The reigning champions, 1 FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis e.V, began their Champions League Men campaign with a commanding straight-match victory in the opening leg of the Round of 16. The German team defeated HB Ostrov z.s. in the Czech Republic. Alongside them, other favorites, including Polish teams KS DARTOM BOGORIA Grodzisk Mazowiecki and KS Dekorglass Działdowo, as well as French side GV HENNEBONT TT, secured crucial away wins. Meanwhile, KS GLOBAL PHARMA ORLICZ 1924 SUCHEDNIÓW caused a significant upset by overcoming A.S PONTOISE-CERGY TT at home.
Despite missing Darko JORGIC due to illness, Saarbrücken delivered a solid performance with Patrick FRANZISKA, Yuto MURAMATSU, and Eduard IONESCU securing the win.
“We are very happy to have won here in straight matches. It was a tough game with fantastic atmosphere—the venue was packed with loud and supportive fans, which we love. But this is just the first step. Starting with a win is great, but the goal remains the Final 4. First, we need to win at home next week. So far, it’s been a tough season for us,” said FRANZISKA.
The return leg is set for Friday in Saarbrücken.
In Prague, KS DARTOM BOGORIA overcame SF SKK EL NINO PRAHA. Marek BADOWSKI and Takuya JIN delivered key wins, while Panagiotis GIONIS has to come back to table twice; he lost to David REITSPIES but overcame Tomas KONECNY.
“It wasn’t easy. The venue was small, and we’ve had many matches in the Superliga recently, so fatigue played a role. REITSPIES was excellent against defensive players, and I was well aware of it, since we played against each other a lot. However BADOWSKI and JIN performed brilliantly. After they produced 2-1 advantage it was much easier for me to seal the match. There’s still one game ahead, and we need to justify this win at home,” said GIONIS.
The second leg is scheduled for Friday.
KS GLOBAL PHARMA ORLICZ 1924 SUCHEDNIÓW posted a stunning home victory. The Polish side defeated A.S PONTOISE-CERGY TT with stellar performances by Kazuhiro YOSHIMURA, who beat Mehdi BOULOUSSA and Izaac QUEK YONG, and Mateusz ZALEWSKI, who overcame Flavio MOURIER. QUEK YONG managed a win against Dani KOZUL after a close five-game battle.
“I’m disappointed with my match; I led in four games but couldn’t close the match. Still, the team win matters most. YOSHIMURA played amazingly, and ZALEWSKI stayed calm at 1-1. Our supporters were fantastic and pushed us throughout. We now need to prepare well for the match in France to secure the next round,” said KOZUL.
Mateusz ZALEWSKI expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance:
“We are very happy that we managed to win the first match in the quarterfinal of the Champions League against a very strong team. It was a very tough match; three out of the four games were very close, which shows our mental power as well. Each of us played at a high level.”
Looking ahead, ZALEWSKI highlighted the team’s busy schedule:
“Now we will play the last match of the Polish league on Tuesday, and after that, we will give our best in the rematch in France.”
The team’s mental strength and consistency will be critical as they aim to secure their place in the next stage of the competition.”
GV HENNEBONT TT triumphed over UKS Dojlidy Białystok, led by Vladimir SIDORENKO with two critical wins. SIDORENKO defeated Patryk CHOJNOWSKI and Machi ASUKA, while Iulian CHIRITA overcame Piotr MICHALSKI. ASUKA managed a single win against Lev KATSMAN.
“The match was far from easy, with a lively crowd cheering for the hosts. The atmosphere was intense, and playing with DONIC balls added a new challenge for me. It was our first time facing these opponents, making every match unpredictable. I’m happy I managed small comebacks in both my matches. Now, we focus on preparing for the home leg,” said SIDORENKO.
The return match in HENNEBONT is scheduled for Thursday.
“It’s great that we won the match; it was very important. Away matches are always challenging, and UKS Dojlidy Białystok is a very strong team. I didn’t start well and couldn’t secure a win for my team in the opening match. Each game I lost was decided by the narrowest of margins—I was more than unlucky. I hope we can win again in the return leg at home,” said Lev KATSMAN.
“Our goal this season is also to reach the playoffs in the French league, which is a very difficult task. We have a strong team, and I’m honored to play for a club with such a rich history. I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent GV Hennebont. The team spirit here is fantastic. Vladi SIDORENKO and I have known each other since our youth. We played together at the European and World Championships in the cadet and junior national teams of Russia, and later we were teammates in Germany’s Neu-Ulm. We’ve been playing together for a very long time. Also, CHIRITA is an excellent player who adds a lot to the team.”
KS Dekorglass Działdowo 1-3 prevailed against Postsportverein Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. Jonathan GROTH was the backbone of the team’s success with wins over Ovidiu IONESCU and Daniel HABESOHN. Samuel KULCZYCKI prevailed against Steffen MENGEL, while the only point for the hosts was scored by Irvin BERTRAND, who defeated Jakub DYJAS.
HB Ostrov z.s.- 1 FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis e.V. 0-3
- Jiri VRABLIK – Yuto MURAMATSU 0-3 (7-11, 8-11, 8-11)
- Pavel SIRUCEK – Patrick FRANZISKA 2-3 (11-7, 5-11, 7-11, 11-9, 2-6)
- Tomas TREGLER – Eduard IONESCU 0-3 (11-9, 5-11, 7-11, 9-11)
SF SKK EL NINO PRAHA – KS DARTOM BOGORIA Grodzisk Mazowiecki 1-3
- Tomas KONECNY – Marek BADOWSKI 0-3 (8-11, 6-11, 11-13)
- David REITSPIES – Panagiotis GIONIS 3-2 (7-11, 11-9, 2-11, 11-7, 6-3)
- Martin SIP – Takuya JIN 1-3 (5-11, 6-11, 11-9, 6-11)
- Tomas KONECNY – Panagiotis GIONIS 0-3 (5-11, 4-11, 5-11)
KS GLOBAL PHARMA ORLICZ 1924 SUCHEDNIÓW – A.S PONTOISE-CERGY TT 3-1
- Kazuhiro YOSHIMURA – Mehdi BOULOUSSA 3-0 (11-7, 12-10, 13-11)
- Deni KOZUL – Izaac QUEK YONG 2 – 3 (11-8, 9-11, 10-12, 11-4, 3-6)
- Mateusz ZALEWSKI – Flavio MOURIER 3-1 (6-11, 14-12, 13-11, 11-8)
- Kazuhiro YOSHIMURA – Izaac QUEK YONG 3-2 (11-9, 10-12, 8-11, 11-2, 6-4)
Postsportverein Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. – KS Dekorglass Działdowo 1-3
- Steffen MENGEL – Samuel KULCZYCKI 1- 3 (11-8, 9-11, 6-11, 7-11)
- Ovidiu IONESCU – Jonathan GROTH 1-3 (11-5, 7-11, 9-11, 3-11)
- Irvin BERTRAND – Jakub DYJAS 3-2 (13-11, 9-11, 10-12, 11-7, 6-4)
- Daniel HABESOH – Jonathan GROTH (11-9, 11-13, 8-11, 8-11)
UKS Dojlidy Białystok – GV HENNEBONT TT 1-3
- Machi ASUKA – Lev KATSMAN 3-0
- Patryk CHOJNOWSKI – Vladimir SIDORENKO 1-3 (7-11, 19-17, 8-11, 7-11)
- Piotr MICHALSKI – Iulian CHIRITA 1-3
- Machi ASUKA – Vladimir SIDORENKO 1-3 (4-11, 13-11, 8-11, 8-11)
