ETTU - European Table Tennis Union - News (1 Cititor)

[Milica Nikolic]

The inaugural Open European Games of TT Hopes will take place from 18 to 21 June 2026 in Hungary, bringing together Europe’s most promising young table tennis players in the Veszprém–Balaton region. The event will be staged across Veszprém, Balatonfüred and Várpalota, areas recognized as the European Sports Region 2026.

Organized by the European Sport Region 2026 Project and supported by the Hungarian Government and local municipalities, the competition will feature U13 and U15 boys’ and girls’ singles and team events, as well as youth para competitions, with athletes competing for prizes and ETTU ranking points.

Matches will be played at the Veszprém Aréna, Balatonfüred Sport Park and Várpalota Sport Hall, with a total of 70 tables available. The tournament will follow ITTF rules, with singles events played in group and knockout stages and team events in the Davis Cup system.

Beyond the sporting program, participants will have access to a range of cultural and recreational activities around Lake Balaton, one of Central Europe’s most popular destinations. Entries are open to national associations, regional delegations and clubs, with the closing date for registration set for 20 May 2026.

E-mail address: tt.hopes2026@sportregion.hu.

The post Hungary to Host the 1st Open European Games of TT Hopes in June 2026 first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

SF SKK El Nino Praha secured a strong advantage in the opening leg of the Europe Cup quarterfinal, defeating TTC Sokah Hoboken 3-0 away from home. With the return leg scheduled for tomorrow, the Czech side moves into a favorable position in the race for a semifinal place.

Praha set the tone early as Tomas KONECNY overcame Quentin ROBINOT in straight games. The second match proved to be the closest contest of the evening, with David REITSPIES edging Olav KOSOLOSKY in a five-game battle to extend the visitors’ lead. Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA then sealed the overall victory with a dominant performance against Cedric FLEBUS.

El Nino Praha Coach Petr KAUCKÝ said : “Tomáš KONEČNÝ certainly made a very important step in the opening singles by defeating Quentin ROBINOT. Then David REITŠPIES, who doesn’t usually like playing against left-handers, overcame Olav KOSOLOSKY, which probably decided the match. The spectators also enjoyed the shortened fifth game. We won 3-0, but of course nothing is decided yet. We will have to stay fully focused in the second leg, because now we are the big favorites to advance.”

Opening leg results:

TTC Sokah Hoboken – SF SKK El Nino Praha 0-3

• Quentin ROBINOT – Tomas KONECNY 0-3 (7-11, 8-11, 8-11)
• Olav KOSOLOSKY – David REITSPIES 2-3 (11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 2-6)
• Cedric FLEBUS – Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA 0-3 (2-11, 4-11, 2-11)

The post Convincing SF SKK El Nino Praha win sets tone for return leg first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

MIRÓ Ganxets Costa Durada earned a valuable 3-0 away victory over STK Dr. Časl in the opening leg of the Europe Cup Women quarterfinal, placing the Spanish side in a strong position ahead of the return match scheduled for Saturday.

The visitors struck first as Olga VOROBEVA defeated Jiaqi LIU in four games to give Ganxets the early lead. A thrilling second encounter followed, with Ruichen GUO edging veteran Xia Lian NI in a tense five-game duel to double the advantage. Andrea TODOROVIC then sealed the team victory by overcoming Szandra PERGEL, completing a convincing performance from the Spanish club.

“We are very proud of our performance. All three of us played at a top level. Olga delivered a calm and focused performance against Jiaqi LIU. Ruichen GUO managed to beat Xia Lian NI, which was a very difficult task. She needed some time to find her rhythm and adapt to NI’s style, which is never easy, but she found the solution. That victory was crucial in this match. Despite our 2-0 lead, I knew I had to win against Szandra PERGEL because we could not afford to face NI and LIU again. Szandra had a very strong serve and I struggled with the receive, especially in the second game. She tried with longer service and I made mistakes. However, I found the solution in my service and return game and, most importantly, I started to play with more patience,” said Andrea TODOROVIC.

