Start vyhrál v Lize mistrů

Po domácí porážce od favorita skupiny Borussie Dusseldorf dokázali hráči Startu Horní Suchá zvítězit na půdě francouzkého Angers Vaillante a připsali si první vítězství v Lize mistrů. V druhém zápase skupiny porazila doma Borussia Dusseldorf rakouský Niederosterreich.

Start ve Francii prohrával po porážce Čiháka od Chang Yen Shu, dvěma body Šeredy a jedním Košťála však hráči dokázali utkání otočit.
V Dusseldorfu se před tisíci diváky nedařilo Werneru Schlagerovi, který na trojce prohrál s vycházející hvězdou německého stolního tenisu, dvojnásobným juniorským mistrem Evropy Sussem. Z dalších utkání bylo nejdramatičtější to v Budapešti mezi místním BVSC a Cajagranadou. Nejenže se hrálo všech pět zápasů, ale všechny se rozhodovaly až v pátém setu.

Výsledky:

Skupina A:
TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – LKS Odra Röben Gloska 3:0
30. 9. 2005, 19.30 – 200 diváků
Blaszczyk – Kusinski 3:1 (8,3,-7,10), Cheung Yuk – Wang Zeng Yi 3:1 (-7,7,8,8), Fejer-Konnerth – Tang Yu 3:1 (-7,8,1,5).
Royal Villette Charleroi – G. V. Hennebont 3:0
30. 9. 2005, 20.00 – 1000 diváků
Samsonov – Kreanga 3:1 (9,-7,8,6), Saive – Bai Feng Tian 3:2 (-3,7,6,-7,10), Chila – Gorak 3:0 (13,7,9).

Skupina B:
TTV RE-BAU Gönnern – S. A. G. Cestas 3:1
1. 10. 2005, 20.00 – 500 diváků
Boll – Liu Song 3:2 (-9,-7,6,6,9), Roßkopf – Tugwell 2:3 (8,-8,6,-10,-6), Grujic – Provost 3:1 (8,-10,7,9), Boll – Tugwell 3:0 (9,8,9).
STK “Vecernji List” Zagreb – ASTT Pieve Emanuele Milano
9. 10. 2005, 18.00

Skupina C:
TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – Levallois SC TT 3:1
30. 9. 2005, 19.30 – 250 diváků
Chuan Chih Yuan – Eloi 3:1 (9,7,-9,9), Kuzmin – Karlsson 1:3 (-8,10,-9,-5), Mazunov – Despres 3:0 (8,9,4), Chuan Chih Y. – Karlsson 3:2 (-8,9,6,-10,7).
BVSC Budapest – Club Cajagranada Tenis Mesa 2:3
30. 9. 2005, 17.00 – 250 diváků
Jakab – He Zhi Wen 3:2 (5,9,-14,-5,9), Varga – Gardos 3:2 (9,-6,5,-7,9), Lindner – Fan Guoliang 2:3 (-6,4,-5,9,-3), Jakab – Gardos 2:3 (7,-7,10,-9,-11), Varga – He Zhi Wen 2:3 (10,8,-6,-12,-5).

Skupina D:
Angers Vaillante TT – Start Horní Suchá 1:3
30. 9. 2005, 20.00 – 200 spectators
Chang Yen Shu – Čihák 3:0 (5,7,8), Cabestany – Šereda 0:3 (-8,-10,-9), Sonnet – Košťál 2:3 (6,10,-9,-7,-8), Chang Yen Shu – Šereda 1:3 (-8,-11,9,-5).
Borussia Düsseldorf – SVS Niederösterreich 3:1
2. 10. 2005, 14.00 – 1000 diváků
Maze – Chen Weixing 2:3 (10,8,-11,-8,-7), Steger – Ryu Seung Min 3:0 (4,8,9), Süß – Schlager 3:1 (-7,4,11,8), Maze – Ryu Seung Min 3:2 (7,-8,-10,9,12).

Tisková zpráva ETTU (Dr. Reinhold Luckeneder):

Report of the 2nd round:

GROUP A:
TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau kept its ambitions of winning the title alive with a succesful first home game. However, the seemingly supreme result of 3:0 was the result of a tough fight. “The result is a bit deceiving”, says Grenzau’s secretary Annette Jacobs, “the first game could have tipped in the other direction, opening up new possibilities for the opposing team.” Lucjan Blaszczyk was responsible for the lucky point by winning the totally open 4th set in overtime. Cheung Yuk also had his difficulties against Wang Zeng Yi, only Zoltan Fejer-Konnerth supplied the team with a secure 3:1 victory. The recently declining national squad player delivered an excellent performance this time, bettering himself after losing the 1st set and then being virtually unstoppable.
Record champion Charleroi also celebrated a secure home victory. To begin with Vladimir Samsonov only had minor difficulties in the first 2 sets against Kalinikos Kreanga. After the finally quite clear 3:1 Jean Michel Saive created a lot of suspense again. He was able to force a full match of 5 sets against Bai Feng Tian and the local hero even had to defend 2 match points in order to secure the 2:0 lead. Patrick Chila then played on peak level, leaving the Pole Daniel Gorak no chance. The audience was rather minuscule this time, although merely from the host’s point of view. Due to a simultaneously played, rather important soccer match “only” 1000 fans came, a number that all other club’s would be proud of.
Friday, 30. 9. 2005,07:30 p.m. : TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – LKS Odra Röben Gloska 3:0
Points: Blaszczyk 1, Cheung Yuk 1, Fejer-Konnerth 1; Friday, 30. 9. 2005,08:00 p.m. : Royal Villette Charleroi – G.V. Hennebont TT 3:0
Points: Samsonov 1, Saive 1, Chila 1;

