Europe Top-16 Cup | 5 Dec 2018
BOLL and POLCANOVA head the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup lists
Defending champion, the winner at the same place in 2018 and in five previous occasions in 2010, 2009, 2006, 2003 and 2002, Germany’s Timo BOLL heads the qualified and invited men’s list for the forthcoming 2019 CCB Europe Top 16 Cup. At the top of the women’s invited list is Austria’s Sofia POLCANOVA.
2019 China Construction Bank Europe Top 16 Cup is just around the corner with proceedings getting underway in Montreux, Switzerland on 2nd and 3rd February for a second year in the row. The two day tournament that started life in 1971 in Zadar when known as the Europe Top 12 will gathered the elite players from Old Continent once again. Judging by last year’s premiere of current three-year deal in beautiful Montreux with the energetic crowd and great atmosphere, we can expect fantastic event this year as well.
The magnetism of the biggest names in Continental table tennis attracted the huge media attention; broadcast across Europe including 1.15 million viewers on Eurosport, as well as over 100,000 on ettu.tv and 1.03 million on Zhibo.TV in China.
Leading name, Timo BOLL won the Men’s Singles title at the LIEBHERR 2018 ITTF European Championships in Alicante in September for a record breaking seventh time, so once again he is coming as the European no. one player. One step behind is his compatriot Dimitrij OVTCHAROV the winner of Top 16 in 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2012.
Third on the list is Mattias FALCK of Sweden, fourth Liam PITCHFORD of England, followed by Vladimir SAMSONOV of Belarus. He won the title for a first time in 1998 and repeated the success in 1999, 2001 and 2007.
The list goes on with Jonathan GROTH of Denmark, Simon GAUZY of France, Kristian KARLSSON of Sweden, Marcos FREITAS of Portugal the winner in Lausanne in 2014. Emmanuel LEBESSON of France, Daniel HABESOHN of Austria, Tiago APOLONIA of Portugal, KOU Lei of Ukraine, this year’s LIEBHERR 2018 ITTF European Championships runner up Ovidiu IONESCU of Romania and Gionis PANAGIOTIS of Greece. The position no. 16 is reserved for the host nation player.
Austria’s Sofia POLCANOVA won three medals at the LIEBHERR 2018 ITTF European Championships, silver and two bronze and so far her best position at the Top 16 was in 2016 when she was fifth. At the European rankings she currently occupies position no. one. At the position no. two is sensational winner from 2018 Bernadette SZOCS of Romania followed by her compatriot Elizabeta SAMARA. Last year she was third.
The winner from 2017, LI Jie of Netherlands is no. four seed, followed by Petrissa SOLJA of Germany, Matilda EKHOLM of Sweden, European Champion LI Qian of Poland, Georgina POTA of Hungary, Britt EERLAND of Netherlands, Polina MIKHAILOVA of Russia. The winner from 1998, 1997 and 1996 NI Xia Lian is still in game and she currently ranked at the position no. 13 in Europe.
Nina MITTELHAM of Germany, Natalia PARTYKA of Poland , Hana MATELOVA of Czech Republic and Barbora BALAZOVA of Slovakia are at the lower positions. One place awaits Swiss player.
The dead line for the national associations to confirm the players lists is December 17th. However whilst we wait for the Entries confirmed, tickets are already on sale. Ticketing page link :here
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