Matchday 2: TTBL Classic in Fulda, Newly Promoted Teams Seek Rewards
After an eventful and dramatic first matchday, the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) has made a striking comeback. Matchday 2 promises more highlights: among them, a TTBL classic between TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell and Borussia Düsseldorf. Following strong initial impressions, the newly promoted teams TTC OE Bad Homburg and BV Borussia 09 Dortmund are now aiming for points.
ASC Grünwettersbach – SV Werder Bremen
ASC Grünwettersbach likely viewed their Matchday 1 clash in Düsseldorf as a bonus match. With their first home game, the new season in the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) is now fully underway for the Baden team. Against SV Werder Bremen, they hope to secure their first measurable success. Recent encounters against the Hanseatic team have not been favorable, with Grünwettersbach losing 1-3 and 0-3 last season. Bremen, however, has already collected its first points: Werder won the TTBL opening game against Dortmund 3-1 last Friday. “It was a great performance from our team,” says Bremen’s manager Sascha Greber, looking ahead to the duel with ASC: “We are aware of the unique atmosphere in Grünwettersbach – a very tight, warm venue with loud, enthusiastic fans. This is another challenging task for us, but after the successful start to the season, we certainly want to keep the momentum going.”
TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – Borussia Düsseldorf
It's a series of tough weeks for TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell: the team, strengthened with Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Kao Cheng-Jui, faces a series of top-tier opponents right at the season’s start. Four days after their 3-1 victory in Ochsenhausen, Fulda will play their first home game of the season, hosting none other than record champion Borussia Düsseldorf. For this top match, TTC is moving from their regular home venue, Hubtex-Arena, to the much larger Esperantohalle, which can accommodate several thousand spectators. If TTC manages to come out on top again, their ambitions for a return to the top four would be underscored early. However, Borussia arrives with momentum, having also had a strong start: on Sunday, they secured a 3-0 win against Grünwettersbach. Incidentally, this will likely be the penultimate appearance of Timo Boll in Fulda. Düsseldorf will return to Fulda for the cup quarterfinal on September 21.
1. FC Saarbrücken TT – TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt
1 FC Saarbrücken TT has invested significantly in squad depth in recent years, and with great success. At the season opener in Bad Homburg, FCS was missing its two top players, Patrick Franziska and Darko Jorgic—both engaged in a thrilling final at the WTT Contender in Lima—yet the reigning runners-up still celebrated an opening victory. In their 3-2 win, Yuto Muramatsu and Eduard Ionescu scored in singles, with Ionescu and Cedric Meissner winning in doubles. Meanwhile, TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt also celebrated on Matchday 1, relying particularly on Kanak Jha. The American impressed after personally turbulent months, defeating both Luka Mladenovic and Feng Yi-Hsin. Should TTC also manage a victory in Saarbrücken, they can look forward to another stable season.
TSV Bad Königshofen – TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen
No one at TSV Bad Königshofen will be misled by a glance at the table, yet the Franconians are surely delighted by the current standings. Thanks to a 3-0 victory over Mühlhausen, last year's fourth-place team is the first league leader of the season, sending an early signal in the fight for a playoff spot. Direct competitors in this endeavor include TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen, aiming to return to the top four after finishing sixth last season. However, the four-time German champion, even without Hugo Calderano and Simon Gauzy, lost 1-3 to Fulda in their opener. Should they field a full-strength team on Sunday, the match could offer an early indication of the season's trajectory, promising an absolute table tennis spectacle for fans.
TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – TTC OE Bad Homburg
TTC OE Bad Homburg came close to a major upset at the start: although the promoted team, featuring newcomer Kristian Karlsson, ultimately lost 2-3 to Saarbrücken, they nonetheless celebrated a successful return to the TTBL. On Sunday, the Hessians aim to earn their first points against TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau, taking the first step towards staying in the league. Grenzau, too, came away empty-handed in their 1-3 loss in Bergneustadt and is also aiming to collect points in their first home game of the season. “Bad Homburg is an extremely strong newly promoted team that will make life difficult for all teams in the league,” says Grenzau manager Markus Ströher before the duel.
Post SV Mühlhausen – BV Borussia 09 Dortmund
Both Post SV Mühlhausen and BV Borussia 09 Dortmund are scoreless after Matchday 1. Yet, the two clubs left entirely different impressions: Mühlhausen suffered a surprisingly clear 0-3 loss in Bad Königshofen, winning just one set; BVB, however, showed in their 1-3 defeat in Bremen that they could be a valuable addition to the TTBL, posing a threat to certain opponents. “Maybe we were a bit too nervous in the crucial moments,” said BVB coach Evgeny Fadeev after their Bundesliga debut, hoping his team will shed this nervousness in Mühlhausen. However, the promoted team faces one of the biggest away challenges. Post SV is both renowned and feared for its home strength and will be all the more determined to earn its first points after the opening loss.
Matchday 2 Overview
Thursday, August 29
7:00 pm: ASC Grünwettersbach – SV Werder Bremen
Friday, August 30
7:00 pm: TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – Borussia Düsseldorf
Saturday, August 31
7:30 pm: 1. FC Saarbrücken TT – TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt
Sunday, September 1
2:00 pm: TSV Bad Königshofen – TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen
5:00 pm: TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – TTC OE Bad Homburg
Monday, September 2
7:00 pm: Post SV Mühlhausen – BV Borussia 09 Dortmund
Image at the top: Ricardo Walther of ASC Grünwettersbach (Photo: Hansruedi Lüthi)