1. FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis – from final four euphoria to Bundesliga dampener
1. FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis have had a week of extremes: on Friday evening the defending champions once again secured a place in the Champions League final four, then two days later the team suffered a painful 2:3 defeat in Düsseldorf. This combination of triumph and setbacks shows how narrow the margins are in elite table tennis – and how ambitious the Saarland team still are in both competitions.
Their path took them from the Mosel back to Saarland – and then out to the Rhine. In just 48 hours, FCS experienced a rollercoaster of emotions that reflects this season: confident internationally, continually competing at the top on a national scale.
Final four ticket secured in Trier
On Friday evening, the defending champions moved from the Saarlandhalle to the Trierer Arena due to Carnival celebrations. 3,400 spectators, including many Chinese fans, provided an atmosphere that felt more like a home game than an away fixture. And in sporting terms, FCS did what was required.
After a 3:0 first-leg win against GV Hennebont in Brittany, the Saarland team only needed two individual wins in the second leg to secure a ticket to the finals tournament on 16 and 17 May in Saarbrücken’s Saarlandhalle. They ultimately won 3:2 – hard fought, shaky at times, but ultimately well deserved.
The first match was played by Olympic champion Fan Zhendong against his Chinese compatriot Wen Ruibo. Fan dominated the first two sets (11:8, 11:6), lost his rhythm somewhat in the third set, and then pulled 9:4 ahead in the fourth. However, Wen battled back, saved a match point at 9:10 and forced a deciding set with a 12:10 win. Fan seemed agitated and lost 1:6 to concede the match 2:3 – his fourth defeat in the FCS jersey. This dampener could initially have sent the evening in an entirely different direction.
However, Swiss Olympic silver medallist Truls Möregardh then equalised against Simon Gauzy. After a hard-fought second set which he lost 11:13 despite three set points, the Swede gained stability and ultimately won 3:1. The scoreline stood at 1:1 – with the path to the final four kept open.
Darko Jorgic then had an opportunity to clinch this once and for all. The Slovenian, who will be leaving the club in the summer after eight years, had a strong start against Vladimir Sidorenko – he won the first two sets (11:7, 12:10) and lost the third but quickly recovered. 11:8 in the fourth set secured a 3:1 victory – and thus the second win for Saarbrücken. Their spot in the final four was secured.
Polish team Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki await in the semi-final. Last year, two Polish teams featured in the final four at the Saarlandhalle – both losing in the semi-finals to FCS and Borussia Düsseldorf respectively. Saarbrücken could now win the European crown for the fourth year in a row (and the third on home turf).
Düsseldorf comeback in Castello
An entirely different setting awaited just two days later. Around 3,300 spectators in a sold-out Castello enjoyed a top TTBL match between Borussia Düsseldorf and FCS. For the Fan Zhendong fans who had travelled specifically to see him play, this match was a big event – Düsseldorf moved to the larger Castello venue for the first time in over ten years.
Fan began the evening in the second spot against Kanak Jha. ‘He was not playing as freely or as confidently as we have come to expect’, was the analysis of Dyn’s expert Timo Boll. Nevertheless, the Chinese player won 3:1. ‘For the level at which he can play, it was a solid performance. He didn’t perform magic or blow the spectators away’, Boll said, adding: ‘Even in his current form, he is still an outstanding player.’
Patrick Franziska increased the score to 2:0 for Saarbrücken against Dang Qiu. The world number twelve suffered a resounding 3:11 loss in the third set but retained control overall. FCS were feeling comfortable at the break – and everything pointed towards an away win. However, then the tide changed.
Anton Källberg kicked things off with a clear three-set win over Cedric Meissner. ‘It didn’t go as well as last time, when it was much closer against Anton’, Meissner said in irritation, also explaining that he had been plagued by illness all week. Kanak Jha then defeated Franziska 3:1 – making the final doubles match the decider.
Fan Zhendong and Meissner faced the Düsseldorf duo of Qiu/Källberg. This right-right combination clicked immediately. ‘We know each other well anyway and had a good plan’, Källberg explained. ‘Ceddy and Fan Zhendong also probably haven’t trained as a doubles pair much.’ Düsseldorf won 3:1 – to complete their comeback from 0:2 behind.
‘We have had two Bundesliga wins and another in the Champions League. In fact, a perfect week for us’, Jha said after the match. Saarbrücken, on the other hand, had to relinquish the leave the top spot in the table to the record champions and are now sitting in third place with 24 points, although still firmly on track for the playoffs.
From title dreams to future questions
The contrast could hardly be starker: euphoria in Trier, disillusionment in Düsseldorf. However, both of these results fit within their overall development. Saarbrücken are still setting standards in the international arena. On a national level, competition with Düsseldorf remains evenly matched.
There are also some staffing aspects. Fan Zhendong’s future in the TTBL remains an open question. ‘He told me that he is really enjoying it. So I assume he will stay in the TTBL’, Boll said. Cedric Meissner, on the other hand, will be leaving the club. ‘I can’t say yet, it will be announced soon. I am looking forward to a new challenge. I will almost certainly be playing many more matches than I did in Saarbrücken. That is important for me to be able to develop further as a player’, he noted.
FCS are therefore in a period of transition – where strong sporting ambitions are paired with structural change. The final four in May offers an opportunity for another European highlight in their home venue. At the same time, the Bundesliga remains an endurance test where even the slightest weakness is punished.
Sometimes, title expectations and reality are only a few rallies apart: in Trier they were enough to secure the win but in Düsseldorf they tipped towards the team’s rivals. Saarbrücken understand that there is plenty of season left – and both titles are still within reach.