battle. QIU twice moved ahead, but PICCOLIN twice responded before taking the deciding game 6-5 to level the team score at 2-2. The decision was left to Tommaso GIOVANNETTI and ZENG. GIOVANNETTI won the opening two games before ZENG kept Starr’s hopes alive by taking the third. The Italian responded in the fourth, winning 11-8 to complete Santa Tecla’s comeback and secure the 3-2 victory. After two rounds, HB Ostrov leads Group A with two victories, while STK Vyhne and ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi have one win each. STK Starr Croatia remains without a victory ahead of Sunday’s final round. In Group B, SF SKK El Nino Praha remained unbeaten after overcoming Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61 3-1, while CTT Olot collected its first victory with a 3-0 success against CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc. Olot’s victory began with the closest contest of the match. Miguel PANTOJA won the opening two games against Szilard GYORGY, but the Romanian club’s player fought back to force a decider. PANTOJA eventually prevailed 6-4 to put the Spanish side ahead. Rafael DE LAS HERAS followed with a 3-1 victory over Sebastian LOSO, before Dylan Bienvendido Jacques CHAPERON completed the job in straight games against Szabolcs TAMAS for a 3-0 Olot win. The meeting between Friday’s two winners, Roskilde and El Nino Praha, brought considerably more drama. Anders ERIKSSON gave Roskilde a perfect start, beating Tomas KONECNY in straight games. David REITSPIES responded for El Nino with a 3-0 victory over Tobias RASMUSSEN, with the opening two games decided by narrow margins. The third match between Dominykas SAMUOLIS and Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA proved crucial. SAMUOLIS twice moved ahead, but PRYSHCHEPA twice fought back before edging the deciding game 6-5 to put El Nino in front. REITSPIES then returned against ERIKSSON. After they shared the opening two games, the Czech club’s player took a tight third 12-10 and followed it with an 11-4 fourth game to secure the 3-1 victory for El Nino Praha. After two rounds, El Nino Praha leads Group B with two victories, while Roskilde and CTT Olot have one win each. CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc remains without a victory ahead of the final round. In Group C, hosts Lille Metropole TT and TTC Sokah Hoboken continued their perfect starts on Saturday, both recording 3-0 victories to move to two wins from two matches. Playing in front of the home crowd, Lille Metropole TT overcame SKST Havirov 3-0, although all three encounters required four games. Amir Hossein HODAEI recovered from losing the opening game against Stepan BRHEL 7-11. He responded with three consecutive games, 11-6, 11-6 and 11-7, to put Lille ahead. Romain BRARD followed a similar path against Mykhailo LOVHA. After dropping the first game, BRARD took the next three, including a tight third at 12-10. Fabio RAKOTOARIMANANA then completed the victory against Matyas KOLECKAR. Once again Havirov won the opening game, but RAKOTOARIMANANA responded strongly to take the next three and secure Lille’s second victory of the weekend. TTC Sokah Hoboken matched the hosts with a 3-0 win over CTT Les Borges Vall. Benjamin BROSSIER opened with a 3-1 victory over Francesc CARRERA, before Quentin ROBINOT and Marc DURAN produced the closest encounter of the tie. ROBINOT moved two games ahead, only for DURAN to fight back and force a deciding game. There, ROBINOT left no room for another comeback, winning 6-0. Olav KOSOLOSKY completed Hoboken’s victory with a commanding straight-games win over Jair JIMENEZ, 11-5, 11-3, 11-5. In Group D, KS Dojlidy Białystok remained unbeaten after another five-match battle, while AS Pontoise Cergy TT bounced back from Friday’s narrow defeat with a 3-1 victory over SPG Felbermayr Wels. Pontoise had to come from behind against Wels. Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK gave the Austrian side the opening point after overcoming Jules CAVAILLE in five games. The contest went back and forth before KOLODZIEJCZYK dominated the decider 6-1. Kai ZHOU brought Pontoise level with a straight-games victory over Felix WETZEL, before Mihai BOBOCICA put the French club ahead. He beat Patryk ZATOWKA 3-1, with the Wels player taking only the third game. ZHOU then returned against KOLODZIEJCZYK and secured his second
Day 2 Underway in ETTU Champions League Women in Budaörs (VIDEO)
