Quiet finish for Neuss in Bundesliga season
The TC Blau-Weiß Neuss closed their Bundesliga campaign with a 1:5 defeat to Aachen. The match on Friday marked the final fixture of the season, and even though the team had already secured their place in the league, the players seemed to lack motivation and intensity.
Javier Barranco Cosano was the only Neuss player to shine, securing a 6:4, 6:3 victory over Pedro Boscardin Dias. His win provided a moment of energy and hope for the home crowd. However, the rest of the matches quickly returned to a lackluster performance.
Marat Sharipov and Vitaliy Sachko both suffered losses, leaving the team in a difficult position. Clinton Thomson, the Neuss team captain, criticized Sharipov for failing to demonstrate the mental strength required to win. According to Thomson, the 23-year-old Russian lacked the ability to overcome obstacles during the match. Similarly, Sachko was unable to maintain his early game form after losing the first-set tiebreak against Francesco Passaro. Zay noted that Sachko had played well until that point, but then lost his rhythm, leading to a quick 6:2 defeat in the second set.
Clément Tabur also struggled in the final singles match, losing to Vilius Gaubas in a three-set battle. While Tabur won the first set 6:2, Gaubas managed to even the score and then claimed the deciding tiebreak 4:10. The loss left the Neuss team in a 1:3 deficit, effectively sealing their fate in the match.
Aachen dominates in the doubles
Aachen’s doubles duo of Tim Pütz and Hendrik Jebens took control from the outset. Pütz, a 37-year-old with extensive doubles experience, and Jebens decisively beat Sharipov and Barranco Cosano 6:2, 6:3. Pütz, who has played in major finals like the 2024 ATP Finals and the US Open, clearly outclassed the Neuss players.
The second doubles match followed a similar pattern. Passaro and Boscardin Dias easily overcame Tabur and Sachko with a score of 3:6, 1:6. With the final standings set at 1:5 in favor of Aachen, the match quickly lost any remaining suspense.
Final game on Sunday
Neuss still has one more match left in the Bundesliga. On Sunday, they will face the upcoming runners-up, TC Bredeney, at 11 a.m. While the outcome of the game will not impact the standings, it will serve as a chance for the team to finish the season on a strong note.
Other Bundesliga results
In other Bundesliga matches, several teams secured strong victories. The Badwerk Gladbacher HTC defeated TC Augsburg Siebentisch 5:1, Team Marc O’Polo Rosenheim beat Kölner THC Stadion RW 5:1, and TC SCC Berlin narrowly edged out TC Großhesselohe 5:1. TC Bredeney also continued its strong performance with a 4:2 win over TK GW Mannheim.
League table
The Bundesliga standings after eight matches are as follows: Rosenheim (15:1 points) leads the table, followed closely by TC Bredeney (13:3 points). Mannheim ranks third, and Aachen takes fourth place. Neuss is currently in seventh position with an 8:8 record.
With one match remaining for Neuss and others, the league is shaping up to have a clear winner and a tight race for second place. The final fixtures will determine the season’s true champion.