Only two set losses: Fulda clearly defeats Düsseldorf

Few would have expected a result as clear as this. On the second matchday of the German Table Tennis League (TTBL), the upgraded Fulda team beat the record champions 3:0 in the Esperantohalle, which was packed with 2,500 spectators. It was the first defeat of the season for Timo Boll, who is on his farewell tour in the TTBL. Meanwhile, Fulda took over the interim lead in the table.

TTC newcomer Dimitrij Ovtcharov's vest is still unblemished. After winning 3-0 against Bogdan Pugna and Shunsuke Togami from Ochsenhausen at the start of the season, he did not concede a set in his latest match against Kay Stumper either. The veteran won 11:9, 11:6 and 11:9 against the youngster. Cheng-Jui Kao was also victorious, winning his first home match in Fulda 3:1 (11:9, 11:8, 5:11, 11:8) against the team's silver medallist from Paris, Anton Källberg.

Fanbo Meng closes the deal against Boll

In the third match of the evening, former champion Timo Boll initially got off to a good start against Fanbo Meng, winning 11:4, before the latter turned the game around. After a second set that went 11:2 to Fulda, Boll fought back with a narrow 13:11 set defeat, but it was Fulda's 11:8 in the fourth set that finally sealed the Hessians' victory over Borussia. Fanbo Meng thus confirmed his performance from the previous season, when he also won both the first and second leg against Boll.

The visitors will remember an absolutely extraordinary atmosphere: instead of the usual Hubtex Arena, the match took place in the much larger Esperantohalle. Meanwhile, this was not Timo Boll's last guest appearance in Fulda: Düsseldorf will travel to Fulda again on September 21 for the cup round of 16.

On the third matchday, Düsseldorf will now host the newly promoted TTC OE Bad Homburg 1987, while TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell will play TSV Bad Königshofen next Saturday.

Overview of the 2nd matchday

ASC Grünwettersbach – SV Werder Bremen 1:3
Tiago Apolonia – Marcelo Aguirre 3:2 (11:7, 11:9, 6:11, 8:11, 15:13)
Leo de Nodrest – Kirill Gerassimenko 0:3 (7:11, 7:11, 10:12)
Ricardo Walther – Mattias Falck 1:3 (11:7, 5:11, 8:11, 3:11)
Tiago Apolonia – Kirill Gerassimenko 2:3 (11:9, 10:12, 8:11, 11:3, 8:11)

TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – Borussia Düsseldorf 3:0️
Dimitrij Ovtcharov – Kay Stumper 3:0 (11:9, 11:6, 11:9)
Cheng-Jui Kao – Anton Källberg 3:1 (11:9, 11:8, 5:11, 11:8)
Fanbo Meng – Timo Boll 3:1 (4:11, 11:2, 13:11, 11:8)

Saturday, August 31st
7.30 p.m.: 1. FC Saarbrücken TT – TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt

Sunday, September 1st
2 p.m.: TSV Bad Königshofen – TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen
5 p.m.: TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – TTC OE Bad Homburg

Monday, September 2nd
7 p.m.: Post SV Mühlhausen – BV Borussia 09 Dortmund

All matches in the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) are broadcast live and on demand on Dyn.

Author: Julian Hörndlein

Featured image above: Fanbo Meng (Photo: Fulda)