(by Steve Hopkins)

USA’s Kanak Jha has had an amazing start to the 2024/25 German League.  TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt, Jha’s team, are currently in third position, ahead of many of the perennial favorites including Dusseldorf, Saarbrucken, and Ochsenhausen.

Today, Schwalbe faced off against current No. 2 Fulda.  Fulda features World No. 16 Dimitrij Ovtcharov and World No.  23 Kao Cheng-Jui, so at least on paper they are the stronger team.  However, today the two teams were evenly matched.  Jha upset Kao 3-2 to give Schwalbe the early lead.  Ovtcharov then evened the score with a 3-1 win over Rassenfosse.  Benedikt Duda then defeated Meng to give Schwalbe the lead again.  Ovtcharov then topped Kanak Jha 3-0 – Jha’s first loss of this season.  With the score even, the Fulda doubles team went on to clinch the win, giving Schwalbe their first team loss of the year as well.

Jha has had a great season, thus far.  Wins over Top 30 players (and today a win over a Top 20 player) as he anchors the team.  Paired with Benedikt Duda, a past German champion, Jha has a dangerous team.  Still, Fulda and Dusseldorf and Ochsenhausen all have higher ranked players and a deeper squad, so both Jha and Duda need strong performances if their team is going to beat the elite of the German Leagues.

Next up for Kanak Jha – off to China for the WTT China Smash.

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