Düsseldorf’s Cup Run Ends in Quarterfinals Upset
A surprising defeat to TTC OE Bad Homburg has ended Borussia Düsseldorf’s hopes for a record-extending 29th German Table Tennis Cup title. The loss on Tuesday evening marks the second consecutive season the team has been eliminated in the early stages of the competition.
Despite a dominant regular season as Bundesliga leaders, Düsseldorf faltered against the tenth-placed team, falling 3-2 in a closely contested match. The setback comes after a January 2024 victory where Dang Qiu, Anton Källberg, and Timo Boll secured their last Cup win against 1. FC Saarbrücken.
Ban Shocks Qiu in Five Sets
The turning point of the match came with an unexpected victory by Ivor Ban over Düsseldorf’s top player, Dang Qiu. Ban secured the win in a thrilling five-set battle, overcoming a 1-2 deficit to close out the match 12-10 and 13-11 in the final sets. “Congratulations to Bad Homburg, but I am very disappointed with our team,” a team manager stated following the match.
Anton Källberg also struggled to live up to expectations, losing his opening singles match to Jo Yokotani 3-1. This early setback put Düsseldorf on the back foot, a position they fought to overcome. Kanak Jha and Qiu both secured wins, tying the score, but the momentum proved insufficient.
Doubles Decides the Fate
The decisive moment arrived in the doubles match, where Källberg and Borgar Haug faced Ban and Csaba Andras. Despite a valiant effort, the Düsseldorf duo ultimately lost in four sets, with scores of 11-13, 4-11, 11-8, and 5-11.
This defeat mirrors a similar outcome from last season, when Düsseldorf was eliminated in the round of 16 by TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell, a match where Dimitrij Ovtcharov played a key role in securing victory against both Boll and Qiu. The loss also dashed hopes of providing Head Coach Danny Heister with a birthday present, as he turned 54 on Tuesday.
The CupFinal Four, scheduled for January 4, 2026, in Neu-Ulm, will proceed without Düsseldorf’s participation.
