International

Borussia Düsseldorf has taken the first step toward reaching the Champions League quarterfinals. On Thursday evening, the record champion of the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) won 3-1 at AS Pontoise Cergy TT.

Thanks to this first-leg victory, Borussia Düsseldorf is now in a strong position heading into the second leg. That match will take place on December 18 (7 p.m.) at the ARAG CenterCourt. “It was a hard-fought match,” said Borussia coach Danny Heister about the game at AS Pontoise Cergy TT. “We’re looking forward to the next match and hope to achieve another positive result in Düsseldorf.”

After the first two singles matches, the German record champions were on the road to victory on Thursday. Kanak Jha secured an unchallenged 3-0 win over Jules Cavaille, and Dang Qiu’s 3-1 victory over Flavio Mourier was only marginally more competitive. Anton Källberg could have sealed the straight-sets victory in the third match; he was leading 2-1 in sets against former TTBL player Mihai Bobocica at one point, but ultimately lost 2-3. Qiu then secured the victory for Düsseldorf with a 3-0 win over Cavaille.

On Friday evening, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT will also take the court: The defending champion faces Lille Metropole TT at 7:30 p.m. and is also looking to take the first step toward the quarterfinals.

Champions League at a glance

Round of 16

First Legs

AS Pontoise Cergy TT – Borussia Düsseldorf 1:3
Jules Cavaille – Kanak Jha 0:3 (8:11, 2:11, 11:13)
Flavio Mourier – Dang Qiu 1–3 (9–11, 11–9, 4–11, 7–11)
Mihai Bobocica – Anton Källberg 3–2 (11–9, 10–12, 5–11, 11–9, 6–4)
Jules Cavaille – Dang Qiu 0:3 (2:11, 5:11, 4:11)

Friday, 7:30 p.m.: Lille Metropole TT – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT

Second Legs

December 18, 7:00 p.m.: Borussia Düsseldorf – AS Pontoise Cergy TT
December 20, 1:00 p.m.: 1. FC Saarbrücken TT – Lille Metropole TT

Header photo: Borussia Düsseldorf's Dang Qiu (by Bela Sportfoto)