TTCLM: Patrick Franziska leads Saarbrücken to victory
The 1st FC Saarbrücken TT has come a big step closer to reaching the final of the Champions League (TTCLM). The Saarlanders won the semi-final first leg against Post SV Mühlhausen 3:1.
For the first time, Post SV Mühlhausen is in a semi-final of the Champions League (TTCLM). In the first leg, however, they paid dearly. They lost 1:3 to the 1st FC Saarbrücken. In the return match on Sunday, the Thuringians now need at least an equally clear victory to force the Golden Match.
Patrick Franziska led his team to overall success with two singles victories. First, he won confidently 3:0 against Daniel Habesohn. A little later, he also won against Ovidiu Ionescu 3:1. At this point, Saarbrücken was already leading 2-1. Both Ionescu and Franziska could feel the pressure of the match. Both struggled with themselves and their performance. In the fourth set it was Franziska who ignited the turbo, won eight match points and used the second one.
Darko Jorgic manages the decisive break
However, Darko Jorgic managed the decisive break in the first duel of the evening against Ionescu. In a hard-fought singles match, the match went into a shortened fifth set. After an even start to the set, Jorgic pulled away with three points in a row to 5:2, but it was not until his third match point that he used it to put his team 1:0 ahead. Steffen Mengel provided the point for Mühlhausen. He won 3:1 against Cedric Nuytinck from Belgium.
Tomorrow, in the other German semifinal, the German Cup winner TTC Neu-Ulm will receive the record champion of the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) Borussia Düsseldorf. The second legs will take place on Sunday.
All results and a live ticker are available on the ETTU website.
A paid live broadcast is available on Sportdeutschland.tv.
The TTCLM 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)
Wednesday, February 15, 7 p.m.: TTC Neu-Ulm - Borussia Düsseldorf
Return matches
Sunday, February 19
1 p.m.: Borussia Düsseldorf - TTC Neu-Ulm
2 p.m.: 1. FC Saarbrücken TT - Post SV Mühlhausen