Opening leg results:

STK Dr. Časl – MIRÓ Ganxets Costa Durada 0-3

• Jiaqi LIU – Olga VOROBEVA 1-3 (10-12, 6-11, 13-11, 5-11)
• Xia Lian NI – Ruichen GUO 2-3 (11-7, 10–12, 14-16, 11-9, 4-6)
• Szandra PERGEL – Andrea TODOROVIC 1-3 (6-11, 11-7, 9-11, 4-11)

The post Ganxets Costa Durada take upper hand in Europe Cup quarterfinal opener first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

Reigning champions ttc berlin eastside secured an important 3-1 away victory over PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow in the opening leg of the Champions League Women quarterfinal. The German side now holds the upper hand ahead of the return match scheduled for Saturday.

The hosts made a strong start as Europ’s no 51 Zuzanna WIELGOS edged Europe’s no 16 Xiaona SHAN in a five-game battle to give Rzeszow an early lead. Berlin responded immediately, with Yuka KANEYOSHI defeating Fen LI to level the tie. Nina MITTELHAM ranked 10th in the Europe then put the visitors in front with a straight-games win over Ilona SZTWIERTNIA.

KANEYOSHI sealed the overall victory in the fourth match, overcoming WIELGOS in three games to hand the reigning champions a valuable cushion before the second leg.

PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszow – ttc berlin eastside 1-3

• Zuzanna WIELGOS – Xiaona SHAN 3-2 (4-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-9, 6-2)
• Fen LI – Yuka KANEYOSHI 1-3 (6-11, 11-7, 5-11, 13-15)
• Ilona SZTWIERTNIA – Nina MITTELHAM 0-3 (5-11, 3-11, 9-11)
• Zuzanna WIELGOS – Yuka KANEYOSHI 0-3 (6-11, 8-11, 9-11)

The post Reigning champions ttc berlin eastside take first-leg victory in Rzeszow first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

Last season both Polish clubs competed in the final tournament, but this year their paths crossed already in the quarterfinals, with only one ticket from this match available for the HYLO ETTU Champions League Final 4 in Saarbrucken this May. That place ultimately went to KS Orlen Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki, who became the first team to secure qualification, leaving KS Bank Spółdzielczy Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów without the place among the top four.

Bogoria progressed despite a narrow 2-3 defeat in the return leg, having built their advantage with a 3-1 win in the opening encounter. The decisive first-leg victory proved enough to carry them through a tightly contested all-Polish duel.

In the second leg, KS Bank Spółdzielczy Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów opened strongly as Satoshi AIDA edged Marek BADOWSKI in five games, before Deni KOZUL doubled the lead by defeating Takuya JIN. Bogoria responded through Panagiotis GIONIS, who overcame Mateusz ZALEWSKI to keep the tie alive.

BADOWSKI then leveled the match by beating KOZUL in another five-game thriller, forcing a decisive final singles. AIDA sealed the 3-2 team victory for Orlicz Suchedniów with a dominant performance against JIN, but it was Bogoria who celebrated overall qualification.

“We knew it would be a very tough match and I think everyone was prepared for that. Suchedniów never gives up easily and it quickly became clear how close the encounter would be. After the first game, when Marek came very close, the pressure increased and the match became even more demanding. At 2-0 we understood that a win in my match could bring us back into the contest. ZALEWSKI played very well this time and I have to admit I was a bit lucky. In my opinion I did not play at my best level, but I managed to get through the match.

We also knew that Marek against KOZUL is always a 50-50 duel. In the end Marek showed greater confidence and secured the point. We worked very hard to reach the semifinal and we are extremely happy about it. Considering that we were missing our best player, Milos REDZIMSKI, we knew it would not be easy, which makes this success even more satisfying,” said Panagiotis GIONIS.

