Quadri Aruna’s performance in the final league match against Bergneustadt in the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) was not enough as TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell finished fourth in the 2021/2022 season of the German league.
Being the last match of the league, Aruna and his teammates were hoping to record an away win but the absence of Frenchman Alexandre Cassin cost them a 1-3 defeat to their host on Wednesday.
Aruna who has been the leading figure for TTC in his second season with the team, was at his best against Alberto Mino with a comprehensive 3-0 (12-10, 11-7, 12-10) win to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
But Aruna’s effort came to nothing as the duo of Ruwen Filus and Fanbo Meng fell to their opponents to puncture the third-place finish ambition of TTC.
Filus could not withstand the powerful shot from Alvaro Robles as the German international fell 0-3 (2-11, 5-11, 12-14) to the Spaniard. Meng faced the Benedikt Duda and he was thumbed by his compatriot 1-3 (9-11, 4-11, 11-9, 5-11). Filus returned to the table but he could not restore parity for TTC as he was beaten by Swedish Elijah Ranefur 0-3 7-11, 6-11, 7-11) for TTC to concede a 3-1 defeat to their host.
TTC was hoping that their third-place rival Mühlhausen would lose away to TSV Bad Königshofen but their hope was dashed as the visiting Mühlhausen beat their host 3-1 to cement their third place in the league.
But TTC’s chairman, Stefan Frauenholz, was more than happy to be in the play-off round.
“After four years we’re back. That’s the most important thing,” he said.
The fact that the TTC pushed a top team like Ochsenhausen down to fifth place is a strong achievement for Frauenholz and he believes the onus rest on Aruna to lead TTC against record champions Borussia Düsseldorf for the first play-off semi-final game to be hosted by TTC on May 8 while the second leg takes place on May 15.