(by Steve Hopkins)
Dusseldorf led the TTBL standings all year, so making the Final was not a surprise. And while Neu-Ulm’s potential all-star roster may have given some pause in the first half of the season, it was clear for most of the season that Saarbrucken was one of the favorites to reach the Final as well. For Dusseldorf’s part, they topped Muhlhausen 3-0 twice in their Semifinal match and cruised through. Saarbrucken had a tougher run, a pair of 3-1 wins and a 2-3 loss against Ochsenhausen.
There was some added drama for this Final, as this same Saarbrucken squad beat Dusseldorf in the European Champions League Final just a few months ago. Saarbrucken was to be the underdog in the German League Final – but they were the underdog in that Champions League Final too. .
The rosters weree the same this time – with Darko Jorgic and Patrick Franziska leading the way for Saarbrucken, and the deeper Dusseldorf squad featuring Qiu and Kallberg – and Timo Boll back from injury and ready to play. When the faced each other in the Champions League Final, Franziska and Jorgic were able to account for three wins in their team win, and Franziska and Jorgic each won one of the “Golden Match” points in the tie breaker. That was enough to win. However, in TTBL, ties are decided by doubles – and the doubles advantage generally goes to the deeper team (Dusseldorf).
The German Championship was played in Dusseldorf in front of nearly 3,000 fans. The event was streamed live via a German broadcaster on Twitch.
In the first match, Anton Kallberg won a 12-10 fifth game to steal a 3-2 win over Patrick Franziska, giving Dusseldorf the early lead. Dang Qiu was pretty dominant in his 3-1 win over Darko Jorgic, with two close games (each won one) and two lopsided 11-1 wins for Qiu. Saarbrucken’s Takuya Jin topped Timo Boll 3-1 to narrow the lead. However, Anton Kallberg sealed the Dusseldorf win with a 3-0 win over Jorgic. Liebherr Dusseldorf wins their 33rd league championship.
The new TTBL season will be underway this Fall – as will the European Champions League. Expect to see both Saarbrucken and Dusseldorf near the top. Add in Ochsenhausen (who has added Hugo Calderano again), Muhlhausen, and Neu-Ulm and fans can expect to see great league table tennis in Europe into 2024.
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