Matchday 20: Battle for the play-offs enters the next round

After all decisions in the relegation battle in the German Table Tennis League (TTBL) have already been made, all eyes are now on the race for the play-offs. Before the 20th matchday, which will be played on Sunday, especially the fourth place is hard-fought.

TSV Bad Königshofen - 1. FC Saarbrücken TT

Will TSV Bad Königshofen make it into the play-offs of the German Table Tennis League (TTBL) for the first time in the club's history? After the Unterfranken had been already close in the season 2020/21, before in the final spurt the puff ran out, they may dream now in the current season again. With 20:18 points, Bad Königshofen is fifth, just two points behind fourth-placed Mühlhausen. However, the upcoming task is a tough one: On Sunday, TSV will host the third-placed team in the table, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT, and will be hoping for a repeat of the 3:1 first-leg win. Bad Königshofen will then play Bergneustadt and, on the last day of the main round, Mühlhausen. Last matchday, Bastian Steger's team lost 3-1 in Mainz, while Saarbrücken lost 3-0 in Grünwettersbach.

TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt - Post SV Mühlhausen

After finishing third in the previous season and thus achieving the best result in the club's history, Post SV Mühlhausen is also preparing to advance to the play-offs in the current season. With 22:16 points, the team of coach Erik Schreyer is currently in pole position in the race for fourth place, two points ahead of Bad Königshofen (20:18), and is also currently just ahead in terms of match ratio. On the last matchday, Mühlhausen won 3:0 against Düsseldorf and thus collected two big points. For TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt, on the other hand, the stakes are not quite as high. Benedikt Duda and Co. have already secured their place in the league and are hoping for a conciliatory end to the season. Bergneustadt is currently tenth in the table with 14:24 points, most recently with a 3:1 win over Bremen.

TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell - ASV Grünwetterbach

For a long time, ASV Grünwettersbach had its eyes on the bottom - but in the final spurt of the season, the Badeners suddenly even have the chance to participate in the play-offs. Grünwettersbach is currently in sixth place, two points behind Bad Königshofen and four behind Mühlhausen. Away from home, however, the stakes are regularly high: ASV has won just once this season - 3:2 in Mainz in December - and is thus the worst away team in the league. The upcoming opponent could come just in time: TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell is the second-worst home team (8:10 points) and is struggling through the season. Since the recent 1:3 defeat against Grenzau, they are in eleventh place. "With a little more luck in the game, we could have come back within reach of the play-off places," TTC chairman Stefan Frauenholz summed up the season in our recent interview. "However, due to the reinforcements of actually all the other teams, it was already clear to us that the league would be very balanced and that anyone from fourth to twelfth place could beat anyone."

TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen - SV Werder Bremen

Just a few weeks ago, TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen and SV Werder Bremen were separated by just four points. Since then, however, the paths of the two teams have clearly diverged. While Ochsenhausen is almost certain to make the play-offs with a six-point lead over fifth place, Bremen has slipped into the second half of the table. The 1:3 in Neu-Ulm on Friday was the fourth defeat in a row, which dropped Werder to ninth place. "As against every team in this strong, balanced league, we have to be fully focused going into the match against Bremen and give our all both in terms of play and fighting spirit," said TTF coach Fu Yong. "As always, we will give our best and fight from the first to the last ball, that's the only way we can win this match."

TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau - 1. FSV Mainz 05

Derby time at the TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau: Against the 1. FSV Mainz 05 it comes on Sunday to the Rhineland-Palatinate derby, which both teams can enjoy to the fullest. The season goal, the class preservation, have both clubs finally already in the bag, since no team from the 2. federal league applied for a TTBL license. And also sportily both knew recently to convince. Grenzau has already celebrated five wins in the second half of the season and has thus moved up to eighth place, most recently with a 3:1 win in Fulda. Mainz won three of the last four matches, most recently 3:1 against Bad Königshofen, and has thus finally arrived in the TTBL. "We have been able to take the sporting explosiveness out of it thanks to our recent successes. But that doesn't make the match any less attractive or exciting," says TTC manager Markus Ströher. "We want to continue the trend and consolidate our very good situation in the standings, maybe even expand it. And the spectators can look forward to gripping duels in which anything can happen."

Borussia Düsseldorf - TTC Neu-Ulm

For the fifth time this season Borussia Düsseldorf and TTC Neu-Ulm will meet on Sunday - besides the first round match the two teams also met in the Liebherr Cup final and the semi-final of the Champions League. In the renewed duel Neu-Ulm is expected with the "TTBL team", i.e. with Vladimir Sidorenko, Maksim Grebnev and Lev Katsman. Dimitrij Ovtcharov would theoretically also be available. "The young squad from Neu-Ulm is very talented and by no means to be underestimated. We have to give everything to win and secure first place," Borussia manager Andreas Preuß demands from his team. While Neu-Ulm only won 3-1 against Bremen on Friday, Düsseldorf recently lost 3-0 in Mulhouse, but is still four points clear at the top of the table.

The 20th matchday in the overview

Sunday, March 19
1 p.m.: TSV Bad Königshofen – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT
2 p.m.: TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt – Post SV Mühlhausen
2.30 p.m.: TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – ASV Grünwetterbach
3 p.m.: TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – SV Werder Bremen
4 p.m.: TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – 1. FSV Mainz 05
4.30 p.m.: Borussia Düsseldorf – TTC Neu-Ulm

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