Bundesliga

Without their top player Benedikt Duda, TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt made a statement on Matchday 4 of the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL), ending Post SV Mühlhausen’s impressive run of victories. In front of an enthusiastic crowd at the Burstenhalle on Friday evening, everything went according to plan for the hosts – with a little bit of luck.

To Bergneustadt’s surprise, not only was Duda absent, but Mühlhausen’s key man Steffen Mengel was also missing from the lineup. “I unfortunately suffered a blockage in my back and felt I couldn’t move properly,” Mengel explained after the match in his interview with Dyn. That meant Adrien Rassenfosse faced Mühlhausen coach Erik Schreyer, who stepped in at short notice. The Belgian left the guest coach with no chance in a clear 3–0 win and underlined his favorite role. The highlight came at the end, when the two players treated the crowd to a show rally that delighted the Burstenhalle fans.

De Nodrest and Ruiz seal the deal

Leo de Nodrest then turned things around after dropping the opening game to Ovidiu Ionescu. The third game proved decisive: the Frenchman edged it 13–11 to take a 2–1 lead before wrapping things up with a commanding 11–3. That gave Bergneustadt a comfortable 2–0 cushion heading into the break.

Romain Ruiz delivered the knockout blow. The Frenchman hardly allowed Marcos Freitas to settle in a dominant 3–0 win, showcasing powerful serves that earned him nine direct points. “It’s perfect – we won 3–0. I’m very proud of our performance,” said Ruiz, who celebrated his match point with his trademark biceps pose.

Clash set for Sunday in the Cup

On Sunday, Mühlhausen will have the chance to bounce back in front of their home fans and start a new winning streak. The two sides meet again, this time in the German Cup in Thuringia. In the league, Bergneustadt heads into the weekend as league leaders, having overtaken Post SV, who also hold a 6–2 record and now sit in third place.

Matchday 4 fixtures

TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt – Post SV Mühlhausen 3:0
Adrien Rassenfosse – Erik Schreyer 3:0 (11:2, 11:5, 11:5)
Leo de Nodrest – Ovidiu Ionescu 3:1 (10:12, 11:8, 13:11, 11:3)
Romain Ruiz – Marcos Freitas 3:0 (11:3, 11:4, 11:6)

Freitag, 19. September
19 Uhr: TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – SV Werder Bremen

Sonntag, 21. September
14 Uhr: TTC OE Clarity-Telefonie Systeme Bad Homburg – TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau
15.30 Uhr: TSV Bad Königshofen – Borussia Düsseldorf
17 Uhr: Borussia Dortmund – ASC Grünwettersbach

Montag, 22. September
19 Uhr: TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT

Alle Games are broadcast live on Dyn.

Picture: Romain Ruiz of TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt (Photo: Sven Kubeile)