TTBL basement duel: Quadri Aruna becomes "Man of the Match
The basement duel in the German Table Tennis League (TTBL) between TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell and 1. FSV Mainz 05 was a hot affair this evening. Thanks to the 3:2 win against Mainz, Fulda leaves the relegation zone for the winter break.
In less than 15 minutes, Quadri Aruna swept past material specialist Luka Mladenovic in the first match of the evening. Mladenovic was only able to defend himself against Aruna's brutal forehand topspins in the first set, before sets two and three went clearly in favor of the Maberzell player (12:10, 11:1, 11:6).
With a 1:0 lead behind him, Fan Bo Meng was fired up at the beginning of the second game against Yuto Muramatsu. The first set went to the left-hander 11-5 and all signs were also in Meng's favor in the second set, but he could not force a 10-8 lead. This set loss proved to be the turning point of the match. Muramatsu acted more confidently from then on and tied the match 1-1 for the Mainz team (11:5, 10:12, 8:11, 5:11). Andrei Putuntica initiated the change of the lead with a 3:1 victory over Alexandre Cassin (7:11, 11:13, 12:10, 4:11), before it became really exciting in the fourth game.
Quadri Aruna with a respectable win over Yuto Muramatsu
When Quadri Aruna stepped into the box for his next singles match, it was already clear in advance that it would be his last match for TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell. The Nigerian will leave the club at his own request at the end of the year. The 34-year-old seemed to be all the more motivated, even though he was facing Yuto Muramatsu, currently the best player in the TTBL (record 13:2). With 11:6, 8:11, 5:11, 11:7 and 11:2 Aruna finally prevailed and forced the Mainzers into the final doubles.
There, Alexandre Cassin and Fan Bo Meng rejoiced in the end, winning 3:0 against Luka Mladenovic and Andrei Putuntica. For Fulda it was a liberation from the relegation zone. The promoted team from Mainz has to spend the winter on the last place in the table.
Luka Mladenovic of 1. FSV Mainz 05 was visibly disappointed after the game: "Of course, the disappointment at this moment is very big. We would have liked to win the last game of the year, but you have to say that the boys from Fulda deserved to win today. Quadri Aruna was incredibly strong today and you have to acknowledge that."
Fulda's head coach Qing Yu Meng was also impressed by Aruna's performance. "Today was really a very tough fight. Fortunately, we won 3-2. Aruna really played world class today and delivered a super finish for the TTC."
The 11th match day in overview
TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – 1. FSV Mainz 05 3:2
Quadri Aruna – Luka Mladenovic 3:0 (12:10, 11:1, 11:6)
Fan Bo Meng – Yuto Muramatsu 1:3 (11:5, 10:12, 8:11, 5:11)
Alexandre Cassin – Andrei Putuntica 1:3 (7:11, 11:13, 12:10, 4:11)
Quadri Aruna – Yuto Muramatsu 3:2 (11:6, 8:11, 5:11, 11:7, 11:2)
Alexandre Cassin/Fan Bo Meng – Luka Mladenovic/Andrei Putuntica 3:1 (11:8, 11:9, 11:7)
TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – TTC Neu-Ulm 3:0
Simon Gauzy – Lev Katsman 3:1 (11:9, 8:11, 11:8, 11:5)
Can Akkazu – Maksim Grebnev 3:1 (13:11, 11:6, 6:11, 11:9)
Shunsuke Togami – Vladimir Sidorenko 3:0 (11:7, 11:6, 11:9)
Post SV Mühlhausen – TSV Bad Königshofen 2:3
Ovidiu Ionescu – Bastian Steger 0:3 (10:12, 6:11, 9:11)
Steffen Mengel – Yukiya Uda 3:2 (11:6, 11:6, 5:11, 9:11, 11:3)
Daniel Habesohn – Filip Zeljko 3:0 (13:11, 11:7, 11:6)
Ovidiu Ionescu – Yukiya Uda 2:3 (4:11, 11:9, 13:11, 8:11, 8:11)
Daniel Habesohn / Steffen Mengel - Bastian Steger / Filip Zeljko 2:3 (6:11, 8:11, 11:8, 11:7, 3:11)
SV Werder Bremen – TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau 3:2
Mattias Falck – Patrick Baum 0:3 (5:11, 4:11, 9:11)
Kirill Gerassimenko – Maciej Kubik 1:3 (11:9, 11:13, 9:11, 4:11)
Marcelo Aguirre – Samuel Walker 3:1 (11:3, 13:15, 11:6, 11:7)
Mattias Falck – Maciej Kubik 3:0 (11:7, 11:8, 11:7)
Kirill Gerassimenko/Cristian Pletea – Samuel Walker/Patrick Baum 3:2 (11:2, 11:1, 10:12, 7:11, 11:4)
1. FC Saarbrücken TT – ASV Grünwettersbach 3:1
Cedric Nuytinck – Ryota Shimmyo 3:1 (11:4, 11:7, 7:11, 11:9)
Darko Jorgic – Deni Kozul 3:1 (8:11, 11:4, 11:4, 11:7)
Tomas Polansky – Ricardo Walther 2:3 (7:11, 4:11, 11:8, 11:8, 7:11)
Cedric Nuytinck – Deni Kozul 3:0 (11:6, 11:9, 11:6)
Borussia Düsseldorf – TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt 3:1
Anton Källberg – Alberto Mino 3:0 (11:6, 13:11, 11:3)
Sharath Kamal Achanta – Omar Assar 2:3 (8:11, 11:7, 3:11, 11:2, 11:13)
Timo Boll – Romain Ruiz 3:0 (11:9, 11:8, 11:7)
Anton Källberg – Omar Assar 3:1 (6:11, 11:2, 11:6, 11:6)
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