The Cup Interview with Borgar Haug (Union Velbert) and Fanbo Meng (TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell): “In theory, you need a perfect day.”

The Round of 16 match between last year’s finalist TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell and Union Velbert at the Leapmotor Cup Grand Opening is a rematch of a Final4 clash from the 2012–13 season. In this interview, Velbert’s new signing Borgar Haug and Fulda’s former team vice-world champion Fanbo Meng discuss the roles of favorites and underdogs, memories of past cup highlights, and the importance of strong performances in Nuremberg for the rest of the season.

Borgar Haug, at the Leapmotor Cup Grand Opening in Nuremberg, you and second-division team Union Velbert will face last year’s finalist, TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell. How is your team handling the role of clear underdog?

Borgar Haug: The match against Fulda will certainly be a major test for us. We’re all really looking forward to the match and are excited to see what we can achieve. Of course, Fulda goes into the match as the heavy favorite; after all, they were finalists last season. So we can play without pressure, try to give our best performance, and then see how it turns out.

Fanbo Meng, a playoff contender facing last season’s second-division last-place team—there’s hardly a clearer favorite-underdog dynamic than this, is there?

Fanbo Meng: I don’t think it’s a David-versus-Goliath matchup. After all, Velbert has signed Borgar Haug from Borussia Düsseldorf and also has Andrej Gacina on their roster. We don’t know exactly which lineup Velbert will field, but of course, in a match between a first-division team and a second-division team, the dynamics are a bit different. We have to say—and this is also our expectation—that we want to advance to the quarterfinals. That’s definitely our goal.

Fourteen years ago, Velbert, as an underdog, managed to reach the semifinals—also against Fulda—and last season they narrowly missed advancing to the Liebherr Cup Final4 against 1. FC Saarbrücken, who went on to win the treble. How much hope is there for an upset?

Borgar Haug: Yes, I know the story of Velbert’s semifinal against Fulda, and last year it was very close right up until the doubles match—I actually watched that thrilling game myself on TV. But now a new season is beginning, a new match, and we just have to take it as it comes. We’ll definitely try to capitalize on our chances when they arise, though.

Fanbo Meng, if your team beats Velbert, many observers believe it will likely face the heavy favorite for the title, Borussia Düsseldorf, and superstar Fan Zhendong in a reverse matchup for a spot in the Liebherr Cup Final4. How do you assess your chances of pulling off an upset in the quarterfinals?

Fanbo Meng: If we end up facing Düsseldorf in the quarterfinals, the odds are completely different—and, unfortunately for us, slim. With Fan Zhendong, Düsseldorf is the clear favorite. They not only have Fan, but also Dang Qiu, Anton Källberg, and Kanak Jha—so four absolute top players in total. That’s why we’d need a very, very, very good and perfect day to stand a chance. But we’ll definitely try to give it our best and won’t go down without a fight.

Does the new Grand Opening format, with round of 16 and quarterfinal matches on a single weekend, change how you prepare for the cup?

Fanbo Meng: Of course, the new Grand Opening format fits well into our schedule as players, since we currently have a very, very packed schedule with WTT tournaments and everything else. That’s why an “open weekend” is a welcome addition. But I can also understand the fans’ desire—especially those of second-division teams—for home matches in the early rounds of the cup. Overall, I’m neutral about this change.

Are people in Velbert and Borgar Haug talking more often these days about the 2012–13 cup semifinal?

Borgar Haug: For some players who’ve been with the club for a long time, those memories might be coming back. Personally, I hardly played table tennis back then, and we also have a pretty young team. So for us, it’ll just be a great match where we’ll really try to give it our all.

Fanbo Meng, last season you reached the final with Fulda. What is it that makes the “fascination of the Cup” so special for you?

Fanbo Meng: The odds are very different here than in the Bundesliga. Theoretically speaking, you might need a perfect day to make it to the semifinals. The cup generally tends to have its own rules. When we reached the final against 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT last season, that felt really good—and then we also had our chance to pull off a sensation. Something like that is almost only possible in the cup—in a single match.

In 2024, you, Borgar Haug, were part of Borussia Düsseldorf’s cup-winning team alongside Timo Boll. How did you experience the journey to winning the cup back then?

Borgar Haug: Winning the 2024 Cup was an amazing experience. It was great to be part of the winning team—my first title with Borussia. Of course, it was especially cool that Timo Boll was there; he’s been—how should I put it?—an idol of mine for a long time, ever since I was a little kid. So that was really something special.

Given the generally lackluster performances over the past two seasons, how important would an early success—reaching the semifinals—be for Fulda?

Fanbo Meng: Of course, success plays an important role for the club. Our club has invested a lot in recent years, bringing in Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Jonathan Groth. The fact that we didn’t secure a playoff spot in the end is certainly disappointing and doesn’t live up to our own expectations, although we also have to be aware that other teams have consistently strengthened their rosters as well. The competition for a spot in the semifinals won’t get any easier, so our chances of reaching the Cup Final4 are similar to those in the league. It’s going to be a very long season, and for now we’re taking it one game at a time and are excited to see what our star players, “Dima” and Jonathan, can pull off this year.

Velbert finished last in the second division last season. Given that, how important is this “small cup tournament” in Nuremberg for your club?

Borgar Haug: I think kicking off the season in Nuremberg will be a great experience for us. Of course, it would be great if we could come away with some points, but first and foremost, it’s about getting the team going—it is, after all, our first game of the season—and seeing where we stand, and hopefully laying the foundation for a successful season.

Borgar Haug and Fanbo Meng, thank you very much for the interview.

Florian Manzke