The “TTBL Player of the Month November”: Anton Källberg from Borussia Düsseldorf
TTBL fans were able to vote for their “TTBL Player of the Month November” in a social media poll. After matches in TTBL rounds six to eight as well as the WTT Champions in Frankfurt and the subsequent WTT Finals in Fukuoka/Japan, five candidates were put to the vote based on strong performances at different levels: Mattias Falck (Werder Bremen), Patrick Franziska, Darko Jorgic (both 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT), Anton Källberg (Borussia Düsseldorf) and Cedric Nuytinck (Borussia Dortmund). The majority of supporters in the TTBL community voted the Swedish Olympic team silver medallist Anton Källberg “Player of the Month”, especially after his brilliant run to the final of the Frankfurt Champions Tournament.
As with the selection of his direct predecessor Benedikt Duda (TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt), the highlights on the international stage also overshadowed Källberg's monthly results. While Duda was particularly impressive as a finalist at the European Championships in Linz, Källberg impressed twice in Frankfurt at one venue: First, the 27-year-old eliminated the Chinese world number one Wang Chuqin in the round of 16, before Källberg also became the first Swede to reach the final of a WTT competition in the Champions category after winning a national duel with Paris silver medalist Truls Möregardh. However, the right-hander's title win was ultimately prevented by Lin Shidong from China, who had been outstanding in the fall, winning his fifth tournament in a row.
Källberg was able to get over the missed opportunity after the initial disappointment, and not just because of the considerable prize money of 20,000 US dollars. After all, there could hardly have been a more suitable WTT tournament than the “German” Champions to prove that the Düsseldorf top player and partner of national player Yuan Wan belongs to the world elite than the “home game” in his adopted sporting home. “I've lived in Germany for many years and spend a lot of time here. Germany has become a second home for me,” said Källberg during the tournament.
The long-serving TTBL pro was lost for words for a long time after his masterstroke against Wang on the Main (3:0): “I don't know exactly what to say. The match went very quickly, I felt great right from the start. I told myself throughout the match that there was still a long way to go. Now I'm very happy and proud to have made it.”
Despite the tailwind from his victory as champion at the WTT Finals in Japan, Källberg was unable to repeat his success against Möregardh. As he did before Frankfurt at the European Championships, the Stockholm-born player had to congratulate his compatriot on his victory at the start of the year-end tournament in Fukuoka, with Källberg just two points short of success in the deciding set at 2:3.
In the TTBL, the Swedish former champion once again proved to be a reliable player after both WTT events: First, Källberg did not lose a set in his duel with former European Championship runner-up Ovidiu Ionescu in Düsseldorf's 3-0 win against Post SV Mühlhausen, before the European team champion returned from Asia to win his Borussia's 3: 2 for Borussia at Werder Bremen: Källberg first increased his singles record to 6:1 with his fourth success in a row with a 3:2 win against Kirill Gerassimenko, and then put the finishing touches on the doubles match with Borgar Haug, also after five sets.
Florian Manzke