Bundesliga

Defending TTBL titleholders TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen underlined their play-off ambitions with an impressive 3–1 win in the chasers’ head-to-head away to TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell. Fulda, meanwhile, are still waiting for a first victory against the league’s top contenders.

It was an unusually balanced team display from the Swabians that proved decisive on Saturday evening. Three different players delivered the three points — a welcome change for the champions, who have leaned heavily on star man Shunsuke Togami over the course of the season.

With Togami surprisingly listed at No. 3, rising talent Iulian Chirita featured twice. Before the interval, the Romanian had to congratulate Fanbo Meng after a 1–3 for the temporary 1–1. In the fourth rubber, however, he justified head coach Bogdan Pugna’s trust, sealing the team victory with a composed 3–1 over Jonathan Groth.

Togami wins marquee clash against Ovtcharov

Pugna’s line-up clearly aimed to set up Togami against Dimitrij Ovtcharov in the third singles — and the plan worked. The fleet-footed Japanese raced into a 2–0 lead; Ovtcharov improved thereafter but had to concede in four games. “Our coach is mainly responsible for the line-up. He really made a good guess,” praised Andreas Levenko on Dyn. Togami remains unbeaten this TTBL season (7–0).

Levenko had set the tone with a five-game win over Groth. Ochsenhausen now lurk in fifth as the only team on six minus points, ready to pounce on any slip in the play-off race. Fulda stay sixth — and have now fallen short in all four meetings with title contenders Düsseldorf, Saarbrücken, Bergneustadt and Ochsenhausen.

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)

TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell – TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen 1–3
Jonathan Groth – Andreas Levenko 2–3 (12:10, 6:11, 6:11, 11:8, 5:11)
Fanbo Meng – Iulian Chirita 3–1 (4:11, 11:6, 11:8, 11:9)
Dimitrij Ovtcharov – Shunsuke Togami 1–3 (5:11, 3:11, 11:7, 7:11)
Jonathan Groth – Iulian Chirita 1–3 (9:11, 10:12, 11:8, 12:14)

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: Iulian Chirita of TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen (Photo: Vinzenz Beidel)