Pokal

The Leapmotor Cup Grand Opening is in full swing and has already delivered its first major surprise: TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen has eliminated Borussia Düsseldorf and Fan Zhendong and advanced to the quarterfinals. Also moving on to the next round are TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell, SV Werder Bremen, and SV Union Velbert II. The action continues today, Saturday, with the second session starting at 3 p.m. The entire event will be broadcast live on Dyn.

The first four teams are just one step away from advancing to the Liebherr Cup Final4: TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen, TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell, SV Werder Bremen, and SV Union Velbert II secured their spots in the quarterfinals of the German Table Tennis Cup on Saturday afternoon. At the premiere of the Leapmotor Cup Grand Opening, the Fulda team celebrated the first victory of the day: The East Hessians defeated SV Union Velbert 3–1 and had Fanbo Meng to thank for the win. The TTC’s homegrown talent defeated Yoan Velichkov and Borgar Haug 3–0 each, becoming the match winner.

The big surprise came a short time later at the next table: TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen defeated record champion Borussia Düsseldorf 3-1 in the top match. The match was decided in a thrilling top singles match: Shunsuke Togami led 2-0 in sets against Fan Zhendong, but the Olympic champion fought his way back, and the match went into a tiebreaker in the fifth set—where Togami struck. With the two-time world champion’s 3–2 victory over Fan, Düsseldorf’s elimination was sealed. Earlier, Togami had already defeated Anton Källberg (3–0), and Iulian Chirita also celebrated a win over Dang Qiu (3–2). In the quarterfinals on Sunday, Ochsenhausen will face Fulda.

Bremen and Velbert II celebrate in doubles

The other two Round of 16 matches both went all the way to the doubles. In an all-TTBL matchup, SV Werder Bremen prevailed 3-2 over TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt. After Mattias Karlsson had already won his singles match (3-1 against Romain Ruiz), he and Irvin Bertrand went on to win the doubles as well (3-1 against Ruiz/Cedric Meissner). On the table next to them, SV Union Velbert II celebrated a 3–2 victory over ASC Grünwettersbach II. Karl Walter and Noah Hersel secured the third-division team’s spot in the quarterfinals with a 3–2 doubles win over Damian Floro and Adrian Gossow. Bremen and Velbert II will now face off on Sunday at 3 p.m.

The action continues immediately afterward at the Leapmotor Cup Grand Opening: The remaining four round-of-16 matches begin at 3 p.m. Among others, defending champion 1. FC Saarbrücken TT, featuring Hugo Calderano, will face TTC immoXone Bietigheim-Bissingen. This match and all others will be broadcast live on Dyn.

Leapmotor Cup Grand Opening at a glance

Round of 16

TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – Borussia Düsseldorf 3:1
Shunsuke Togami – Anton Källberg 3:0 (11:8, 11:8, 11:6)
Darius Movileanu – Fan Zhendong 1:3 (4:11, 13:11, 8:11, 2:11)
Iulian Chirita – Dang Qiu 3:2 (13:11, 11:13, 11:9, 8:11, 11:8)
Shunsuke Togami – Fan Zhendong 3:2 (11:4, 11:8, 8:11, 9:11, 13:11)

TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – SV Union Velbert 3:1
Fanbo Meng – Yoan Velichkov 3:0 (13:11, 12:10, 11:3)
Jonathan Groth – Borgar Haug 3:0 (11:6, 11:8, 11:9)
Dimitrij Ovtcharov – Rogelio Castro 2:3 (9:11, 11:1, 11:7, 7:11, 6:11)
Fanbo Meng – Borgar Haug 3:0 (11:8, 12:10, 11:6)

SV Union Velbert II – ASC Grünwettersbach II 3:2
Anton Limonov – Adrian Gossow 3:0 (11:7, 11:6, 11:9)
Karl Walter – Florian Bluhm 1:3 (11:7, 6:11, 6:11, 4:11)
Timotius Köchling – Damian Floro 3:2 (11:9, 11:8, 9:11, 7:11, 13:11)
Anton Limonov – Florian Bluhm 1:3 (10:12, 5:11, 11:9, 8:11)
Karl Walter/Noah Hersel – Damian Floro/Adrian Gossow 3:2 (13:11, 7:11, 8:11, 11:9, 11:5)

TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt – SV Werder Bremen 2:3
Benedikt Duda – Irvin Bertrand 3:0 (11:5, 11:9, 11:5)
Adrien Rassenfosse – Kirill Gerassimenko 2:3 (11:6, 7:11, 11:4, 3:11, 12:14)
Romain Ruiz – Mattias Karlsson 1:3 (5:11, 11:5, 5:11, 9:11)
Benedikt Duda – Kirill Gerassimenko 3:1 (11:6, 11:6, 8:11, 11:6)
Romain Ruiz/Cedric Meissner – Mattias Karlsson/Irvin Bertrand 1:3 (6:11, 8:11, 11:9, 7:11)

Saturday, August 29
3 p.m.:
Game 5: TTC immoXone Bietigheim-Bissingen – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT
Game 6: ASC Grünwettersbach – Post SV Mühlhausen
Game 7: TTC OE Clarity-Telefonie Systeme Bad Homburg – TSV Bad Königshofen
Game 8: Borussia Dortmund – TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau

Quarterfinals

Sunday, August 3o
11 a.m.:
Winner game 5 – Winner game 6
Winner game 7 – Winner game 8

3 p.m.:
TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell
SV Union Velbert II – SV Werder Bremen

All matches will be broadcast live on Dyn.

Header photo: TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen's Shunsuke Togami (by BeLa Sportfoto)