We’re eagerly awaiting the start of the Champions League Men’s Final 4 set to take place in Saarbrücken on March 30th and April 1st. It’s expected to see powerhouses like last year’s champions and two-time runners-up 1 FC Saarbrücken TT along with the perennial champions Borussia Düsseldorf and the formidable TTC Neu Ulm in the semifinals. However the unexpected inclusion of Austria’s SolexConsult TT Wiener Neustadt adds an exciting twist to the mix. SolexConsult TT Wiener Neustadt is coming to the Final 4 after successfully overcoming two stages of the Champions League unlike other highly seeded clubs who reached the F4. In addition they did not lose a match on their way to Saarbrücken. “We are very pleased with our performance in the previous two stages of the Champions League. We all had our moments from Jin UEDA to Frane KOJIC and myself and Aleksandr KHANIN ” said Ivor BAN. In Dubrovnik in the opening phase SolexConsult TT Wiener Neustadt beat Hungary’s PTE PEAC Kalo-Meh Croatia’s STK Libertas Marinkolor and POLSKI CUKIER GWIAZDA. BAN highlighted the crucial match that launched them to the leading position in the Group and thus to stage two. “We beat a dangerous Polish team with very good players like Leonardo MUTTI Vladislav URSU and Taku TAKAKIWA. It lasted a full five matches with me beating TAKAKIWA 3-2 in the decisive game and KOJIC overcoming MUTTI 3-0 in the decisive match ” remembered BAN. BAN continued “That was our first step because we didn’t aim very high. We decided to go step by step and when we saw the draw for the Second Stage we were sure that would be the end. Nevertheless we did not plan to go down easily. We were ready for the big matches and fierce fights. In the end that attitude proved important. We got a little help with the weaker Hennebont but even without big stars the French club had to be beaten.” The club completed both stages unbeaten but their biggest achievement was the win over KS Dekorglass Dzialdowo. “We shone in the duel against the Polish club winning both legs 3-2. In the opening leg UEDA was brilliant in both his encounters against Jakob DYJAS and Jonathan GROTH while Frane beat Konishi KAII. In the return leg they brought Chinese player Yu ZHOU and in the opener I surprised him and beat him. In the five-match encounter I also beat Patryk LEWANDOWSKI in the decisive match ” said BAN. Speaking of reaching the Final 4 BAN said “It was not planned but we managed to reach F4 bringing great joy to Austria. Now it’s the same for the Final 4. Our expectations are only to perform at our best level and to fight. In the semifinal we will meet Borussia Düsseldorf. Since the WTT Champions is right before the Final Four it is questionable which lineup they will play but we are ready. Currently we are in the third position in the Austrian Bundesliga and we secured the playoff place. As always our aim is the Championship trophy after we already lifted it in the Austrian Cup.”
Mirandela won the second leg but SH-ITB Budaörsi St Club progressed to the final
In the second leg of the Europe Cup semi-final Clube Ténis de Mesa de Mirandela emerged victorious but SH-ITB Budaörsi St Club advanced to the final. In the opening leg the Hungarian team recorded a 3-1 win so a 2-3 result in Budapest was sufficient to propel them to the ultimate stage. The duel in Hungary concluded in five matches. The guests were down two matches after Ines MATOS and Annamaria ERDELYI defeated Dora MADARASZ and Helga DARI but Georgina POTA’s victory over Matilde PINTO brought the girls back into the game. Dora MADARASZ overcame Annamaria ERDELYI to level the score but Mirandela withstood Budaörsi’s recovery with MATOS defeating DARI. However the gap from the opening leg was too wide and the 1-3 deficit from Portugal remained insurmountable. “In the opening match MATOS surprised me and I still felt the fatigue from last weekend’s competition in my legs. Nevertheless I had plenty of game points but it was clear that my rival played very well. I hoped to win the second match but not under these circumstances where I suffered a knee injury in the process which I hope is not serious. I love playing against defenders and I think that was evident ” said MADARASZ. In the final the Hungarian team will face MUSEO DE LA ALMENDRA FRANCISCO MORALES. MADARÁSZ previously played professionally in Spain for two years so the finalist won’t be unfamiliar to her. “Back then they didn’t have the same lineup as they do now; their current team is stronger. Of course we are also stronger than last year and the goal is to arrive slightly fresher for the final matches than we are now.” SH-ITB Budaörsi St Club – Clube Ténis de Mesa de Mirandela 2-3 Dora MADARASZ- Ines MATOS 1-3 (11-13 11-9 12-14 6-11) Helga DARI – Annamaria ERDELYI 2-3 (8-11 11-6 11-9 5-11) Georgina POTA – Matilde PINTO 3-0 (11-4 11-6 11-6) Dora MADARASZ- Annamaria ERDELYI 3-1 (11-7 11-13 11-4 11-6) Helga DARI – Ines MATOS 1-3 (7-11 3-11 11-8 12-14) Opening leg Clube Ténis de Mesa de Mirandela– SH-ITB Budaörsi St Club 1-3 Annamaria ERDELYI – Georgina POTA 2-3 (9-11 15-13 11-4 6-11 1-6) Jingyi ZHOU – Dora MADARASZ 2-3 (11-4 5-11 5-11 11-9 1-6) Ines MATOS – Maria FAZEKAS 3-0 (11-6 11-7 11-9) Annamaria ERDELYI – Dora MADARASZ 1-3 (7-11 8-11 11-4 8-11)
Luxembourg Nationals: Gold for Tessy GONDERINGER and Maël Van DESSEL
Tessy GONDERINGER and Maël Van DESSEL emerge as Luxembourg’s new national champions. GONDERINGER secured her second national singles title adding to her previous victory in 2023 while Van Dessel clinched his maiden singles title with a remarkable performance defeating last year’s champion Eric GLOD in a thrilling final showdown. Men singles: Maël Van DESSEL Eric GLOD Gilles MICHELY / Kevin KUBICA Women singles: Tessy GONDERINGER NI Xiao Jing Ariel BARBOSA / Tessy DUMONT Mixed doubles: Eric GLOD and Tessy GONDERINGER Maël Van DESSEL and Ariel BARBOSA Arlindo De SOUSA and Julie PONCIN / Loris STEPHANY and Enisa SADIKOVIC Men’s Doubles: Maël Van DESSEL and Gene WANTZ Eric GLOD and Louis Van WAMBEKE Gilles MICHELY and Jim CLOOS / Loris STEPHANY and Luca ELSEN Women’s Doubles Tessy GONDERINGER and Ariel BARBOSA Enisa SADIKOVIC and Melisa SADIKOVIC Julie PONCIN and Tessy DUMONT / Carole HARTMANN and NI Xiao Jing
Stages for coaches: Learn from the best 2024 guidelines
ETTU is pleased to open the application process for the 2024 edition of the “Stages for Coaches: Learn from the Best” program. This mentorship initiative led by the ETTU Coaching Committee is designed to foster the professional growth of young European coaches by providing an opportunity to learn directly from the leading coaches across Europe in their respective workplaces. ETTU will financially support 4 coaches (2 men and 2 women) during a one-week stage. This stage may take place at one of Europe’s top training centres or during an ETTU Development Camp (To learn more about the location of these facilities please consult: Network of European Training Centres and Eurotalents Development Camps calendar). During their stay the selected coaches will engage in observational learning gaining insights from the everyday practices of their assigned mentor or centre. They will also participate in assisting with various tasks and duties as required. This program specifically targets young coaches at the beginning of their coaching careers or former players looking to transition into