Bundesliga

1. FSV Mainz 05 celebrates an important home win on matchday 15 of the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL). Against table neighbors TTC Rhönsprudel Fulda-Maberzell, the 05ers prevailed 3-2 in the final double in their own hall and moved past the new bottom team Fulda in the table.

After a long dry spell, both Mainz 05 and Fulda were finally able to score points in the last few weeks. With three wins each and 6:20 points under their belt, both teams are still in the far south of the table, but of course have not given up the fight against relegation. The winner of today's game was not only able to relegate their direct opponents to the relegation zone, but also took a big step towards staying in the league.

The hosts got to work with corresponding commitment right from the start. Rares Sipos defeated Fanbo Meng in five hard-fought sets in a game at eye level, before Luka Mladenovic was able to extend the hosts' lead against Chih-Yuan Chuang. Fulda had its back to the wall and urgently needed a win. And Ruwen Filus delivered. Carlo Rossi kept the game open for five rounds, but ultimately had to congratulate defensive strategist Filus on 11:9 in the deciding set. Fulda was back in the game.

Chih-Yuan Chuang has strong nerves

And it stayed that way even after the fourth and final single of the day, albeit in a dramatic way. After leading the set 1-0, Chih-Yuan Chuang was faced with a match point for Rares Sipos at 9:10 in set four, fended it off and saved himself in set five with the last of his strength. Here too, Mainz was only one ball short of winning the match, but failed to achieve a 10:7 lead and two leads in extra time. Chuang, on the other hand, converted his second match point to make it 15:13. Score after four singles: 2:2. The doubles had to bring the decision.
Cheers in Mainz

Like three of the four previous singles, this double also went the full distance. Relatively clear set wins alternated on both sides, so the decision had to be made in the fifth round. And in the end it was the hosts who celebrated, confidently reaching the finish line with a 4-0 run at 4-5. Final score: 3:2 for Mainz. The rest was cheers in red and white.

Voices about the game

Ruwen Filus, TTC Rhönsprudel Fulda-Maberzell: “Congratulations to Mainz. We simply started the game too badly. After the 0:2 it was of course difficult. Mainz was simply braver than us today. Our doubles is an example of this, in which we simply played too passively after the break in the fifth set. But we still have a few games left and we will keep fighting."

Carlo Rossi, 1. FSV Mainz 05: “It’s great that we won today. We really wanted it and in the end we deserved it, I think. It's just incredibly fun to be alongside Luka. Winning in doubles with him is simply more fun than in singles.”

World Cup break in the TTBL

TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen and SV Werder Bremen will end the 15th matchday on Sunday from 1 p.m. before many TTBL players head to Korea for the team world championship.

Overview of matchday 15

1. FSV Mainz 05 - TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell 3:2
Rares Sipos - Fanbo Meng 3:2 (7:11, 16:14, 4:11, 11:9, 11:8)
Luka Mladenovic - Chih-Yuan Chuang 3:1 (11:7, 9:11, 11:6, 13:11)
Carlo Rossi - Ruwen Filus 2:3 (11:7, 7:11, 7:11, 11:9, 9:11)
Rares Sipos - Chih-Yuan Chuang 2:3 (10:12, 11:5, 11:8, 10:12, 13:15)
Mladenovic/Rossi - Filus/Meng 3:2 (11:8, 3:11, 11:8, 5:11, 11:8)

ASV Grünwettersbach - TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt 3:2
Tiago Apolonia - Benedikt Duda 3:1 (9:11, 11:7, 11:7, 12:10)
Deni Kozul - Romain Ruiz 2:3 (18:16, 10:12, 7:11, 11:6, 10:12)
Ricardo Walther - Adrien Rassenfosse 3:0 (11:4, 12:10, 11:5)
Tiago Apolonia - Romain Ruiz 0:3 (9:11, 10:12, 7:11)
Kozul/Walther - Rassenfosse/Duda 3:0 (11:4, 11:7, 11:5)

1.FC Saarbrücken-TT - TSV Bad Königshofen 3:0
Darko Jorgic - Filip Zeljko 3:2 (7:11, 4:11, 13:11, 13:11, 11:8)
Eduard Ionescu - Jin Ueda 3:2 (11:9, 8:11, 7:11, 11:4, 11:4)
Patrick Franziska - Martin Allegro 3:0 (11:8, 11:9, 11:7)

Borussia Düsseldorf - Post SV Mühlhausen 3:0
Anton Källberg - Irvin Bertrang 3:1 (11:7, 6:11, 11:7, 11:9)
Kay Stumper - Ovidiu Ionescu 3:1 (11:4, 11:9, 10:12, 11:6)
Timo Boll - Steffen Mengel 3:2 (10:12, 12:10, 9:11, 11:7, 11:6)

Sunday February 11th, 2024
1 pm: TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen - SV Werder Bremen

All games will be broadcast live on Dyn.

Featured image: Rares Sipos (Photo: 1. FSV Mainz 05)