Elias Ranefur and Truls Möregårdh advance at WTT Champions Montpellier
Elias Ranefur defeated close friend Anton Källberg 3–2 in a hard-fought Swedish derby at WTT Champions Montpellier on October 27, 2026, while world number four Truls Möregårdh secured a straight-set victory over France’s Thibault Poret. Both players advanced to the tournament’s round of 16 at the Sud de France Arena.
Bloodied arm and dramatic comeback in the Swedish derby
Anton Källberg opened the match strongly, controlling the first two sets and establishing a 2–0 lead. During the match at 6–6, Elias Ranefur sustained a cut on his arm that required a medical timeout for re-bandaging. The interruption disrupted Källberg’s momentum. Ranefur claimed the third set 11–7 and saved match points while trailing 10–6 in the fourth set to force a deciding fifth set. In the final set, Ranefur overturned a 7–5 deficit to win 11–8, securing the match 3–2 (7–11, 8–11, 11–7, 12–10, 11–8).
He pressed me, it was difficult. When it stood 10–6 to him in the fourth set I thought that it was over. I tried some new serves and it went home,
Ranefur said in his post-match interview.
Outside the table tennis hall, the two competitors share a close friendship; Ranefur served as best man when Källberg married earlier in the autumn. In the upcoming round of 16, scheduled for Thursday or Friday, Ranefur faces the winner of the match between Germany’s Patrick Franziska and France’s Alexis Lebrun.
Truls Möregårdh manages shoulder pain to defeat Thibault Poret
Truls Möregårdh began his title defense in Montpellier by overcoming 22nd-ranked Thibault Poret of France 3–0 (11–8, 11–6, 11–8) in the final match of the opening day. Möregårdh experienced physical trouble early in the third set when he stretched for a ball at 1–1 and grabbed his shoulder in pain. Despite interrupting his service motion at 3–1 and taking a timeout later in the set at an 8–5 lead, the reigning champion completed the straight-set win. Möregårdh previously dealt with an overstressed shoulder during the World Team Championships in May. In the round of 16, Möregårdh will face either Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar or Japan’s Shunsuke Togami.
Frequently asked questions about the WTT Champions Montpellier matches
What were the exact set scores in the Elias Ranefur versus Anton Källberg match?
Elias Ranefur won the match 3–2 with set scores of 7–11, 8–11, 11–7, 12–10, and 11–8.
Who will Truls Möregårdh play against in the round of 16?
Truls Möregårdh faces the winner of the match between Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar and Japan’s Shunsuke Togami on Thursday or Friday.
Where is the WTT Champions Montpellier tournament being broadcast?
The tournament is broadcast live in Sweden on SVT Play, which provides continuous schedule updates on its platform.
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