coaching. Each Member Association is invited to submit two applications: one from a male candidate and one from a female candidate. Applicants should be prepared for active engagement and demonstrate an open-minded attitude towards learning and collaboration. The scheduling and placement of participants will be determined through discussions with potential hosting sites taking into consideration the applicants’ coaching experience language preferences and areas of expertise. The final selection of the candidates will be done by: ETTU Coaching Committee. Miguel Vicens ETTU Vice President. Galia Dvorak ETTU Deputy Secretary General – Development Manager. ETTU will support each coach for a stage of 6 days for a total amount of 80€ per person per day. The travel expenses and the difference between the final price of the accommodation and the ETTU subsidy will be covered by the applicant or Member Association. The applications must contain a CV of the applicant and a short motivation letter (one page). Please send your applications before Monday 22nd April to: Galia Dvorak ETTU Deputy Secretary General – Development Manager projects@ettu.org Ana Ivosevic ETTU Administration Officer ana.ivosevic@ettu.org Application Deadline Monday 22nd April 2024 Announcement of Selected Applications Monday 29th April 2024 Implementation May- December 2024
Lubomír Jančařík and Hana Matelová Czechia singles champions
Lubomír JANČAŘÍK and Hana MATELOVÁ are the Czech singles champions. The Czech championship took place in Prague and both Lubomír JANČAŘÍK and Hana MATELOVÁ were thrilled to secure the singles titles. While it marked the eighth title for the Czech women’s number one it was Lubomír jančařík’s first singles title in his career. Both players were top-seeded at the tournament and faced their toughest opponents in the final. Hana MATELOVÁ defeated Zdena BLAŠKOVÁ 4:3 saving a match point in the fifth set. “It’s my eighth singles title and I’m truly proud of myself. Winning championships against competitors like Renáta ŠTRBÍKOVÁ Iveta VACENOVSKÁ or Dana ČECHOVÁ means a lot to me. Although I didn’t start well in this year’s final saving a match point at 1:3 was a turning point and I believed I could win ” said Hana MATELOVÁ. Last year Lubomír JANČAŘÍK lost in the final to Pavel ŠIRUČEK but this year he defeated the same player 4:1. He expressed his joy about his first singles title saying: “I was not nervous; I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. Winning the national championship was my goal just like winning every tournament or match. I think Pavel ŠIRUČEK didn’t perform as well here in Prague as he did last year and I took advantage of that ” said Lubomír JANČAŘÍK. In the doubles events Martin ŠÍP and Štěpán BRHEL won the men’s doubles title while Jana VAŠENDOVÁ and Klára HRABICOVÁ claimed the women’s doubles title. The mixed doubles pair who will represent Czechia in the World Olympic Qualification in three weeks Jan VALENTA and Zdena BLAŠKOVÁ won with great confidence. Finals results: Men’s singles: Lubomír JANČAŘÍK (Jura Morez TT) – Pavel ŠIRUČEK (HB Ostrov) 4:1 (-5 8 9 7 12) Women’s singles: Hana MATELOVÁ (ASRTT Etival) – Zdena BLAŠKOVÁ (HB Ostrov) 4:3 (-5 -9 4 -3 10 6 7) Men’s doubles: Štěpán BRHEL (SKST Hodonín) Martin ŠÍP (SK DDM Kotlářka Praha) – Vít KADLEC (TJ Ostrava KST) Adam ŠTALZER (SKST Havířov) 3:2 (-8 7 -6 10 10) Women’s doubles: Klára HRABICOVÁ (SKST Havířov) Jana VAŠENDOVÁ (MH stolní tenis Ostrava) – Kristýna ŠTEFCOVÁ (MSK Břeclav) Gabriela ŠTĚPÁNOVÁ (SKST Havířov) 3:1 (13 -10 9 6) Mixed doubles: Jan VALENTA (SKST Havířov) Zdena BLAŠKOVÁ (HB Ostrov) – Martin ŠÍP (SK DDM Kotlářka Praha) Veronika POLÁKOVÁ (HB Ostrov) 3:0 (3 6 8).
