TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt continues its successful run in the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL). On Matchday 3, the team led by Kanak Jha, Adrien Rassenfosse, and Benedikt Duda secured an impressive 3-1 home victory against Post SV Mühlhausen. While Bergneustadt remains among the league’s top contenders, the crisis deepens for the Thuringian side, which remains at the bottom of the table after another loss.
The match began with a commanding performance by Kanak Jha, who defeated Irvin Bertrand with a clear 3-0 (11:4, 11:5, 11:9). Jha played almost flawlessly in the first two sets, only facing a bit of resistance in the third. However, the American kept his composure and secured the early lead for Bergneustadt.
Following Jha's strong start, Adrien Rassenfosse continued the momentum. The young Belgian faced the experienced Austrian Daniel Habesohn, but the encounter was far from a balanced contest. Rassenfosse dominated from the outset, taking the sets (11:3, 11:4, 11:7) with ease, delivering a statement performance.
Ionescu Secures a Consolation Point for Mühlhausen
Mühlhausen managed to avoid a sweep, earning a consolation point thanks to Ovidiu Ionescu. In a closely fought match, Ionescu defeated Benedikt Duda 3-0 (11:9, 12:10, 13:11), with each set being tightly contested. Duda, who had been a reliable performer for Bergneustadt last season, pushed every set into extra points but ultimately fell short.
We’ve had a rough start to the season and aren’t playing at our best right now,” Ionescu commented after the match. “Bergneustadt played well today, and Kanak Jha, in particular, showed exceptional form against both Mengel and Bertrand. We need to prepare better for the upcoming matches to earn the crucial points we need.
Jha Seals the Win for Bergneustadt
In the final match of the evening, Kanak Jha sealed the overall victory for Bergneustadt. Facing Steffen Mengel, who was subbed in for Habesohn, Jha won 3-1 (11:4, 10:12, 11:7, 11:6).
After the match, Jha expressed his satisfaction:
I’m very happy with the win. Mühlhausen has a great team with four solid players, and it’s always tough to predict who you’ll be up against. Today was a really good day for us.
With this 3-1 victory, TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt remains among the top teams in the TTBL. Jha’s performance, now boasting six individual wins this season, highlights Bergneustadt’s strong potential to continue challenging for the top of the table in the coming weeks.
As for Mühlhausen, they must quickly recover from their poor start to avoid falling too far behind. Coach Erik Schreyer’s team urgently needs to gather points if they hope to catch up to the mid-table teams.
Here’s a link to the current Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) standings: https://www.ttbl.de/bundesliga/table
Source: TTBL