French club GV HENNEBONT TT became the first team to advance to the quarterfinals of the Champions League Men after a dominant performance in both legs against Polish side UKS Dojlidy Białystok Following a 3-1 victory in Poland last week HENNEBONT needed just three matches at home to secure their spot in the next stage delivering straight-game wins over Piotr MICHALSKI “This was much easier for us compared to the opening leg With the home crowd and fantastic supporters and they were also very tired after the trip and their Polish league match on the 17th We’re just happy that we could play at the same level at home,” said SIDORENKO who also defeated Machi ASUKA and Patryk CHOJNOWSKI in the first leg GV HENNEBONT TT will face the winners of the clash between HB Ostrov z.s Reigning champions Saarbrücken lead the tie after a 3-0 win in the opening leg and there’s a 50/50 chance for everyone,” SIDORENKO added GV HENNEBONT TT – UKS Dojlidy Białystok 3-0 UKS Dojlidy Białystok – GV HENNEBONT TT 1-3 The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the governing body of the sport of table tennis in Europe and is the only authority recognized for this purpose by the International Table Tennis Federation The ETTU deals with all matters relating to table tennis at a European level including the development and promotion of the sport in the territories controlled by its 58 member associations and the organization of continental table tennis competitions made a strong start in the Champions League Men quarterfinals with a 3-0 victory over GV Hennebont TTF in France The reigning champions took a significant step toward the Final 4 which will be held at the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrücken on May 31 and June 1 the visitors showed no mercy in their duel against the French club After missing Darko JORGIĆ in the first leg of the Round of 16 and Patrick FRANZISKA in the second leg against HB Ostrov z.s. the German champions arrived in France with their strongest lineup It also marked the first time this season that MÖREGÅRDH was listed in the team for a Champions League Men match Patrick FRANZISKA opened the tie with a victory over Vladimir SIDORENKO who widened the gap with a win against Lev KATSMAN Darko JORGIĆ then sealed the clash with a win over Iulian CHIRIȚA “I am very happy with the match tonight and I received fantastic support from the team It’s a great joy to play for such an incredible club like 1 is just the perfect way to start,” said Truls MÖREGÅRDH In previous Round GV HENNEBONT TTF beat UKS Dojlidy Białystok The return leg is scheduled for the 16th February GV HENNEBONT TTF- 1 FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis e.V Towns say they are not driven by nostalgia as they opt for horsepowered bin collections and school runs pulled a small cart towards the waste bins on a central street “This job is so much nicer with an animal,” said Julien who usually worked emptying bins on to a motorised rubbish-truck in another town but was training in horse-drawn techniques I’d be constantly breathing in exhaust fumes behind my lorry there is a growing movement in French towns to bring back the horse and cart as an alternative to fossil fuels and a way to slow down urban life always stepped out of her office to watch the horse-drawn bin cart pass “When I hear the sound of the hooves it’s just total happiness to me,” she said “It brings a kind of gentle calm in these frantic times Since the first trials to reintroduce draft horses for municipal tasks in the mid-1990s, the number of French towns and urban areas using them has multiplied by almost 20 and continues to rise Up to 200 urban areas have used draft horses in recent years The most frequent tasks are rubbish collection and horse-drawn carriages taking children to school In the southern town of Vendargues, where the horse-drawn school carts are so popular that waiting lists have been 100 families-long, a study found they had improved the children’s relationship to learning Some children who could walk or cycle to school preferred travelling by horse-drawn cart Local politicians like the symbolism of a horse to show they are acting for the environment But the use of draft horses remains driven by individual towns and some local figures would like to see the state give more centralised backing and name horsepower as an official form of alternative energy Horse-drawn carriages on a busy boulevard in eastern Paris in 1900. Photograph: APTowns argue they are not driven by nostalgia. At the start of the 20th century, there was one horse for every five people in France and draft horses often did perilous work in industry or down mines “It’s absolutely not a return to the past,” said Vanina Deneux-Le Barh, a sociologist at the French Institute for Horses and Riding about respecting nature and welfare in new innovative ways – for example with electric assistance for horses going up gradients or with progress in new types of harnessing.” a town of 15,000 people in the west of Brittany is the latest to offer a new training scheme for municipal horses carriage drivers and local authority workers are brothers aged 8 and 9 who weigh about 900kg (1,984lb) each and live outdoors in a vast paddock with limited work hours includes