Mission accomplished – Saarbrücken stay in third and on track for final four
1. FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis have secured a win against Grenzau and remain in the running for the Liebherr TTBL final four. Fan Zhendong in particular impressed twice over during this 3:1 home win in the Joachim-Deckarm-Halle, whilst the away team put up a fight at various points despite being the clear underdogs.
1. FC Saarbrücken TT have taken their next step towards the Tischtennis-Bundesliga playoffs. Saarland defeated TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau (who are at the bottom of the table) 3:1 on Tuesday evening to consolidate third place in the table. They now have 24:8 points, putting them eight points ahead of fifth-placed team TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – a comfortable position in the race for the Liebherr TTBL final four.
The Joachim-Deckarm-Halle played host to a match that had a clear expected outcome in paper, but in fact proved to be rather challenging. Grenzau arrived without Feng Yi-Hsin or Luka Mladenovic and were also missing head coach Slobodan Grujic due to illness, replaced by Anton Stefko. Nevertheless, they proved hard to beat.
The opening match was played once again by Fan Zhendong, Olympic gold medallist and multi-time world champion. The Saarbrücken number one defeated Maciej Kubik 3:1 (11:7, 7:11, 11:8, 11:9). Fan controlled the first set, but Kubik considerably improved in the second, equalised with 11:7 and also kept pace in the subsequent sets. The fact that he was ultimately defeated was down to Fan’s precision in crucial rallies – securing the lead with 11:8 and 11:9.
Patrick Franziska also had to work for his point. He beat Samuel Walker 3:1 (12:10, 11:6, 8:11, 11:8) to up the total score to 2:0. Franziska narrowly won the first two sets, then Walker closed the gap with 11:8 in the third and also kept up for much of the fourth. The Saarbrücken player’s greater consistency only won out in the final stages.
‘Lagging behind at the break was not unexpected, given these lineups’, Grenzau’s manager Markus Ströher said. ‘But Maciej and Samuel both played very well. Although we were clearly outmatched, we acquitted ourselves very well.’ In fact, despite the 0:2 score, Grenzau were not without opportunities.
Naturally, this win is good for us and helps us in reaching the playoffs
Cedric Meissner
Martin Allegro secured the away team’s only points in the duel of the number threes, against Cedric Meissner. Allegro won 3:1 (11:8, 11:8, 4:11, 11:5) to keep TTC in the running. Meissner closed the gap with 11:4 in the third set, but Allegro upped the pressure once again in the fourth to clinch the win. ‘We were not playing under pressure as we were unable to bring our full squad. So we just wanted to do our best’, Allegro later said to Dyn. ‘Of course, I am delighted that I won, but despite losing we can still be happy with our performance overall.’
Then came the duel of the number ones – Fan versus Patrick Baum, who took over from Walker in the top spot. Baum put in a strong performance and won the second set 11:5. However, the Olympic champion then dominated the remaining sets once again. Set scores of 11:6, 11:5 and 11:6 allowed Fan to similarly win this singles match 3:1 and confirm the overall home victory.
This was FCS’s seventh win in eight TTBL matches – a streak that underscores the cup winners’ ambitions. After their triumph in January, their second Germany championship win after 2020 is within reach, with Saarbrücken also chasing down another title in the Champions League. This win against Grenzau was more self-assured than sensational – a necessary task completed with the required level of seriousness.
‘Naturally, this win is good for us and helps us in reaching the playoffs’, Cedric Meissner said to Dyn after the match. Saarbrücken had little interest in reading any more into the result. The team did what they needed to against the bottom team in the table, who are still on 8:24 points and waiting for their first win of 2026 after their fifth defeat in a row.
Meanwhile, FCS are already looking to the future. They are now in a comfortable position in the race for the final four, but nothing is yet certain. With a player like Fan Zhendong, who can step up twice at crucial moments, FCS are still a reliable Bundesliga contender for the big spring matches.
The upcoming week will be a tough one for FCS Tischtennis, with two particular highlights.
Friday (13 February 2026) brings the Champions League semi-final second-leg match against French team GV Hennebont TT. At 7 p.m. in the TT Arena Trier, the Saarland team will be seeking to round off their comfortable 3:0 lead from the first leg with another win and qualify for the ETTU HYLO Champions League FINAL 4 2026 in the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrücken.
Just two days later, FCS TT are heading to Düsseldorf, where they are facing the table leaders and their long-time rivals on Sunday afternoon (15 February 2026) at 2 p.m. for a top Tischtennis-Bundesliga (TTBL) match. A win could allow Saarbrücken to close the gap on the top of the table in terms of points. Borussia, on the other hand, will be aiming to return the favour after their defeat in the first half of the season just before Christmas in a packed Saarlandhalle. Excitement and prestige are guaranteed.