TTCLM final: Borussia travels to Russia with 3:2 win

May 13, 2018
4:53 pm
Champions League Men

German club beat actual TTCLM champion Orenburg in the first leg as Timo BOLL won two matches and Kristian KARLSSON added one

Ten times TTCLM winner Borussia Dusseldorf has secured 3:2 (12:8 in sets) advantage in the first leg of 2017/18 against reigning champion and no. 1 seed Fakel Gazprom Orenburg. Timo BOLL provided two points as he beat Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and Jun MIZUTANI while Kristian KARLSSON concluded the clash by his win against OVTCHAROV who wasn’t in his best shape due to injury.

Timo BOLL prevailed against his team mate from the German National Team Dimitrij OVTCHAROV in four games. Host controlled the game in the first two sets but guest managed to reach third one by a narrow margin in spite of having four set points (6:10). BOLL responded by four consecutive points in an early fourth game (4:1) making crucial run from 6:4 to 9:4.

Two left-handers met in the second encounter as Jun MIZUTANI was extended to full distance by Kristian KARLSSON. There were dozen incredible points but “craziest” moment was one at 10:10 in the third set when Japanese concluded the longest rally in the match.

Third game confronted one of the youngest TTCLM participants 20 year-old Anton KALLBERG and the oldest one 42 year-old Vladimir SAMSONOV. Belarus legend won in four games.

Timo BOLL ended Jun MIZUTANI`s winning run to level the score at 2:2. German has improved his season`s win-loss record to 14-3 while Japanese now has 11-1. Most probably this match was BOLL`s best one in 2017/18 TTCLM so far.

KARLSSON secured victory for German team as he overcame OVTCHAROV in straight games. Swede decided the game by five consecutive points in third set (5:7 10:7).

Second leg will be held next Friday May 18^th in Orenburg.

2017/18 TTCLM final first match

Borussia Dusseldorf (no. 2 seed) – Fakel Gazprom Orenburg (no. 1 seed) 3:2

Timo BOLL – Dimitrij OVTCHAROV 3:1 (11:7 11:8 10:12 11:6)

Kristian KARLSSON – Jun MIZUTANI 2:3 (8:11 11:8 10:12 11:9 12:14)

Anton KALLBERG – Vladimir SAMSONOV 1:3 (6:11 3:11 11:7 6:11)

Timo BOLL – Jun MIZUTANI 3:1 (13:11 11:8 5:11 11:3)

Kristian KARLSSON – Dimitrij OVTCHAROV 3:0 (11:8 11:4 11:8)

New Generation Earns Eurotalents and ITTF Hopes Places in Havířov

The ITTF Hopes & ETTU Eurotalents Selection Camp concluded in Havířov, Czech Republic, with a new group of Europe’s most promising young players securing their places in the ETTU Eurotalents...

Ticket Sales Open on 3 July for HYLO ETTU Champions League Final 4 2027 in Saarbrücken

Following the outstanding success of this year’s edition, table tennis fans can already secure their place for the next chapter of European club table tennis. Ticket sales for the HYLO...

Four Decades of Excellence: Vic International Open Continues to Grow

On 5 and 6 September 2026, the 41st edition of the Vic International Open will take place in Vic (Barcelona) at the Castell d’en Planes Sports Hall. The tournament was...

A Decade of the European Under 21 Championships: From Experiment to Established Success

The 2026 European Under 21 Championships in Cluj-Napoca marked a special milestone for European table tennis – the tenth edition of an event that has become a vital stepping stone...