In the opening leg of the Champions League Women quarterfinal, METZ TT triumphed over ETIVAL A.S.R.T.T. in an all-French clash. The star of the day was Adina DIACONU, who delivered an outstanding performance by defeating both Jieni SHAO and Liu YANGZI in style. Mariia TAILAKOVA also contributed with a victory over Liu YANGZI, while Charlotte LUTZ secured the only point for the visitors from Etival by beating Christina KALLBERG. Adina DIACONU reflected on her impressive performance: “Today, I think I played some of my best table tennis in a long time. In the first match against Shao JIENI, I played perfectly. By the way, the match wasn’t as easy as the score might suggest—Jieni is a very good player, but today everything worked for me. Mentally, I was ready to fight, and I also had a very good tactic. In the second match, I played against YANGZI Liu, a player I had never beaten before. Every time, I lost very close matches, 3-2. But today, I felt like it was my day. I stayed very calm in the important moments and made good decisions. I’m very proud of myself and my team for the win tonight. We had a great fight against a very strong team, Etival. It’s not over yet, but we’re ready to fight. Our goal is to reach the semifinals of the Champions League this year!” In another quarterfinal match, UCAM Cartagena TM proved too strong for ttc berlin eastside. Maria XIAO dominated Nina MITTELHAM and Xiaona SHAN, who also lost to Sofia Xuan ZHANG. Sabina SURJAN managed to secure the only point for the German club by defeating Yao LI. “We knew it would be a very tough match. ttc berlin eastside is one of the favorite teams to win the Champions League title, so we had no pressure at all. We also played without our number one player, which took even more pressure off us. It was a really good day for us, and we are very happy with the win” said Maria XIAO. Champions League Women reigning champions from Poland, KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL TARNOBRZEG, recorded a close victory in Italy against ASD QUATTRO MORI. Natalia BAJOR was the backbone of the team’s success, winning against Elizabet ABRAAMIAN in a full five-game match and securing the final victory over Tania PLAIAN. Earlier, Tania PLAIAN overcame her national teammate Elizabeta SAMARA, who also lost to ABRAAMIAN. Fu YU was stretched to full distance in her clash against Miriam CARNOVALE. The return leg in Poland will be played on 14th February. METZ TT – ETIVAL A.S.R.T.T 3-1 UCAM Cartagena TM – ttc berlin eastside 3-1 ASD QUATTRO MORI – KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL TARNOBRZEG 2-3
KS Dekorglass Działdowo Dominates Polish Derby in Champions League Men Quarterfinal
In the Champions League Men quarterfinal, KS Dekorglass Działdowo triumphed in the all-Polish clash against KS Global Pharma Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów. Last year, KS Dekorglass Działdowo claimed the Europe Cup trophy by defeating Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki in a dramatic final, where five out of six matches were decided in the fifth set. However, today’s quarterfinal was far less dramatic. “This season, we lost to KS Global Pharma Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów 1-3 at home in Polish League. They are a very good team,” recalled Samuel KULCZYCKI. “We are very happy to have won 3-0, especially since we played away. All of us played very well, and we hope to win the second match and secure a place in the Final Four.” The return match between Dekorglass and Orlicz is scheduled for February 15. KS GLOBAL PHARMA ORLICZ 1924 SUCHEDNIÓW – KS Dekorglass Działdowo 0-3
FIBRAIN KU AZS Rzeszów Prevails in a Nail-Biter Against CP Lyssois Lille Métropole
