Bundesliga

Relegation worries are mounting for TSV Bad Königshofen. After a dispiriting midweek defeat to Bad Homburg, the Bavarians fell 1–3 to Post SV Mühlhausen on Saturday evening at the Shakehands Arena. The visitors celebrated their first win after four losses in a row.

The hosts badly needed a lift; Tuesday’s 1–3 against direct rivals Bad Homburg was still weighing on them. “The defeat kept us busy during the week,” TSV managing director Andreas Albert admitted on Dyn. Even the fact that Bad Königshofen won all three competitive meetings with Mühlhausen last season failed to provide the hoped-for momentum.

Top man Filip Zeljko could not provide the early breakthrough either: despite a fierce effort, he lost the opening rubber in five games to Portugal’s Marcos Freitas. After trailing 0–2, the Croatian forced a decider, but could not spark any lasting upturn at the Shakehands Arena.

Steger offers a glimmer of hope

Daniel Habesohn also came up empty in his first meeting with his former club. Facing Germany’s national champion Kay Stumper — making his first appearance since a serious car accident in London — the Austrian won only the opening game. Particularly bitter: in game three, Habesohn let a 6–2 lead slip that would have given him a crucial 2–1 advantage.

In the duel of veterans, the hosts looked set to leave empty-handed. For two games, Bastian Steger had no answer to Steffen Mengel’s counter-topspin shots. Then he fought back, levelled with two tight games and forced a decider. There, the former international found his rhythm and offered a tangible ray of hope to the roughly 500 fans, who rose for a standing ovation.

Mühlhausen end losing streak

Ultimately, it was the outstanding Stumper who capped his comeback with a routine 3–0 over Zeljko to seal the tie. The Thuringians thus snapped their four-match skid after opening the season with three straight wins. With an 8:8 record, Post SV sit seventh in the safety of mid-table for now.

Bad Königshofen, the only team with a single victory, will remain bottom for at least another matchday. The run-in won’t get any easier: titleholders Ochsenhausen and contenders Bergneustadt await in the coming weeks. “We have to take it one match at a time and give our best. Hopefully something will finally go our way,” said Zeljko.

Matchday 8 fixtures

Borussia Dortmund – TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau 3–1
Kristian Karlsson – Luka Mladenovic 3–1 (11:7, 11:4, 6:11, 11:4)
Cédric Nuytinck – Feng Yi-Hsin 1–3 (8:11, 8:11, 11:6, 4:11)
Adam Szudi – Maciej Kubik 3–1 (11:6, 7:11, 11:2, 11:4)
Kristian Karlsson – Feng Yi-Hsin 3–2 (5:11, 13:11, 5:11, 11:8, 11:8)

Bad Königshofen – Post SV Mühlhausen 1–3
Filip Zeljko – Marcos Freitas 2–3 (9:11, 10:12, 11:7, 11:9, 7:11)
Daniel Habesohn – Kay Stumper 1–3 (12:10, 4:11, 7:11, 8:11)
Bastian Steger – Steffen Mengel 3–2 (8:11, 8:11, 11:9, 11:9, 11:6)
Filip Zeljko – Kay Stumper 0–3 (13:15, 5:11, 3:11)

Sunday, 16 November:
12 p.m.: Borussia Düsseldorf – TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt
1 p.m.: ASC Grünwettersbach – SV Werder Bremen
3:30 p.m.: 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT – TTC OE Clarity-Telefonie Systeme Bad Homburg

Picture: Bastian Steger of TSV Bad Königshofen (Photo: Patrick Wichmann)