Third game, third win: Werder also celebrates in Saarbrücken
SV Werder Bremen has also won its third match in the new season of the German Table Tennis League (TTBL). On Tuesday, Mattias Falck and Co. won 3:2 at 1. FC Saarbrücken TT and thus moved to the top of the table for the time being.
The clash between 1 FC Saarbrücken TT and SV Werder Bremen had already developed into a thriller in the semi-finals of the previous season: After a 3-0 away win, FCS finally punched their ticket to the Liebherr TTBL final last May with a 3-2 win at home. The visitors triumphed in the reunion: Werder won the opening match of Matchday 3 3-2, underlining their ambitions of making it back into the play-offs of the German Table Tennis League (TTBL). With 6:0 points, the team from Bremen moved back to the top of the table. They had previously won against Borussia Dortmund and ASC Grünwettersbach (3:1 in each case).
The hosts, on the other hand, have yet to really get going in the new season. Three days earlier, Saarbrücken had lost 3:1 to TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt - in the main round of the previous season, the FCS had only conceded a total of three defeats. Saarbrücken won 3:2 at TTC OE Bad Homburg at the start of the season. With 2:4 points, the reigning runners-up are only in eighth place in the table for the time being. “We had our chances today,” said Saarbrücken's Darko Jorgic. “But Bremen played superbly. We must and will continue to work hard - after all, the season is still long.”
Falck and Aguirre make a strong comeback
The comeback of Mattias Falck and Marcelo Aguirre in the doubles was decisive for Bremen's victory. Trailing 3:7 in the fourth set against Wang Lichen and Jorgic, the Bremen duo scored six points in a row - and shortly afterwards converted their first match point to win 3:1 (12:10, 5:11, 11:9, 11:8). Werder had even hoped for a much quicker victory beforehand: The visitors led 2:0 at the break: Aguirre downed Patrick Franziska 3:2 (8:11, 11:5, 11:9, 7:11, 11:8); Gerassimenko defeated TTBL debutant Wang 3:1 (11:4, 12:10, 6:11, 11:9). “Marcelo put up a great fight,” said Gerassimenko afterwards. “His victory was of course a bit surprising - but also very important for us.”
The other two singles, however, belonged to Saarbrücken. First, Jorgic shortened the gap with his 3:1 (11:8, 8:11, 12:10, 11:8) against Falck. “We know each other very well and know exactly how each other plays,” said Jorgic. “I played very well today and was able to keep my team in the game.” Franziska then saved his team against Gerassimenko with a 3:0 (11:9, 11:8, 11:5) win in the doubles, inflicting the Bremen player's first defeat of the season.
The table tennis Bundesliga continues on the following day, Wednesday, September 4. This will be a reunion for Borussia Düsseldorf: Kristian Karlsson played for the record champions for six years and will now travel to Düsseldorf for the first time with TTC OE Bad Homburg. Both the newly promoted team from Hesse and Borussia have started the new season with 2:2 points. The match between Düsseldorf and Bad Homburg and all other TTBL matches will be broadcast live and exclusively on Dyn.
Overview of the 3rd matchday
1. FC Saarbrücken TT – SV Werder Bremen 2:3
Patrick Franziska – Marcelo Aguirre 2:3 (11:8, 5:11, 9:11, 11:7, 8:11)
Wang Lichen – Kirill Gerassimenko 1:3 (4:11, 10:12, 11:6, 9:11)
Darko Jorgic – Mattias Falck 3:1 (11:8, 8:11, 12:10, 11:8)
Patrick Franziska – Kirill Gerassimenko 3:0 (11:9, 11:8, 11:5)
Wang Lichen/Darko Jorgic – Mattias Falck/Marcelo Aguirre 1:3 (10:12, 11:5, 9:11, 8:11)
Wednesday, September 4th
7 p.m.: Borussia Düsseldorf – TTC OE Bad Homburg
Saturday, September 7th
7 p.m.: TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – TSV Bad Königshofen
Sunday, September 8th
3.30 p.m.: BV Borussia 09 Dortmund – ASC Grünwettersbach
Monday, September 16th
7 p.m.: TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt – Post SV Mühlhausen
Montag, 23. September
7 p.m.: TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau