The German challenge at the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup in Montreux will be led by four players in the men’s event, with Benedikt DUDA seeded fifth, alongside Patrick FRANZISKA (sixth seed), Dang QIU (seventh seed) and Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (eighth seed).
Europe’s elite will once again gather in Switzerland as the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup returns to Montreux from 5 to 8 February, bringing together the continent’s best players for one of the most prestigious individual events on the calendar.
Among the standout names in the men’s field are four German players, all arriving in Montreux with strong credentials, recent international results, and clear ambitions to challenge for the title.
Patrick FRANZISKA, the sixth seed, already knows what it takes to lift the Top 16 trophy. The German star claimed the title in 2021 in Thessaloniki at his very first appearance and followed it up with two semi-final finishes in the next editions.
Franziska comes into Montreux in excellent form, having recently reached the final of the WTT Contender Muscat 2026, and is once again looking forward to competing on a stage where he feels at home.
“It is a very strong and evenly balanced field. As always, I am just taking it round by round. I always feel very comfortable in Montreux at the Europe Top 16 and simply want to enjoy that feeling.”
Seeded seventh, European champion in singles in 2022, Dang QIU has also built an impressive history at the Europe Top 16. In his previous two appearances he reached the quarter-finals, while in 2023 he made it all the way to the final, finishing runner-up to Darko JORGIC.
In 2026, Qiu has already shown solid form on the world stage, reaching the Round of 16 at WTT Champions Doha, and now returns to Montreux with renewed ambition.
“The Europe Top 16 is a very beautiful but also extremely tough prestige tournament. My best result so far came at my debut in 2023, when I reached the final but lost there to Darko JORGIC. Since then, one of my goals has been to reach the final again and maybe even win the tournament. Europe has become even stronger since then, but I am in good form and depending on the day, anything is possible.”
No preview of the Europe Top 16 would be complete without Dimitrij OVTCHAROV, one of the most successful players in the history of the event. The German legend, European singles champion in 2013 and 2015, but also bronze medalists in 2024, has competed 15 times in the Top 16 and lifted the trophy on five occasions: in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019.
Now seeded eighth, OVTCHAROV remains a serious contender, arriving in Montreux after reaching the semi-finals of the WTT Star Contender Doha 2026 and the Round of 16 at both WTT Champions Doha 2026 and WTT Star Contender Muscat 2025.
“I want to try to carry the positive momentum from the January tournaments into the Top 16. My goal is to live up to my seeding in positions five to eight in order to challenge the top seeds in the quarterfinals. I have always enjoyed playing the Europe Top 16 and have won it five times. The tournament in Switzerland is always excellently organised, and I hope to take home a medal.”
With DUDA, FRANZISKA, QIU and OVTCHAROV all in the draw and Europe’s strongest players in action, the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup in Montreux promises four days of top-level table tennis, intense battles, and unforgettable moments from 5 to 8 February.
Men’s event
In the Men’s event will play Truls MOREGARD of Sweden, Alexis LEBRUN of France, Felix LEBRUN of France, Darko JORGIC of Slovenia, Benedikt DUDA of Germany, Patrick FRANZISKA of Germany, Dang QIU of Germany, Dimitrij OVTCHAROV of Germany, Anton KALLBERG of Sweden, Anders LIND of Denmark, Simon GAUZY of France, Jonathan GROTH of Denmark, Marcos FREITAS of Portugal, Eduard IONESCU of Romania.
Qualification Stage – Men
Alvaro ROBLES of Spain, Andrej GACINA of Croatia, Milosz REDZIMSKI of Poland, Tomislav PUCAR of Croatia, Kristian KARLSSON of Sweden, Daniel HABESOHN of Austria, Joao GERALDO of Portugal and Pedro OSIRO of Switzerland.
Reserve players
Iulian CHIRITA of Romania, Thibault PORET of France, Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany, Martin ALLEGRO of Belgium, Adrien RASSENFOSSE of Belgium, Luka MLADENOVIC of Luxembourg, and Ovidiu IONESCU of Romania.
Women’s event
In the Women’s event will play Sabine WINTER of Germany, Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria, Bernadette SZOCS of Romania, Ying HAN of Germany, Jia Nan YUAN of France, Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania, Prithika PAVADE of France, Jieni SHAO of Portugal, Nina MITTELHAM of Germany, Linda BERGSTROM of Sweden, Fu YU of Portugal, Maria XIAO of Spain, Natalia BAJOR of Poland, Xiaona SHAN of Germany.
Qualification Stage
Anna HURSEY of Wales, Annett KAUFMANN of Germany, Charlotte
LUTZ of France, Andreea DRAGOMAN of Romania, Izabela LUPULESKU of Serbia, Lea RAKOVAC of Croatia, Georgina POTA of Hungary, Rachel MORET of Switzerland.
Reserve players
Christina KALLBERG of Sweden, Giorgia PICCOLIN of Italy, Britt EERLAND of the Netherlands, Yuan WAN of Germany, Gaia MONFARDINI of Italy, Adina DIACONU of Romania, and Ivana MALOBABIC of Croatia.