Return leg:

KS Orlen Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki – KS Bank Spółdzielczy Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów (POL) 2-3

• Marek BADOWSKI – Satoshi AIDA 2-3 (11-9, 3-11, 8-11, 12-10, 4-6)
• Takuya JIN – Deni KOZUL 1-3 (12-14, 4-11, 11-6, 8-11)
• Panagiotis GIONIS – Mateusz ZALEWSKI 3-1 (11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9)
• Marek BADOWSKI – Deni KOZUL 3-2 (9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 5-11, 6-2)
• Takuya JIN – Satoshi AIDA 0-3 (2-11, 0-11, 0-11)

KS Bank Spółdzielczy Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów (POL) – KS Orlen Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki 1–3

• Deni KOZUL – Marek BADOWSKI 2-3 (9–11, 12–10, 11–9, 9–11, 4–6)
• Seungmin CHO – Miłosz REDZIMSKI 3-1 (12–10, 6–11, 11–1, 12–10)
• Mateusz ZALEWSKI – Panagiotis GIONIS 1-3 (2–11, 2–11, 14–12, 4–11)
• Deni KOZUL – Miłosz REDZIMSKI 2-3 (1–11, 6–11, 11–7, 11–9, 2–6)

The post Bogoria become first team to book HYLO ETTU Champions League Final 4 place after all-Polish quarterfinal battle first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

Metz TT secured a valuable 3-1 home victory over Saint-Denis TT 93 in the opening leg of the Champions League Women quarterfinal, taking the early advantage in the all-French duel.

Saint-Denis struck first as Jie LI defeated Hana GODA in four games to silence the home crowd. Metz responded immediately through Charlotte LUTZ, who overcame Hana ARAPOVIC to level the tie. Mariia TAILAKOVA then put the hosts in front after a tense five-game battle against Prithika PAVADE.

GODA sealed the overall victory in the fourth match, avenging her earlier defeat with a straight-games win over ARAPOVIC to give Metz a crucial cushion ahead of the return leg.

“Very happy about the win. We managed mentally and, in our game, to turn the match around after losing the first one. We had a good spirit during the match and I think it helped a lot. We will try to keep the same energy for Sunday,” said Charlotte LUTZ.

Opening leg results:

Metz TT (FRA) – Saint-Denis TT 93 (FRA) 3-1

• Hana GODA – Jie LI 1-3 (11-4, 9-11, 7-11, 7-11)
• Charlotte LUTZ – Hana ARAPOVIC 3-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7)
• Mariia TAILAKOVA – Prithika PAVADE 3-2 (11-6, 6-11, 8-11, 13-11, 6-3)
• Hana GODA – Hana ARAPOVIC 3-0 (12-10, 11-7, 11-5)

The post Metz TT take first-leg advantage in all-French Champions League quarterfinal first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

Seven-time Champions League winners Borussia Düsseldorf confirmed their place in the HYLO ETTU Champions League Final 4 after securing the two points they needed in the second leg of the quarterfinal against Post SV Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. Having already built a commanding 3-0 advantage in the opening leg, today’s 2-0 success sealed an emphatic overall triumph.

The No. 2 seeds, who have also lifted the European Club Cup of Champions six times, once again demonstrated their depth and experience. European champion from Munich 2022 Dang QIU (No. 7 in Europe), Anton KALLBERG (No. 9 in Europe) and Kanak JHA (No. 31 in the world) formed a powerful lineup against the No. 10 seeded Mühlhausen, led by Ovidiu IONESCU (No. 31 in Europe).

Düsseldorf opened the return leg in confident style as Anton KALLBERG controlled his duel with Nico MULLER in straight games. With qualification within reach, the spotlight then turned to Kanak JHA, who secured the decisive point after a demanding contest against IONESCU.

