Levenko carries the hopes of Wels in the final

“Finale dahoam” – this headline fits the showdown in the men’s table tennis Bundesliga, where defending champion SPG Felbermayr Wels welcomes challenger Wiener Neustadt on Tuesday (6 p.m., ORF Sport+).

“Normally I like to make big jokes, but this is a summit meeting of the currently best teams in Austria. Anyone can win there,” says Bernhard Humer, the president of the host, who promises a table tennis treat in the Lichtenegg sports hall. Once the little ball is in play, however, the hospitality stops. Humer: “We really want to underpin our supremacy in Austria with the fourth title. We know how to beat the Lower Austrians.”

The path to the masterpiece leads through Kenji Matsudaira, the Japanese legionnaire in the service of Wiener Neustadt. If the 34-year-old loses at least one of his two individual games, the championship trophy is within reach for the Welser. The top talent from Wels, Andreas Levenko, has already shown how Matsudaira can be bent in the championship. Most recently, however, he hadn’t made a trick against the Japanese. For the final, Levenko enjoyed a portion of sushi.

“It will probably be the loudest Bundesliga final”

More than that boost, the crowd should help dump Matsudaira today. Humer: “The atmosphere will be great. It will probably be the loudest Bundesliga final that has ever happened. Hopefully it will also be the best.” The Wels fans will also be joined by a few basketball players from the Flyers Wels, who just forced a decider against the Swans from Gmunden in the semi-final series. The trip to table tennis should clear your mind. A victory for the hosts would also be a good motivational boost.

Spicy detail: Wiener Neustadt’s talent Felix Wetzel has already signed in Wels for the coming season. It is possible that for this reason he has to watch today just like LASK goalkeeper Alexander Schlager did on Sunday in the game against his presumed next club Salzburg.