Photo: Szilvi Hoffer
ETTU Champions League Women Gets Underway in Budaörs
The 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women is underway in Budaörs, with eight clubs beginning their battle for the two available places in Stage 2. From 28 to 30 August, the teams are competing at the BVUSS, with only the winner of each four-team group progressing. See the pictures here. This season also brings a distinctive scoring system to the competition. Each individual match is played over three games, with every game won counting as one point towards the team’s overall score, placing added importance on every game throughout the tie. MIRÓ Ganxets recorded a narrow 8-7 victory over PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow in the opening match of Group A. The Polish side made the stronger start. Ilona SZTWIERTNIA took two games against Olga VOROBEVA, before Zuzanna WIELGOS also secured two against Anastasia KOLISH. MIRÓ responded through Olga BLIZNET, who took two games against Paula KRYSINSKA. VOROBEVA then added two more against WIELGOS to bring the Spanish side back into contention. The outcome was eventually decided in the final encounter between KOLISH and SZTWIERTNIA. KOLISH took the opening game 12-10 before SZTWIERTNIA responded 11-8, leaving everything to the last game. KOLISH prevailed 11-9, giving MIRÓ Ganxets the decisive point and an 8-7 victory in a thrilling opening contest in Budaörs. The second match in Group A produced exactly the same score, as Linz AG Froschberg edged STK Dr. Časl Zagreb 8-7. Yurika NAMBA gave the Austrian side a perfect start, taking all three games against Yun-En TSAI, including a tight opener at 12-10. Dr. Časl responded through Miu HIRANO, who took two games against Emiko TAGUCHI, before Margaryta PESOTSKA also collected two against Sara TOKIC. NAMBA proved crucial again in her second appearance, taking the opening two games against HIRANO 11-9 and 11-4. HIRANO responded in the third, but Linz had moved closer to the winning mark. Once again, everything came down to the final encounter. Kotomi OMODA took the opening two games against TAGUCHI, including a marathon first game at 19-17, but TAGUCHI responded by taking the last game 12-10. That point proved decisive, completing another 8-7 thriller and giving reigning Europe Cup champions Linz AG Froschberg a winning start in Budaörs. In Group B, SKST Plus Hodonin made an impressive start with an 8-2 victory over hosts SH-ITB Budaörsi Sport Club, bringing the contest to an early conclusion. Vlada VORONINA was dominant in the opening encounter against Leila IMRE, taking all three games 11-7, 11-4, 11-7 to give the Czech side an immediate advantage. Binyue ZHANG added two more points against Dora MADARASZ. The Hungarian player responded strongly in the second game, winning it 11-3, but ZHANG took the third 11-6. Nora DOHOCZKI gave Budaörs another point by winning the opening game against Marketa SEVCIKOVA, but the Hodonin player turned things around with 11-2 and 11-7 wins in the next two. VORONINA then returned to the table against MADARASZ and needed only one game to bring the contest to an end. She won it convincingly 11-3, securing the eighth point and an 8-2 victory for Hodonin. The final match of the opening day in Group B went right to the wire, with ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari edging Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca 8-7. Son Cladera enjoyed the better start thanks to Adina DIACONU, who collected all three points against Pauline CHASSELIN. The opening two games were close at 11-9 and 12-10 before DIACONU took the third 11-6. Quattro Mori responded through Elizabet ABRAAMIAN and Tania PLAIAN. ABRAAMIAN took two games against Paulina VEGA, while PLAIAN did the same against Eugenia SASTRE to bring the Italian side back into the contest. DIACONU continued her excellent performance in her second appearance. She recovered after losing the opening game to ABRAAMIAN and won the next two, including a tight third game 12-10. That left Quattro Mori needing a strong finish, and CHASSELIN delivered it. Facing VEGA in the final encounter, she won all three games, taking a close opener 12-10 before pulling away 11-3 and 11-4. Those three points turned the match in Quattro Mori’s favour and completed a dramatic 8-7 victory, giving last season’s Europe Cup runners-up a winning start in Budaörs.