“My match against Ovi was tough. He is a very aggressive player and in the first game I struggled to adapt to his rhythm. As the match went on I improved step by step. To finish the tie with such clear results – 3-0 in the first leg and 2-0 here – makes this a fantastic quarterfinal for us. Now we are excited and looking forward to a tough semifinal challenge against Montpellier.

Borussia head coach Danny HEISTER admitted that despite the final scoreline, the tie demanded full focus.

“In the end it looked like an easy game, but before the match we knew it wouldn’t necessarily be so simple. With the format meaning the tie could already be decided in the fourth match, there was little margin for mistakes. When Müller is in the lineup you normally expect to win, but it can still be tricky. After the first set, however, I felt Kanak had the situation under control. I’m really happy that we qualified for the final. We had already done a fantastic job in the first leg, winning 3-0 in Mulhouse, so today we came in as heavy favorites. Even so, we stayed focused and did our job, which makes us very satisfied.”

With two clear victories across the tie, Düsseldorf advance to the Final 4 carrying strong momentum and confidence as they prepare for a high-level semifinal clash.

Borussia Düsseldorf (GER) – Post SV Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. (GER) 2-0

• Anton KALLBERG – Nico MULLER 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-7)
• Kanak JHA – Ovidiu IONESCU 3-1 (10-12, 11-4, 11-7, 11-7)

Opening leg

Post SV Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. (GER) – Borussia Düsseldorf (GER) 0–3

• LIN Gaoyuan – JHA Kanak 2–3 (9–11, 8–11, 11–9, 11–7, 2–6)
• MENGEL Steffen – QIU Dang 2–3 (9–11, 5–11, 11–9, 11–8, 2–6)
• FREITAS Marcos – KALLBERG Anton 0–3 (11–13, 7–11, 13–15)

The post Seven-time champions Düsseldorf march into HYLO ETTU Champions League Final 4 first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

Real Club Cajasur Priego TM booked their place in the Europe Cup Men semifinals after a dramatic quarterfinal decided by a golden match against HB Ostrov z.s.

The Spanish side carried a 3-1 advantage from the opening leg at home, but the return encounter in Czechia saw Ostrov fight back strongly to level the tie and force a golden match decider.

HB Ostrov opened the second leg with a convincing win as Vladislav URSU defeated Diogo CARVALHO in straight games. Robert GARDOS responded for the visitors, edging Jiri VRABLIK in a tense five-game duel to keep Cajasur in contention. The hosts regained control through Pavel SIRUCEK, who overcame Carlos MACHADO 3-0, before URSU struck again, narrowly beating GARDOS to secure a 3-1 victory in the leg and push the quarterfinal into a golden match.

With everything at stake, Cajasur showed composure in the decider. Robert GARDOS gave the Spanish club the lead with a single-game win over SIRUCEK, and Diogo CARVALHO sealed qualification by edging URSU in a dramatic extended game.

We are very happy to reach the semifinal. It was a very tough and difficult match against a very strong team. In Priego we made an important step, but here we still had work to do. We were playing in unfamiliar conditions, different from what we are used to at home, so we really had to fight. It was not our best performance, but we kept pushing and gave everything. In the end I believe we deserved to qualify. When we were 2-1 down, I was leading 2-0 and 8-4 against URSU, later also 9-6 and 9-7. In the deciding game it was 5-5, so it could have gone either way. Still, I think we created more chances to close out the match than our opponents. The key was that we never gave up. We kept fighting until the end, and that determination allowed us to win and secure our place in the semifinal,”explained GARDOS.

