Seven-time Champions League Men winners Borussia Düsseldorf made a significant stride toward the Final Four with a stunning victory over Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier. In a matchup featuring the formidable Félix and Alexis LEBRUN, ranked World No. 4 and No. 14 respectively, last year’s runners-up delivered an upset by sweeping the French team in straight games in the quarterfinal’s opening leg in France. Anton KÄLLBERG set the tone by overcoming Félix LEBRUN in a thrilling five-game match, while Dang QIU defeated Alexis LEBRUN in four games. Timo BOLL, making his final competitive appearance abroad, sealed the victory with a narrow win against Esteban DORR. “Great performance from all of us. We knew how difficult it would be. Montpellier has a very strong team with the LEBRUN brothers and DORR,” said Dang QIU. “Both Anton and Timo’s matches were very important. They won by narrow margins, and we know that if we had been forced to play a fourth match, anything could have happened. The duel could have easily finished 3-2 for the French team.” The return leg is scheduled for February 16th, with the winner of the two-leg encounter advancing to the Final Four in Saarbrücken. Polish KS DARTOM BOGORIA Grodzisk Mazowiecki recorded fast straight matches victory over last year’s Final 4 semi finalists, Austria’s SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt. Ivor BAN was streched to full distance against Milosz REDZIMSKI and Amirezza ABBASI MONJEZI also forced Panagiotis GIONIS to go all five games, but both failed to close the match. Marek BADOWSKI sealed the match with win over Frane KOJIC. “It is very good that we recorded a 3-0 victory against a very strong team in an away match. We played in a small venue with a heated atmosphere and gave our best. However, we are aware that the second leg will not be easy. We won two matches 3-2 after being down 1-2. The advantage is on our side, as we need only two points to reach the Final Four, but we have to stay focused,” said GIONIS. Champions League Men quarterfinal SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt – KS DARTOM BOGORIA Grodzisk Mazowiecki 0-3 Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier – Borussia Düsseldorf 0-3
Froschberg LINZ AG Stands Firm Under Pressure to Dominate SAINT-QUENTIN TT
In the opening leg of the Champions League Women quarterfinal, Froschberg LINZ AG demonstrated resilience and dominance, overwhelming SAINT-QUENTIN TT with a commanding performance. The Austrian team, unbeaten in the previous phase, maintained their winning streak. Suthasini SAWETTABUT, Britt EERLAND, and Ivana MALOBABIC proved too strong for Linda BERGSTRÖM, Polina MIKHAILOVA, and Camille LUTZ, securing a decisive victory. “I will say this win has left us flabbergasted. SAINT-QUENTIN is a very strong team with special players. They have a system where you never know how they’ll play or what will happen. But we also have a player with a defensive style, so we prepared well,” said Britt EERLAND. “To be honest, it’s the quarterfinal of the Champions League, and we were well aware that anything could happen. We could only play at our best and hope for the best. Our mindset was: let’s help each other and give it our all. I felt a great deal of pressure in my match, but knowing the whole team was fighting helped me. Matches like these aren’t so much about tactics; they’re about who performs better under pressure. We’re far from finished, and we’ll give our best in Linz.” The return leg will be played on February 15th. Champions League Women quarterfinal SAINT-QUENTIN TT – Froschberg LINZ AG 0-3
ASC Grünwettersbach’s Team Effort Secures Victory Over SPG Felbermayr Wels
In the Europe Cup Men Round of 16, SPG Felbermayr Wels suffered a home defeat in the opening leg against ASC Grünwettersbach, despite a strong performance from Andreas LEVENKO. LEVENKO gave the hosts a dream start by defeating Leo DE NODREST and later added a second win against Ricardo WALTHER. However, his efforts were not enough, as Grünwettersbach showed their depth and strength as a team. DE NODREST, WALTHER, and Guilherme TEODORO each contributed a victory, underlining Grünwettersbach’s balanced team play and collective performance. “We’re really happy about the effort the team has put in today, but it was only the first part, and we will fight until the end to secure our place in the next round,” said Leo DE NODREST after the match. The return leg is scheduled for February 16th. SPG Felbermayr Wels – ASC Grünwettersbach 2-3
CTM Mirandela Recorded Victory Over HB Ostrov