Lille Welcomes the Start of the HYLO ETTU Champions League Men
The 2026/27 HYLO ETTU Champions League Men is underway in Lille, where 16 clubs are competing in Stage 1 from 28 to 30 August. Divided into four groups of four, the teams are battling at the Complexe sportif Micheline Ostermeyer for eight available places in Stage 2, with the top two clubs from each group progressing. See the pictures here. The opening matches in Group A saw HB Ostrov z.s. and STK Vyhne make successful starts, overcoming ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi and STK Starr Croatia respectively. Czech side HB Ostrov z.s. opened with a 3-1 victory over ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi. Pavel SIRUCEK set the tone with a straight-games win over Gabrielius CAMARA, before Vladislav URSU also recorded a 3-0 success against Tommaso GIOVANNETTI. Jordy PICCOLIN kept the Italian side in contention by overcoming Tomas POLANSKY in five games, but URSU returned to the table to seal the victory for Ostrov. He defeated CAMARA 3-0 to complete a strong opening performance for the Czech club. STK Vyhne was even more convincing, starting with a 3-0 victory over STK Starr Croatia. The closest contest came in the opening match as Croatia’s Liang QIU took the first two games against Dmitrij PROKOPCOV. The experienced PROKOPCOV fought his way back, taking the next two games before prevailing in the deciding game to put Vyhne ahead. Adam KLAJBER then overcame Jia ZENG in straight games, before Jakub GOLDIR completed the victory with a 3-1 success against Ronald REDJEP. In Group B, last season’s Europe Cup runners-up SF SKK El Nino Praha opened with a 3-1 victory over CTT Olot, while Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61 made an impressive start with a 3-0 win over CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc. El Nino had to work hard from the very beginning. Tomas KONECNY found himself two games down against Damien Rolland PROVOST, but turned the match around to win 3-2. David REITSPIES was also pushed to the limit by Dylan Bienvendido Jacques CHAPERON. After taking the opening two games, REITSPIES saw his opponent level the contest before edging the deciding game 6-5. Rafael DE LAS HERAS kept Olot alive with a 3-1 victory over Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA, but KONECNY returned to secure the overall win for the Czech side. He overcame CHAPERON 3-1, taking the crucial third game 12-10 before closing out the match 11-4. Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61, semi-finalists in last season’s Europe Cup, made a perfect start against CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc. Jens LUNDQVIST gave the Danish club the lead with a straight-games victory over Szilard GYORGY. Anders ERIKSSON recovered after losing the opening game against Sebastian LOSO to win the next three and extend Roskilde’s advantage. Tobias RASMUSSEN then completed the 3-0 victory, although Szabolcs TAMAS pushed him all the way. Their contest went to a deciding game before RASMUSSEN prevailed 6-5. In Group C, TTC Sokah Hoboken and hosts Lille Metropole TT both made winning starts, although their paths to victory were quite different. Hoboken had a smooth opening against SKST Havirov, recording a 3-0 win. Quentin ROBINOT gave the Belgian side the first point with a convincing straight-games victory over Daniel KOSTAL. Olav KOSOLOSKY followed against Mykhailo LOVHA, winning the opening two games before the Havirov player responded in the third. KOSOLOSKY kept control, however, and closed the match in four. Benjamin BROSSIER completed the victory against Matyas KOLECKAR. After the Czech player levelled at 1-1, BROSSIER pulled away, taking the next two games 11-5 and 11-4. For Lille Metropole TT, the opening match in front of the home crowd brought considerably more drama. CTT Les Borges Vall took the lead through Marc DURAN, who edged Romain BRARD in five games. There was almost nothing between them in the decider, with DURAN eventually taking it 6-5. Lille responded immediately. Amir Hossein HODAEI beat Francesc CARRERA in straight games, while Fabio RAKOTOARIMANANA came from a game down against Jair JIMENEZ to win 3-1 and put the hosts ahead. That brought BRARD back to the table, this time against CARRERA. It was another five-game contest for the Frenchman, but with a very different ending. Twice behind, BRARD twice fought back before racing through the deciding game 6-0 to secure a 3-1 victory for Lille. In Group D, SPG Felbermayr Wels opened with a 3-0 victory over TTC Ostrava 2016, while KS Dojlidy Białystok came through a five-match battle against AS Pontoise Cergy TT, winning 3-2. Wels had to work harder than the final score might suggest. Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK beat Ondrej KVETON in straight games, but all three were decided by narrow margins, 13-11, 11-9 and 12-10. Patryk ZATOWKA followed with a 3-1 victory over Simon BELIK. The Czech player kept himself in the match by taking the third game, but ZATOWKA closed it out 12-10 in the fourth. Felix WETZEL then recovered from losing the opening game against Adam STALZER to win the next three and complete the 3-0 victory for Wels. There was much more drama between Dojlidy and Pontoise. Aleksandr KHANIN put the Polish club ahead with a straight-games victory over Mihai BOBOCICA, before Kai ZHOU responded in the same fashion against Amirezza ABBASI MONJEZI. Piotr CHODORSKI then won a crucial five-game contest against Jules CAVAILLE. The match swung back and forth before CHODORSKI prevailed 6-4 in the decider to restore Dojlidy’s lead. ZHOU kept Pontoise alive with his second victory of the match, beating KHANIN 3-0 and sending the team contest into a decisive fifth encounter. ABBASI MONJEZI made sure there would be no late disappointment for Dojlidy. He produced a convincing performance against BOBOCICA, winning 11-6, 11-3, 11-4 to secure a 3-2 victory for KS Dojlidy Białystok.
HYLO ETTU Champions League Men Stage 1 Set for Three Days of Action in Lille
The 2026/27 HYLO ETTU Champions League Men gets underway in Lille this week, where 16 clubs will battle for eight places in Stage 2 from 28 to 30 August. Three days of group-stage action at the Complexe sportif Micheline Ostermeyer will open the road towards the HYLO Final Four, with the teams divided into four groups of four and the top two from each group continuing their Champions League journey. Stage 1 will feature three days of group action, with matches starting at 10:00, 13:00, 16:00 and 19:00 each day. Group A brings together Czech club HB Ostrov z.s., Slovakia’s STK Vyhne, Italy’s ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi and STK Starr Croatia. Both HB Ostrov and STK Vyhne have recent experience of the latter stages of European competition. The two clubs reached the quarter-finals of last season’s Europe Cup. HB Ostrov faced eventual champions Real Club Cajasur Priego TM, while STK Vyhne met this week’s Stage 1 host Lille Metropole TT. The competition opens on Friday morning with HB Ostrov facing Santa Tecla Nulvi, while STK Vyhne meets STK Starr Croatia. Group B features two of the most successful teams from last season’s Europe Cup. SF SKK El Nino Praha is joined by Denmark’s Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61, Spain’s CTT Olot and Romania’s CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc. El Nino Praha enjoyed an outstanding 2025/26 Europe Cup campaign. The Czech side overcame TTC Sokah Hoboken in the quarter-finals before beating Roskilde in the semi-finals to book its place in the title contest. El Nino’s run eventually ended in the final against Real Club Cajasur Priego TM, who lifted the trophy. Roskilde also arrives in Lille with impressive credentials. The Danish club reached the semi-finals after overcoming AS Pontoise Cergy TT in the quarter-finals, before El Nino Praha ended its challenge. That makes Saturday’s meeting between El Nino Praha and Roskilde particularly attractive – a repeat of last season’s Europe Cup semi-final. The two sides meet at 13:00. Host club Lille Metropole TT leads the challenge in Group C, alongside Czech side SKST Havirov, Belgium’s TTC Sokah Hoboken and Spain’s CTT Les Borges Vall. Lille was another of the standout teams in last season’s Europe Cup. The French club overcame STK Vyhne in the quarter-finals to reach the last four, where eventual champions Real Club Cajasur Priego TM stopped their run. TTC Sokah Hoboken also reached the quarter-finals of the Europe Cup, where the Belgian side faced eventual runners-up SF SKK El Nino Praha. Lille starts its Champions League campaign on Friday at 16:00 