Few could have predicted such a decisive result. On the second matchday of the German Table Tennis League (TTBL), the reinforced Fulda team stunned the record champions with a 3-0 victory in front of 2,500 spectators at the packed Esperantohalle. It marked the first defeat of the season for Timo Boll, who is on his farewell tour in the TTBL. Meanwhile, Fulda claimed the top spot in the league standings.
TTC newcomer Dimitrij Ovtcharov remains undefeated. After a flawless 3-0 win over Bogdan Pugna and Shunsuke Togami from Ochsenhausen in the season opener, Ovtcharov didn’t drop a set in his latest match against Kay Stumper. The veteran triumphed 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 against the young talent. Cheng-Jui Kao also delivered, securing his first home win in Fulda with a 3-1 (11-9, 11-8, 5-11, 11-8) victory against Anton Källberg, the silver medalist from Paris.
Fanbo Meng Seals the Deal Against Boll
In the third match of the evening, Timo Boll got off to a strong start against Fanbo Meng, winning the first set 11-4. However, Meng quickly turned the tables, dominating the second set 11-2. Boll fought hard in the third, narrowly losing 13-11, but it was Fulda’s 11-8 win in the fourth set that secured the overall victory. Meng's performance echoed his form from last season, where he also defeated Boll in both encounters.
The visitors will surely remember the electrifying atmosphere: instead of the usual Hubtex Arena, the match took place in the much larger Esperantohalle. This, however, won’t be Timo Boll's last visit to Fulda. Düsseldorf will return to face Fulda again in the cup round of 16 on September 21.
If you missed the excitement, catch the full match highlights of the intense showdown between TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell and Borussia Düsseldorf. Watch the video below, provided by the Bundesliga (TTBL) YouTube channel.
Results of the match
TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell vs Borussia Düsseldorf - 3:0
Ovtcharov vs Stumper - 3:0
Kao vs Källberg - 3:1
Meng vs Boll - 3:1