Bad Königshofen settles into third place

TSV Bad Königshofen put down a big marker in the battle for a play-off spot on match day 14 of the German Table Tennis League (TTBL). With their 3:2 win at TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen, Bastian Steger and Co. kept their rivals at bay and consolidated third place in the table.

Hugo Calderano had expected "a lot of excitement in this important duel" before the match. After all, both his TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen and TSV Bad Königshofen are right in the thick of the race for the play-offs. And the TTF top player was right in his prediction: The two teams fought a top-class table tennis battle for almost four hours on Saturday evening, with the visitors celebrating the important victory in the end. With the 3:2 victory, Bad Königshofen fended off the four-time German champions' attack on third place and at the same time consolidated their position in the top four.

Thanks to their third win in a row, the club from Lower Franconia now has 16:10 points and is four points clear of fifth place for the time being. "It didn't look good for us at all at the start. We're all the happier to have won in the end," said Bad Königshofen's Bastian Steger afterwards and added with a view to the table: "We're in a really, really good position now. We play in Saarbrücken next week, which will of course be another extremely difficult game. But in the form we're in at the moment, we don't have to be afraid of any opponent." Ochsenhausen, on the other hand, plummeted down the table and, with 12:14 points, is now only eighth behind four teams with 12:12 points each. It was the second defeat in a row for the TTF, who had lost 3:2 at 1. FSV Mainz 05 six days earlier.

Bastian Steger provides the turning point

Looking at the line-up, it was already clear before the match how much importance was attached to the encounter in Ochsenhausen. With Hugo Calderano and Simon Gauzy, the Swabians sent their two superstars into the race. And both delivered immediately: Calderano clinched the opening victory with a 3:1 (11:3, 14:12, 9:11, 11:6) against Filip Zeljko. Gauzy then made his mark with a 3:0 (11:8, 11:8, 11:7) win against Jin Ueda. The TTF were 2:0 ahead at the break.

The pressure on Bastian Steger was correspondingly high in the third match. But Bad Königshofen's veteran held out: With a 3:2 (11:6, 6:11, 10:12, 11:9, 11:8) against Samuel Kulczycki, Steger made the top singles match possible, and in this match Ueda showed that he had recovered well from his defeat a good hour earlier. The winter newcomer fought off Calderano 3:1 (17:15, 7:11, 11:8, 11:7) to level the match for the visitors. It was Ueda's third win in his fifth TTBL singles match. And the top singles also went to Bad Königshofen: Steger and Zeljko needed a set, but then had Gauzy and Kulczycki relatively well under control. With the 3:2 (6:11, 11:7, 11:9, 8:11, 11:9), TSV's away win was perfect.

The table tennis Bundesliga continues on Sunday, February 4, with two matches. Borussia Düsseldorf will play TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt from 1 p.m., followed by a clash between TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau and 1. FSV Mainz 05 from 4 p.m. 1. FC Saarbrücken TT had already won 3-0 against TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell on Friday. The 14th matchday will conclude on Monday, February 5, with the game between SV Werder Bremen and Post SV Mühlhausen. All TTBL matches will be broadcast live on Dyn .

Overview of the 14th matchday

1. FC Saarbrücken-TT – TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell 3:0
Eduard Ionescu – Thibault Poret 3:2 (3:11, 15:13, 5:11, 11:3, 11:7)
Patrick Franziska – Ruwen Filus 3:0 (11:6, 11:2, 11:2)
Darko Jorgic – Fanbo Meng 3:0 (18:16, 11:8, 11:5) 

TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – TSV Bad Königshofen 2:3
Hugo Calderano – Filip Zeljko 3:1 (11:3, 14:12, 9:11, 11:6)
Simon Gauzy – Jin Ueda 3:0 (11:8, 11:8, 11:7)
Samuel Kulczycki – Bastian Steger 2:3 (6:11, 11:6, 12:10, 9:11, 8:11)
Hugo Calderano – Jin Ueda 1:3 (15:17, 11:7, 8:11, 7:11)
Simon Gauzy/Samuel Kulczycki – Bastian Steger/Filip Zeljko 2:3 (11:6, 7:11, 9:11, 11:8, 9:11)

Sunday, 4. February
1 p.m.: TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt – Borussia Düsseldorf
4 p.m.: TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – 1. FSV Mainz 05 

Monday, 5. February
7 p.m.: SV Werder Bremen – Post SV Mühlhausen

Featured image above: Bastian Steger from Bad Königshofen (Photo: Patrick Wichmann)