transporting children from an after-school club to the canteen activities at a local care home and collecting rubbish coordinates Hennebont’s unique service to employ the horses across all areas of urban life “The presence of a horse rehumanises a town,” she said “If the town hall wants to conduct a survey on the renovation of a housing estate But if we bring a horse along to the housing estate everyone will come over to talk and answer the survey.” For cultural events and festivals Morgane Perlade coordinates Hennebont’s unique equine service Photograph: Thomas Louapre/The GuardianAttitudes towards rubbish collection have changed with local residents setting apart their glass bottles to make it easier for the horse-drawn workers “I’m not sure they would do the same for a bin lorry,” Perlade said “We feel that we’re building the famous post-covid world,” said André Hartereau a former mayor now involved in the local authority’s running of Hennebont’s national stud farm Horses could neither provide all the answers to the emissions problem “but what we can do is considerable … A horse has no carbon imprint on the environment Costs can be lower than investing in motorised transport The constraint for towns is being able to provide adequate space for the horses.” Employing horses in urban settings is also seen as a way to protect France’s nine draft-horse breeds, whose numbers are declining. French draft horses continue to be bred in part for the meat market, including export to countries like Japan, but in France consumption of horse meat is declining residents have regular visits from Hennebont’s municipal horses “Some people here who rarely speak in phrases will say full sentences when speaking to a horse,” said Magali She said that when the horse and cart came to transport residents to cultural events Residents say watching a horse pass through makes them happy. Photograph: Thomas Louapre/The GuardianBernadette Lizet, an ethnologist and historian of draft horses said their return to the urban landscape was rooted in growing global concern to protect biodiversity Draft horses remain popular with the public because “they still represent a link between generations” “Horses disappeared from farming life in France relatively recently Their presence represents a connection between old and young.” a pensioner who had retired to Hennebont from Paris said: “Just the sound of the horse crossing the town makes me happy for my grandchildren.” a town hall official from nearby Inzinzac-Lochrist said equine therapy was proven to make people feel better “Having horses in a town means sprinkling a bit of that across everyday life.” The Champions League Men is heating up as the competition reaches the quarterfinal stage and thrilling round of 16 clashes behind us the quarterfinals promise to deliver more high-intensity table tennis matches This is the last step before the Final 4 will be played in the Saarlandhalle of Saarbrücken on May 31 and June 1 Watch all the matches live on ETTU TV.Let’s take a closer look at the matchups and what to expect from each tie.GV Hennebont TT (FRA)vs 1 FC Saarbrücken TT (GER)• First Leg: 15.01.2025 secured their quarterfinal spot with dominant performances against UKS Dojlidy Białystok of Poland Hennebont’s home advantage in the first leg will be crucial as they face reigning champions 1 FC Saarbrücken TT.Saarbrücken 9 Truls MÖREGÅRDH and a strong supporting cast led by Patrick FRANZISKA and Darko JORGIC The German side’s depth and experience make them favorites but Hennebont’s youthful energy and home support could produce an upset.Saarbrücken’s experience and depth give them a slight edge but Hennebont’s home crowd could make the first leg interesting.KS Global PharmaOrlicz 1924 Suchedniow (POL) vs Dekorglass Działdowo (POL)• First Leg: 19.01.2025 DziałdowoA Polish derby between KS Global Pharma Orlicz 1924 and K.S.Dekorglass Działdowo promises to be a fiercely contested tie Orlicz advanced after a nail-biting aggregate win over A.S Pontoise-Cergy TT while Dekorglass edged out Postsportverein Mühlhausen in dramatic fashion thanks to the Golden Match rule.Dekorglass’s Jonathan GROTH and Jakub DYJAS have shown they can deliver under pressure will rely on Robert FLORAS and Deni KOZUL to carry the team through.Dekorglass has the edge with their experience in close matches but the derby atmosphere could level the playing field.KS Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki (POL) vs Solex-Consult Wiener Neustadt (AUT)• First Leg: 14.02.2025 Grodzisk Mazowiecki• Second Leg: 17.01.2025 Wiener NeustadtKS Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki secured theirquarterfinal spot with a comeback win over SF SKK EL NINO PRAHA Panagiotis GIONIS and Takuya JIN led the charge for the Polish side showing their resilience.Solex-Consult Wiener Neustadt Amirezza Abbasi MONJEZI has been a key player with his unique style posing problems for opponents.Bogoria’s depth and home-court advantage give them a slight upper hand but Wiener Neustadt’s unpredictability makes them dangerous.Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier (FRA) vs Borussia Düsseldorf (GER)First Leg: 17.01.2025 DüsseldorfThis tie is arguably the most anticipated of the quarterfinals Their dominance in the Round of 16 against SPG Felbermayr Wels demonstrated their potential to go all the way.However standing in their way is Borussia Düsseldorf especially at the ARAG CenterCourt.While the LEBRUN brothers have been exceptional Borussia Düsseldorf’s experience and depth may prove too much over two legs.The Champions League Men quarterfinals are set to be a thrilling stage of the competition the battle for a place in the Final 4 is well underway Medievalists.net It ranks as one of the most fascinating stories from the 14th century one that chroniclers of that time relished in telling and historians have ever since recounted It was the defence of Hennebont in the year 1342 by Countess Joanna of Flanders which would earn her the nickname Jeanne la Flamme (Fiery Joanna) Perhaps the best account of this episode comes from The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel which has recently been translated by Nigel Bryant Jean le Bel was a Flemish writer that had been commissioned to compose a history of recent events He wanted his work to be honest and impartial and to include only events that “I have witnessed myself or have heard from those who have been present when I have not.” While historians have long known about Jean le Bel his work became lost for centuries and was only rediscovered in the mid-19th century  His chronicle covers the years 1290 to 1360 and focuses on the situation between England and France during the early stages of the Hundred Years War One large section covers the so-called War of the Breton Succession his inheritance was in doubt and there were two claimants and the other was niece Joan of Penthièvre It did not take long for the Kings of England and France to get involved in the dispute – even though there was a lull in the fighting of the Hundred Years War they each wanted their own candidate to become the next ruler of Brittany a very strategic duchy on the northwest coast of France While the King of France supported Joan and Charles In the autumn of 1341 the Monfortian side took a blow when John of Montfort was captured by King Philip VI of France despite having given him a promise of safe conduct Charles of Blois then began preparing an army to invade and conquer Brittany She sent one of her trusted followers to sail to England and speak with King Edward III asking him to send troops to help her defend Brittany the forces of Charles of Blois invaded the duchy and began to conquer its town When the valiant lady and her supporters heard that Lord Charles was coming to besiege them they gave order for all their troops to arm and for the great bell to be rung to summon everyone to the city’ defence And when Lord Charles and the French lords drew near and saw the city’s strength they ordered their men to make camp in positions for a siege Some of the young Genoese and Spanish fellows – French too – went to skirmish at the the barriers; and there were a number of fierce clashes in which the Genoese When evening drew in everyone returned to quarters The fighting would continue over the next couple days armed and riding a great charger from street to street was cheering and summoning everyone to the city’s defence to take stones to the walls and fling them at the attackers Jean le Bel relates one of the most dramatic moments of the siege: And now you shall hear of the boldest and the most remarkable feat ever performed by a woman who kept climbing the towers to see how the defence was progressing saw that all the besiegers had left their quarters and gone forward to watch the assault and called upon some three hundred men-at-arms who were guarding a gate that wasn’t under attack to mount with her; then she rode out with this company and charged boldly into the enemy camp which was devoid of anyone but a few boys and servants They killed them all and set fire to everything: soon the whole encampment was ablaze When the French lords saw their camp on fire and heard the shouting and commotion the assault was abandoned as they rushed back in alarm seeing them alerted and the besiegers streaming back from all sides realising there was no way back to the town without grave loss While the defenders of Hennebont were happy over the victory they did not know what had happened to Joanna She’s lost for sure: it’ll be years before you see her again!” The defenders had to only worry for five days: guessing her people would be alarmed and fearing for her raised about five hundred troops well armed and clad and mounted and rode from Brayt at midnight and came at the crack of dawn to one of the gates of Hennebont’s castle and entered to a triumphant blast of trumpets and drums and other instruments frustrated over Joanna’s victories and the many deaths on his own side brought in twelve siege machines that could bombard the walls of Hennebont the siege machines were wrecking the town and castle The two had a parley and the nephew persuaded the Bishop to convince the other lords to give up before it was too late on Our Lady’s honour not to do anything rash for she was confident that aid would arrive within three days But the bishop was insistent and persuasive until they were all but convinced that they should yield; and Sir Herve was just on his way to the town to accept their surrender when the valiant countess crying with all the strength she could summon: “I see the aid I’ve desired so long!” All the people in the city ran to the walls to see what she had seen; and there King Edward III had agreed to come to the rescue of the Countess but the fleet had been hampered by storms in the English channel and had taken forty days to reach Brittany “Sir Herve was enraged; he called up the biggest engine they had and ordered a constant bombardment by day and night Joanna of Flanders held a feast in their honour and afterwards Sir Walter Mauny proposed a plan to stop the attack from the siege machine: So Sir Walter and all his company went armed at once taking with them a body of three hundred archers who loosed such fine dense volleys that they drove back the men who were guarding the engine The men-at-arms then advanced and killed a good number and toppled the great engine and smashed it to pieces before charging into the enemy camp and setting it ablaze but the English troops were able to get back behind the walls of Hennebont with their victory secure Jean le Bel added that “anyone who saw the valiant countess then come down from the castle and kiss Sir Walter Mauny and his companions two or three times in turn would have said she was a lady of noble spirit indeed.” Two days later the French forces withdrew from Hennebont The War of the Breton Succession would continue on for another 22 years but when Charles of Blois was killed at the Battle of Auray in 1364 his wife’s claim to the duchy collapsed by this time the life of Joanna of Flanders had taken a tragic turn A few years after victory at Hennebont she developed a mental illness while in England and had to be confined to a castle hopefully with the knowledge that her son had won the Duchy The story of Joanna of Flanders who gained the nickname of  Jeanne la Flamme / Fiery Joanna for her actions at the siege of Hennebont is just one of the many events recorded by Jean le Bel in his True Chronicles This work has been called “one of the most remarkable pieces of literature of the fourteenth century,” and offers readers vivid accounts of warfare and chivalry including the Battle of Crecy and fighting on the Scottish frontier The True Chronicles of Jean le Bel, 1290-1360, has been translated by Nigel Bryant and is now available in a softcover edition from the Boydell Press. Click here to visit the publisher’s page to learn more Click here to buy the book on Amazon.com Top Image: Fierry Joanna leads the charge – from La Bretagne ancienne We've created a Patreon for Medievalists.net as we want to transition to a more community-funded model We aim to be the leading content provider about all things medieval podcast and Youtube page offers news and resources about the Middle Ages We hope that are our audience wants to support us so that we can further develop our podcast and remove the advertising on our platforms This will also allow our fans to get more involved in what content we do produce Member Login The Champions League Men is heading into the decisive second-leg quarterfinals where the last four teams will be determined for the Final 4 in Saarbrücken on May 31 and June 1 for the teams to either capitalize on their advantage or stage dramatic comebacks FC Saarbrücken TT dominated the first leg in Hennebont with a commanding 3:0 win proving why they are the reigning champions will need a flawless performance to pull off an upset as they now face FC Saarbrücken TT on their home court KS Dekorglass Działdowo made a huge statement in the first leg Samuel KULCZCKI and Jakub DYJAS leading the charge they now have the comfort of playing at home with a significant advantage has nothing to lose and will look to fight back Robert FLORAS and Deni KOZUL must deliver an inspired performance to have any chance of turning the tie around Bogoria showed their strength in the first leg Panagiotis GIONIS and Takuya JIN were in excellent form they have a golden opportunity to seal their spot in the Final 4 but last season’s semifinalists will be determined to prove they belong at this stage Ivor BAN and Frane KOJIC need a fast start to keep their hopes alive Borussia Düsseldorf lived up to their reputation with a 3:0 away victory in Montpellier they are one step away from another Final 4 appearance but they are capable of causing problems for any opponent Alliance Nîmes Montpellier needs to find another gear if they want to challenge the most successful club in the European Champions League at home at the ARAG center court the pressure is on their opponents to mount comebacks Don’t miss the action – watch all matches live on ETTU TV! Excitement is building as the GV Hennebont Tennis de Table under the authority of the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) gets ready to host the first Para Table Tennis U-23 European Challenge 2024 This event is all about highlighting the skills of young para-athletes from across Europe and it’s happening from October 21st to October 25th 2024 at the Hennebont Ping Center in France Coaches in Charge are ETTU Head Coach Alessandro ARCIGLI and LOC Head Coach Jérôme BOYER All the action will take place at the Hennebont Ping Center located at 1 rue Ousmane Sow Hennebont France To be eligible players need to be under 23 years old as of