against CTT Les Borges Vall. The hosts then meet SKST Havirov on Saturday before completing the group against TTC Sokah Hoboken on Sunday. Group D brings together AS Pontoise Cergy TT, Austria’s SPG Felbermayr Wels, Poland’s Dojlidy Białystok and Czech club TTC Ostrava 2016. Pontoise also knows what it takes to reach the closing stages of the Europe Cup. The French side advanced to the quarter-finals last season, where its campaign was ended by Roskilde. Pontoise opens against Dojlidy Białystok on Friday evening, while SPG Felbermayr Wels faces TTC Ostrava 2016. All four groups will be played through three rounds from Friday to Sunday, making every match in Lille crucial in the battle for progression. The final group matches are scheduled for Sunday, with Group A at 10:00, Group B at 13:00, Group C at 16:00 and Group D at 19:00. The event is organised by Lille Metropole TT, with matches played on two competition tables at the Complexe sportif Micheline Ostermeyer. The top two clubs from each group advance. Those eight qualifiers will then join the top eight seeded clubs in Stage 2, when the competition switches to the knockout format. Both the Round of 16 and the quarter-finals will be contested over home-and-away legs. The four quarter-final winners will secure their places at the prestigious HYLO Final Four, where the semi-finals and final will be decided over one weekend to crown the 2026/27 European club champions.
Budaörs Ready to Turn Champions League Weekend into a Celebration of Table Tennis
For Budaörsi Sport Club, hosting Stage 1 of the ETTU Champions League Women 2026/27 will mean much more than three days of top-level European competition. From 28 to 30 August, the event will bring together the club’s European ambitions, its home supporters and the celebration of the 50th anniversary of its Table Tennis Department. Eight teams will gather at the Budaörs City Sports Hall, with 12 matches played over three days. The teams are divided into two groups of four, with the two group winners progressing to the next stage of the Champions League, while the remaining clubs will continue their European season in the Europe Cup. For the hosts, it will be the biggest international table tennis event they have staged in terms of both the number of participating teams and the level of competition. The home supporters will have the opportunity to see Budaörsi Sport Club at 16:30 on each of the three competition days. The nine-time Hungarian champions and 2024 Europe Cup winners will be represented by Dóra MADARÁSZ, Leila IMRE, Nóra DOHOCZKI, Emma SZOSZNYÁK, Liza MUSKÓ and Emma VÁRADI, with Péter BACHMAN leading the team as coach. There is another significant milestone behind Budaörs’ appearance this season. The club is entering its 24th consecutive season in European club competitions, a remarkable run achieved throughout that period with Hungarian players. “For Budaörsi Sport Club, hosting the Champions League is both a major sporting occasion and a celebration. We want to make the most of playing at home, enjoy the support from the stands and turn the last weekend of August into a real table tennis celebration together with our supporters,” the organisers said. The timing makes the occasion particularly special. The Champions League weekend coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Budaörsi Sport Club Table Tennis Department, adding another dimension to an already important week for the club. The anniversary will be marked on 27 August, on the eve of the Champions League action, with a special event celebrating five decades of the department’s history, achievements and community. A jubilee publication is also being prepared, while commemorative plaques will be presented to people who have played significant roles in the department over the years. “This is a special chapter in the history of our club. Alongside welcoming some of Europe’s leading teams to Budaörs, we have the opportunity to celebrate 50 years of our Table Tennis Department and the people who have helped build it,” the organisers highlighted. The club also wants the occasion to reach beyond the competition tables. Activities are planned to give local residents an opportunity to try table tennis themselves, bringing the sport closer to the Budaörs community while the Champions League is taking place.