The Hungarian National Championship: Titles for Ádám SZUDI and Dora MADARÁSZ
The Hungarian National Table Tennis Championship which brought excitement that hadn’t been seen for the past 40 years took place over three days with 350 matches played across five categories. The defending champion secured gold in all five categories making Nándor ECSEKI the most successful player of the tournament with two golds and one bronze closely followed by Ádám SZUDI and Dóra MADARÁSZ each earning two first-place finishes. There were some refreshing exceptions such as the silver medal won by the pair Dávid MOLNÁR and Dávid SZÁNTOSI and the bronze medals won by the pairs Balázs LEI Botond VARGA and Sophie BARCSAI Nóra DOHOCZKI. However overall the younger players posed more of a threat than a real danger to the current top players. In the women’s competition Dóra MADARÁSZ and Bernadett BÁLINT dominated. MADARÁSZ entered two categories and secured gold in both becoming a four-time mixed doubles champion (twice with Dániel KOSIBA and now twice with Nándor ECSEKI) and a six-time singles Hungarian champion. BÁLINT participated in three finals marking her best national championship performance to date. In addition to her singles and mixed doubles silver she claimed women’s doubles gold her third win in this category and her second with Mercédesz NAGYVÁRADI. “I’m delighted to have won in both categories especially defending my title in singles and mixed doubles. I aimed to play freely with the goal of enjoying the game. I hope the upcoming Olympic qualifiers will go just as well ” said MADARÁSZ. In the men’s competition two players stood out: Nándor ECSEKI and Ádám SZUDI. ECSEKI once again demonstrated his prowess in doubles clinching gold in both men’s doubles with SZUDI and mixed doubles with MADARÁSZ. Despite facing some tough matches there was no doubt that ECSEKI would secure both golds with his current partner and the singles bronze he earned was an added bonus. SZUDI also claimed two of the brightest medals: he won doubles with Ecseki and secured the top spot in the men’s singles defeating the previous year’s champion Majoros Bence in a match filled with spectacular points. This victory marks his fifth singles and fourth doubles championship. ” Bence MAJOROS and I are very familiar with each other so we couldn’t surprise each other which was evident during the match. I was unwell during the first two days of the championship and wasn’t completely healthy even during the final so I’m even happier than usual to have finished with two golds just like last year ” revealed SZUDI. Men’s Singles. Semi-final SZUDI–SZITA 4:0 (5 1 4 4) MAJOROS–ECSEKI 4:1 (–9 9 6 8 8) Final SZUDI–MAJOROS 4:1 (–9 2 13 7 3) SZUDI Ádám (SPO Rouen) MAJOROS Bence (Chartres TT) SZITA Márton (Hügiéne Bt.) and ECSEKI Nándor (SPG Walter Wels) Doubles Semi-final ECSEKI SZUDI–LEI VARGA 3:2 (7 –8 –10 2 5) MOLNÁR D SZÁNTOSI–HUZSVÁR KATUS 3:0 (10 11 4) Final ECSEKI SZUDI–MOLNÁR D SZÁNTOSI 3:0 (8 2 5) ECSEKI Nándor SZUDI Ádám (SPG Walter Wels SPO Rouen) MOLNÁR Dávid Szántosi Dávid (PEAC Szarvasi ASE) LEI Balázs VARGA Botond (Ambrus Table Tennis Academy High Life SE) and HUZSVÁR Erik KATUS Krisztián (Celldömölki VVSE TTC Lugau) Women’s Singles Semi-final MADARÁSZ–HARTBRICH 4:0 (6 4 7 5) BÁLINT–IMRE 4:1 (7 –6 5 7 8) Final MADARÁSZ–BÁLINT 4:0 (5 6 9 6) MADARÁSZ Dóra (Budaörsi SC) BÁLINT Bernadett (Győri AC) HARTBRICH Leonie (SV Böblingen) and IMRE Leila (Budapesti Erdért SE) Doubles Semi-final BÁLINT NAGYVÁRADI–DARI FEJŐS 3:0 (3 10 3) HARTBRICH SZVITACS–BARCSAI DOHOCZKI 3:2 (1 8 –6 –9 10) Final BÁLINT NAGYVÁRADI–HARTBRICH SZVITACS 3:0 (12 5 12) BÁLINT Bernadett NAGYVÁRADI Mercédesz (Győri AC Budapesti Erdért SE) HARTBRICH Leonie SZVITACS Alexa (SV Böblingen Győri AC) DARI Helga FEJŐS Anna (Budaörsi SC Kiskunmajsai AC) and BARCSAI Sophie DOHOCZKI Nóra (Győri AC Budaörsi SC) Mixed doubles Semi-final ECSEKI madarász–Molnár I BALOGH 3:1 (9 9 –9 3) KISHEGYI BÁLINT–andrás Nagyváradi 3:2 (–10 –4 5 7 9) Final ECSEKI MADARÁSZ–kishegyi Bálint 3:0 (3 11 4) ECSEKI Nándor MADARÁSZ Dóra (SPG Walter Wels Budaörsi SC) KISHEGYI Ákos BÁLINT Bernadett (Városi SE Dunakeszi Győri AC) MOLNÁR István BALOGH Ágnes (SV EBE St. Urban Békési IAA) and ANDRÁS Csaba NAGYVÁRADI Mercédesz (TTC Bad Homburg Budapesti Erdért SE)
82nd Danish Championships in Fredericia: Martin Buch ANDERSEN clinched first title
Denmark welcomed a new king around New Year’s and yesterday Danish table tennis crowned a new king as well as 23-year-old Martin BUCH ANDERSEN clinched the Danish championship title in men’s singles for the first time. It marked his inaugural final and medal in men’s singles having previously faced three quarterfinal defeats. In the final he defeated Tobias RASMUSSEN 4-2. Both finalists encountered significant challenges in the semifinals where they narrowly escaped match points. Martin BUCH overcame Allan BENTSEN 11-8 8-11 11-7 10-12 6-11 13-11 11-8 after BENTSEN had a match point in the sixth game. Tobias RASMUSSEN survived a match point when the score was 9-10 in the seventh game. In the ensuing rally he faced defensive troubles but managed to secure victory with a fortunate edge ball winning 12-10 in the seventh game 6-11 14-12 7-11 7-11 11-6 11-7 12-10. 20-year-old Jocefina HAAGENSEN clinched the women’s singles title for the third consecutive time. In the final she triumphed 4-3 against former Croatian champion Eldijana BENTSEN marking BENTSEN’S debut individual Danish championship. BENTSEN acquired Danish citizenship just five days before the registration deadline for the championships. In mixed doubles she secured the title alongside her husband Allan BENTSEN who claimed his record-breaking 59th Danish championship. The men’s singles finalists Tobias RASMUSSEN and Martin BUCH ANDERSEN teamed up in men’s doubles and secured victory for the second consecutive time. In women’s doubles Pernille Refstrup AGERHOLM and Izabell NØRLEM emerged victorious. A total of 72 players participated in the 82nd Danish championships. Notably Carsten EGEHOLT participated for the 45th consecutive time while Mogens SONNICHSEN marked his 43rd consecutive appearance. Final Results: Men’s Singles: Martin Buch Andersen (Virum) vs. Tobias Rasmussen (Hvidovre) 11-5 15-17 11-8 8-11 11-6 11-9 Women’s Singles: Jocefina Haagensen (Hvidovre) vs. Eldijana Bentsen (Roskilde) 11-9 4-11 12-10 4-11 10-12 11-8 11-7 Men’s Doubles: Tobias Rasmussen/Martin Buch Andersen (Virum) vs. Oliver Skouboe Berntsen/Johan Engberg Havsteen (Hvidovre/Amager) 11-8 10-12 11-2 11-9 Women’s Doubles: Pernille Refstrup Agerholm/Izabell Nørlem (Viby/Sisu-MBK) vs. Pia Toelhøj (Hillerød) and Mille Lyngså Stoffregen (Silkeborg) 11-5 7-11 6-11 11-8 11-6 Mixed Doubles: Eldijana Bentsen/Allan Bentsen (Roskilde) vs. Izabel Nørlem/Carsten Egeholt (Sisu/MBK/B75) 11-9 11-9 11-8
Scottish National Championship: Titles for Gavin RUMGAY and Faye LEGGETT
The Senior Scottish National Championship 2024 was held earlier this month with Gavin RUMGAY and Faye LEGGETT clinching the titles in their respective Men’s and Women’s Singles events. Men’s singles Winner – Gavin RUMGAY R/UP – Colin DALGLEISH SF – Calum MORRISON Gavin YUAN Ladies’ singles Winner – Faye LEGGETT R/UP – Lucy ELLIOTT SF – Alisa KHALID Joy DANIELS Men’s Doubles Winners – Calum MORRISON and Colin DALGLEISH R/UP – Danny BAJWA and Martin JOHNSON Women’s doubles Winners – Rebecca PLAISTOW and Lara STIRLING R/UP – Lucy ELLIOTT & Alisa KHALID Mixed doubles Winners – Danny BAJWA and Lucy ELLIOTT R/UP – Colin DALGLEISH and Rebecca PLAISTOW
Titles for Deni KOZUL and Sara TOKIC in Slovenia
The winners of their respective Men’s and Women’s Singles titles at the Slovenia’s National Championships are Deni KOŽUL and Sara TOKIĆ. Men’s Singles Deni KOŽUL (Log) Mitja HORVAT (Sob) Brin Vovk PETROVSKI (Sav) and Tomaž PELCAR (Kema – Murexin) Women’s Singles Sara TOKIĆ (Vrt) Katarina STRAŽAR (Men) Lea PAULIN (Arr) and Lara OPEKA (K-S) Men’s Doubles Brin Vovk PETROVSKI – Miha PODOBNIK (Sav) Darko JAMŠEK – Andraž NOVAK (Int – K-S) Žiga Kristijan ŽIGON – Tilen CVETKO (Int – Muta) and Gregor ZAFOŠTNIK – Aljaž GODEC (Sob – Int) Women’s Doubles Ana TOFANT – Sara TOKIĆ (Men – Vrt) Lara OPEKA – Tjaša NOVAK (K-S) Blažka HARKAI – Ana KOVAČEC (Kema – Murexin) and Lea PAULIN – Katarina STRAŽAR (Arr – Men) Mixed Doubles Deni KOŽUL – Nina ZUPANČIČ (Log) Andraž NOVAK – Lara OPEKA (K-S) Miha PODOBNIK – Katarina STRAŽAR (Sav – Men) and Damjan ZELKO – Tjaša NOVAK (Kema – Murexin – K-S)
Tanja HELLE and Milo de BOER clinched the titles in Netherlands for a first time
On the final day of the NK Table Tennis in Zwolle Tanja HELLE and Milo de BOER clinched their respective titles in singles in Dutch Championships. In the quarter-finals Shuohan MEN Dobrila JORGUSESKA Tanja HELLE and Emine ERNST all managed to qualify for the semi-finals with 4-0 victories. In the semis it was Tanja HELLE who blocked Emine ERNST’S path to winning a third consecutive title. With scores of 14-12 11-3 11-9 and 11-4 Tanja secured the win. The semi-final between Shuohan MEN and Dobrila JORGUSESKA went to six games with three of them decided in Shuohan’s favor. For Shuohan this final was her chance to win an NK title for the fourth time. Tanja HELLE had not won an NK singles title before but had already won De Masters twice. Until the final Tanja had only lost two games and that proved to be the case after the final. With scores of 11-5 11-4 11-9 and 11-4 Tanja crowned herself Dutch champion 2024. A big surprise came in the quarterfinal match between reigning champion Barry BERBEN and Brent RONDE. After a 3-1 lead in games for Barry Brent managed to equalize. In the seventh and decisive game the 16-year-old kept his cool and won 11-7. Besides Brent Gabrielius CAMARA Milo de BOER and Laurens TROMER managed to qualify for the last four. Brent RONDE’S winning streak came to an end in the semi-finals against Milo de BOER who was too strong with a 4-0 victory. Laurens TROMER managed to qualify for the final by defeating the number one-seeded Gabrielius CAMARA 4-2. In the final two-time Dutch champion Laurens TROMER got off to a strong start winning the first game 11-1 against Milo de Boer. Milo then continued to improve and won three games in a row. In game 5 Milo had three match points which he failed to capitalize on and Laurens came back into the match. In the all-deciding seventh game it was again Milo who had the chance to win the match at 10-6. Finally at 11-7 redemption came and Milo de BOER took his first singles title. With this he follows in the footsteps of his father and coach who became Dutch champion in 2010 and 2021.
