All four returning quarter-final games of 2017/18 TTCLM to be held this Friday February 9th
This Friday February 9th semi-finalists of the 2017/18 TTCLM will be decided. Two top seeds and main candidates for the crown Fakel Gazprom Orenburg and Borussia Dusseldorf secured big advantage (3:0) playing away against Rosklide Bordtennis and UMMC respectively in the all-German quarter-final Saarbrucken beat Ochsenhausen by a narrow margin (3:2) while Sporting Clube De Portugal was unique successful team on home soil defeating Stella Sport la Romagne (3:1).
It seems that one more exciting clash awaits Ochsenhausen and Saarbrucken bearing in mind the score in the first leg – 3:2 (9:10) for Saarbrucken thanks to good team work of Patrick FRANZISKA Patrick BAUM Bojan TOKIC and Tiago APOLONIA.
“I am very happy that we managed to win away but both sides enter the returning leg with an equal chances” stated Saarbrucken`s coach Slobodan GRUJIC emphasizing that Ochsenhausen`s Hugo CALDERANO “played incredibly well”.
CALDERANO won both Ochsenhausen`s points in straight games as team`s no. 1 Simon GAUZY was absent due to back injury. Frenchman has made his comeback at the recent China Construction Bank 2018 ITTF Europe Top-16 Cup but he lost to Russia`s Alexander SHIBAEV in full seven games of the opening round.
“Simon GAUZY has played on Saturday at the Europe Top 16 so is basically ready for action again. His presence depends of coach`s decision ” said Ochsenhausen`s President Kristijan PEJINOVIC adding that all five players are available for the Friday`s match..
The 2009 TTCLM runner-up Ochsenhausen and 2012 TTCLM semi-finalist Saarbrucken had already met three times in the ongoing season. Ochsenhausen won 3:0 away Bundesliga Round 5 game while Saarbrucken was better (3:1) in the German Cup semis. Just two days after TTCLM quarter-finals they will fight in the Bundesliga`s Round 14 (Feb 11). Saarbrucken is second placed Bundesliga`s team with 9-4 win-loss record Ochsenhausen is fourth with 8-5.
Record holder with 10 TTCLM titles Borussia Dusseldorf has open way to the semi-final after 3:0 (9:4) win in Verkhnaya Pyshma. Coach of Russian side Tatiana KUTERGINA stated that her players “played below their capabilities” in the first leg but she hopes that “they will show their responsibility and professionalism in Dusseldorf”.
Borussia awaits them in a good mood after Timo BOLL`s triumph at the China Construction Bank 2018 ITTF Europe Top-16 Cup. Another good news for this club is that African champion Omar ASSAR signed two-year contract (from 2018/19) with them.
“Of course after 3:0 win the door to the semi-finals is wide open but we must to prove that. Do not forget that two out of three games in Yekaterinburg were close” explained Borussia`s Manager Andreas PREUSS.
Borussia`s Coach Danny HEISTER confirmed that all his players are in a good shape.
Reigning champion and no. 1 seed Orenburg welcomes no. 16 seed Roskilde without any pressure. Dimitrij OVTCHAROV wasn’t able to defend his Europe Top 16 crown as he lost from TIMO BOLL in the gold medal contest. BOLL also eliminated Vladimir SAMSONOV in six games of the semi-final.
One of two TTCLM newcomers will reach semis and make best achievement in their history. Actual ETTU Cup winner Stella Sport La Romagne faces Sporting Clube de Portugal after 1:3 (6:10) defeat. If CHEN and WEI play their best French club can erase this advantage.
TTCLM quarter-finalists individual win-loss records
Fakel Gazprom: OVTCHAROV 6-1 MIZUTANI 7-0 SAMSONOV 5-0 LIVENTSOV 1-2 IVONIN 0-1 KUZMIN 0-1
Sporting: ARUNA 5-5 MONTEIRO 7-2 CARVALHO 4-3
Saarbrucken: APOLONIA 5-1 FRANZISKA 6-2 TOKIC 5-2 BAUM 3-1
UMMC: GACINA 7-2 YOSHIMURA 2-2 SHIBAEV 4-5 VLASOV 2-1 ZHIDKOV 0-2 KISELEV 1-0
TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen: GAUZY 6-2 CALDERANO 4-3 GERALDO 1-3 DYJAS 3-3 MURAMATSU 1-1 ZWICKL 1-0
Stella Sport La Romagne: SHIAHO 8-3 CHEN 7-3 CRISAN 0-2 OLLIVIER 1-4
Borussia: BOLL 9-1 FEGERL 0-3 KARLSSON 6-3 KALLBERG 5-2
Roskilde: ZHAI 5-5 MAZE 3-5 TROMER 2-5
TTCLM quarter-finals second leg (February 9th)
14:00 TTC Fakel Gazprom – Roskilde Bordtennis BTK61 (1st leg 3:0)
18:30 FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis – TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen (1st leg 3:2)
19:30 Stella Sport La Romagne – Sporting Clube De Portugal (1st leg 1:3)
20:00 Borussia Düsseldorf – TTSC UMMC (1st leg 3:0)
