Cup round of sixteen complete: Four second division teams receive TTBL teams
16 teams, 4 tickets: In four preliminary round groups, the remaining eighth-final participants in the German Table Tennis Cup were played out at the weekend. They can now look forward to highlight matches against teams from the German Table Tennis League (TTBL).
The round of sixteen in the German Table Tennis Cup is complete: TTC indeland Jülich, 1. FC Köln, TTC Fortuna Passau and TV 1879 Hilpoltstein have won their respective preliminary round groups and thus punched their ticket to the next round. In this round, they each have home rights and will play a team from the German Table Tennis League (TTBL). Jülich will play TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau, Cologne will meet Post SV Mühlhausen, Passau will receive TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell, and Hilpoltstein will face record cup winner Borussia Düsseldorf.
It was made particularly clear on Sunday by 1st FC Cologne, who also held their own against TTBL relegated TTC OE Bad Homburg in Group 2 and are through to the Cup Round of 16 for the first time in the club's history. The team around newcomer Adrien Rassenfosse won 3:1 against the host and thus the decisive match. With 6:0 points and a match ratio of 4:2, Cologne eventually finished in first place ahead of Bad Homburg (4:2 points). Both teams had previously won against TSV Schwarzenbek and SV Union Velbert II respectively.
Jülich and Hilpoltstein win in front of home crowd
For the third time in a row, TTC Fortuna Passau reached the round of 16. The Lower Bavarians prevailed in Group 3 in Saarbrücken on Saturday with 6-0 points thanks to wins against second-placed SU Neckarsulm (3-2), TTC SR Hohenstein-Ernstthal (3-0) and 1. FC Saarbrücken TT II (3-1). Two years ago, Passau had even made it to the quarterfinals by beating Post SV Mühlhausen 3:2.
In Group 1, the victory went to a former TTBL team in the form of TTC indeland Jülich: The 1983 Cup winners beat BV Borussia Dortmund (3:2), who eventually finished second, as well as SV Union Velbert (3:2) and TTC GW Bad Hamm (3:0). In Group 4, TV 1879 Hilpoltstein also came out on top with 6:0 in their home hall and thus returned to the Cup Round of 16, after failing to make it into the top 16 teams last year. The day started for Hilpoltstein with an ultimately decisive 3:2 against TV Leiselheim, who finished second, followed by further wins against Hertha BSC and TTS Borsum (3:1 each).
The round of 16 matches will be played during September before the World Cup (September 30 to October 9). The winners will qualify for the quarterfinals, which will ultimately decide which four teams will advance to the Cup final, which will again be a Final Four event with two semifinals and a final played on one day.
The round of 16 in overview
SV Werder Bremen – TTC Neu-Ulm
TV 1879 Hilpoltstein – Borussia Düsseldorf
TTC indeland Jülich – TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau
1. FC Köln – Post SV Mühlhausen
1. FC Saarbrücken TT – TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt
ASV Grünwettersbach – 1. FSV Mainz 05
TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – TSV Bad Königshofen
TTC Fortuna Passau – TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell