08 Dec 2020

The European Champions League Women event is showcasing the continent’s top female stars this week. This year’s event is being staged in entirety at the Sportpark Lissfeld in Linz, Austria. A bubble format has been applied in view of the pandemic.

Monday 7 December will feature two semi-finals:

Berlin Eastside (Germany) vs Metz TT (France) at 17:10 CET

TT Saint Quentinois (France) vs Linz AG Froschberg (Austria) at 20:15 CET

The final will be played on Tuesday 8 December (20:15).

Play had commenced on 3 December with 11 teams competing in three groups.

Winners on four previous occasions, Berlin Eastside are the most successful team to date in a tournament that first launched in 2015 and replaced the Europe Club Cup of Champions.

The German outfit, represented by Britt Eerland, Nina Mittelham and Shan Xiaona, finished first in their group to claim a direct entry to the last four.

Likewise, it was top spot for the French club, TT Saint Quentinois, who fielded Polina Mikhailova, Andreea Draoman and Zhang Mo.

The other group-winner was Linz AG Froschberg, comprising of Sofia Polcanova, Bernadette Szocs and Margaryta Pesotska. The Austrian club won the title in 2009 and 2013.

The fourth team to reach the semi-finals is the Metz TT combination of Adina Diaconu, Daniela Monteiro Dodean and Wu Jiaduo.

Somewhat the surprise package, they finished in second place in their group, narrowly losing to Linz AG Froschberg in a full-distance five-match contest. Their runners-up spot meant progress to a play-off round where they faced the remaining teams who had completed the initial phase in second spot.

Metz sealed a narrow 3-2 win against SKST Stavoimpex Hodonin, for whom Sakura Mori remained unbeaten, but defeats for Natalia Partyka and Solomiya Brateyko cost the Czech Republic team.

It was to prove the crucial encounter, as SKST Stavoimpex Hodonin posted a 3-1 win in opposition to UCAM Cartagena TM, represented by Maria Xiao, Li Fen and Carmen Lozano, before by the same margin, Metz overcame the Spanish outfit to reserve their place in the semi-finals.

Could experience provide the key in the contest between Berlin Eastside and Metz TT? Shan Xiaona won the women’s singles title at the 2014 ITTF World Tour German Open. In 2009 Wu Jiaduo was crowned European champion.

Meanwhile in the battle between TT Saint Quentinois and Linz AG Froschberg, Romania could well decide the outcome; Andreea Dragoman and Bernadette Szocs are on different sides of the fence.

History is on the side of Berlin Eastside and Linz AG Froschberg, who have won the tournament four times and twice respectively. TT Saint Quentinois and Metz TT are both making their debut appearances at the semi-final stage.

Find out more

General News ETTU Champions League Europe ETTU