Second leg

HB Ostrov z.s. – Real Club Cajasur Priego TM 3-1

• Vladislav URSU – Diogo CARVALHO 3-0 (14-12, 11-7, 11-6)
• Jiri VRABLIK – Robert GARDOS 2-3 (11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 7-11, 3-6)
• Pavel SIRUCEK – Carlos MACHADO 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-7)
• Vladislav URSU – Robert GARDOS 3-2 (5-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 6-5)

Golden match

HB Ostrov z.s. – Real Club Cajasur Priego TM 0-2

• Pavel SIRUCEK – Robert GARDOS 0-1 (9-11)
• Vladislav URSU – Diogo CARVALHO 0-1 (12-14)

Opening leg

Real Club Cajasur Priego TM – HB Ostrov z.s. 3-1

• Robert GARDOS – Tomas TREGLER 3-1 (9-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-5)
• Diogo CARVALHO – Vladislav URSU 0-3 (9-11, 6-11, 10-12)
• Carlos MACHADO – Pavel SIRUCEK 3-1 (11-7, 5-11, 11-6, 11-6)
• Robert GARDOS – Vladislav URSU 3-2 (11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 4-11, 6-3)

The post Cajasur Priego advance to Europe Cup semifinals after golden match drama first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

After securing an emphatic 3-0 away victory in the first encounter, last year’s runners up, SF SKK El Nino Praha reached the semi-final of the Europe Cup Men with a hard-fought 3-2 success against TTC Sokah Hoboken.

Despite already holding a strong aggregate advantage, the Czech side faced determined resistance from the visitors in a tense five-match duel.

Tomas KONECNY opened the tie with a narrow five-game win over Olav KOSOLOSKY, but Hoboken immediately responded as Quentin ROBINOT defeated David REITSPIES to level the score. Praha regained control thanks to a dominant straight-games performance from Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA against Cedric FLEBUS.

ROBINOT once again kept Hoboken in contention by overcoming Martin SIP, forcing a decisive final match. Under pressure, David REITSPIES produced a composed display to beat Olav KOSOLOSKY in straight games and seal another victory for El Nino Praha.

Tomáš KONECNY: “Reaching the European Cup semifinals for the second consecutive time is a huge success in the history of our club. But we are not satisfied yet – we want to go even further. The rematch with the Belgian club was difficult. My match against Olav KOSOLOSKY was not easy; he is an uncomfortable opponent, a left-hander with a very strong serve. At one stage I struggled a bit, but in the end everything worked out and I managed to secure the important opening point. After that, it was in the hands of my teammates, and fortunately it all turned out well.”

SF SKK El Nino Praha – TTC Sokah Hoboken 3-2

• Tomas KONECNY – Olav KOSOLOSKY 3-2 (8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 6-4)
• David REITSPIES – Quentin ROBINOT 1-3 (11-9, 5-11, 9-11, 7-11)
• Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA – Cedric FLEBUS 3-0 (11-2, 11-7, 11-5)
• Martin SIP – Quentin ROBINOT 1-3 (12-10, 8-11, 4-11, 4-11)
• David REITSPIES – Olav KOSOLOSKY 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-3)

TTC Sokah Hoboken – SF SKK El Nino Praha 0-3

• Quentin ROBINOT – Tomas KONECNY 0-3 (7-11, 8-11, 8-11)
• Olav KOSOLOSKY – David REITSPIES 2-3 (11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 2-6)
• Cedric FLEBUS – Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA 0-3 (2-11, 4-11, 2-11)

The post SF SKK El Nino Praha edge TTC Sokah Hoboken in dramatic Europe Cup quarterfinal first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

In the quarterfinal of the ETTU Europe Cup Women, TTC Novi Sad and SKST Plus Hodonín delivered one of the most dramatic ties of the round, with both legs going the full distance before the Czech side sealed the victory in a decisive golden match. After two legs played at maximum intensity and a nerve-testing golden match, SKST Plus Hodonín emerged as semifinalists, ending TTC Novi Sad’s spirited European campaign.

The opening leg in Hodonín went the way of the hosts, while Novi Sad responded in Serbia with a 3-2 victory to level the overall tie and force the shootout. Despite the Serbian club’s strong comeback, SKST Plus Hodonín held their nerve at the crucial moment to secure a place in the semifinals.

