Bundesliga

On Matchday 5 of the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL), Düsseldorf hosts a repeat of last year’s championship final as Borussia face titleholders Ochsenhausen, while in Bremen, fans eagerly await the arrival of superstar Fan Zhendong and league leaders Saarbrücken. All matches will be streamed live on Dyn.

Borussia Düsseldorf – TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen

A rematch of the TTBL Final: Record champions Borussia Düsseldorf welcome defending champions TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – but this time under completely different circumstances. After major roster changes and inconsistent starts, both teams sit level at 4:4 points in mid-table. Düsseldorf are aiming to celebrate their first home league win of the season after the defeat to Bremen. “A victory is incredibly important for us to stay in touch with the top, but of course that also applies to Ochsenhausen,” emphasized manager Andreas Preuß. The visitors arrive in good form: Since Shunsuke Togami’s season debut, Ochsenhausen have remained unbeaten, with Iulian Chirita and Tiago Abiodun also impressing. “The atmosphere within the team is great – we’ve been training with discipline and focus, which gives us confidence. Now we’re ready to take on the challenge,” said TTF player Andreas Levenko.

ASC Grünwettersbach – TSV Bad Königshofen

It’s a match with special emotion: ASC coach Kilian Ort faces his former club Bad Königshofen for the first time in his new role. While Grünwettersbach have enjoyed a dream start with 6:2 points, firmly establishing themselves among the TTBL’s top teams, Königshofen are still searching for their first win, sitting bottom of the table with 0:8 points. The hosts continue to rely on their proven trio: doubles world champion Hiroto Shinozuka, veteran Tiago Apolonia (4:1 record), and Ricardo Walther, who has recently shown strong form. Bad Königshofen, by contrast, are in transition after losing key players Jin Ueda and Martin Allegro over the summer. Veterans Bastian Steger, Daniel Habesohn, and Filip Zeljko rotate alongside rising German talent André Bertelsmeier – with mixed results. For Ort, the encounter carries an emotional note: after multiple injuries forced him to retire as a player in Königshofen, he now returns as a coach on the opposite bench.

SV Werder Bremen – 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT

The top clash of the round takes place in Bremen: SV Werder host league leaders 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT – and with them, three-time Olympic champion Fan Zhendong, the biggest name in the TTBL. “It’s something truly special for all of us to see a player of his caliber here in Bremen,” said team manager Sascha Greber, calling it a huge moment for the club. The sporting challenge could hardly be tougher: alongside Fan, Saarbrücken travel with Patrick Franziska and Darko Jorgic, both unbeaten this season (3:0 each). “We’re clear underdogs, but we’ll try to make the impossible possible – and for that, we’ll need to go beyond our limits,” explained Werder coach Cristian Tamas, who despite being level on points in the table, leaves no doubt about the roles. Still, Bremen – currently fourth – enter the match full of confidence after winning three of their first four games. The reigning Champions League winners from Saarbrücken, meanwhile, arrive at the Weser on the back of four straight victories across all competitions.

Post SV Mühlhausen – Borussia Dortmund

In-form meets out-of-form: While Mühlhausen, with three wins from four matches, sit among the top teams, Dortmund have slipped into the lower ranks after three straight losses. The Thuringians will again rely on their trusted core of Steffen Mengel and Marcos Freitas, both key point scorers early in the season. Dortmund, on the other hand, hope for the return of Anders Lind, who boasts a flawless 3:0 record. New signing Kristian Karlsson has already established himself as a leader. “He’s a fighter, always keeps morale high, and puts the team first,” praised department head Ursula Reitemeyer, who also admitted: “Without two top players in the lineup, you simply can’t win a match in the TTBL.”

TTC OE Clarity-Telefonie Systeme Bad Homburg – TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell

In the Hessian derby, Bad Homburg aim to carry the momentum from their first win of the season against Grenzau. Jo Yokotani has been outstanding so far with a 4:1 record and remains the team’s key performer, while Csaba Andras has recently contributed important points as well. Fulda, meanwhile, are seeking more consistency: after an impressive 3:0 win over Bad Königshofen, they fell to leaders Saarbrücken. Jonathan Groth has been their most reliable scorer, while Fanbo Meng and Ruwen Filus have yet to find steady form. Dimitrij Ovtcharov has won two of his three matches this season, continuing to be a central pillar of the Fulda lineup.

TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt

Yi-Hsin Feng is Grenzau’s man of hope – and he recently made headlines: at the WTT China Smash, the Taiwanese stunned world No. 8 and Bergneustadt ace Benedikt Duda with a clear 3:0 victory. Buoyed by that performance, Feng aims to reignite his TTBL form after a mixed 3:3 start to the season. For Grenzau, however, the situation is tense: since their opening win against Bad Königshofen, they have suffered three consecutive defeats and sit at 2:6 points near the bottom. Bergneustadt, on the other hand, have been one of the season’s positive surprises, winning three of four matches. Duda leads the team with a 4:2 record, supported by Romain Ruiz (3:1) and Adrien Rassenfosse (2:1).

Matchday 5 Fixtures

Sunday, October 5
2:00 p.m.: Borussia Düsseldorf – TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen
3:30 p.m.: ASC Grünwettersbach – TSV Bad Königshofen
5:00 p.m.: SV Werder Bremen – 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT

Monday, October 6
6:30 p.m.: Post SV Mühlhausen – Borussia Dortmund
7:00 p.m.: TTC OE Clarity-Telefonie Systeme Bad Homburg – TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell

Tuesday, October 7
7:00 p.m.: TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt

All matches will be streamed live on Dyn.

Picture: Anton Källberg of Borussia Düsseldorf (Photo: Borussia Düsseldorf)