TTC Neu-Ulm fights off TTCL win against Düsseldorf

Its newcomer status did not detract from the first semifinal match in the Table Tennis Champions League (TTCL): Cup winner TTC Neu-Ulm won the first leg of the semifinal 3:2 against Borussia Düsseldorf. The team has the strong comeback of Dimitrij Ovtcharov to thank for that.

It is already late when Dimitrij Ovtcharov and Dang Qiu meet. The score is already 2:2, and both teams are fighting fiercely for the all-important victory that would take them one step closer to the Champions League final. For the first time in the history of the Champions League, four teams from Germany are represented in the round of the last four, and 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT had already won the first leg against Post SV Mühlhausen the day before.

Ovtcharov secures victory

Also in the last match of the evening it looks at first as if the balance will continue: Ovtcharov wins the first set 11:6, the second set is won by Qiu from Düsseldorf 13:11. But then Ovtcharov doesn't let the butter be taken off his bread: With two 11:8 he makes the victory clear for the home team.

It was the crowning glory of a strong evening of table tennis. Before that, Dang Qiu had already had to play the Japanese superstar Tomokazu Harimoto and lost 3:1. Then Düsseldorf came into play: Anton Källberg won clearly 3:0 against Dimitrij Ovtcharov. Neu-Ulm took the lead in the meantime with Truls Möregardh's 3:2 win, until Anton Källberg ensured the Düsseldorf equalizer with a 3:2 win over Harimoto.

In the end, the TTC won the match. Together with 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT, it now goes into the second leg of the TTCL semifinals as the favorite. On Sunday, it will then be decided who will enter the final of the top division.

The TTCL semifinals in the overview

First Leg

Post SV Mühlhausen – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT 1:3
Ovidiu Ionescu – Darko Jorgic 2:3 (13:11, 6:11, 10:12, 11:8, 4:6)
Daniel Habesohn – Patrick Franziska 0:3 (5:11, 7:11, 9:11)
Steffen Mengel – Cedric Nuytinck 3:1 (11:4, 9:11, 11:6, 11:5)
Ovidiu Ionescu – Patrick Franziska 1:3 (11:9, 8:11, 10:12, 3:11)

TTC Neu-Ulm – Borussia Düsseldorf 3:2
Tomokazu Harimoto – Dang Qiu 3:1 (11:8, 7:11, 11:1, 11:8)
Dimitrij Ovtcharov – Anton Källberg 0:3 (5:11, 10:12, 9:11)
Truls Möregardh – Timo Boll 3:2 (11:8, 7:11, 7:11, 11:5, 6:0)
Tomokazu Harimoto – Anton Källberg 2:3 (11:7, 8:11, 8:11, 11:8, 4:6)
Dimitrij Ovtcharov – Dang Qiu 3:1 (11:6, 11:13, 11:8, 11:8)

Second Leg

Sunday, February 19
1 p.m.: Borussia Düsseldorf – TTC Neu-Ulm
2 p.m.: 1. FC Saarbrücken TT – Post SV Mühlhausen