December 31st 2023 meaning they must have been born on or after January 1st 2001 With limited space for both participants and new player classifications the ETTU will accept all preliminary entries initially but final spots will be confirmed after the deadline So it’s wise to wait for confirmation before booking travel to avoid any inconvenience All new Para TT players must first register using the following form: Para Table Tennis New Player Registration – ITTF Within one to two days you will receive a Player ID via email which is necessary for the next steps Once you have your Player ID submit your medical documentation through this form: Medical Documentation Submittal for Classification – ITTF Before submitting your medical documentation please prepare the following forms: Consent Form Medical Diagnostics Form More Information on ITTF Classification: ITTF Classification rules and procedures ETTU Confirmation and Acceptance of entries: Details about the competition schedule events and how they’ll be played will be finalized after the entry deadline depending on how many players sign up The Para Table Tennis U-23 European Challenge 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting event bringing together Europe’s top young para table tennis talent for a week of intense competition and camaraderie The Hennebont Ping Center located in France and affiliated to the ETTU Network of European Training Centers opens the registration process for joining its Academy next season Based on 20 years of expertise it is a 10 months program starting from September which gives the opportunity for players to train twice a day and compete in the French Championship during week-ends while pursuing their education online or in a French school The Academy squad is composed of 30 players of all ages and levels from 15 different countries Each athlete benefits from an individual table tennis and fitness training plan adjusted every quarter according to their improvements Beside the 3 500 m2 multifunctional complex fully dedicated to table tennis which includes a fitness and medical center an accommodation center with 30 twin rooms lodges all the players The Hennebont Ping Center is managed by the French professional club “GV Hennebont TT” 5-time French champion and 2-time ETTU cup winner Apart from the Academy the Center also hosts training camps and international events such as the ITTF World Hopes and ETTU U15/U17 Development Camp More info here Contact: Nicolas PETIT – npetit.gvhtt@gmail.com In September French club Hennebont will open the “Hennebont Ping Center” a multifunctional complex of 3 500 m2 fully dedicated to table tennis Rich on 20 years of experience the 4-time French and 2019 European Champion will benefit from an unique infrastructure in Europe to host an Academy training camps and international events Beside the sport complex an accommodation center with 32 multiple rooms will be delivered in April 2023 offering to “GVHTT” the full mastering of the hosting process The 5-time Olympian Adi CRISAN has been recruited as Head of Performance to design the pathway from the Academy to the professional team who will be based onsite next year ETTU development Manager Neven CEGNAR visited last week the venue and was impressed by the professionalism of the club and the commitment of the team managing it composed by Bruno ABRAHAM (President) Boris ABRAHAM (Manager) and Nicolas PETIT (International Development) They discussed all together the opportunity starting from next season to host ETTU development activities and have young athletes from the Eurotalents Program joining the Academy “I’m really impressed with everything I’ve seen here in Hennebont The whole project is the result of almost 20 years of vision and hard work of Bruno and Boris ABRAHAM and their entire team I would like to emphasize the valuable work of my colleague Nicolas PETIT who is giving this project a special international promotion I sincerely hope that many of our young players from the Eurotalents project in this center will get a new opportunity for their table tennis upgrade ” said Neven CEGNAR Two webinars will be organized on this last subject to present to the athletes/families on Thursday 12th May at 6.30 pm and Saturday 14th May at 4 pm both at CET time Hennebont Ping Center which is identified as an “ETTU network training center ”  and later this year will be hosting an ETTU u-15/u-17 Development Camp from 10th till 16th December has launched the application process for joining its Academy a 10 months training program open to athletes from 11 to 18 years old starting in September 2023 Located in the west part of France close to the Atlantic Ocean coast the Academy benefits from unique infrastructures in Europe thanks to the Hennebont Ping Center (30 tables in training set up fitness and medical center…) and its dedicated accommodation center of 32 rooms Based on 20 years of expertise from the French professional club of Hennebont each athlete is followed academically and sportingly by a team of specialists (doctor physiotherapist podiatrist physical trainer…) all through an individualized program leaded by Adrian CRISAN officiating as Head of Performance Under the motto “Excellence for all” the training group will be composed by 35 