Bundesliga

ASC Grünwettersbach is still waiting for its first win in the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL). In the Baden-Württemberg derby, the bottom-ranked team suffered a decisive 0-3 loss to TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen. While the visitors celebrated an important away win, the pressure is mounting for the home team in the relegation battle. TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau, on the other hand, secured a narrow 3-2 away win at TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell, thereby securing their place in the league ahead of schedule.

Iizuka decides spectacular opener

The match kicked off with a highly dramatic showdown between Tom Jarvis and Leonardo Iizuka. In a hard-fought match that went the full distance, Iizuka showed nerves of steel in the deciding set, fending off three match points and securing his second win of the season with a 13-11 victory in the fifth set. This put his team on track early on.

Walther falls short after a strong start

Ricardo Walther got off to a perfect start against Andreas Levenko and won the first set convincingly. However, the match subsequently swung in favor of the Ochsenhausen player. Levenko found his rhythm as the match went on, increased the pressure, and barely allowed Walther’s creative style of play to unfold. By winning three sets in a row, the Austrian ultimately secured a 3-1 victory.

Chirita Seals the Away Victory

The third singles match also turned into a thrilling duel: Tiago Apolonia won the first set but then lost momentum. Iulian Chirita found his rhythm as the match went on and took the next three sets. The 20-year-old had already announced his contract extension with Ochsenhausen a week earlier and sealed the away victory with his 3-1 win.

The disappointment among the hosts was clearly palpable afterward. “We’re all in shock right now and had expected today’s match to go differently,” Walther explained. The team’s personnel situation, in particular, continues to cause problems: “We’ve only been able to field a full team twice in the second half of the season; someone is missing every week, and the pressure is mounting on the players at the table.”

The battle to avoid relegation is heating up

Walther also had clear words to say about the team’s position in the standings: “These days, we’re talking more about the second division than about the Table Tennis Bundesliga. We’re determined to stay in this division, but to do that, we need the full depth of our roster.”

With this victory, TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen solidifies its position in the middle of the standings and demonstrates once again that the young team remains competitive even without top player Togami. For ASC Grünwettersbach, the situation continues to worsen: In their next match against direct rival TSV Bad Königshofen, they must secure points to stay in the relegation battle.

Fulda-Maberzell and Grenzau deliver 3.5 hours of top-level table tennis

Ruwen Filus opened the match against Grenzaus’ Luka Mladenovic with a highly complex battle of playing styles. Filus relied on his signature long pimples on his backhand, while Mladenovic used an anti-spin rubber. After five hard-fought sets, Mladenovic narrowly prevailed 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 11-7. The match was a masterclass in equipment strategy, where the smallest details determined victory or defeat.

Meng Gets Revenge

Fanbo Meng evened the score at 1-1 in the second singles match. The 25-year-old defeated Yi-Hsin Feng in three straight sets (11-6, 11-9, 11-5), thus reversing the result of the first leg, which he had lost to Feng by the narrowest of margins in the fifth set.

Groth Wins in Dramatic Fashion

Jonathan Groth and Martin Allegro then delivered a high-quality duel between two left-handers. Groth fended off six match points in the fifth set and prevailed 18–16. The spectators witnessed an emotionally charged singles match that impressively reflected the tension of the game.

Afterward, Ruwen Filus was unable to replicate his performance from the first leg against Yi-Hsin Feng. The Fulda defensive player stood no chance this time and lost in straight sets 0-3 (6-11, 7-11, 8-11). Feng dominated from the start and set his team up for the final doubles match.

Doubles Decides the Match

In the final doubles match, Meng/Groth faced Mladenovic/Allegro. Fulda’s left-handed pairing was up against a left-right combination from Westerwald. Despite a strong performance, Meng and Groth suffered a narrow 2-3 defeat. Mladenovic set up plays with tactical cleverness, and Allegro played with power.
Mladenovic commented after the match: “We just arrived fresh from the state championships and already had a lot of matches over the weekend. I left everything I had on the court today. I’m overjoyed that I was able to help the team.”

Grenzau Secures League Status

With this narrow 3-2 victory and its fourth consecutive win, TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau has secured its place in the league ahead of schedule. TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell has also secured its spot in the TTBL.

Matchday 19 at a glance

ASC Grünwettersbach – TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen 0:3
Tom Jarvis – Leonardo Iizuka 2:3 (9:11, 7:11, 11:5, 11:8, 11:13)
Ricardo Walther – Andreas Levenko 1:3 (11:5, 8:11, 7:11, 6:11)
Tiago Apolonia – Iulian Chirita 1:3 (16:14, 9:11, 4:11, 7:11)

TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau 2:3
Ruwen Filus – Luka Mladenovic 2:3 (11:8, 11:8, 8:11, 8:11, 7:11)
Fanbo Meng – Yi-Hsin Feng 3:0 (11:6, 11:9, 11:5)
Jonathan Groth – Martin Allegro 3:2 (13:15, 11:4, 11:9, 6:11, 18:16)
Ruwen Filus – Yi-Hsin Feng 0:3 (6:11, 7:11, 8:11)
Fanbo Meng/Jonathan Groth – Luka Mladenovic/Martin Allegro 2:3 (11:3, 5:11, 9:11, 11:9, 6:11)

Tuesday, March 24
6:30 p.m.: Post SV Mühlhausen – TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt
7:00 p.m.: Borussia Dortmund – SV Werder Bremen

Wednesday, March 25
6:30 p.m.: Borussia Düsseldorf – TSV Bad Königshofen
7:00 PM: TTC OE Clarity-Telefonie Systeme Bad Homburg – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT

All matches will be broadcast live on Dyn.

You can find the current Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) standings here.

Featured image above: Martin Allegro - TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau (Photo: Wolfgang Heil).