Report of the Weinheimer Nachrichten:
There is even more in it for the Weinheim women in the draw against TSV Langstadt. Strong effort without top player Bruna Takahashi
Weinheim. They have set the bar high themselves: With a sensational preseason, the women of TTC 46 Weinheim ensured that they are now measuring themselves against their own expectations. As reigning runners-up, they are entering their fourth season in the 1st German Table Tennis League. “And of course we are trying to achieve the best possible again. We have a strong team again, and we are confident,” says top player Bruna Takahashi – defying the Weinheim women’s 3:6 opening defeat at promoted Jena.
The Brazilian was unable to play in that one, her shoulder tweaking after successfully qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. “21 games in six days, that was tough,” says the woman, who also had to miss yesterday’s home opener against TSV Langstadt. “Hopefully the last time. I am confident that my international assignments and the TTC home matches will go well together. Weinheim with its team has finally become a second home for me and is already a very important part of my life.”
So for the reception with the Lord Mayor on Friday evening and the team presentation with the sponsors, the team was complete. Yesterday, at the home opener, Takahashi was already back at the twice-daily treatment in Ochsenhausen and watched her team land its first point in the 1st Bundesliga. The Weinheim women separated 5:5 from TSV Langstadt in front of 170 spectators at their home debut. “A point that I would have liked to take before the game started. But after the course of the game now, even more would have been possible,” said TTC coach Andreas Dörner, who was nevertheless satisfied with the draw in the end. “Langstadt has played in the best line-up, we have not. The point is already okay.”
Nevertheless, it was the case that the Weinheim women had victory on the line before the last two games. Yuan Wan with a very strong performance against her training partner Chantal Mantz and a very strong Mateja Jeger, who had moved up to position two after the absence of Takahashi, had provided the 5:3 lead before. It smelled like the first win of the season. “With a bit of luck, we even lead 4-0,” Dörner said, looking back at the narrow defeat of Jeger/Trigolos, who suffered a 21-23 loss in the third set at second doubles.
Mateja Jeger’s 10:12 in the fifth set against Chantal Mantz also cost her a point by a very thin margin. The Croatian convinced overall with a strong game. Daria Trigolos, who has rejoined the team, was still too passive in the decisive match against Izabela Lupulesku, but she will get used to the new division after her return from France.
How close the match was in the end was shown by the set and ball ratio, which Weinheim narrowly lost with 21:22 and 390:393. The division of points after Weinheim wins of the strong Yuan Wan (2), Sophia Klee and Mateja Jeger as well as the double Wan/Klee was therefore okay. Until the home match on October 15 against Kolbermoor, the Weinheim women hope for the return of Takahashi to achieve their season goal of reaching the top six and thus the play-offs.
