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pell broken, mid-table in sight: To open Matchday 6 of the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL), TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen defeated the relegation-threatened visitors TTC OE Clarity-Telefonie Systeme Bad Homburg 3–0. For the defending champions, it was their first win of the season without top player Shunsuke Togami.

In the absence of the Japanese star, who picked up a minor injury at the Asian Championships, rising talent Iulian Chirița moved into the spotlight. The Romanian, fresh off a European silver medal with his national team, had to work hard against the free-swinging Ivor Ban to live up to his favourite’s tag. In a tense, attractive contest, the Ochsenhausen player prevailed in the deciding game and then whipped the crowd into a frenzy.

Abiodun arrives in the Bundesliga
Ochsenhausen’s No. 2 and No. 3, Andreas Levenko and Tiago Abiodun, had fewer problems. The Portuguese in particular delighted the home crowd with his first TTBL victory: against Bad Homburg’s strongest player, Csaba Andras, Abiodun impressed in a four-game win and visibly broke the Hungarian’s resistance towards the end. Before the interval, Bad Homburg’s Juan Perez could only truly trouble Levenko in the opening game and lost 0–3.

The strong performances by the young core around Chirița are emblematic of the path TTF intend to take this season as they rebuild after winning the league and the cup. “It was also a chance for the young players to play. I said at the start of the season that they would definitely develop, and they showed that today,” said TTF head coach Bogdan Pugna on Dyn after the match.

Bad Homburg face a key clash
The defeat dropped Bad Homburg to the bottom of the table for the time being, and they risk losing touch with their rivals early in the season. With only two points from six matches, the Hessians are under pressure. Up next is a pivotal fixture: on 11 October, former bottom club TSV Bad Königshofen visit the Wingert Sporthalle.
The Tischtennisfreunde now sit on 6:6 points and were eighth on Friday evening. Ochsenhausen travel to Post SV Mühlhausen on 13 October.

Before that, the TTBL continues over the weekend: on Saturday the traditional duel between TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau and Borussia Düsseldorf takes place, before the remaining four fixtures follow on Sunday, including 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT’s home match against Post SV Mühlhausen.

Matchday 6 Fixtures

TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – TTC OE Clarity-Telefonie Systeme Bad Homburg 3–0
Iulian Chirița – Ivor Ban 3–2 (5:11, 11:6, 11:13, 11:6, 11:4)
Andreas Levenko – Juan Perez 3–0 (11:9, 11:5, 11:8)
Tiago Abiodun – Csaba Andras 3–1 (11:9, 10:12, 12:10, 11:6)

Saturday, 25 October
6 p.m.: TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – Borussia Düsseldorf

Sunday, 26 October
2 p.m.: 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT – Post SV Mühlhausen
3:30 p.m.: TSV Bad Königshofen – SV Werder Bremen
5 p.m.: TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – ASC Grünwettersbach
6 p.m.: Borussia Dortmund – TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt

Header image: Iulian Chirita of TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen (Photo: Vinzenz Bendel)