Manager Martin Werner (ASV Grünwettersbach): "Walther urgently needs a sense of achievement".

For ASV Grünwettersbach, the start of the season in the table tennis Bundesliga has been tougher than hoped. In an interview, manager Martin Werner takes stock after the first TTBL matches and also discusses the difficulties of the new team vice world champion Ricardo Walther in the course of the season so far.

Martin Werner, for your ASV Grünwettersbach the opening phase in the Table Tennis Bundesliga has ended with two defeats, in the TTBL table your team is level on points with last place Fulda. Is there a lot of disappointment about the way things have gone so far?

Our last game in Düsseldorf could have been closer, partly because we played without Thiago Apolonia. But we can get over losing in Düsseldorf. What hurts is the previous defeat in Bad Königshofen.

Does the current interim result meet your expectations?

Apart from the game against Bad Königshofen, we are on schedule. Another positive thing is that we reached the quarterfinals in the cup. Overall, despite the two recent defeats in the TTBL, there is no noticeable negative trend.

The championship season has not been positive so far for your national player Ricardo Walther with a 0:4 record in the league. How do you see his situation?

On the one hand, Ric has had a bit of bad luck, but on the other hand, it must not happen that he squanders such high leads as he did against Bad Königshofen. For him, the work in his head starts now, he has to push that away from himself in order to be able to tie in with his earlier performances again. But that's difficult without a win, and his opponents know that, too.

Walther returned from the World Team Championships in China as part of the celebrated silver team. To what extent can that change the situation?

The silver medal is without question a great success, but actually it makes his situation more difficult and even more difficult. He also lost at the World Championships and of course he has in the back of his mind that he didn't play in the decisive matches on the way to the final. Ricardo Walther urgently needs a sense of achievement in the TTBL.

How do you deal with the situation, also against the background of your personal connections with him?

It's a big task, but first and foremost, of course, we talk to each other. One thing is certain: we need him.

At the moment, your new signing Tiago Apolonia is definitely more cause for celebration, isn't he?

Of course. Although he's been a bit under the weather lately, he's already done much more than we'd hoped. He has integrated himself immediately and is taking a lot of pressure off Wang Xi. In addition, his great name was also an important sign for our environment.

You mention it: Cup winner for the first time in 2020, play-off participant for the first time in 2021 - does Grünwettersbach have other ambitions in the meantime?

There's really no talk of that. We are still a small club that has to raise the necessary funds for a season in the TTBL every year. So we continue to work on establishing ourselves in the league, and our goal is still just to have nothing to do with relegation as quickly as possible.

A step in this direction is possible in the first game after the break against Werder Bremen. How do you rate your team's chances?

First of all, I hope it's not a bad omen that we've never won a home game against Bremen. In Bremen's team, Mattias Falck and Kirill Gerassimenko play well against our Wang Xi, which makes it difficult for us. But I see the chances at 50:50, and if everything fits, we can get something.

The wind at your back would certainly be good for your team ahead of the tough Cup task, wouldn't it?

The cup is something very special for us since the 2020 title, of course. In Saarbrücken, however, we're certainly only outsiders, although we're not completely without a chance. Due to the seeding methodology, it was clear from the outset that we would meet one of the four strongest teams.

Would you prefer a free draw?

A resounding yes. I know that opinions differ on this issue, but I miss the classic cup feeling with the current rules, it's not the typical cup character.