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Former national player Patrick Baum returned to the TTBL stage at TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau in early November after around nine months away. In this interview, the former European vice-champion talks about his comeback, his plans for the future, and life in his adopted home of Russia.

Patrick Baum, you played your first TTBL match in more than nine months in TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau's 1-3 defeat at Werder Bremen. How did this appearance, which came as a surprise to outsiders, come about?

Yes, it came about because I always kept myself fit. I took part in many training courses, I trained throughout the summer, and because I always played well against Bremen and always won against Mattias Falck, I was selected. Grenzau let me know, and of course I was ready to play. I have a certain number of games in my contract and I am always ready to play for Grenzau. It may have come as a surprise to outsiders, but I play in the Bundesliga and am ready for every game.

In your singles match against Mattias Falck, you held your own against a former vice world champion and forced the Swede into a fifth set. How were you able to perform so well practically out of the blue?

I train twice a day and still have a wealth of experience, which means I am always ready to play and can adapt flexibly to any game situation. I have a very positive record against Mattias Falk and know exactly how he plays. I also played with him at GV Hennebont in France. I have already analyzed the match in detail. Unfortunately, something was missing, but next time I will try to improve and win.

Do you have ambitions to compete in the TTBL more often again?

Yes, I have ambitions to play in the Bundesliga. The Bundesliga is a very attractive league, the strongest league in Europe and perhaps even the strongest in the world. I find it very attractive and would very much like to continue playing in the Bundesliga.

After the match, you hinted at discussing an agreement with the TTC. What is that about?

The agreement with TTC Grenzau is about the future, which matches I will play and how things will continue. But we also talk in general terms about how the season will continue.

It is well known that you spend a lot of time in Russia and train at UMMC Ekaterinburg. Very few people know the background to this. Would you like to explain this situation in more detail?

My wife comes from near Ekaterinburg. We have been married since 2019, and the club is professionally run, which means that I have been training in Ekaterinburg for several years now. I really like it there and want to continue training there.

What else shapes your everyday life in Russia besides table tennis training?

Actually, I train twice a day, of course. Sometimes there are courses where you do additional fitness training or other things, such as running and serve training. My everyday life is also shaped by cultural and leisure activities. I really enjoy going to the opera, where there are world-class performances, or to the cinema or the zoo. I do lots of different things in Russia, and I also spend a lot of time with my family. When I'm in Germany, I like to go for walks or watch documentaries about animals, such as tropical birds.

Which players are you currently training with?

I train in Ekaterinburg with the club's best professionals. They have three teams in the first division, so there is a wide selection of players to train with. I sometimes train with younger players who are at a very good level for training, and in Germany I train with Grenzau players.

Is training alone enough for you most of the time?

At the moment, it's enough for me because I also have a lot of playing experience and therefore don't need to compete as much. It's definitely enough for me. In the future, however, I would like to have more playing practice and play more games, and I hope that will work out because I want to continue playing and improve my game and my overall skills. You can learn a lot from sport, for example, how to concentrate when the score is 2:2 or 9:9 and you have to focus on the next two important rallies. Sport allows you to gain a lot of experience for life.

As an athlete and as a person, how are you affected by the current tense situation caused by the war in Ukraine?

Like everyone else, I am naturally concerned and unsettled by this situation. I just hope for the best and that there will be peace soon. As an athlete, I train as usual and just go to the games.

How often and how long are you in Germany?

I'm actually in my home state of Rhineland-Palatinate very often. Sometimes in Grenzau, where I also train. I used to be in Heidelberg a lot when my wife was studying there. Table tennis meant that I traveled a lot from childhood, and that's still the case now.

Thank you very much for talking to us, Patrick Baum.

Interview: Florian Manzke