Tomorrow Sunday 19 October at 1.00pm Marcos Freitas team’s Borussia Düsseldorf, will face the TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau in the fifth meeting of the 1st German League. Düsseldorf is currently at fourth place and will align with Germany’s Timo Boll World’s number six, Dimitrij Ovtcharov (no. 13 of WR), Christian Süß (no. 42) and the Portuguese Marcos Freitas (no. 86 of WR). Grenzau current runner up, will play with Poland’s 33 year old Lucjan Blaszczyk (no. 45), the Germans Chen Zhibin (no. 70) and Zoltan Fejer-Konnerth (no. 98), Czech Republic’s 28 year old Tomas Pavelka (no. 130) and Latavia's Matiss Burgis (no. 262).

In the Group A, even Borussia Düsseldorf, one of the favourite teams for the title took too many risks in Denmark, with Dimitrij Ovtcharov's absence. Roskilde's rookies weren't in awe of Germans and Michael Maze (no. 23) made immediately clear the situation beating Christian Süss (no.42) in the first match with 3-1 (12-14, 11-8, 11-4, 11-1). Timo Boll (no. 6) was once more the sole one able to change the match direction, firstly to equalize through a sharp 3:0 vs. Finn Tugwell (no. 77) with 7-11, 4-11, 3-11, than dousing Michael Maze in four games. He succeeded 4-11, 12-10, 8-11, 2-11. On the other hand, Düsseldorf also received an important confirmation from the Portuguese Marcos Freitas (no. 86), taking his point with no hesitations. He has beaten lefthanded Bentsen (no. 68) in three straight games with the margins of 5-11, 4-11, 14-12. The Men’s Europeans Champions League Tthird Round will be played on 7 November at 7.00pm against Italy’s ASD TT IL Circolo Milano.

photo: Roskilde vs. Düsseldorf

Portugal’s Marcos Freitas, who plays today the Champions League for his club in Denmark, yesterday received a fair tribute for his feats who have honor the Portuguese Table Tennis in general and the island of Madeira in particular. It was during the 173th anniversary’s celebrations of the town of Câmara de Lobos, and where the player lives, that his father Luís Freitas, received from the mayor, Arlindo Gomes and the Government President, Alberto João Jardim, the Town’s Gold medal and several distinctions, for Marcos Freitas who in 2002 won the first International Title for Portugal. Besides Marcos Freitas was qualified for Beijing'2008 and was the best portuguese player present (Tiago Apolónia and João Monteiro), since he manage to pass the first round. Last week, with Tiago Apolónia, won the first Portugal’s medal - bronze - in the 2008 Liebherr European Championships, in S. Petersburg (Russia).

The outstanding performances of Germany’s table tennis aces at the recent Lienherr European Championships, has attracted the attention of Dr. Theo Zwanziger, the President of the German Football Association (DFB). He will personally make awards to Boll, Süss and Ovtcharov prior to the 2010 World Cup qualification match Germany versus Wales in the Borussia-Park (capacity 46,297) in Mönchengladbach tonight. Zwanziger, a passionate leisure table tennis player himself, will be assisted by German Team Manager Oliver Bierhoff, golden goal scorer in the final of the Euro 1996 for his country. Furthermore the DFB will invite the German national team players as guests of honour to the last football match of the year against England, in Berlin.

photo: Borussia Düssseldorf

Portugal’s international tenager player Marcos Freitas, has been making progress in the Men’s World ranking list issued by the International Table Tennis Federation ITTF, for the month of October. The athlete sponsored by TIBHAR and that during this season is representing Germany’s club Borussia Düsseldorf, improved one position relatively to the previus month. He now appears at no.86. In the Under 21 Men’s Singles ranking list Freitas appears now in the 8th place.

photo: ITTF