TTC Novi Sad started strongly, with Aneta MAKSUTI opening the tie in commanding fashion against Marketa SEVCIKOVA. Valeria SHCHERBATYKH then survived a tense five-game duel with Karin GROFOVA to put the home side in a promising position.

Hodonín answered through Zhang BINYUE and GROFOVA, who both claimed important wins to turn the score around. With elimination looming, SHCHERBATYKH produced a composed performance against SEVCIKOVA to clinch the match for Novi Sad and send the contest into a golden match.

In the sudden-death decider, the Czech team struck quickly. Zhang BINYUE defeated SHCHERBATYKH in the opening duel, and GROFOVA followed by overcoming MAKSUTI to seal qualification for SKST Plus Hodonín.

TTC Novi Sad – SKST Plus Hodonín 3-2

• Aneta MAKSUTI – Marketa SEVCIKOVA 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-8)
• Valeria SHCHERBATYKH – Karin GROFOVA 3-2 (11-5, 11-5, 11-13, 12-14, 6-5)
• Valeria KOTCYUR – Zhang BINYUE 1-3 (11-6, 7-11, 7-11, 11-13)
• Aneta MAKSUTI – Karin GROFOVA 1-3 (11-7, 4-11, 7-11, 8-11)
• Valeria SHCHERBATYKH – Marketa SEVCIKOVA 3-0 (11-3, 11-8, 11-8)

Golden match

TTC Novi Sad – SKST Plus Hodonín 0-2

• Valeria SHCHERBATYKH – Zhang BINYUE 0-1 (6-11)
• Aneta MAKSUTI – Karin GROFOVA 0-1 (5-11)

SKST Plus Hodonín – TTC Novi Sad 3-2

• Binyue ZHANG – Sara RADAK 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-4)
• Karin GROFOVA – Aneta MAKSUTI 1-3 (11-13, 11-9, 8-11, 10-12)
• Marketa SEVCIKOVA – Reka BEZEG 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-5)
• ZHANG Binyue – Aneta MAKSUTI 0-3 (3-11, 5-11, 9-11)
• Karin GROFOVA – Sara RADAK 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-5)

The post SKST Plus Hodonín beat TTC Novi Sad in dramatic golden match thriller first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

In the quarterfinal of the ETTU Europe Cup Women, top seeds KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg confirmed their favorites’ status with a composed 3-1 away victory over fourth-seeded Etival ASRTT. The Polish side, last year’s semifinalists and four-time champions, relied on their quality and experience to take firm control of the tie.

Etival ASRTT, last season’s quarterfinalists, lined up with strong individual credentials, led by Jieni SHAO (no. 9 in Europe) and Christina KALLBERG (no. 22 in Europe). However, Tarnobrzeg answered with an equally impressive roster featuring Ying HAN (no. 4 in Europe) and Xiaoxin YANG (no. 40 in Europe) and HE Zhuojia.

HAN Ying set the tone for the visitors by overturning the opening game deficit to defeat KALLBERG in four games. HE Zhuojia then delivered a dominant performance against SHAO to double Tarnobrzeg’s lead.

The hosts stayed in contention thanks to Liu YANGZI, who edged a dramatic five-game duel against YANG Xiaoxin. Any hopes of a comeback were quickly halted as HE Zhuojia returned to the table to overcome KALLBERG in straight games and seal a valuable away success.

“I’m happy with the win in the first match. My players were very focused and fought for every point. Now we look ahead to the return leg, where we are aiming for another victory and qualification for the Final Four, which will be held in Tarnobrzeg,” said coach Zbigniew NECEK.

Etival ASRTT – KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg 1-3

• Christina KALLBERG – Ying HAN 1-3 (11-8, 6-11, 7-11, 7-11)
• Jieni SHAO – Zhuojia HE 0-3 (6-11, 6-11, 6-11)
• Liu YANGZI – Xiaoxin YANG 3-2 (12-14, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7, 6-4)
• Christina KALLBERG – Zhuojia HE 0-3 (5-11, 4-11, 8-11)

The post Top seeds KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg underline status with strong win at Etival first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

Top seeds 1. FC Saarbrücken TT secured their place in the HYLO ETTU Champions League Final 4, but only after a dramatic home encounter with GV Hennebont TT that proved far more demanding than expected.

