Bundesliga

To close out the first half of the TTBL season, 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT and record champions Borussia Düsseldorf served up a thriller in the Saarlandhalle in front of more than 3,000 spectators on Sunday. In the end, the hosts prevailed 3:2, moved past their direct rivals, and will winter in second place.

From the first rally, the atmosphere matched the stature of this TTBL classic. “For me, it was the best atmosphere I’ve experienced in Germany,” said Düsseldorf’s Kanak Jha on Dyn. DTTB performance director Richard Prause also spoke of the “enormous significance” of this “lighthouse event that carries table tennis.” More than 3,000 fans, many of them traveling specifically to see Fan Zhendong, were rewarded with a gripping top match.

On the table, Fan carried Saarbrücken for long stretches. The former world No. 1 gave Borgar Haug no chance in the opener (3:0) and then, despite dropping one game, kept his nerve against Jha to win 3:1 and keep the door open for a deciding doubles.

Jha beats Franziska, Meissner decisive in the doubles

Jha and Anton Källberg delivered Düsseldorf’s points, each in a fifth game. Källberg halted a late surge from Cedric Meissner, while Jha sprang a surprise before the interval by defeating Patrick Franziska. “We both struggled on the receive, serves were very important and there were few rallies. It was a 50:50 match. In the end I won and I’m very happy,” said the American.

In the deciding doubles, Franziska/Meissner defeated Källberg/Li Yongyin in four games. Meissner shaped the match with bold play and was rewarded after a strong overall performance. “A fantastic match from Cedric—singles or doubles, he has little to reproach himself for. In the doubles I told him he’s playing so well, he can do what he wants,” Franziska praised his partner.

The two title contenders thus swapped places: Saarbrücken winter as the first chasers of surprise autumn champions Werder Bremen in second, with Düsseldorf level on points in third. The break is short for FCS: the Liebherr German Cup Final Four awaits on 4 January in Ulm/Neu-Ulm. Düsseldorf resume league play on 11 January in another top clash against Bergneustadt.

Matchday 11 fixtures

TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – ASC Grünwettersbach 3:1
Shunsuke Togami – Tobias Hippler 3:0 (11:4, 11:9, 11:6)
Tiago Abiodun – Hiroto Shinozuka 1:3 (8:11, 12:10, 8:11, 9:11)
Iulian Chirita – Tiago Apolonia 3:0 (11:9, 11:9, 11:7)
Shunsuke Togami – Hiroto Shinozuka 3:0 (12:10, 11:7, 11:8)

TSV Bad Königshofen – Borussia Dortmund 2:3
Bastian Steger – Kristian Karlsson 3:2 (11:3, 11:9, 11:4, 10:12, 13:11)
Daniel Habesohn – Anders Lind 2:3 (11:7, 6:11, 11:7, 5:11, 8:11)
Filip Zeljko – Adam Szudi 1:3 (5:11, 11:6, 10:12, 4:11)
Bastian Steger – Anders Lind 3:0 (15:13, 11:8, 11:5)
Zeljko/Habesohn – Karlsson/Szudi 2:3 (9:5, 5:11, 11:9, 11:8, 5:11)

TTC OE Clarity-Tel. Syst. Bad Homburg – TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt 3:1
Jo Yokotani – Leo de Nodrest 3:0 (12:10, 11:3, 11:3)
Juan Perez – Benedikt Duda 3:0 (11:5, 11:8, 11:9)
Ivor Ban – Romain Ruiz 0:3 (4:11, 6:11, 9:11)
Jo Yokotani – Adrien Rassenfosse 3:1 (11:4, 11:7, 5:11, 11:7)

1. FC Saarbrücken TT – Borussia Düsseldorf 3:2
Fan Zhendong – Borgar Haug 3:0 (11:2, 11:5, 12:10)
Patrick Franziska – Kanak Jha 2:3 (11:4, 4:11, 6:11, 11:9, 8:11)
Cedric Meissner – Anton Källberg 2:3 (8:11, 13:15, 12:10, 12:10, 8:11)
Fan Zhendong – Kanak Jha 3:1 (11:3, 6:11, 11:5, 11:5)
Franziska/Meissner – Källberg/Li 3:1 (11:13, 12:10, 11:9, 11:9)

Sunday, 21 December – 17:00: Post SV Mühlhausen – SV Werder Bremen

Monday, 22 December – 19:00: TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell

All matches are live on Dyn.

Picture: Fan Zhendong of 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT (Foto: Ulrich Höfer)