Fulda's winning streak is over
The first half of the season in the German Table Tennis League (TTBL) did not go according to plan for TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell. However, they were recently able to celebrate three wins in a row and make up ground in the relegation battle. This streak has now been broken against 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT on match day 14. For 1. FC Saarbrücken, on the other hand, it is the first success of the new year after the defeat against Mainz.
It was an unusual starting situation when 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT received TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell in the German Table Tennis League (TTBL). It was the second-to-last team in the table from Hesse who traveled to the runners-up with the tailwind of three wins in a row, having started the second half of the season with a defeat. However, it was clear from their line-up that Saarbrücken wanted to prevent the streak from continuing. The Saarland side fielded its two top players, Darko Jorgic and Patrick Franziska.
However, Romania's Eduard Ionescu was put in first position and played the decisive match against Thibault Poret right at the start. Poret took the lead twice - each time with a clear set win. Ionescu equalized twice. In the fifth set, it was the Romanian who took a clear 7:2 lead and brought it home to give his team the lead.
Filus and Meng no chance against Franziska and Jorgic
Patrick Franziska extended his lead in no time at all. He made short work of Ruwen Filus, conceding just ten points in three sets to the defending champion. "He didn't let me get into the game at all today, he put me under pressure straight away," Filus analyzed afterwards. "Franz played so confidently that there was nothing for me to take."
Things initially looked different in the duel between Darko Jorgic and Fanbo Meng. Meng, who had recently led his team to victory over Borussia Düsseldorf with two singles wins, seemed to continue from there. He quickly took a four-point lead against Jorgic at 6:2 and later had his first three set points at 10:7. However, he was unable to capitalize on them. Jorgic stole the first set from him with 18:16 and then allowed Meng to get less and less into the match. In the end, it was a clear 3:0 win - for both Jorgic and Saarbrücken.
However, Filus did not want to rate the defeat too highly. "Of course we were here and wanted to take another boost with us and have now been properly dampened, but we have to tick that off quickly now." The next games are more important, especially next week against Mainz. Fulda want to score again there in order to play their way out of the bottom of the table.
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)
Saturday, 03. February
7 p.m.: TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – TSV Bad Königshofen
Sunday, 04. February
1 p.m.: TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt – Borussia Düsseldorf
4 p.m.: TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – 1. FSV Mainz 05
Monday, 05. February
7 p.m.: SV Werder Bremen – Post SV Mühlhausen
All TTBL matches are broadcast live on Dyn.
Featured image above: Fanbo Meng (Photo: Patrick Wichmann)