Great suspense at German Champs in Wetzlar

Can Timo BOLL win his tenth title and will he become the record holder? Or will Dimitrij OVTCHAROV triumphs for the first time? Will there be a surprise winner as Steffen MENGEL 2013? Can SHAN Xiaona defend her title in the women’s competition? Before the,

Can Timo BOLL win his tenth title and will he become the record holder? Or will Dimitrij OVTCHAROV triumphs for the first time? Will there be a surprise winner as Steffen MENGEL 2013? Can SHAN Xiaona defend her title in the women’s competition?

Before the 82nd National German Championships in Wetzlar there are a lot of questions. Only one thing is certain: The Rittal Arena will be sold out on Saturday and Sunday and packed with 6.000 Table Tennis Fans. “It has been while since we had major event in this region. The viewer’s interest is great,” says DTTB President Thomas WEIKERT All A- and B- squad athletes of the German Table Tennis Association (DTTB) are listed for the prestigious tournament.

Record holders with nine titles are: Nicole STRUSE, Timo BOLL, Eberhard SCHOLER and Conny FREUNDORFER. Record European Champion (16 titles) Timo BOLL can reach his place, alone at the top of the list, with tenth success. “For me personally, the hall of fame list really has no meaning. I just look at this as a home game, and I want to see many fans from my former club Gönnern, “said the young father and World bronze medalist from 2011. His has won the last title at national champs already five years ago, 2009 in Bielefeld. “This has nothing to do with the statistics. I could not compete twice for health reasons and also the national competition has become much stronger. “ Last year in Bamberg BOLL lost surprisingly against Steffen MENGEL (Frickenhausen).

The list of favourites in men and women is long. The currently best German player in the world rankings (position 6), Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (Orenburg, Russia), is already individual European Champion, three-time Olympic medalist and German Open champion in 2012. The only title that have been missing, is the national championship. Three times ( 2007, 2011 and 2012 ) OVTCHAROV has been defeated in the final. “Basically, I look forward. What happened, you can not change anyway. Of course I want to do better this year , “said ” Dima “, who canceled his participation due to injury last year. At the weekend, the two-time German double champion will attack again. “I would really love to win”, says OVTCHAROV.

Especially Timo BOLL, defending champions Steffen MENGEL and the player Bastian STEGER (Saarbrücken ) , Patrick BAUM ( Dusseldorf ) – but is suffering from a back injury – Patrick FRANZISKA , Ruwen FILUS (both Fulda) will have something to say concerning the title in men competition.

The women’s race for the individual title is perhaps more open than in the men. In the past seven years always different player was at the top of the podium. 2013 in Bamberg won SHAN Xiaona (Berlin). In the final, she beat the runner up in EC Singles Zhenqi BARTHEL (Zagreb, Croatia), who had triumphed in 2006 and 2011. Besides those two favorites are European champion HAN Ying (Tarnobrzeg , Poland ), WU Jiaduo (Metz , France, winner 2012) , Kristin SILBEREISEN (Berlin , winner 2010) and Petrissa SOLJA (Linz, Austria ). Also Irene IVANCAN (Berlin), the second of European Championships in 2011 , and Sabine WINTER ( Kolbermoor), the defending champion with Petrissa SOLJA in double, can play for the title.

On paper, defender HAN Ying is the top favorite. The European Championships’ bronze medalist in the single’s and team’s European Champion, has worked her way in recent months to position 18 in the world rankings. Han was already in 2011 together with Irene IVANCAN German champion in double and finished third in the singles.

Seeding Lists – Men’s Singles
1 OVTCHAROV Fakel Gazproma Orenburg
2 BOLL Borussia Düsseldorf
3 STEGER 1. FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis
4 BAUM Borussia Düsseldorf
5 FRANZISKA TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell
6 SÜSS Borussia Düsseldorf
7 FILUS TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell
8 MENGEL TTC matec Frickenhausen
9 DUDA TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt
10 HIELSCHER Post SV Mühlhausen

Women’s Singles
1 HAN Ying KTS Zamek Tarnobrzeg
2 WU Metz TT
3 SHAN Xiaona ttc berlin eastside
4 SILBEREISEN ttc berlin eastside
5 SOLJA Linz AG Froschberg
6 IVANCAN ttc berlin eastside
7 BARTHEL TTC Dr. Casl Zagreb
8 WINTER SV DJK Kolbermoor
9 MITTELHAM TuS Bad Driburg
10 BOLLMEIER TUSEM Essen

Defending Champions – Men’s Singles: Steffen MENGEL (Frickenhausen) Women’s Singles: SHAN Xiaona (Berlin) Men’s Doubles: Alexander FLEMMING/Jörg SCHLICHTER (Hilpoltstein/Weinheim) Women’s Doubles: Petrissa SOLJA/Sabine WINTER (Linz, Österreich/Kolbermoor)

Venue: Rittal Arena in Wetzlar

Time Schedule – Friday 28 Feb: Qualification Single-Comepetitions. Saturday 1 March: Main rounds in singles and doubles, 17.30: Beginning Quarter Finals doubles and singles. Sunday, 2 March: 10: Women’s Doubles, Semifinal, 10.45: Men’s Singles, Semifinal, 11.30: Women’s Singles, Semifinal, 12.15: Men’s Doubles, Semifinal. From 14 on: Women’s Doubles, Final Men’s Doubles, Final; Women’s Singles, Final; Men’s Doubles, Final