Champions League: Düsseldorf and Saarbrücken reach the final
Borussia Düsseldorf won the semi-final thriller against TTC Neu-Ulm 3:2 and made it to the final of the Champions League (TTCLM) in the Golden Match. There, the six-time champion will meet 1. FC Saarbrücken TT, who also won the second leg against Post SV Mühlhausen 3:1 on Sunday.
In the end, a premiere took place in Düsseldorf: After TTC Neu-Ulm had won the semi-final first leg 3:2, Borussia Düsseldorf now prevailed with the same result in the second leg on Sunday. For the first time in the history of the Champions League (TTCLM), the match went to the Golden Match - and in this match, Düsseldorf prevailed again. Anton Källberg (13:11 against Tomokazu Harimoto) and Dang Qiu (11:8 against Truls Möregardh) ensured that the record champion of the German Table Tennis League (TTBL) reached the final.
In the final, Borussia will face 1. FC Saarbrücken TT, who beat Post SV Mühlhausen 3:1 in the second leg. FCS had already won the first leg with this result. Thus it comes now to the remake of the final of the season 2020/21, at that time the Düsseldorfer prevailed with 3:1.
"That was advertising for our sport"
"It was a great performance from everyone. Everyone fought for every ball, and I'm really proud of the team," Düsseldorf coach Danny Heister said after the team made it to the final. "This was an intense and nerve-wracking game and an advertisement for our sport."
Before the golden match, Düsseldorf and Neu-Ulm played an unparalleled table tennis thriller. 24 of the possible 25 sets were needed before the 3:2 victory of Borussia was certain. At first, Borussia even had the chance to win quickly: Källberg beat Dimitrij Ovtcharov 3:2 (11:5, 11:7, 8:11, 4:11, 6:4), then Qiu added a 3:2 (11:8, 4:11, 11:9, 5:11, 6:5) against Harimoto for a 2:0 lead. Timo Boll thus had the chance to make it 3-0, but Möregardh fended off the 41-year-old's match points and eventually won 3-2 (11-6, 9-11, 6-11, 18-16, 6-4). Harimoto, who won 3:2 (4:11, 10:12, 11:5, 11:8, 6:3) against Källberg after trailing 0:2 in the first set, ensured the equalizer. Qiu, however, rescued Dusseldorf into the Golden Match with a 3:1 (17:15, 11:13, 11:9, 11:4) win over Ovtcharov.
"This was a match of equals," Qiu noted. "All the matches were tremendously close. But the joy is huge, and I'm just happy. I was already completely flattened after the first two matches." TTC coach Dmitrij Mazunov explained, "Truls Möregardh brought us back into the match. We came back, equalized and had all the chances to win. But that's just the way sports are. Everything is possible."
Jorgic keeps his nerve twice in the deciding set
It was less exciting for the 1st FC Saarbrücken TT, who repeated their 3:1 first leg win against Mulhouse. Darko Jorgic once again showed strong nerves: he had already won in the first leg in the shortened deciding set against Ovidiu Ionescu, and he repeated this success on Sunday. With the 3:2 (11:7, 10:12, 10:12, 11:8, 6:1) against Ionescu, the Saarbrücken success was perfect. Before that, Jorgic had already defeated Kim Taehyun in the deciding set 6:5 for 3:2 (8:11, 11:4, 5:11, 11:8, 6:5).
Patrick Franziska provided the break and thus the early decision on the final: The world number 13 fought Ionescu down 3:1 (11:13, 12:10, 13:11, 11:5). For Mühlhausen, Daniel Habesohn cut the gap to 1:2 with his 3:2 (11:6, 10:12, 6:11, 11:9, 6:1) victory over Takuya Jin.
The TTCLM semifinals in overview
Second leg Borussia Düsseldorf – TTC Neu-Ulm 3:2
Anton Källberg – Dimitrij Ovtcharov 3:2 (11:5, 11:7, 8:11, 4:11, 6:4)
Dang Qiu – Tomokazu Harimoto 3:2 (11:8, 4:11, 11:9, 5:11, 6:5)
Timo Boll – Truls Möregardh 2:3 (6:11, 11:9, 11:6, 16:18, 4:6)
Anton Källberg – Tomokazu Harimoto 2:3 (11:4, 12:10, 5:11, 8:11, 3:6)
Dang Qiu – Dimitrij Ovtcharov 3:1 (17:15, 11:13, 11:9, 11:4)
Golden Match: Anton Källberg – Tomokazu Harimoto 13:11, Dang Qiu – Truls Möregardh 11:8
1. FC Saarbrücken TT – Post SV Mühlhausen 3:1
Darko Jorgic – Kim Taehyun 3:2 (8:11, 11:4, 5:11, 11:8, 6:5)
Patrick Franziska – Ovidiu Ionescu 3:1 (11:13, 12:10, 13:11, 11:5)
Takuya Jin – Daniel Habesohn 2:3 (6:11, 12:10, 11:6, 9:11, 1:6)
Darko Jorgic – Ovidiu Ionescu 3:2 (11:7, 10:12, 10:12, 11:8, 6:1)
First leg Post SV Mühlhausen – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT 1:3
Ovidiu Ionescu – Darko Jorgic 2:3 (13:11, 6:11, 10:12, 11:8, 4:6)
Daniel Habesohn – Patrick Franziska 0:3 (5:11, 7:11, 9:11)
Steffen Mengel – Cedric Nuytinck 3:1 (11:4, 9:11, 11:6, 11:5)
Ovidiu Ionescu – Patrick Franziska 1:3 (11:9, 8:11, 10:12, 3:11)
TTC Neu-Ulm – Borussia Düsseldorf 3:2
Tomokazu Harimoto – Dang Qiu 3:1 (11:8, 7:11, 11:1, 11:8)
Dimitrij Ovtcharov – Anton Källberg 0:3 (5:11, 10:12, 9:11)
Truls Möregardh – Timo Boll 3:2 (11:8, 7:11, 7:11, 11:5, 6:0)
Tomokazu Harimoto – Anton Källberg 2:3 (11:7, 8:11, 8:11, 11:8, 4:6)
Dimitrij Ovtcharov – Dang Qiu 3:1 (11:6, 11:13, 11:8, 11:8)