Matchday 10: Duel of the chasers in Saarbrücken, traditional duel in Grenzau

With concentrated table tennis action, the German Table Tennis League (TTBL) is entering the year-end spurt: There are two more match days before Christmas, and the action continues with the 10th match day from Friday to Monday. Among others, there will be the chasing duel between 1. FC Saarbrücken TT and TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen as well as the traditional duel between TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau and Borussia Düsseldorf.

1.FC Saarbrücken TT - TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen

The top match of the 10th matchday will take place at 1. FC Saarbrücken TT: The fourth-placed team in the table will host the second-placed TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen in a chasing duel and would pass the Swabians with a win. Both teams currently have 12:6 points on their account and thus a good starting position to be in the top four after the end of the first round. "Fortunately, we were allowed to see land again in Grenzau, while Saarbrücken had to take a damper in Düsseldorf," explains TTF President Kristijan Pejinovic before the duel. Because while Ochsenhausen recently won in the Westerwald, the FCS remained without a chance against Düsseldorf. However, Pejinovic also says: "I can't even remember when we won in Saarbrücken. That must have been a long time ago." In each of the past two seasons of the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL), the Saarbrücken team prevailed 3-0 at home.

ASV Grünwettersbach - TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell

Home power ASV Grünwettersbach: The team from Baden has recently won six matches at home in a row and naturally intends to extend this series against TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell. And at least on paper, the hosts are favored on Friday evening. While Grünwettersbach is on target with 10:8 points and clearly ahead of the relegation places, the Fulda team is waiting for a break. Last year's fourth-placed team has only won two games this season and is therefore in eleventh place in the table. On the last match day, an important success was within reach, but Ruwen Filus missed his match points and the result was a bitter 2:3 defeat against Bad Königshofen. The ASV, on the other hand, won 3:2 in Mainz and thus the fourth of already five doubles this season.

TSV Bad Königshofen - 1. FSV Mainz 05

TSV Bad Königshofen has become a specialist for spectacular comebacks. In recent months, the team from Lower Franconia has repeatedly turned around games that were thought to be lost and scored spectacular victories - such as the recent 3:2 win in Fulda. The reason for this, in addition to great nerves of steel in the singles, is an excellent record in the doubles: the decisive match has already been played five times, Bad Königshofen has been successful four times and has thus collected important points that have lifted the team to 7th place. The situation is completely different for the upcoming opponent: Already four times it went for the 1. FSV Mainz 05 to the double, a success, however, there was not yet. Last Sunday, there was a 2:3 against Grünwettersbach. Nevertheless, the situation is by no means hopeless: With 2:16 points, the Mainz team is only two points behind Fulda, Grenzau and Bergneustadt (4:14 each) and thus behind the save shore.

TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt - SV Werder Bremen

Last season, TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt fought for the play-offs at times, but in the new season, the focus is more on the bottom. Benedikt Duda and Co. have only two wins to their name so far - the same number as Fulda, who are currently 11th in the table, and only one more than Mainz, who are bottom of the table. The current situation with five defeats in a row is "not ideal", said Duda recently in our interview. But: "I know that we all have the level to be able to win many games in a row again. It's just a disappointing phase, but it will also go uphill again." The situation is much more comfortable for the upcoming opponent. With 10:8 points, SV Werder Bremen is only just behind the top four and can even dream of play-off participation - even if there is still a long way to go. "There are still two games left this year, and we will give everything in them," Kirill Gerassimenko promised after the win against Neu-Ulm.

TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau - Borussia Düsseldorf

Despite the approaching TTBL match day, Borussia Düsseldorf's focus is first on the Champions League. On Friday evening, the German record champion wants to make the semi-finals perfect with a win against KS Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowieck. Afterwards, the preparation for the TTBL classic begins: 38 German championships are shared by the two clubs - six went to TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau, 32 to Düsseldorf. And even if Borussia seems overpowering with 18:0 points, the Grenzauer want to do their utmost on Sunday to annoy the favorites and possibly catch them on the wrong foot shortly after the TTCLM match. "Impressive" is Düsseldorf's current performance in the TTBL, says TTC manager Markus Ströher. "This team is seemingly unbeatable at the moment. But that doesn't make this home match any less interesting, as the very good advance ticket sales also show. People are looking forward to a top-class opponent and are keeping their fingers crossed for us. Maybe we can annoy the class leader a little bit."

TTC Neu-Ulm - Post SV Mühlhausen

Post SV Mühlhausen is also on the hunt this season. After the Thuringians had marched up to 3rd place last year after a messed-up start and thus achieved the first play-off participation in the club's history, they are now gradually moving up again. After only two points from the first four games, Mühlhausen recently collected four wins from five games, climbed to 6th place and, with 10:8 points, belongs to the chasing pack of the top four. The Swabians have been in the upper echelons of the table since the start of the season, but with 12:6 points they are only two points ahead of Mühlhausen. Last weekend, Neu-Ulm lost 1:3 against Bremen - but was also without its star players, one or the other of whom could return to action on Monday. During the week, both teams were successful in the Champions League: Neu-Ulm won its semi-final ticket in Dzialdowo; Mühlhausen, which had already qualified for the last four, won in Wels.

The 10th matchday in overview

Friday, December 16
7 p.m.: 1. FC Saarbrücken TT – TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen
7 p.m.: ASV Grünwettersbach – TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell

Saturday, December 17
1 p.m.: TSV Bad Königshofen – 1. FSV Mainz 05

Sunday, December 18
1 p.m.: TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt – SV Werder Bremen
5 p.m.: TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – Borussia Düsseldorf

Monday, December 19
7 p.m.: TTC Neu-Ulm – Post SV Mühlhausen

You can see all the games live on Spontent's channels on Twitch.