Fan Zhendong powers Saarbrücken past Düsseldorf to historic table tennis triple

Saarbrücken captain Patrick Franziska, a former Düsseldorf player, restored the lead by beating Sweden's Anton Källberg 3-1. That set the stage for Fan Zhendong to seal the championship.

In the decisive fourth match, Fan faced Jha and prevailed 3-2 in a tight contest that went to a fifth set. The victory secured Saarbrücken's first Bundesliga title of the Final4 era and an unprecedented sweep of all three major trophies.

A new format and a record crowd

Saarbrücken manager Nicolas Barrois praised his star player after the triumph. "Es war ein tolles Jahr. Wir sind sehr stolz, dass er bei uns gespielt hat," Barrois said, calling it a great year and expressing pride that Fan had played for the club.

The championship weekend in Frankfurt marked a milestone for the league. For the first time in the 60-year history of the Bundesliga, the finals were held as a two-day tournament. Previously, the finalists were determined through two playoff series in a best-of-three format.

TTBL managing director Nico Stehle highlighted the impact of Fan Zhendong's presence. "Die Aufmerksamkeit und die Wertschätzung der Liga ist durch diesen Wechsel enorm gestiegen," Stehle said, noting that attention and appreciation for the league had grown enormously thanks to the signing.

The league reported a spectator record in its first season with the Olympic champion, driven in large part by Chinese fans who travelled to Germany to watch his matches. The event drew significant international interest.

Düsseldorf's drought and Saarbrücken's place in history

For Borussia Düsseldorf, the defeat extended a title drought. The club missed out on its 35th German championship and remained without a title for the second consecutive year. Düsseldorf has won four consecutive Champions League titles in the past.

Saarbrücken's triple puts the club in elite company. Only TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau in 1987 and Borussia Düsseldorf in 2010 and 2011 had previously won the championship, cup and European Cup in one season.

Table tennis legend Timo Boll was among the spectators in the Frankfurt arena, watching as Saarbrücken made history. The event was covered by the Sport-Informations-Dienst and the dpa news agency.