In the Europe Cup Men quarterfinal, Spain’s Real Club Cajasur Priego Tenis de Mesa defeated Germany’s PostSV Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. in a thrilling five-match duel. Hampus SÖDERLUND proved to be the key player in the Spanish team’s success.
Álvaro ROBLES gave the Spanish club a perfect start with a win over Daniel HABESOHN, and Hampus SÖDERLUND followed suit with a victory against Irvin BERTRAND. However, Steffen MENGEL shifted the momentum by defeating Carlos MACHADO.
ROBLES stepped up with a chance to clinch the tie in the fourth encounter, but BERTRAND had other plans. In a five-game battle, he leveled the score, forcing a decisive fifth match.
SÖDERLUND held off a spirited comeback attempt by the German side, securing a four-game win over HABESOHN to give the Spanish team a narrow advantage heading into the return leg on April 27.
“It was a great day today in Priego! The supporters lifted us to a superb level. Now, we’ll prepare and refocus as a team to be ready for the match in Mühlhausen,” said SÖDERLUND.
REAL CLUB CAJASUR PRIEGO TENIS DE MESA – Postsportverein Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. 3-2
- Alvaro ROBLES – Daniel HABESOHN 3-0 (14-12, 12-10, 11-7)
- Hampus SÖDERLUND – Irvin BERTRAND 3-1 (11-8, 11-8, 11-4, 5-11, 11-3)
- Carlos MACHADO – Steffen MENGEL 0-3 (8-11, 4-11, 11-13)
- Alvaro ROBLES – Irvin BERTRAND 2-3 (11-8, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 3-6)
- Hampus SÖDERLUND – Daniel HABESOHN 3-1 (11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7)
