Borussia Düsseldorf kicked off their 2024/25 Champions League campaign with a win in the opening leg of the Round of 16, defeating SKST Havirov tonight. The second leg is scheduled for Friday, December 20, at 7 PM in the ARAG CenterCourt. Following their Bundesliga victory against Bergneustadt, last year’s Champions League runners-up set off for Frankfurt, traveling to Havirov yesterday. However, the team arrived in the Czech Republic with a reduced squad. Coach Danny HEISTER had to manage without Dang QIU, who is on a planned break, and Timo BOLL, who reported sick yesterday and stayed home. Last season, Norwegian Borgar HAUG impressed with two Champions League appearances and two wins, but tonight it was Roman POLANSKY who gave the hosts a dream start. SKST Havirov began with strong momentum, but Anton KALLBERG turned the match around. KALLBERG defeated Jan VALENTA and later Tomas POLANSKY, while Kay STUMPER secured a crucial victory over Adam STALZER. Coach Danny HEISTER reflected on the victory: “It was a big match. Borgar didn’t do a bad job in the first two sets. He was leading 8:2 in the first game but lost. It was difficult for him because he was sick a week before the match, but he had to play. Timo BOLL was also sick and couldn’t arrive. It wasn’t easy, and I am really happy with the win. After the break, we did a great job. I think it is deserved that we won 3:1. There was a really good atmosphere—the arena here is beautiful, and the people are nice. I also know the manager very well, and they treated us really well. There are a lot of great teams in the Champions League. We will take it match by match and see how we manage the next one.” SKST Havirov advanced to the knockout stage after finishing second in their group, behind Polish club UKS Dojlidy Białystok. Round of 16: SKST Havirov – Borussia Düsseldorf 1-3 FOTO: J. ODSTRCILIK
Reigning Champions ENEA SIARKOPOL TARNOBRZEG Conclude Group Stage Unbeaten
KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL TARNOBRZEG completed Stage Two of the Champions League Women with an impeccable record, winning all four matches in Group A. The four-time champions and reigning titleholders from Poland defeated French club Saint-Quentin TT in their final group-stage match. The knockout phase begins in January 2025, with the top two teams from each Group in Stage 2 advancing to the quarterfinals. Today, the Polish team overpowered Saint-Quentin TT in four matches. Japan’s Satsuki ODO made a remarkable debut in the Champions League this season, securing victories against Camille LUTZ and Polina MIKHAILOVA. Linda BERGSTRÖM managed to earn a point for Saint-Quentin with a dramatic win over Elizabeta SAMARA by a death point. “Satsuki ODO played for the first time in Poland and joined us for her debut. She gave us an incredible boost with her performance. Additionally, Fu was outstanding today. Although I lost my match, I’m so happy for the team,” said SAMARA. Previously, KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL TARNOBRZEG defeated Saint-Quentin TT in an away match (3-1) and prevailed against Novi Sad in both encounters, winning 3-0 at home and 3-1 away. One match remains in Group A: on Monday, Novi Sad will host the French club. This clash will decide who finishes second in the group. In Group B, Germany’s ttc berlin eastside secured their place in the knockout phase last month with a victory over Metz TT in November, following identical 3-1 wins against both SKST PLUS HODONIN and Metz TT in earlier matches. Today, French club Metz TT joined them by claiming a second win over Hodonin, which secured their second position in the group regardless of the result of the upcoming match between ttc berlin eastside and SKST PLUS HODONIN. This evening, Adina DIACONU, Mariia TAILAKOVA, and Charlotte LUTZ delivered dominant performances against Sakura MORI, Solomiya BRATEYKO, and Karin GROFOVA, defeating the Czech side in straight matches. “Firstly, I am very happy that we qualified for the quarterfinals. That was the main goal: to advance from the group. Coming here, we knew we only needed one point because we won at home 3-0, but we still wanted to win and remained very focused,” explained DIACONU. “I am very happy with my performance tonight. I felt very strong mentally, and my service game was at a good level against MORI, who is a very dangerous player. Mariia beat BRATEYKO 3-2 at home, so we knew we had to be cautious. She stayed calm, and everything went well. For LUTZ, it wasn’t easy since it was her first time playing against GROFOVA, who is known for her very aggressive style. With a 2-0 lead, we gave her some space to ease the pressure, and she delivered the win.” ttc berlin eastside will meet SKST PLUS HODONIN in the final match of the group on Sunday. In Group D, French club ETIVAL A.S.R.T.T has recorded four consecutive wins. Their latest victory came against Hungary’s Budaörsi Sport Club, though the Hungarian team put up a strong fight. Dora MADARASZ gave the hosts a dream start with a win over Camelia IACOB and later defeated Christina KALLBERG in a thrilling five-game match. However, Helga DARI and Maria FAZEKAS could not maintain the momentum. Jieni SHAO defeated Maria, while Camelia IACOB overcame DARI in the decisive match. Helga also suffered a loss to Christina KALLBERG. The final match in the group will see UCAM Cartagena face Budaörsi Sport Club on Monday. The Spanish team defeated Budaörsi Sport Club in the opening leg in Hungary. Group A: KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL TARNOBRZEG – SAINT-QUENTIN TT 3-1 Group B: SKST Plus Hodonín – METZ TT 0-3 Group D: Budaörsi Sport Club – ETIVAL A.S.R.T.T 2-3
