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Werder Bremen and TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt will face off in one of the top matches of the round of 16 at the Leapmotor Cup Grand Opening in Nuremberg (August 29 and 30), competing for a spot in the round of the top eight teams. In a cup preview, Bremen’s star Mattias Karlsson and Bergneustadt’s coach Frederik Duda discuss their teams’ chances as the competition progresses, the significance of the cup for their clubs, and the importance of a strong showing in Nuremberg for the rest of the season.

Mattias Karlsson, at the Leapmotor Cup Grand Opening in Nuremberg, you and Werder Bremen will face TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt in a matchup between two of last season’s TTBL semifinalists. Bad luck in the draw or business as usual?

Mattias Karlsson: All the Bundesliga teams are very strong, and Bergneustadt is also a really strong team. That makes this a really tough draw. At least it’s good that we didn’t draw the favorites, Borussia Düsseldorf or 1. FC Saarbrücken-TT, right off the bat.

Frederik Duda, how are you preparing TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt for the match against Bremen?

Frederik Duda: I’d say it’s more like “business as usual.” There are hardly any easy matches in this competition anyway. Werder Bremen is, of course, a very strong opponent, but these are exactly the kinds of games the cup is all about. We know we’ll have to play our best table tennis right from the start, but we’re looking forward to this challenge.

The winner of your Round of 16 match will face a team from a lower division one day later in the battle for a spot in the Liebherr Cup Final4. Is this seemingly easy path to the semifinals—on paper, at least—an additional source of motivation for the game against Bergneustadt, or could the thought of this presumably great opportunity also be a burden?

Mattias Karlsson: There are no easy games. The team we’d face if we beat Bergneustadt will have already won a game and will therefore be in good form. It’ll be a matter of advancing to the semifinals—it’ll be a tough game.

Frederik Duda: Of course, you look at the tournament bracket and know what opportunity might theoretically be there. But in the cup, it’s dangerous to look too far ahead. For us, the only thing that matters is the game against Bremen. If we don’t perform there, any further calculations are meaningless. That’s why it’s more of an extra source of motivation, but not a burden. We know what’s possible, but we have to earn that potential quarterfinal spot first.

Bremen has reached the Liebherr Cup Final4 seven times, but is still waiting for its first cup victory. How important is the cup to your club compared to the Bundesliga?

Mattias Karlsson: The cup is very important to us. We want to qualify for the semifinals again so we can compete for the title once more.

Bergneustadt reached the cup semifinals for the second and, so far, last time five years ago, but is still waiting for its first cup victory. Against this backdrop, how important is the cup to the club compared to the Bundesliga?

Frederik Duda: The cup is very important to us. Of course, the Bundesliga is the main barometer over the course of the entire season because it demands consistency at the highest level. But the cup has its own unique appeal: few games, a lot of pressure, and the chance to achieve something special early in the season. The fact that Bergneustadt is still waiting for its first cup victory and that its last semifinal was several years ago makes this competition even more exciting for us. We want to create another special cup moment with the club.

Does the new “Grand Opening” format—with the round of 16 and quarterfinals taking place on a single weekend—change how you prepare for the cup?

Mattias Karlsson: Of course, things change a bit because the two games are played on the same weekend rather than a month or more apart. We’ll try to prepare well. Since we’ll play three Bundesliga games before facing Nuremberg, we’ll have plenty of time together and can train effectively as a result.

Frederik Duda: The new format doesn’t make much of a difference to our preparation. We already have three important games coming up, so we need to be fully focused throughout the entire month of August. We’re not just preparing for one weekend, but to perform at our best starting from the very first matchday.

How significant could success or failure in the Cup Grand Opening be for the rest of the season?

Mattias Karlsson: If you get off to a good start—including in the Cup—you’ll have a little less pressure and stress as the season goes on. That’s another reason why we’d be very happy to qualify for the semifinals.

Frederik Duda: Success can provide tremendous momentum for the season. Failure would be frustrating, but it wouldn’t set the tone for the rest of the season. What’s crucial is that we play with conviction right from the start.

Mattias Karlsson and Frederik Duda, thank you very much for the interview.

Florian Manzke