SF SKK El Nino Praha secured a valuable 3-1 away victory over Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61 in the opening leg of the ETTU Europe Cup Men semi-final, placing themselves in a strong position ahead of the return match on Sunday.
The tie opened with a tight battle, as Tomas KONECNY edged past Jens LUNDQVIST in five games, setting the tone for a match expected to be decided by fine margins. David REITSPIES then extended the lead with a composed straight-games win over Anders ERIKSSON, underlining the Czech side’s experience and control.
Roskilde responded through Tobias RASMUSSEN, who fought back from two games down to defeat Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA in a dramatic decider, keeping the hosts in contention.
However, REITSPIES proved decisive once again, overcoming LUNDQVIST in four games to seal the overall victory for El Nino Praha.
“The opening singles match was definitely key. Tomáš KONEČNÝ, who often plays five-set matches against Jens LUNDQVIST, was behind early on, but then the momentum shifted and from that moment we were in control. David REITSPIES was a real anchor for us, and I believe Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA also delivered a strong performance, even though he lost in the shortened deciding set – that can happen. Overall, we were the better team and achieved the result we wanted ahead of the return leg. I hope that on Sunday we can reward our fans, show a strong performance, and secure our place in the final,” said coach Petr KAUCKÝ.
As anticipated in the build-up, this semi-final delivered a close and competitive contest, but the Czech side’s consistency and experience made the difference. With the second leg set to be played in Prague, El Nino Praha now hold the advantage as they look to convert it into a place in the final.
Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61 – SF SKK El Nino Praha 1-3
- Jens LUNDQVIST – Tomas KONECNY 2-3 (11-8, 10-12, 7-11, 11-6, 1-6)
- Anders ERIKSSON – David REITSPIES 0-3 (7-11, 6-11, 10-12)
- Tobias RASMUSSEN – Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA 3-2 (8-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9, 6-3)
- Jens LUNDQVIST – David REITSPIES 1-3 (10-12, 11-13, 11-5, 3-11)
