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Liebherr Euro Champions League - Semi Finals

Reports of the first leg of the semi-finals

Sunday, February 3, 2002

ETTU Press Release

Friday, 1. 2. 2002, 20.00 h: Royal Villette Charleroi – TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau 2:3

Has the club world's champion already fallen of the throne of the champions League? The German champion could make its concealed hopes becoming truth and finds itself in the favourite position now. Charleroi nevertheless has not to be written off yet. In the return match Zoran Primorac will strengthen the team and every result seems possible there. In this thrilling match the Belgians already looked like the sure winners yet. After the lucky win Vladimir Samsonov's against Petr Korbel Jean-Michel Saive showed a brilliant performance and subdued Ma Wenge safely with 3:1. Even after the clear win of Lucian Blaszczyk against Muneaki Mitamura the audience was not disturbed yet. On the contrary, it expected joyful the coming point of victory by Samsonov. But Ma Wenge could defy the Belorussian due to its enormous speed successfully and conquered the equal score. In the decisive meeting the excellently operating Petr Korbel kept the upper hand of Saive. “Samsonov is our Ma Wenge's cup of tea and Korbel acted in super form today”, summarizes Grenzau’s Annette Jacobs the success in few words.

Samsonov - Korbel 12:10, 8:11, 11:7, 9:11, 14:12
Saive - Ma Wenge 11:9, 1:11, 11:5, 11:4
Mitamura - Blaszczyk 3:11, 8:11, 9:11
Samsonov - Ma Wenge 9:11, 5:11, 11:7, 12:14
Saive - Korbel 8:11, 11:5, 9:11, 6:11

Sunday, 3. 2. 2002, 14.00 h: Borussia Düsseldorf – SVS Niederösterreich 2:3

Today we have given away the qualification for the finals”, Düsseldorf manager Jo Pörsch mourns the loss of the chances The German “Boy Group” then already led 2:1 and Michael Maze had at the score of 2:2 and 10:6 four balls of the match against Werner Schlager. However, the Austrian genius succeeded in defending them and the jubilation storms of the crowded hall ceased suddenly. Magnus Molin found himself then under pressure and could not withstand an excellent Chen Weixing in the very last game of the day. With this happy victory the Austrians managed a favourable starting point. Their very good ratio in games demands a 3:1 of Düsseldorf in the second leg which might be possible but will be especially away heavily realizable. However, One can be sure that the young stars will sell themselves as expensively as possible.

Maze - Chen Weixing 12:10, 8:11, 7:11, 2:11
Molin - Schlager 11:13, 11:8, 11:8, 15:17, 13:11
Hielscher - QianQianli 11:4, 11:4, 10:12, 3:11, 11:8
Maze - Schlager 8:11, 11:6, 11:6, 3:11,10:12
Molin - Chen Weixing 4:11, 10:12, 8:11

SEMI-FINALS AGAINST RELEGATION:

Friday, 1. 2. 2002, 17.00 h: TTC VP Frydek-Mistek – TTC Vecernji List Zagreb 1:3

Due to these rather clear home defeat the Czech champion will have to say good-bye to Europe’s elite League. Already of the beginning newcomer Zagreb showed little respect and went by victories of its stars, Roko Tosic and Alan Bentsen, with 2:0 in front. Later on, Frantisek Krcil found a chance for equalization but Bentsen made the winning point in the tight fourth game. Anyway, Tosic surely would have had to be favoured against Klasek also in the last game. The fans might already have suspected the failure, as few as this time had never showed up.

Krcil- Tosic 8:11, 8:11, 5:11
Klasek - Bentsen 9:11, 7:11, 12:14
Olejnik - Klaric 11:5, 6:11, 6:11, 11:3, 11:7
Krcil - Bentsen 11:8, 9:11, 4:11, 12:14

Saturday, 2. 2. 2002, 19.00 h: TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen – Caen TTC 3:1
With this success that looks only clear by figures, the Upper Swabians managed themselves a good starting point for the return match. The French top club hasn't made it easily for the Germans at all. After the lucky equalization by Damien Eloi against Adrian Crisan Feng Zhe had to fight against Jerome Bahuaud heavily in order to win extremely tight. Little surprisingly Alexei Smirnov then succeeded in obtaining the winning point against Damien Eloi. “Alexei was in a super shape today”, Ochsenhausen manager Christoph Reuhl was pleased, and added: “despite this fine success we mustn't lull ourselves into a false sense of security, everything can be reversed fast in this playing system. We will prepare for the match in Caen very conscientiously.” Caen's prospects for remaining in the League have been dropped very much now, especially because Ochsenhausen will be able to nominate its number one, Kalinikos Kreanga, in the return match for sure. This time the coach had to do without the Greek, whose minor physical problems, however, surely will be solved until the return match. The only chance Caen's would be the mobilization of Jörgen Persson who still is eligible to play. According to rumours it won't occur, however.

Smirnov - Bratanov 11:5, 11:7, 13:11
Crisan - Eloi 9:11, 10:12, 11:5, 11:9, 9:11
Feng Zhe - Bahuaud 9:11, 11:6, 11:3, 4:11, 13:11
Smirnov - Eloi 11:6, 6:11, 11:9, 3:11, 11:7

Return matches: 2. SEMI FINALS, 9. –11. 3. 2002

The competition of the Liebherr European Champions League, which is played in three stages, is now in the second one, i.e. the semi-finals. The first stage, which has been played in a round robin system within two groups, has finished by 20. January 2002. Now, in the second stage, the group winners play the runner-ups of the other group for the qualification to the finals, and, likewise, the teams ranked third play the fourth of the other group for remaining in the League. Only the winners will be qualified for next years’ competition, the losers will have to leave.

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Liebherr Euro Champions League - Semi Finals

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