(by Steve Hopkins, photo ETTU)

Borussia Dusseldorf is one of the most successful German League squads and one of the most successful ETTU squads.  This week, Dusseldorf launched its campaign for a seventh ETTU title with their opening Men’s Champions League match against Post SV Muhlhausen.

The match was played in Muhlhausen (the first of a home-home series).  On paper, Dusseldorf is the second seed in this year’s ETTU, so they were favored.  However, a 3-0 win was unexpected, with Dusseldorf already in strong position to advance to the Semifinals.

The opening match was between USA’s Kanak Jha for Dusseldorf and China’s Lin Gaoyuan for Muhlhausen.  The two battled almost event through four games with Jha winning the first 11-9 and the second 11-8 before Gaoyuan won a pair of his own at 11-9 and 11-7.  The final game in ETTU matches is played only to six.  Here are those final points in order:  Gaoyuan forehand winner across the middle to go up 1-0.  Jha forehand winner across the middle to tie the score 1-1.  Jha missed service return.  Jha forehand winner, helped by the net to tie the score 2-2. Great rally ending with a clean crosscourt backhand winner by Jha to go up 3-2.  Jha forehand flip into Gaoyuan’s body for winner – Jha is up 4-2.  Backhand attack by Gaoyuan blocked hard and deep by Jha causing a Gaoyuan mistake – Jha is up 5-2.  Deep serve by Jha followed by a strong forehand down the middle for the winner.  Jha wins the short game tie-breaker 6-2.

After that win, things fell into place for Dusseldorf. Dang Qiu had a tight match with Muhlhausen’s Steffen Mengel, but he won 3-2.  And then Anton Kallberg closed the door with a 3-0 win over Marcos Freitas.

This series now moves back to Dusseldorf for the next leg.  Dusseldorf is one win away from punching their ticket to the Semifinals.  In the other Quarters, Saarbrucken (with Fan Zhendong, Jorgic, and Moregard) is up 1-0 over Hennebont (France), KS Orlen Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki is up 1-0 over KS Bank Spoldzielczy Orlicz, and Montpellier (with the Lebrun brothers) is up 1-0 over KS Dekorglass Dzialdowo.

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