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Liebherr Euro Champions League - 4th Round

Reports of the 4rd round

First published on Sunday, December 16, 2001

Last updated on Thursday, February 28, 2002

ETTU Press Release

Comprehensively to say, the fourth round delivered some important preliminary decisions to the further progress of the competition. With superior victories abroad three semi-finalists nominated practically themselves, and the fourth one is to be taken scarcely of TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen, even in spite of the surprising defeat in Düsseldorf. Only yet further sensational results may change the current state.

GROUP A:
Friday, 14. 12. 2001, 17 h: TT VP Frydek-Mistek—Royal Villette Europlus Charleroi 0:3

The club-world champion exposed no openings in Upper Silesia to TT VP Frydek-Mistek. Jean-Michel Saive—previously without a single victory—made clear already to the prelude that there are no chances left to the host. In the focus of the evening, however, the match of Marek Klasek against Vladimir Samsonov stood. Klasek offered an outstanding performance and had to bend himself the super star only in the fifth game. A brilliant Zoran Primorac provided the victory point subsequently. Only a straight defeat in Ochsenhausen yet may take off rank one of Charleroi. Frydek-Mistek needs a victory against Borussia Düsseldorf in order to reach rank three.

Krcil - Saive 7:11, 11:5, 5:11, 4:11
Klasek - Samsonov 11:8, 4:11, 11:9, 7:11, 5:11
Olejnik - Primorac 8:11, 5:11, 5:11

Sunday, 16. 12. 2001,14 h: Borussia Düsseldorf—TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen 3:1

Unbelievable but true! After the disappointment against Frydek-Mistek, the Düsseldorfer “Boy-Group” offered this time a shining presentation and created the sensation of the day, after the triumph over Charleroi for the second time. Father of the victory was the Dane Michael Maze, who offered a world-class achievement especially against Kalinikos Kreanga. “Apparently we are predestined for surprises“ jests Düsseldorfs manager Jo Pörsch, “we defeat the super stars and lose for that unfortunately sometimes against weaker ones. In each case, we go now better things to Charleroi and we will try everything, to realize ours revived minimal chances for rank two.” Nevertheless, for Düsseldorf the return match in Frydek-Mistek will be of largest importance. For Ochsenhausen, on the other hand, the group victory disappeared into far distance, rank two, however, looks very realistically.

Maze - Crisan 11:7, 11:5, 12:10
Steger - Kreanga 5:11, 6:11, 6:11
Hielscher - Smirnov 12:10, 11:3, 11:7
Maze - Kreanga 11:7, 11:9, 6:11, 11:9

GROUP B:
Friday, 14. 12. 2001, 17.30 h: STK Vecernji List Zagreb—TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau 0:3

The sensation the fans of Zagreb hoped stayed away! With this superior victory away, Grenzau remains practical not to be pulled up off the top. In the next game at home against Caen the group victory can already be fixed. “The tight 3:2-win at the home board against Zagreb was for my players a strong motivation”, Grenzau-Trainer, Andrzej Grubba says, „the players knew now what their opponents are able to, and therefore they were fully concentrated, and, the match run optimal. Only the first two games of Ma Wenge against Alan Bentsen were a hard fight. after those has been lost by Bentsen the resistance of the newcomer broke. However, the Croatian champion enjoys home advantage for defending rank three in the duel against Caen, and could even advance to rank two in the case of a victory in Lower Austria.

Bentsen - Ma Wenge 9:11, 9:11, 5:11
Tosic - Korbel 4:11, 9:11, 4:11
Klaric - Blaszczyk 4:11, 4:11, 4:11

Friday, 14. 12. 2001, 20 h: TTC Caen TTC—SVS Niederösterreich 0:3

Revenge succeeded! Behind that so clearly looking result a match of fully tension and drama conceals itself. The decision fell practically already in the first meeting in which Chen Weixing subdued Damien Eloi only in the fifth game. “This was the most important point”, means Werner Schlager, “who knows—in case of a defeat Chens—whether the match would not have run in the same way as in the first round, so we have won as tight but as certain.” Already in the next round, the Lower Austrians could settle second place and the therewith-connected qualification to the semi-finals at home against Zagreb. Caen will have difficulties to leave the bottom of the table; only the two away encounters in Grenzau and at the direct competitor, STK Zagreb, are ahead.

Eloi - Chen Weixing 10:12, 11:7, 11:4, 10:12, 6:11
Bratanov - Schlager 11:9, 8:11, 11:9, 4:11, 8:11
Bahuaud - Lengerov 11:9. 9:11, 8:11, 11:8, 6:11

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Liebherr Euro Champions League - 4th Round

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