Home game before a world trip

The new table tennis year begins as the old one ended. There is hardly any time for a breather. Before the season culminates with the Olympic Games in Paris or the not unimportant Team World Cup in South Korea in February, aces like Sofia Polcanova rush around the world from tournament to tournament in order to collect points. But before they head to Doha for the top-class WTT Contender tournament next Monday, Austria’s number one still has a home game. On Saturday (from 9.30 a.m.) and Sunday (from 1 p.m./ORF Sport+) the ÖTTV Cup with the local clubs will take place in Linz’s Lissfeld sports center.

Ten out of eleven times so far, Polcanova’s club Linz AG Froschberg has emerged as the women’s winner in the race for this cup; Villach was only able to wrest the cup from the series champions once. This time too, the role of favorite is clearly with the Champions League quarter-finalists. Polcanova is given a reprieve at least until the final due to her recent back problems. “She has trained well in the last few days, we are in good spirits,” says club president Günther Renner, who also does not want to use his second ace Suthasini Sawettabut in all games.

For men, the starting position is more open. SPG Linz defied defending champions Wiener Neustadt to draw 3-3 in the league supplement on Thursday – a sign of how close the teams are. Autumn champion Felbermayr Wels, last year’s finalist Salzburg and Stockerau also expect good chances at the weekend.

By the way, after the cup is before the next table tennis event in Linz. From January 10th, the international youth tournament with 400 participants will take place again in the Tips Arena. “The 33 tables were delivered yesterday,” says Renner.