Other Events | 6 Feb 2014

Germany to the max at DHS Europe Cup

The nation that gave the winners at the very last Europe Top 12 held in Lyon 2012, will have the maxim number of participants at newly created DHS 2014 Europe Cup. Both winners from Europe Top 12, the forerunner of the DHS 2014 Europe Cup, Dimitrij OVTCHA

The nation that gave the winners at the very last Europe Top 12 held in Lyon 2012, will have the maxim number of participants at newly created DHS 2014 Europe Cup. Both winners from Europe Top 12, the forerunner of the DHS 2014 Europe Cup, Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and WU Jiaduo will be on duty again in Lausanne from Friday.

Not only that OVTCHAROV will be on duty, but he is also the top seed and top favorite for the title again. Player with most of the European titles, his compatriot Timo BOLL heading the list of main challengers, especially after withdrawal of Belarus Vladimir SAMSONOV.

National coach Jörg ROSSKOPF has no secrets about his wishes for the final day: “I certainly hope that our two players will meet in the final. In case someone upset the rankings, we will have to keep on fighting in play off matches, since the positions three to eight will lead to the World Cup.”

European champion Dimitrij OVTCHAROV was cautious. “I have great respect for all my adversaries at this tournament and I will prepare carefully for every single match. I hope I will produce good game for fans in Lausanne and hopefully good result at the end.”

Timo BOLL has a very special reason to qualify for the LIEBHERR Men’s World Cup in October in Düsseldorf. “I will do everything possible in 2014 to be around when one of my favorite tournaments take place already on my doorstep,” said the man who holds the record in titles at the European Championships.

BOLL’s name is written twice at the list of winners at the World Cup: in 2002 (Jinan / China) and 2005 (Liège / Belgium).

Portuguese Marcos FREITAS and the Romanian Adrian CRISAN , currently listed at position 15 and 17 of the World rankings will try to hold the Germanys aspirations but the danger that comes from defensive artist Panagiotis GIONIS of Greece is not to be underestimated; he is playing in his life form. Bronze from Austria in Singles Event from the European Championships is there to prove it.

In Women’s Event Germany is not that strong. WU Jiaduo has won the Women’s Singles title at the European Championships and at the Europe Top 12. 19 year-old Petrissa SOLJA at the LIEBHERR European Championships has won the Women’s Doubles title with Sabine WINTER. However they are listed at the seeding at the positions number six and ten.

Men: Tiago APOLONIA (Portugal), Timo BOLL (Germany), Adrian CRISAN (Romania), Marcos FREITAS (Portugal), Andrej GACINA (Croatia), Robert GARDOS (Austria), Panagiotis GIONIS (Greece), Adrien MATTENET (France), Michael MAZE (Denmark), Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (Germany), Alexey SMIRNOV (Russia), Alexander SHIBAEV (Russia).

Women: HU Melek (Turkey), LI Jiao (Netherlands), LIU Jia (Austria), Daniela MONTEIRO-DODEAN (Romania), Rachel MORET (Switzerland), Viktoria PAVLOVICH (Belarus), Margaryta PESOTSKA (Ukraine), Elizabeta SAMARA (Romania), Petrissa SOLJA (Germany), Iventa VACENOVSKA (Czech Republic), WU Jiaduo (Germany). to be confirmed Georgina POTA (Hungary)
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