Victory in Cologne: Mühlhausen clinches first quarterfinal ticket

Post SV Mühlhausen has lived up to its position as favorite in the German Table Tennis Cup and entered the quarterfinals with a 3-0 win at 1. FC Köln.

Only one more win separates Post SV Mühlhausen from making it to the Final Four of the German Table Tennis Cup. On Saturday afternoon, the current tenth-placed team in the German Table Tennis League (TTBL) won 3-0 at second-league team 1. FC Köln and thus became the first team this season to punch its ticket to the quarterfinals. "The second division is getting stronger every year, we saw that again today," Mühlhausen coach Erik Schreyer said of Cologne's performance. "They played bravely." Last season, Mühlhausen had made it to the Final Four, which eventually saw a semifinal exit against 1. FC Saarbrücken TT.

Mühlhausen only had to worry for about 20 minutes on Saturday: Adrien Rassenfosse played furiously against Daniel Habesohn and was initially leading 2:0 sets. Habesohn, however, did not give up and fought his way into the fifth set, in which the Cologne player was again ahead. At 10:8 and 12:11 Rassenfosse had three match points. But Habesohn fought off each of them and finally celebrated a 3:2 (10:12, 5:11, 11:2, 11:3, 13:11) victory. "That was the crux of it. If we had been down 0:1, it probably would have been an unpleasant match," Schreyer said.

Next round of 16 on Thursday

Afterwards, Steffen Mengel and Kim Taehyun ensured a commanding victory for the guests. Mengel won 3:1 (5:11, 11:7, 11:1, 11:6) against Gianluca Walther for a 2:0 lead at the break, Kim made everything clear for Mühlhausen with a 3:1 (11:3, 11:8, 8:11, 11:9) against Lennart Wehking. "We can be satisfied overall with our performance. We more than played along today," Wehking said. "Adrien would have deserved the win. He showed that he can play at this level."

For Mühlhausen it already continues tomorrow, Sunday, from 3 p.m. the away match at 1. FC Saarbrücken TT is scheduled in the TTBL. The match will be broadcast live on the Spontent channels on Twitch. The next round of 16 in the German Table Tennis Cup will take place next Thursday, September 22: TV 1879 Hilpoltstein will receive Borussia Düsseldorf starting at 19:30.

The round of 16 in overview

1. FC Köln – Post SV Mühlhausen 0:3
Adrien Rassenfosse – Daniel Habesohn 2:3 (12:10, 11:5, 2:11, 3:11, 11:13)
Gianluca Walther – Steffen Mengel 1:3 (11:5, 7:11, 1:11, 6:11)
Lennart Wehking – Kim Taehyun 1:3 (3:11, 8:11, 11:8, 9:11)

Thursday, September 22
7.30 p.m.: TV 1879 Hilpoltstein – Borussia Düsseldorf

Friday, September 23
7 p.m.: SV Werder Bremen – TTC Neu-Ulm
7 p.m.: TTC indeland Jülich – TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau
7 p.m.: 1. FC Saarbrücken TT – TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt
7 p.m.: TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – TSV Bad Königshofen
7 p.m.: TTC Fortuna Passau – TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell

Saturday, September 24
7 p.m.: ASV Grünwettersbach – 1. FSV Mainz 05