Play-off dates set: Four teams want to reach the Liebherr TTBL final
Who will advance to the Liebherr TTBL final? After the last matchday of the 2023/24 main round of the German Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL), the play-off pairings have now been decided. 1. FC Saarbrücken TT and SV Werder Bremen as well as Borussia Düsseldorf and TSV Bad Königshofen will battle it out in a best-of-three format for a place in the final.
TSV Bad Königshofen achieved something historic on Sunday. In their seventh year in the German Table Tennis League (TTBL), the club from Lower Franconia finished third in the table and made it into the play-offs for the first time - and can now look forward to a clash with the record champions. On Whit Monday, May 20, Timo Boll and Co. will play the first match of the best-of-three series in the Shakehands Arena in Bad Königshofen. The second match will take place just three days later. On the following Thursday, May 23, Borussia will finally enjoy home court. Bad Königshofen had already surprised Düsseldorf in the main round, winning 3:2 at the ARAG CenterCourt in mid-March. The third play-off match is scheduled for Sunday, May 26, and will once again take place in Düsseldorf.
The other participant in the Liebherr TTBL final will be determined between the winner of the main round, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT, and fourth-placed SV Werder Bremen. In this duel, too, the team placed lower in the main round will have the right to play at home. Bremen will host the Champions League winners on Thursday, May 23, for the first match. The second clash between the two clubs will take place the following Sunday, May 26, in the Joachim-Deckarm-Halle in Saarbrücken. Should neither team then have two wins to their name and thus advance to the final, the decisive third match will take place. This would again take place in Saarbrücken and is scheduled for Tuesday, June 4.
The two winners will ultimately compete against each other in the Liebherr TTBL final and fight for the German team championship on June 30 at the Süwag Energie Arena in Frankfurt. Last year, Düsseldorf beat Saarbrücken 3:1 in a thrilling match. If you want to be at the Liebherr TTBL final, you should secure your ticket now: These are available in the TTBL ticket store at www.ttbl.de, by telephone on (0761) 88 84 99 99 and at all known advance booking offices.
Overview of the play-offs
Match 1
Monday, May 20, 4 p.m.: TSV Bad Königshofen – Borussia Düsseldorf
Thursday, May 23, 7 p.m.: SV Werder Bremen – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT
Match 2
Thursday, May 23, 7 p.m.: Borussia Düsseldorf – TSV Bad Königshofen
Sunday, May 26, 3 p.m.: 1. FC Saarbrücken TT – SV Werder Bremen
Match 3
Sunday, May 26, 1 p.m.: Borussia Düsseldorf – TSV Bad Königshofen
Tuesday, June 4, 7 p.m.: 1. FC Saarbrücken TT – SV Werder Bremen