Portugal’s CTM Mirandela triumphed over Czech club HB Ostrov in the opening leg of the Stage three of the Europe Cup Women . Annamaria ERDELYI delivered two wins against Veronika POLAKOVA and Zdena BLASKOVA. Mariana SANTA COMBA added the third point with a hard-fought five-game victory over Jana VASENDOVA. BLASKOVA secured the sole point for HB Ostrov by defeating Ines MATOS. “They came without their top player, Tatiana KUKULKOVA, which made our task much easier. We seized the opportunity to secure an advantage before the return leg in Czechia,” said ERDELYI. “I was very confident and played well. It’s great that Mariana managed to beat VASENDOVA. She performed at a high level.” The return leg is scheduled for February 16th. Europe Cup Women’s CTM Mirandela – HB Ostrov z.s. 3-1
Museo de la Almendra Francisco Morales Dominates in Round of 16 Opener
Last year’s Europe Cup Women runners-up, Museo de la Almendra Francisco Morales, secured a victory in the opening leg of the Round of 16. Their Spanish rivals, Universidad de Burgos – RM Terán, failed to pose a significant challenge in the all-Spanish showdown. Meng JIAQI, Margarita FETUKHINA, and Patricia SANTOS each delivered dominant performances, defeating María BERZOSA, Gabriela FEHER, and María MÉNDEZ in straight matches, all concluding in straight games. “I think it was easier than we expected, but it was a great result for us to win 3-0 and gain the advantage for the second leg. We had a very supportive fans during the home match, with many students coming to cheer for us. We really enjoyed it, fought as a team, and everyone played well. Hopefully, we can carry this momentum into the next match,”said Meng JIAQI. The return leg is scheduled for February 15. Museo de la Almendra Francisco Morales – UNIVERSIDAD DE BURGOS – RM TERAN 3-0
In Sarajevo: 12 Places on Offer for the 2025 European Teams Championships Final Stage
For the third year in a row, Sarajevo will host an ETTU event. Following the Under 21 European Championships in 2023, the Europe Youth Series tournament, and the European Olympic Singles Qualification in 2024, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina will welcome competitors for the 2025 European Teams Championships (ETC) Stage 1. The ETC will take place from January 21 to 25, bringing together teams vying for a spot in the Final Stage, scheduled from October 12 to 19 in Zadar, Croatia. A total of 12 teams will secure their tickets to Croatia, with six teams qualifying from both the men’s and women’s events. “We look forward to be back at the beautiful Sarajevo for another ETTU event, this time the first edition of the Stage 1 of European Team Championships, as well as for the ETTU Working Week, the moment Executive Board meets all the Committees Chairs and the ETTU staff, having the chance to discuss the plans and goals for the 2025, a very important year not only for ETTU but also for the sport at the global stage,” stated ETTU President Pedro MOURA.Key members of the LOC, including Competition Director Anes ALIĆ, General Secretary Amela MUJEZINOVIĆ, and President Mirsad PAJEVIĆ, emphasized in their joint statement: “All activities are in the final stages and fully aligned with ETTU regulations, directives, and procedures for organizing the Stage 1 of the European Teams Championships. We have made every effort to ensure that all participating teams have top-notch conditions for competition, accommodation, meals, and other amenities offered by the Hills Hotel complex. We take this opportunity to thank ETTU and their partners, Nittaku and Donic, for sponsoring the necessary table tennis equipment for the championship. In addition to the participating teams, we look forward to welcoming the ETTU Executive Board, Secretariat staff, and Chairs of the ETTU Committees. This will be an opportunity to further strengthen and expand our successful collaboration through the participation of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Table Tennis Federation in future projects and the organization of sporting events.” The last European Teams Championships Final Stage was held in Malmö in 2023, with Sweden’s men’s team and Germany’s women’s team holding the titles. Teams Competing in Sarajevo Women’s Teams: Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, England, Finland, Greece, Greenland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Slovenia, Switzerland. Men’s Teams: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, San Marino, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye, and Wales.