“It was a very tough match today and we really had to fight as a team. We showed that we are very difficult to beat, even on days when we are not playing at our very best. Now we are really looking forward to the Final Four at home. There will be a lot of spectators and it will be a big event for the table tennis world, and hopefully also something very special for Saarbrücken. We are extremely excited about it,” said MOREGARD.

Three-time champions and winners of both previous Final 4 tournaments, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT arrived with a comfortable 3-0 cushion from the away leg in France. Yet the return match turned into a tense battle that went the full distance, highlighted by two major upsets from Hennebont’s Simon GAUZY and Rubio WEN.

The French no. 11 in Europe, fresh from defeating Patrick FRANZISKA at the recent CCB Europe Top 16 Cup Round of 16, stunned the home crowd by beating Olympic champion Zhendong FAN in the fourth match. Earlier in the evening, FAN, the youngest world champion and reigning Olympic gold medalist, had already fallen to Rubio WEN in a five-game thriller, giving the visitors early momentum.

Despite the setbacks, Saarbrücken’s depth ultimately proved decisive. Europe’s no. 1 Truls MOREGARD, Olympic and World Championships runner up, restored order with a strong win over GAUZY, while Darko JORGIC, runner up at last week’s CCB Europe Top 16 Cup and no. 4 in Europe, overcame Vladimir SIDORENKO to keep the German side on track. MOREGARD then sealed the tie by defeating Lev KATSMAN in four games.

“I’m very happy that we qualified for the semifinal. From the very beginning we knew it would be an extremely tough match. The opening encounter surprised us a bit, especially Rubio’s win over Fan Zhendong, but Trus gave us a great start and brought us back into the tie. I knew my match would be decisive, so I stayed fully focused from start to finish and I think I played very well. I had lost to SIDORENKO in Muscat, so I’m especially happy that I was able to take my revenge for that defeat. We were aware that a difficult task awaited us in front of a full arena, and I’m very proud of the whole team. We are really looking forward to the semifinal and we hope we can win the trophy again this year, just as we did when we captured the Champions League title,”: said JORGIC.

Seeded seventh, Hennebont pushed the favorites to their limits and underlined their quality with fearless performances, especially from GAUZY. Nevertheless, Saarbrücken combined their away-leg advantage with key home victories to confirm their status as one of the main contenders for the title and advance to the HYLO ETTU Champions League Final 4.

1. FC Saarbrücken TT – GV Hennebont TT 3-2

• Zhendong FAN – Rubio WEN 2-3 (11-9, 11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 1-6)
• Truls MOREGARD – Simon GAUZY 3-1 (11-8, 11-13, 11-8, 11-4)
• Darko JORGIC – Vladimir SIDORENKO 3-1 (11-7, 12-10, 7-11, 11-8)
• Zhendong FAN – Simon GAUZY 2-3 (11-5, 9-11, 7-11, 11-3, 5-6)
• Truls MOREGARD – Lev KATSMAN 3-1 (11-6, 12-10, 10-12, 11-6)

GV Hennebont TT (FRA)-1. FC Saarbrücken TT (GER) 0-3

• Vladimir SIDORENKO-Truls MOREGARD 1-3 (8-11,11-9,4-11,10-12)
• Simon GAUZY-Zhendong FAN 2-3 (11-4,5-11,11-7,14-16,2-6)
• Lev KATSMAN-Patrick FRANZISKA 0-3 (8-11,8-11,11-13)

The post 1. FC Saarbrücken TT survive Hennebont scare to punch HYLO ETTU Champions League Final 4 ticket first appeared on European table tennis union.

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