In the third round of the Europe Cup Women, Polish team FIBRAIN KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszów secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory over CP Lyssois Lille Métropole in the opening leg held in France. Despite the seemingly comfortable scoreline, the match was far tighter, with three of the four games going the full distance. Filippa BERGAND gave the hosts a promising start with a 3-2 victory over Zuzanna WIELGOS. However, experienced Fen LI turned the tide for Rzeszów. She edged past Shuohan MEN in a five-game thriller, leveling the match. Katarzyna GRZYBOWSKA-FRANC also endured a grueling five-game battle to overcome Margo DEGRAEF, putting the Polish team ahead. Fen LI then sealed the victory by defeating her compatriot BERGAND in straight games. The return leg is scheduled for February 14th. CP LYSSOIS LILLE METROPOLE – FIBRAIN KU AZS POLITECHNIKA RZESZOW 1-3
REAL CLUB CAJASUR PRIEGO Claims Opening Leg Victory Against A.S. PONTOISE-CERGY TT
After losing to Polish team KS GLOBAL PHARMA ORLICZ 1924 SUCHEDNIÓW in the Round of 16 of the Champions League Men, French club A.S. PONTOISE-CERGY TT continued their journey in the Europe Cup Men Round of 16. However, they stumbled at the first hurdle. REAL CLUB CAJASUR PRIEGO TENIS DE MESA secured a victory in the opening leg on home soil. Carlos MACHADO defeated Tristan FLORE and Mehdi BOULOUSSA, while Alejandro CALVO overcame Thomas LAROCHE. Unfortunately, Alberto LILLO suffered an injury at the very start of his opening game against Mehdi BOULOUSSA, but the Spanish team still concluded the match victoriously. “I am very happy that I am still able to play at the top level,” said MACHADO. “In addition, we are very pleased to have secured the win today, even though we played without our ‘foreigners.’ I expect we will face much more difficulty in France, but we will fight.” After a narrow defeat in the golden match of the Champions League Men Round of 16 against Poland’s KS Dekorglass Działdowo, Germany’s Postsportverein Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. bounced back with an opening leg win in the Europe Cup Men Round of 16. In France, Lille Métropole T.T. fell 1-3 to the German side. Irvin BERTRAND secured a win over Fabio RAKOTOARIMANANA, who later suffered another loss at the hands of Ovidiu IONESCU. Romania’s IONESCU had earlier been defeated by Romain BRARD in the second match of the day. Daniel HABESOHN completed the victory for Mühlhausen with a win over Amir Hossein HODAEI. “After beating the Champions League winners Saarbrücken in the Bundesliga just two days ago, we’re happy to have won the first leg against Lille. There were some ups and downs during the match, but fortunately, we managed to secure the victory. Despite today’s win, we need to stay focused on our upcoming league matches,” said HABESOH. IONESCU added: “We are very happy with this win; it was a tough match. Two days ago, we also won in the German league, which gave us a lot of confidence for today. Our opponents played well, and there is still a second leg to be played. We want to win it and secure our qualification for the next round.” Meanwhile, HB Ostrov z.s., who ended 2024 with a loss to reigning Champions League winners 1. FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis e.V., began the new year with a strong start in the Europe Cup, defeating Austria’s SPG Linz. Youssef ABDEL-AZIZ gave the Austrian team an early lead, but Czech player Pavel SIRUCEK turned the match around by defeating Zhenlong LIU. Jiri VRABLIK followed up with a victory over Tobias TISCHBERGER, and SIRUCEK sealed the win by overcoming Egypt’s ABDEL-AZIZ. The next match will be played on February 14th. After a tight duel in Spain, SKST Havířov returns home with the advantage, defeating Universidad de Burgos in the opening leg. Cai SHUNHANG was the standout performer for the hosts, securing both points for his team. However, the visitors struck back with a stronger team effort. All three players—Tomáš POLANSKÝ, Adam STALZER, and Jan VALENTA—contributed to the victory. Europe Cup Men Round of 16 REAL CLUB CAJASUR PRIEGO TENIS DE MESA – A.S PONTOISE-CERGY TT 3-1 LILLE METROPOLE T.T – Postsportverein Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. 1-3 SPG Linz – HB Ostrov z.s. 1-3 UNIVERSIDAD DE BURGOS – TPF – SKST Havirov 2-3
Apuania Carrara Clinches Fourth Consecutive Italian Super Cup