Strong Europe Cup Contenders Set for Champions League Women Stage 1 in Budaörs
The road to the 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women title begins in Budaörs this week, with eight clubs ready to start their journey in Stage 1 from 28 to 30 August. Over three days of competition, the teams will battle for the two available places in Stage 2, with host Budaörsi Sport Club looking to make home advantage count in a strong and competitive field. The two Stage 1 group winners will progress to Stage 2, where they will join the six directly qualified clubs to form one group of eight teams. Stage 2 will be played as a single round-robin over seven rounds, with each club facing every other team once. The three-day competition will be played at the BVUSS (Budaörs Városi Sportcsarnok Uszoda és Strand), with four matches scheduled each day at 11:00, 13:30, 16:30 and 19:00. Group A features Austria’s Linz AG Froschberg the Champions League winners in 2013, Poland’s PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow, Spain’s MIRÓ Ganxets and Croatia’s STK Dr. Časl. Linz arrives in Budaörs with particularly strong memories of last season’s European campaign. The Austrian side went all the way to the Europe Cup title, overcoming Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca in the quarter-finals and MIRÓ Ganxets in the semi-finals before defeating ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari in the final. MIRÓ Ganxets also enjoyed an impressive run, reaching the semi-finals. The Spanish side overcame STK Dr. Časl in the quarter-finals before their campaign was stopped by eventual champions Linz. That recent history adds extra interest to Group A, with three of its four teams having featured in the closing stages of last season’s Europe Cup. Linz and MIRÓ Ganxets will meet again on Saturday in a repeat of last season’s semi-final, while the opening day will also bring Linz and STK Dr. Časl together after both were part of the Europe Cup quarter-final line-up. The group opens on Friday with PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow facing MIRÓ Ganxets at 11:00, followed by Linz AG Froschberg against STK Dr. Časl at 13:30. Group B brings together Italy’s ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari, Czech club SKST Plus Hodonin, host Budaörsi Sport Club and Spain’s Son Cladera TTC – Mallorca. Quattro Mori was one of the standout teams in last season’s Europe Cup. The Italian club overcame Fenerbahce Sports Club in the quarter-finals before beating SKST Plus Hodonin in the semi-finals. Their run ended only in the title contest, where Linz AG Froschberg claimed the trophy. Hodonin therefore arrives with a Europe Cup semi-final appearance behind it, having reached the last four after overcoming TTC Novi Sad in the quarter-finals. Son Cladera also reached the quarter-finals, where the Spanish side was stopped by eventual champions Linz AG Froschberg. That means Quattro Mori, Hodonin and Son Cladera all return to European action after reaching at least the last eight of the Europe Cup, promising a demanding challenge for host Budaörsi Sport Club. The group will also feature a rematch of last season’s Europe Cup semi-final between Quattro Mori and Hodonin on Sunday. The hosts begin their campaign on Friday at 16:30 against SKST Plus Hodonin, before Quattro Mori and Son Cladera meet at 19:00. Budaörs then faces Quattro Mori on Saturday before closing the group against Son Cladera on Sunday. The final day will begin with STK Dr. Časl against MIRÓ Ganxets at 11:00, followed by Linz against PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow at 13:30. Budaörs and Son Cladera will meet at 16:30 before Quattro Mori and Hodonin bring the Stage 1 programme to a close at 19:00. With the reigning Europe Cup champions, last season’s runners-up and both other semi-finalists all present in Budaörs, the opening stage of the 2026/27 ETTU Champions League Women promises three days of high-level European club action.
