Thriller on Friday evening - Mainz forces Saarbrücken into the final double
In a thrilling encounter on matchday 9 of the German Table Tennis League (TTBL), 1. FC Saarbrücken TT narrowly won 3:2 against 1. FSV Mainz 05. With this victory, the team from Saarbrücken once again proved its strong form and moved back to the top of the table.
The first duel of the evening was a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Ex-Mainzer Yuto Muramatsu prevailed in a closely contested five-set match against a strong Carlo Rossi.
In the first two sets, Rossi was able to break through the Japanese player's defense time and again with well-placed topspins and take the lead. In the end, however, Muramatsu proved to have more staying power and won the match by the narrowest of margins with 11:9 in the deciding set (9:11, 10:12, 11:5, 14:12, 11:9).
Li equalizes, Franziska follows up
In the second singles match of the evening, Yongyin Li put in a commanding performance against Cedric Nuytinck. In impressive style, he managed to tie the score for Mainz at 1:1 (6:11, 7:11, 10:12).
In the third match, Patrick Franziska was not impressed by losing the first set against the unorthodox Luka Mladenovic. The anti-specialist from Mainz nevertheless put in a strong performance throughout and demanded a lot from Franziska in the following three sets. In the end, however, it was Franziska who converted the match point to make it 11:9 in the fourth set with a sensitive backhand topspin (8:11, 11:6, 12:10, 11:9).
Equalizer again: Li leads Mainz into the final double
Li made a dominant start to the fourth game and secured the first set against Muramatsu with 11:8. But Muramatsu, determined to get the winning point for Saarbrücken, hit back in the second set and equalized with 11:7. A hard-fought exchange of blows unfolded in the third, which Li won 12:10. Muramatsu was only able to put up little resistance in set four and even a timeout at 2:5 did not have the desired effect (8:11, 11:7, 10:12, 5:11).
The left-right combination of Nuytinck/Franziska on the side of 1.FC against the right-handed pairing of Mladenovic/Rossi from Mainz sought the decision in the final doubles match. It was the first doubles match of the season for the Saarbrücken side, while Mainz were looking for their third decision. The Mainz side prevailed 11:9 in the first set. Nuytinck in particular struggled with Mladenovic's balls at the start. The second and third sets were won by Saarbrücken, before Mainz fought back in set four.
The Saarbrücken doubles team held their nerve in the decisive fifth set. After three hours and 40 minutes of play, Nuytinck converted the match point for a 3:2 overall victory (10:12, 11:4, 11:5, 6:11, 11:3).
With this victory, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT continues to assert itself as a serious title contender. 1. FSV Mainz 05, on the other hand, had to travel home without any points. Nevertheless, the team from the Rhineland put in an impressive performance that other teams should be warned about.
Overview of the 9th matchday
1. FC Saarbrücken TT – 1. FSV Mainz 05 3:2
Yuto Muramatsu - Carlo Rossi 3:2 (9:11, 10:12, 11:5, 14:12, 11:9)
Cedric Nuytinck - Yongyin Li 0:3 (6:11, 7:11, 10:12)
Patrick Franziska - Luka Mladenovic 3:1 (8:11, 11:6, 12:10, 11:9)
Yuto Muramatsu - Yongyin Li 1:3 (8:11, 11:7, 10:12, 5:11)
Cedric Nuytinck/Patrick Franziska - Luka Mladenovic/Carlo Rossi 3:2 (10:12, 11:4, 11:5, 6:11, 11:3)
Borussia Düsseldorf – TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell 3:2
Dang Qiu - Thibault Poret 3:0 (11:8, 12:10, 11:9)
Timo Boll - Fanbo Meng 1:3 (10:12, 5:11, 11:4, 9:11)
Borgar Haug - Ruwen Filus 2:3 (3:11, 4:11, 11:8, 11:8, 8:11)
Dang Qiu - Fanbo Meng 3:0 (11:8, 12:10, 11:8)
Timo Boll/Kamal Achanta - Ruwen Filus/Thibault Poret 3:1 (11:7, 9:11, 11:4, 11:5)
Montag, 11. Dezember
20 Uhr: TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt – TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen
Samstag, 16. Dezember
19 Uhr: TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – Post SV Mühlhausen
Dienstag, 19. Dezember
19 Uhr: ASV Grünwettersbach – SV Werder Bremen
All TTBL matches are broadcast live on Dyn.
Featured image: Patrick Franziska (Photo: Sascha Markus)