Michael Maze og Allan Bentsen i Champions League
I den kommende weekend spilles anden runde i Champions League i bordtennis. Michael Maze og Borussia Düsseldorf skal til Charleroi i Belgien og møde de forsvarende mestre med den regerende europamester Vladimir Samsonov, Hviderusland, Jean-Michel Saive og russsiske Alexei Smirnov. Begge hold vandt deres første kamp og der er lagt op til storopgør i heksekedlen i Charleroi, hvor der ofte er udsolgt hus med 6000 tilskuere trods alle kampe transmitteres live i belgisk tv.
Der ses frem til opgøret mellem Michael Maze og europamester Samsonov. Et forvarsel om MIchael Mazes form før næste uges Europa top 12 i Rennes i Frankrig, hvor Maze skal forsvare sejren fra sidste år i Frankfurt.
Allan Bentsen og Zagreb er undertippede på udebane mod tyske Grezau. Zagreb tabte i første runde og skal spille op til deres allerbedste, hvis der skal point med tilbage til Kroatien.
Begge danskeropgør spilles fredag aften.
Her er forskræppet fra den europæiske bordtennis union
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2004/2005
PRESS RELEASE
Preview to the second round:
GROUP A:
Friday, 28.1. 2005, 8.00 p.m.: SVS Niederösterreich – TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen
The home premiere of Olympic champion Ryu Seung Min with world’s champion Werner Schlager and world class defensive artiste Chen Weixing takes place in the Schloßparkhalle of Wolkersdorf, where the reigning German champion will be an extremely attractive opponent. Keen interest and great spectator crowd are expected, already last week stories appeared in local media day for day. According to the paper form the hosts would be clear favourite, but club head Dr. Johann Friedschröder wants to know nothing about it: “The role as easy favourite does not have to be taken away from us but, however, if Chuang Chih-Yuan wins two games, everything is possible at this playing system.” Ochsenhausen boss Rainer Ihle speaks similarly: “This becomes a hot dance. We will not let us beaten so easily. We are, of course, the outsider but this might turn out as an advantage, and we are not under pressure. Chuang and also Adrian Crisan are in best shape and Fedor Kuzmin has just won the Slowenian Open recently. An encounter of extra class in front of filled stands and newly-installed VIP boxes has to be expected. The TV transmitter TW1 broadcasts live.
Friday, 28.1. 2005, 7.30 p.m.: TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau – STK „Vecernji“ List Zagreb
A preliminary decision in the fight against relegation will be made in this meeting after the defeats of both clubs in the first round. To avoid the bottom rank in the group is the most important target, since the one placed third has the opportunity to rescue itself of expulsion against the tailender of Group B. Already last year the two clubs met each other, the later runner up Grenzau brought in two certain victories which were mainly due to Ma Wenge. This time it will considerably be more difficult for the German leading club, the decisive factor might be the advantage of playing at home. “Zagreb is still the less strongest opponent in this group”, Grenzau’s secretary Annette Jacobs means, “we hope for physical fitness and top form of our players, if this is the case, the first survival fight should turn out well.” Zagreb pins its hopes on Zoran Primorac. Team coach Goran Radanovic is full of optimism: “Of course we face a hard task, but Zoran is always good for two wins, Allan Bentsen is in top form and Tan Rui Wu has given himself airs against Chen Weixing lately. With a little bit of good luck we can overcome our fears of expulsion already in Grenzau.” Everything seems possible in this match, the meeting of the experienced aces will at all events guarantee a thrilling table tennis evening.
GROUP B:
Friday, 28.1. 2005, 7.30 p.m.: TTV RE-BAU Gönnern – LKS Odra Röben Gloska
The semi-finalist of previous year stands under great pressure against the Polish newcomer. If the supposed home win will fail the spectre of expulsion appears. “The whole thing depends on Timo Boll,” Gönnerns’ president Torsten Märte analyzes the situation, “when he is fit, nobody can take the favourite role away from us but without him the odds are equal. Gloskas’ players should estimated high, they lost, i. e., in the qualification against Borussia Düsseldorf only extremely tight. We only can hope that Timo succeeds to catch up his training backlog and to perform his regular form in the next games, this is the most important for us at the moment. Röben Gloskas’ president, Jerzy Wieczorek, gets very enthusiastic about the Champions League: “We look forward to a great encounter and we will go down well. Our team is supported with full strengths by its fans, 50 of them go by bus to Gönnern. Quite certainly they will provide a terrific atmosphere there with their white-red flags and their trumpets.
Friday, 28.1. 2005, 8.00 p.m.: Royal Villette Charleroi – Borussia Düsseldorf
Once again the attractive duel of the record champion with the dreaded so-called “Boy Group” is ahead. “13 times we have already played each other within the last ten years, eight victories of our club are faced by five defeats,” tells Charlerois’ press chief Jean Lafleur, “on the assumption that everything proceeds normally, I believe in the ninth sucess, although there is never a guarantee.” The favourite role, of course, does not to be taken away from the title holder. Vladimir Samsonovs gala performance at the Croatian Opens yesterday where he conquered Werner Schlager considerably in the finals emphasizes this. Düsseldorfs’ manager Jo Pörsch does not show himself defeat oriented at all: “The victory against Gönnern has put us in a comfortable starting position. After an intensive training week we count on Michael Maze, who is capable of much in his best shape.” Everyone is curiously waiting for the highlight of the evening, the meeting of Samsonov against Maze.
Results of first round:
Group A: „VL“Zagreb – SVS Niederösterreich 1:3, Zugbrücke Grenzau – Liebherr Ochsenhausen 1:3,
Group B: Röben Gloska – Royal Villette Charleroi 1:3, Borussia Düsseldorf – RE-BAU Gönnern 3:0;