Well-known access for Kolbermoor: Yu Fu, number one at TTC Berlin, comes to Upper Bavaria.
Anyone who visits the table tennis first division club SV-DJK Kolbermoor on social media has only experienced sad things there for weeks: Susi is gone! Actually, the club at the gates of Rosenheim would also have good news, despite its loss, but it has not yet published it. You learn about the surprising return of his top player Liu Jia, nickname Susi, to her home club Froschberg Linz and read: “We as a club are very sad about it, but from a personal point of view, of course, we understand the situation.” The Austrian with Chinese roots was a darling of the audience, emphasizes coach and head of department Michael Fuchs.
At some point, you will surely get to spread the good news. Until then, initiates had long since taken them from the ranking list for the new season. Because Liu Jia’s request for a farewell had arrived at the beginning of May at short notice and unexpectedly, the obligation for a successor had subsequently arisen. And with all due caution, because every game has to be played first, Fuchs says: “In terms of sport, we have probably become even stronger.” The reason for this is: Yu Fu.
You found yourself before you really looked for each other
The fans of the first division will only have to remember four letters, although these are not as catchy as Susi’s. There are two syllables that they already know, firstly because Yu Fu has been number one of the series champion and long-time rival TTC Berlin, and secondly because she is vividly remembered by many table tennis fans from the previous European Games in Nantes – and not necessarily goods. Because Yu Fu, born in 1978 in Hebei, China, emigrated to Spain at the age of 20, moved to Portugal three years later, married there and obtained Portuguese citizenship, was part of the national team that beat the German women in the quarter-finals in 2019 in Nantes. For the first time since 2011, the DTTB team remained without a medal. The SZ headlined: “Yu Fu makes the difference,” and Richard Prause, sports director of the German Table Tennis Association, said: “We came here to win the tournament.” But with Yu Fu “in this form” Portugal has to be counted among the top nations. The then Berlin native prevailed against her club colleague Nina Mittelham and also against Petrissa Solja, who competes for Langstadt in the Bundesliga.
“It worked out quite well,” says Michael Fuchs, “of course we are very happy about that.” Actually, he had planned with Liu Jia in position one until she expressed her concern to end her career in Linz, where she lives and where she can now prepare for the postponed Olympic Games in peace. Tokyo 2021 would be a great ending for the 38-year-old. “We would have liked to keep them,” admits Fuchs, but also understood that they had asked around – and then happened to notice that Berlin had decided at a similar short notice not to give Yu Fu a new contract. “It was of course not an easy situation for them to be so late without a club,” explains Fuchs. So you found yourself before you really looked for each other.
“You don’t really need the big strengths as long as the opponent doesn’t find any weaknesses”
Kolbermoor’s plans with Yu Fu are now similar to Liu Jia so far: In the important, special games, the Portuguese player should be used, “noble-joker-like,” says Fuchs, which should then strengthen the whole team in one class. Organizationally, it will be more difficult because the newcomer has to travel from Portugal, but she is still in full business, although three years older than her predecessor. In contrast to Liu Jia, who left her homeland China a year before Yu Fu and took part in five Olympic Games for Austria, Yu Fu still regularly competes in World Tour tournaments. She is a typical representative of the classic Chinese penholder grip technique, with strong serves, good forehand and a safe but unobtrusive backhand. Not all that spectacular, but it was the number 15 in the world five years ago; she is currently in position 55. “You don’t really need the big strengths as long as your opponent doesn’t find any weaknesses,” says Fuchs.
With Yu Fu, Kristin Lang, Lily Zhang, access Yuan Wan (TTG Bingen), Svetlana Ganina and some young international players from the second division, Kolbermoor is now planning the next attack on the Berliners, who in turn will start with Shan Xiaona in position one go behind with Mittelham, Britt Eerland (Bad Driburg), Tie Yana and Jessica Göbel (TV Busenbach). It is difficult to make predictions because this year it is also possible to make a commitment in winter. The season for Berlin starts on September 5th, at home against TSV Schwabhausen, Kolbermoor still has time until October 11th – all under Corona reservation.
In any case, Yu Fu helped Berlin to win the title last season with a 6: 1 record; her only loss was against Kristin Lang, with whom she will play in the future. Liu Jia, on the other hand, had only been used for Kolbermoor before the Corona demolition, very noble joker against Berlin. “Susi” suffered two losses in this game. First in four sets against Shan Xiaona – and then, just 2: 3, against Yu Fu.
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