Kick-off on Friday: season opener in Bremen, top match in Düsseldorf
The anticipation for the 2023/24 season of the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) is rising by the minute: On Friday evening, the starting signal for the new round will be given between SV Werder Bremen and 1. FSV Mainz 05. The top match of the 1st matchday will take place on Sunday with the match between Borussia Düsseldorf and TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen.
SV Werder Bremen - 1. FSV Mainz 05
The title hunt in the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) will open tomorrow, Friday: SV Werder Bremen will receive 1. FSV Mainz 05 in the Klaus-Dieter-Fischer-Halle and is aiming for its first win of the season against last year's last-place team. "All players are fit and healthy, well trained and prepared," said Werder team manager Sascha Greber ahead of the opener. "For us, it's just a matter of going in there highly focused. We're looking forward to finally getting going, and of course we definitely want to keep the points on the Weser." It will also be a special evening in terms of broadcasting: For the first time, Dyn will be broadcasting a TTBL match; all information on the new sports channel can be found here.
ASV Grünwettersbach - TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell
Also at ASV Grünwettersbach everything seems to be ready for an atmospheric start of the season: The players have been in good form lately, numerous fans have bought season tickets - and they should whip the team to its first win of the season against TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell on Saturday evening. In the previous season, the team from Baden was one of the strongest teams in the league at home and was able to enjoy an excellent fifth place in the end. The guests from eastern Hesse were quite different: The Fuldaers had to settle for a disappointing eleventh place and are now hoping for an improvement in performance, especially from Wong Chun Ting.
TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT
"We will attack again next year": Already after the defeat in the Liebherr TTBL final and the renewed vice-championship Patrick Franziska sent a declaration of war to the competition. On Sunday, he wants to follow up with the 1. FC Saarbrücken TT for the first time and make the first step towards a renewed entry into the play-offs and the TTBL final at TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt. Last Saarbrücken had been in the final five times in a row, 2020 for the first and so far for the last time celebrated the German championship. Last season was anything but satisfactory for TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt. After finishing ninth in the previous year, Benedikt Duda and Co. are hoping for a better result, but are confronted with personnel worries due to the retirement of Omar Assar.
Borussia Düsseldorf - TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen
The defending champion meets last year's semifinalist: The top match of Matchday 1 will take place on Sunday from 4 p.m. at Borussia Düsseldorf, when the record champion receives TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen. While the Düsseldorf team will start the new round unchanged and with Timo Boll, Dang Qiu, Anton Källberg and Kay Stumper can once again be considered the big title favorites, Ochsenhausen has landed the big transfer coup of the summer. The Upper Swabians brought Hugo Calderano back to the TTBL, and the world number five could make his comeback in Düsseldorf. Should the TTF succeed at Borussia, they would have set another strong signal in the title race. In 2019, Ochsenhausen had won the double of championship and cup with Calderano.
TSV Bad Königshofen - TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau
In the second half of last season, TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau started a series and eventually worked its way up to tenth place. The team from the Westerwald region now wants to build on this performance - if possible right from the start at TSV Bad Königshofen. "The players have all worked very well over the summer," says coach Slobodan Grujic. "We're looking forward to things finally getting going again in the league." The memories of Bad Königshofen, however, are not good ones: Last year, the TTC had victory on the line, but Feng Yi-Hsin missed his match points, and in the end Grenzau lost 2:3. "Of course, we also have to take the mood in Bad Königshofen," says Grujic, referring to last year's experience. "With all the knowledge of the opponent's strength, it is important that we look first and foremost at ourselves and deliver the best possible performance."
Der 1. Spieltag in der Übersicht
Friday, August 25th
7 p.m.: SV Werder Bremen – 1. FSV Mainz 05
Saturday, August 26th
7 p.m.: ASV Grünwettersbach – TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell
Sunday, August 27th
1 p.m.: TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT
4 p.m.: Borussia Düsseldorf – TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen
Monday, August 28th
7 p.m.: TSV Bad Königshofen – TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau