Saarbrücken beat Mühlhausen’s makeshift trio
1. FC Saarbrücken-TT left nothing to chance against a depleted Post SV Mühlhausen, sealing a 3–0 win on Sunday afternoon to claim their fourth victory of the season. Post SV had to do without Steffen Mengel due to illness, while Kay Stumper was ruled out after a car accident in London. The Thüringians at least used the opportunity to give their top prospect a belated birthday present.
Ivo Quett had turned 16 only on Friday and made his Bundesliga debut on Sunday at the Joachim Deckarm Halle. Up against Eduard Ionescu, the youngster was outmatched in a 0–3 defeat, but it’s a day he will likely never forget. “He’s a long-term prospect,” said Post head coach Schreyer on Dyn after the match. “It’s our big dream to one day bring a Thüringer into the TTBL.”
Mengel ill, Stumper in car accident
Quett’s inclusion — he normally plays for Mühlhausen’s reserves in the third division — became necessary for unfortunate reasons. Steffen Mengel, a key performer so far with a 5–2 record, was unavailable due to illness. Kay Stumper was involved in a car accident on the way to the airport while returning from the WTT event in London. Although he fortunately did not suffer serious injuries, getting to Saarland in time proved impossible.
“We are in an unprecedented emergency and can only ask the table tennis fans on both sides for patience and understanding. Our thoughts are with Steffen and with Kay, who truly seems to have had several guardian angels,” Post manager Thomas Stecher wrote on Facebook.
Jorgic edges Ionescu in five
From a sporting perspective, the day’s second singles between Saarbrücken’s Darko Jorgic and Mühlhausen’s Ovidiu Ionescu was the highlight. Ionescu converted his fourth game point in the fourth to force a decider, but the Slovenian showed his class in the fifth to secure the hosts’ second point. After the interval, Franziska wrapped up the 3–0 with a showpiece performance against Schreyer.
Saarbrücken thus begin their stretch without Fan Zhendong with a routine win. The Chinese star is not expected back in the Saarbrücken lineup until December. Mühlhausen drop back to an even 6:6 record with the defeat.
Matchday 6 fixtures
1. FC Saarbrücken-TT – Post SV Mühlhausen 3–0
Eduard Ionescu – Ivo Quett 3–0 (11:3, 11:7, 11:6)
Darko Jorgic – Ovidiu Ionescu 3–2 (12:10, 7:11, 11:8, 11:13, 11:7)
Patrick Franziska – Erik Schreyer 3–0 (11:3, 11:6, 11:4)
TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – TTC OE Clarity-Telefonie Systeme Bad Homburg 3–0
Iulian Chirita – Ivor Ban 3–2 (5:11, 11:6, 11:13, 11:6, 11:4)
Andreas Levenko – Juan Perez 3–0 (11:9, 11:5, 11:8)
Tiago Abiodun – Csaba Andras 3–1 (11:9, 10:12, 12:10, 11:6)
TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – Borussia Düsseldorf 1–3
Maciej Kubik – Li Yongyin 3–2 (7:11, 9:11, 11:9, 13:11, 11:8)
Samuel Walker – Kanak Jha 1–3 (6:11, 11:9, 9:11, 10:12)
Martin Allegro – Anton Källberg 0–3 (2:11, 7:11, 5:11)
Maciej Kubik – Kanak Jha 2–3 (12:10, 10:12, 8:11, 12:10, 8:11)
Sunday, 26 October
3:30 p.m.: TSV Bad Königshofen – SV Werder Bremen
5 p.m.: TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – ASC Grünwettersbach
6 p.m.: Borussia Dortmund – TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt
All matches are broadcast live on Dyn.
Picture: Darko Jorgic of 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT (Photo: Ulrich Höfer)