KTS Siarka ZOT Tarnobrzeg – TTC Berlin Eastside 3:2. Returning leg will be held on May 12th (18:30 CET).
ECLW second seed KTS Sairka ZOT Tarnobrzeg beat top seeded TTC Berlin Eastside 3:2 (10:7) in the first leg of the 2016/17 European Champions League Women. It was Berlin`s first defeat in the last two years. Returning leg will be held on May 12th (18:30 CET) in Germany.
Clash in Polish city of Tarnobrzeg was tense and unpredictable like last year when these two teams met in the 2015/16 final. Berlin won 3:2 then and after second leg (3:0) took its third ECLW crown.
Like in the 2015/16 leg no. 1 HAN Ying beat Petrissa SOLJA in straight games of the opener. It showed again that SOLJA has no solution for defensive play of her team mate from German National Team. Actual world no. 9 convincingly won this clash against no. 20.
Polish champion saw huge advantage after first two matches as world no. 37 LI Qian beat no. 14 SHAN Xiaona in straight games. SHAN couldn’t adapt on LI`s style. LI showed all her abilities in defense switching sometimes her play on attacking mode. SHAN had his last chance in late third set when she saved three match balls but host cemented her confidence by winning longest rally of the day (11:10).
World no. 28 Georgina POTA improved her season`s record to 10-1 as she overcame actual no. 58 Viktoria PAVLOVICH in straight games. POTA confirmed her good shape from recent Slovenia Open where she took two medals.
Two best ranked players from both sides met in the fourth encounter. The outcome was the same like in the 2015/16 final leg no. 1 in Poland: SHAN defeated HAN in four games. Host took second set by narrow margin; while guest easily won other three games (SHAN started 3rd set 7:1 and 4th 8:0). They also played one against another in the semi-final of LIEBHERR 2013 ITTF European Championships when SHAN won 4:1.
LI secured victory for her side beating SOLJA in four games. It was probably bet performance of LI in the ECLW so far and her actual individual score now stands on 8-2.
ECLW final 1st leg
KTS Siarka ZOT Tarnobrzeg – TTC Berlin Eatside 3:2 (10:7)
HAN Ying – Petrissa SOLJA 3:0 (11:8 11:8 11:8)
LI Qian – SHAN Xiaona 3:0 (11:5 11:3 12:10)
Viktoria PAVLOVICH – Georgina POTA 0:3 (8:11 9:11 8:11)
HAN Ying – SHAN Xiona 1:3 (6:11 11:9 3:11 7:11)
LI Qian – Petrissa SOLJA 3:1 (11:4 11:9 8:11 11:6)
