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Also in doubles: Fulda book the final ticket to the 2026 Cup Final Four
In the deciding doubles, TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell edged TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau to claim the fourth and final berth at the Liebherr Cup Final Four on 4 January 2026 in Ulm/Neu-Ulm. The visitors from Grenzau put up far more resistance than in recent TTBL outings but couldn’t convert two singles wins by their top man, Feng Yi-Hsin, into an upset.
Four ties, four deciding doubles—that’s the headline over this season’s German Cup quarter-finals. Fulda were the last team to go the distance late on Monday night and can now plan for the year’s first showpiece. The victory over Grenzau sends the four-time Cup runners-up back to the final tournament for the first time since 2022.
Awaiting them are three TTBL sides who also kept their nerve: titleholders TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen (vs. Mühlhausen) and TTC OE Clarity-Telefonie Systeme Bad Homburg (vs. Borussia Düsseldorf) last week, as well as 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT (at SV Union Velbert) on Monday night—all three advanced via the doubles decider. The Liebherr Cup Final Four takes place on 4 January 2026 in Ulm/Neu-Ulm.
Grenzau coach Grujic: “I’m not entirely disappointed”
Grenzau now turn their focus back to the league, where two wins from nine see them second from bottom. Only a day earlier they had fallen heavily at home to Saarbrücken. “After yesterday’s 0–3 and a poor home performance, this was much better,” said coach Slobodan Grujic on Dyn. “I’m not entirely disappointed.”
One standout was Feng Yi-Hsin: the Taiwanese beat both Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Jonathan Groth, each in a fifth set. Fulda’s singles points came from Groth against Maciej Kubik (3:0) and Fanbo Meng against Samuel Walker (3:2). “At 1–1 overall, Sam Walker had his chance in the third set—he led 6–2, that was the turning point,” analysed Grujic. “Unfortunately he carried that disappointment a bit into the doubles. He’s actually a great doubles player and has won many big ones for us. Today it wasn’t to be.” Fulda’s pair Ovtcharov/Meng then sealed it comfortably in three against Martin Allegro/Samuel Walker.
Cup quarter-finals fixtures
TTC OE Clarity Telefonie-Systeme Bad Homburg – Borussia Düsseldorf 3:2
Jo Yokotani – Anton Källberg 3:1 (11:8, 11:6, 6:11, 11:9)
Ivor Ban – Dang Qiu 3:2 (6:11, 11:7, 5:11, 10:12, 13:11)
Csaba Andras – Kanak Jha 1:3 (12:10, 8:11, 2:11, 4:11)
Jo Yokotani – Dang Qiu 1:3 (9:11, 12:10, 6:11, 12:14)
Ban/Andras – Källberg/Haug 3:1 (13:11, 11:4, 8:11, 11:5)
TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – Post SV Mühlhausen 3:2
Shunsuke Togami – Ovidiu Ionescu 3:2 (11:5, 8:11, 11:7, 5:11, 11:6)
Tiago Abiodun – Kay Stumper 0:3 (9:11, 5:11, 8:11)
Andreas Levenko – Marcos Freitas 0:3 (9:11, 5:11, 10:12)
Shunsuke Togami – Kay Stumper 3:2 (7:11, 15:13, 12:10, 8:11, 11:9)
Levenko/Abiodun – Ionescu/Freitas 3:2 (4:11, 9:11, 16:14, 13:11, 11:5)
SV Union Velbert – 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT 2:3
Wim Verdonschot – Eduard Ionescu 3:1 (12:10, 11:9, 10:12, 13:11)
Timotius Köchling – Darko Jorgic 1:3 (13:11, 6:11, 6:11, 8:11)
Anton Limonov – Patrick Franziska 0:3 (5:11, 11:13, 9:11)
Wim Verdonschot – Darko Jorgic 3:2 (14:12, 11:8, 8:11, 4:11, 11:8)
Limonov/Köchling – Ionescu/Franziska 1:3 (11:9, 5:11, 3:11, 4:11)
TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau 3:2
Jonathan Groth – Maciej Kubik 3:0 (11:7, 13:11, 11:2)
Dimitrij Ovtcharov – Feng Yi-Hsin 2:3 (11:8, 12:10, 7:11, 7:11, 8:11)
Fanbo Meng – Samuel Walker 3:2 (7:11, 11:6, 11:8, 7:11, 11:2)
Jonathan Groth – Feng Yi-Hsin 2:3 (9:11, 11:7, 10:12, 11:8, 6:11)
Ovtcharov/Meng – Allegro/Walker 3:0 (11:4, 11:6, 11:9)
Picture: Fanbo Meng of TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell (Photo: Patrick Wichmann)
