Four times winner and reigning champion Fakel-Gazprom Orenburg will face double champion AS Pontoise Cergy in group stage
The draw for the 2017/18 Table Tennis Champions League Men held today (Jun 29th) in Paris gathered again the best 16 European clubs.
Winners of the last six seasons will play in the same group (A). They are four times winner defending champion and No. 1 seed Fakel-Gazprom Orenburg (won TTCLM 2012 2013 2015 2017) and double champion No. 8 seed AS Pontoise Cergy (2014 2016). Their opponents in that group are former TTCLM quarter-finalist K.S. Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki (No. 12) from Poland and newcomer Sporting Clube de Portugal (No. 13).
Four participants who reached TTCLM semi-finals in the last five years will share Group B. The 2012 runner-up and actual No. 4 seed UMMC (new Russian champion) is named as a favorite but each club sees its chance in this well balanced group. No. 5 seed and 2012 semi-finalist from Germany Saarbrucken (in 2012 semi-final they were beaten by UMMC after very close returning game) will again target at least quarter-final but same ambitions have 2013 runner-up Chartres AS TT (France No. 10 seed) and 2016 finalist Eslövs AI BTK (Sweden No. 14).
The 2009 runner-up TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen (Germany No. 3 seed) and actual ETTU Cup winner Stella Sport La Romagne (France No. 7) are considered as favorites in Group C. But they must confirm it against well experienced challengers TTC Ostrava 2016 (Czech Reoublic No. 11) and SPG Walter Wels (Austria No. 15).
Record holder with 10 TTCLM titles Borussia Dusseldorf two times runner-up in last three seasons (2014/15 2016/17) is the biggest name in Group D. Timo BOLL & Co. again start as No. 2 seed followed by strong Polish side TTCLM newcomer K.S. Dekorglass Dzialdowo (No. 6) who has world No. 7 WONG Chun Ting from Hong Kong. Other two teams in this group are former TTCLM quarter-finalist GV Hennebont (France No. 9) and Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61 (Denmark No. 16).
The draw was guided by ETTU Deputy Secretary General Pierre KASS and ETTU Ranking Committee Chairman Igor HELLER.
Last season was concluded by the clash between Fakel-Gazprom Orenburg and Borussia Dusseldorf. Russian club managed to return on the top beating German side 6:2 in aggregate score (3:0 away 3:2 home). Japanese MIZUTANI finished season with a perfect 16-0 individual score. Orenburg is again stressed as clear favorite as it continues with one of the strongest ever line-ups in TTCLM: Dimitrij OVTCHAROV Jun MIZUTANI Vladimir SAMSONOV.
The 2017/18 TTCLM groups (with seeding place and points)
GROUP A
(1) Fakel-Gazprom Orenburg (RUS) 8343
(8) AS Pontoise Cergy TT (FRA) 6946
(12) K.S. Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki (POL) 6390
(13) Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR) 6332
GROUP B
(4) TTSC UMMC (RUS) 7225
(5) FC Saarbrücken TT (GER) 7130
(10) Chartres ASTT (FRA) 6683
(14) Eslövs AI BTK (SWE) 6329
GROUP C
(3) TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen (GER) 7556
(7) Stella Sport La Romagne (FRA) 6959
(11) TTC Ostrava 2016 (CZE) 6552
(15) SPG Walter Wels (AUT) 6100
GROUP D
(2) Borussia Düsseldorf (GER) 7658
(6) K.S. Dekorglass Dzialdowo (POL) 7036
(9) GV Hennebont TT (FRA) 6908
(16) Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61 (DEN) 5928