GROUP B:
The French rookie caused a lot of suspense in the matchup against the defending champion. Right from the start the first game of the evening was hard to top in terms of drama and suspense. Timo Boll, the current numer 3 in the world, was forced to play a full 5 sets against Liu Song, but managed to win a tight 11:9 in the 5th set through his impressive drive to victory. Would he have lost, the match would have become very close, since Jörg Rosskopf lost the following game against Finn Tugwell 2:3, only the last set ending so clear however. Slobodan Grujic had more difficulties than expected as well agsinst Damien Provost, but managed to win through with a 3:1, and Timo Boll conlcuded the evening by beating Tugwell in 3 close sets. TTV RE-BAU Gönnern has therefore defended its role as favourite, and must now await the 2nd result of the group in a week due to an international mix-up of dates.
Saturday, 1. 10. 2005,08:00 p.m. : TTV RE-BAU Gönnern – S.A.G. Cestas 3:1
Points: Boll 2, Grujic 1, bzw. Tugwell 1;
Sunday, 9. 10. 2005, 06:00 p.m. : STK Vecernji List Zagreb – ASTT Pieve Emanuele Milano

GROUP C:
In the group’s pre-decisive match fort he group victory TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen managed to secure the so very important home win against the main opponent. But the match was a lot closer than was to be expected, mostly because the southern German’s number 2 Adrian Crisan had to pass due to a sudden cold. The final result of 3:1 was mainly due to the supremely playing Chuan Chih Yuan who managed to beat Peter Karlsson in the last game of the evening. The Swedish table tennis icon, who had previously defeated Fedor Kuzmin, played his best table tennis and lost only the 5th set relativly clearly.
Even more dramatic was the home premiere of BVSV Budapest. During this marathon match that went on for over 4 hours, all games lasted for a full 5 sets, and the Hungarians were really very unlucky. Only the start went as hoped for. After the 2:0 lead through extremely close victories of Janos Jakab and Zoltan Varga against He Zhi Wen and Robert Gardos the fans were already happily expecting the approaching victory, but then everything changed. The 4th game particularly caused great disappointment. After Lindner’s defeat against Fan Guoliang, Janos Jakab was unable to use his 4 match points against Peter Gardos and the match was therefore equalized. During the deciding final match Zoltan Varga also failed to use his 4 match points in the 4th set and so sealed the highly unlucky defeat.
Friday, 30. 9. 2005, 07:30 p. m. : TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – Levallois SCTT 3:1
Points: Chuan Chih Yuan 2, Mazunov 1, bzw. Karlsson 1;
Friday, 30. 9. 2005, 05:00 p. m. : BVSC Budapest – Club Cajagranada Tenis Mesa 2:3
Points: Jakab 1, Varga 1, bzw. Fan Guoliang 1, Gardos 1, He Zhi Wen 1;

GROUP D:
Great disappointment in Angers! The so important home victory was not won and so the team failed to guarantee the first requirement of advancing to the quarterfinals. The 3rd match was the turning point with Frederic Sonnet losing in a totally equal match-up to Radek Kostal. During the evenings final duel Chang Yen Su had to concede his match to a impressively playing Peter Sereda. The French top club’s greatest disadvantage however, was the loss of their number 1, Yang Min. The world class player was engaged in a match in Sarajewo for the Italian national squad, and of course no equal player could be found to fill in for him. “We can hardly win missing our best player”, Angers club boss, Gerard Sarazin, “but if Frederic Sonnet had only had a bit of luck, it probably would have sufficed even so.” Unrestrained joy among the Czechs about their successful start in the Champions League.
Borussia Düsseldorf impressivly underlined their title of “sensation team” in our elite league. Even though the Austrian top club was able to compete in their best lineup, including Olympic champion Ryu Seung Min, it wasn’t enough for an away victory. Düsseldorf even failed in their first match, with Micheal Maze losing to defensive artist Chen Weixing, and not even the home fans still expected a sensation. But then Bastian Steger destroyed Ryu Seung Min in an amazing 3:0, and Christian Süß too was not to be distracted against Werner Schlager. The guest’s last chance was given away by Ryu Seung Min, who lost to Micheal Maze after a 2:1 lead in the 5th set after top balls, therefore not allowing Chen Weixing his final match against Steger. Borussia Düsseldorf will now hardly give away the group victory, only a 0:3 in Lower Austria would manage to unseat them from the top, a result that is not probable as things now stand.
Friday, 30. 9. 2005, 08:00 p. m. : Angers Vaillante TT – Start Horni Sucha 1:3
Points: Chang Yen Shu 1, bzw. Sereda 2, Kostal 1;
Sunday, 2. 10. 2005, 02:00 p. m. : Borussia Düsseldorf – SVS Niederösterreich 3:1
Points: Steger 1, Süß 1, Maze 1, bzw. Chen Weixing 1;