At the Palasport in Avenza, in front of a passionate home crowd, Apuania Carrara celebrated their fourth consecutive Italian Super Cup triumph by defeating their historic rivals, Top Spin Messina Watches Together, 5-3. The victory was particularly special as Top Spin Messina had won the Super Cup in 2019 and 2020. The trophy was presented by FITeT President Renato DI NAPOLI. The match was played across two tables and showcased thrilling action from start to finish. In the first round, Apuania Carrara took a commanding lead, with Croatia’s Tomislav PUCAR defeating Niagol STOYANOV and Portugal’s João MONTEIRO, a former Top Spin player, overcoming Tommaso GIOVANNETTI. Top Spin Messina fought back in the second round. Moldova’s Vladislav URSU prevailed over Mihai BOBOCICA, but MONTEIRO maintained Apuania’s momentum by defeating STOYANOV. The third round brought excitement for Top Spin Messina as they leveled the match 3-3. URSU secured a victory against PUCAR, and GIOVANNETTI outplayed Matteo MUTTI. In the decisive fourth round, MONTEIRO completed a hat-trick by defeating URSU, and MUTTI sealed the win for Apuania by overcoming STOYANOV in a thrilling five-game match. “It was a heart-stopping match,” said Apuania Carrara President Guglielmo BELLOTTI. “Top Spin Messina confirmed they are a very strong team. We started well, but they came back, and at one point, anything could have happened. When MUTTI beat STOYANOV in the penultimate singles, we could finally breathe a sigh of relief. MONTEIRO was undoubtedly the man of the match with his hat-trick, especially his victory over URSU, who impressed me with his game intelligence. PUCAR also played an important role, and I’m sure if he had been needed for the last singles, he would have delivered his best table tennis. We are extremely satisfied with this fourth Super Cup victory.” Table 1 Table 2
City of Zagreb Honored Tino ČASL with Lifetime Achievement Award
At the ceremony honoring the best athletes of the City of Zagreb in 2024, three individuals from the world of table tennis received awards, including two lifetime achievement awards. The recipients were Dr. Martin Tino ČASL, President of STK Dr. ČASL, and Aleksa KOCIJAN, a member of the Supervisory Board of the Croatian Table Tennis Association (HSTS), who was nominated for this award in the field of sports recreation. Mirela Šikoronja IVANČIN, coach of Paralympic gold medalist Anđela MUŽINIĆ VINCETIĆ and a member of the Executive Board of HSTS, was named the most successful coach. Dr. ČASL has been involved in competitive sports (table tennis, tennis, basketball, and handball) for a remarkable 56 years. Over the years, he has been an athlete, and for the past 16 years, he has served as the president of the Dr. ČASL Table Tennis Club. Additionally, he has held key roles as Vice President of the Croatian Table Tennis Association, Vice President of the Zagreb Table Tennis Association, and a member of the Executive Board of the Women’s European Champions League. Under his leadership, the club has achieved extraordinary success: The pinnacle of his career came with the club’s victory in the Women’s Champions League in 2018 and their runner-up finish in 2019. In June 2024, the women’s team won the Europe Trophy, marking their sixth different title. No other club in history has won such a diverse range of competitions.
TTC Ostrava 2016 Starts Europe Cup Campaign with the Win Over STK Vyhne
After concluding their journey in the Champions League Round of 16 against Austria’s Wiener Neustadt, TTC Ostrava 2016 made a strong start in the Europe Cup Men Round of 16. In a dominante performance, the team from Ostrava secured a straight-match victory over STK Vyhne in Slovakia. Led by coach Petr KORBEL, Adam KLAJBER, Piotr CYRNEK, and Jakub KLEPRLÍK showed their strength against a trio featuring Miroslav HOŘEJŠÍ, Boguslaw KOSZYK and Filip SZYMANSKI. “Of course, we are happy with such a clear victory. We didn’t expect to beat STK Vyhne 3-0. We anticipated a tougher fight, but we’re not in the quarterfinals yet—this is just the first step. All three of our players delivered solid performances tonight,” said coach KORBEL. The return leg is scheduled for February 14th. STK Vyhne – TTC Ostrava 2016 0-3
Borussia Düsseldorf Stuns Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier
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
