A strong Kubik is not enough - Düsseldorf wins in Grenzau
In the late game of the fourth matchday, the outsiders from Grenzau failed to spring a surprise against record champions Düsseldorf in front of their home crowd. With four defeats from four games, the TTC is currently in second-last place in the table.
A poor start to the season does not necessarily mean anything. Last year, TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau also got off to a slow start in the league (one win from four games). Towards the end of last season, the Westerwald team shook up the Bundesliga and stayed in a play-off position for a long time.
Dang Qiu keeps strong Kubik at bay
The home side got off to a perfect start in the match. Maciej Kubik - who was responsible for two thirds of his team's points - beat Borgar Haug in three sets. In an interview after the match, Qiu attributed Haug's defeat to the hardships of travelling, without wishing to diminish Kubik's performance.
It was Dang Qiu who equalised before the break against anti-top newcomer Luka Mladenovic. In sets three and four, the Luxembourger in Grenzau kit had no chance. When Anton Källberg lived up to his role as favourite against Samuel Walker, Qiu had the chance to decide the match with his second singles point. The Pole Kubik did not make it easy for him. The second set in particular was hard-fought (18:16 in Qiu's favour).
For Düsseldorf, the next away game continues on Friday (11 October, 7 p.m.). It will be a repeat of last year's final for the TTBL crown in Saarbrücken. Grenzau, on the other hand, have a much longer break. The TTC will not be back in action until after the European Championships in Linz (15.10. - 20.10.) on 1 November in Bremen.
Comments on the game:
Dang Qiu (Borussia Düsseldorf): ‘The overall performance today was good. We travelled here with the aim of picking up two points. That's very important in the current situation because many teams are playing very well. Every point is important, the play-off places are hotly contested. I'm very happy with my own performance. I scored two points against two very good players. I cancelled the China Smash because I wasn't fully fit.’
Click here for the current table: https://www.ttbl.de/bundesliga/table/
Overview of the match
TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – Borussia Düsseldorf 1:3
Maciej Kubik – Borgar Haug 3:0 (11:7, 11:4, 11:7)
Luka Mladenovic – Dang Qiu 1:3 (9:11, 11:7, 3:11, 2:11)
Samuel Walker – Anton Källberg 0:3 (3:11, 6:11, 7:11)
Maciej Kubik – Dang Qiu 1:3 (4:11, 16:18, 11:9, 9:11)
Text: Philipp Wohlfart
Featured image above: Dang Qiu from Borussia Düsseldorf (Photo: Jörg Fuhrmann)