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
- Jin UEDA – Anton KÄLLBERG 1:3 (11:8, 3:11, 13:15, 7:11)
- Bastian STEGER – Dang QIU 0:3 (4:11, 6:11, 9:11)
- Filip ZELJKO – Timo BOLL 3:0 (11:5, 11:9, 11:7)
- Jin UEDA – Dang QIU 0:3 (6:11, 6:11, 9:11)
TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT 3:0
- Hugo CALDERANO – Yuto MURAMATSU 3:0 (11:8, 11:4, 11:8)
- Shunsuke TOGAMI – Darko JORGIC 3:1 (8:11, 11:6, 11:7, 11:9)
- Simon GAUZY – Patrick FRANZISKA 3:1 (7:11, 11:6, 11:9, 11:9)