players starting from intermediate players to top youth athletes such as Iulian CHIRITA (ROM) Academy members have the opportunity to compete mostly every WE in the French Championship for individual and team events When entering the Academy 2 schooling options are available: keep following your own national education program by taking e-learning courses or joining the French school system thanks to our partnership with renowned private schools Being part of this Academy alongside more than 15 different nationalities offer a unique multicultural environment This diversity is a wonderful opportunity for children to discover new languages to enrich themselves culturally and to open up to the world For more info please visit https://pingcenter-gvhtt.com/en/academy or contact Nicolas PETIT Head of International Development to npetit.gvhtt@gmail.com You can watch video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLq1g4lTH98é The winners of the Europe Cup in 2019 French GV Hennebont TT secured another final In the second leg they recorded another victory over AS Pontoise Cergy TT After they overcame their adversary 3:1 in opening leg tonight they needed one match less Kristian KARLSSON opened the duel with the victory over Thomas LAROCHE (11:6 11:6 11:6) “We are very happy that we reached the final of the Europe Cup Today we won quite easy but I think main job we did in Pontoise two days ago It was very good performance of whole team and now we are already looking forward next match ” said KARLSSON Like in the previous leg Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS beat Esteban DORR (11:9 11:8 11:8) “Everyone in the club is happy that we came one more step closer to the title Pontoise did not come with their strongest team in the second semifinal but we are still happy to be in final and we will try our best to win the title ” explained SGOUROPOULOS In the last match Anders LIND overcame Rafaêl CABRERA (11:6 11:5 11:4) organised by the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the most important international club competition The Men’s European Champions League took place for first time in 1998/99 season with the aim to replace European Club Cup of Champions the previous highest level European club competition held since 1960/61 season Borussia Düsseldorf is the most successful club in the history of Men’s competition They won its very first one in the 1988/89 season Belgian club La Villette Charleroi still occupies second place with seven titles Four clubs lifted the trophy five times each – CSM Cluj whilst Russian club Orenburg won five titles in recent seasons (2011/12 whilst TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau was champion three times The media accreditation process for the HYLO Champions League Final 4 2025 Want to experience world-class table tennis up close and get a behind-the-scenes look at one.. Reigning Champions League Men titleholders 1 KS GLOBAL PHARMA ORLICZ 1924 SUCHEDNIÓW pulled off a remarkable turnaround to secure a spot.. and last year’s runners-up Borussia Düsseldorf won their quarterfinal matches today securing their places in this year’s Final 4 will feature two German clubs alongside two Polish teams both making their debut in the Final 4: KS GLOBAL PHARMA ORLICZ 1924 SUCHEDNIÓW and KS DARTOM BOGORIA Grodzisk Mazowiecki Six-time Champions League winners Borussia Düsseldorf defeated Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier the club of rising stars Felix and Alexis LEBRUN at the ARAG CenterCourt (ACC) in Düsseldorf and Timo BOLL secured a 3-0 victory in France today’s return leg—played in front of a sold-out crowd including standing-room-only tickets (1.100 spectators) —was anything but lacking in excitement we are really proud and happy to have overcome this tough challenge against Montpellier They were the strongest possible opponent we could face in the quarterfinals as we were behind in all games but managed to find the right solutions and stay calm we played a really strong match,” explained Timo BOLL after his last-ever home match in the Champions League comfortably overcame GV HENNEBONT TT in both legs Truls MOREGAARD initially struggled against Iulian CHIRITA Patrick FRANZISKA and Darko JORGIC quickly sealed the win against Vladimir SIDORENKO and Lev KATSMAN “It was a great performance by the whole team today We had to be at our best because GV HENNEBONT TT is a very strong team especially since this was my first singles match in Saarbrücken This is such a great club with an amazing atmosphere… only good vibes here,” said MOREGAARD Although they were defeated in straight matches in the opening leg Truls managed to come through a tough match I’m thrilled that we will be in the Final 4 defending our title in front of our home spectators I am really looking forward to the event,” explained Patrick FRANZISKA especially since we are hosting the Final 4 we knew it would be tough—CHIRITA is in top form Franziska managed to stay in control against SIDORENKO’s aggressive start I can’t wait for May and for the Final 4 to start in front of our home supporters,” said JORGIC Borussia Düsseldorf – Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier 3-1 Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier – Borussia Düsseldorf 0-3