Champions League Men | 10 Oct 2018
TTCLM champion in full swing in France
Photo: Courtesy Borussia Dusseldorf
TTCLM Round 2, Group A: AS Pontoise Cergy – Borussia Dusseldorf 1:3
Reigning TTCLM champion and 11-time winner Borussia Dusseldorf beat former double champion AS Pontoise Cergy 3:1 playing away Group A Round 2 game. German club arrived in France with two players from the podium at the recent 2018 ITTF-European Championships, crowned champion Timo BOLL (Germany) and bronze medalist Kristian KARLSSON. And they have provided victory for their team: BOLL with two points and KARLSSON with one.
Two good friends, long time doubles partners and members of Swedish National Team, Mattias FALCK (World no. 19) and Kristian KARLSSON (No. 24), met in the opening encounter. They together won four European medals in last six years, but this time must fight one against another. The clash was intense and score was tied after four games, hence the winner had to be decided in the fifth set, by narrow margin, after two match points saved by host.
Seven-time European champion Timo BOLL, actual World no. 3, has been forced to give his best against former Europe Youth Top 10 winner Can AKKUZU (no. 74). The 20-year-old host easily won the opener, but German responded with three games in a row. Second and third set had almost identical ending, as BOLL led twice 10:7 and his opponent both times managed to cut the lead to 10:9.
Lowest ranked player in the match, current World no. 178 Tristan FLORE overcame no. 39, Egypt`s Omar ASSAR, former African champion. Guest managed to recover in spite of being two games behind continiung his run to 8:6 in the fifth set, but host took four consecutive points (6:8, 10:8) what was decisive.
Timo BOLL secured victory for Borussia, as he overcame Mattias FALCK in four games. German controlled the game and had two match-points in third set, but host has pushed the encounter to the fourth set.
TTCLM Round 2
GROUP A
AS Pontoise Cergy - Borussia Dusseldorf 1:3
Mattias FALCK - Kristian KARLSSON 2:3 (11:9, 6:11, 11:4, 5:11, 11:13)
Can AKKUZU – Timo BOLL 1:3 (11:3, 9:11, 9:11, 8:11)
Tristan FLORE – Omar ASSAR 3:2 (11:5, 11:8, 8:11, 5:11, 12:10)
Mattias FALCK - Timo BOLL 1:3 (4:11, 7:11, 12:10, 6:11 )
