For Europe's top table tennis players, the long-awaited resumption of international competition spells a return to normalcy. For many, especially those preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, this year will be a reminder of how hectic life can be when your talents are in demand. Adding to an already crowded calendar, the 2021-2022 European Club Competition, comprising the Champions League, Europe Cup and Europe Trophy, is set to start this fall. The top seed in the women's competition belongs to TTC Berlin Eastside, the five-time European Champions League winners and current titleholders led by Dutch ace Britt Eerland. They will face spirited competition from second-seeded Linz AG Froschberg, who will be motivated for revenge after losing to Berlin in the European Champions League final last December. In the men's draw, Borussia Düsseldorf holds the top spot. Düsseldorf's short-term goal is the winning the Bundesliga finals on June 6. There, they will face 1. FC Saarbrücken TT, the surprise winners of last year's Bundesliga. Rounding out the top four men's teams are Russian squads Fakel-Gazprom Orenburg (#2) and TTSC "UMMC" (#4). Both were recently in action in the Russian Premier League, where Dimitrij Ovtcharov (pictured) led Orenburg over Liam Pitchford's UMMC, 3-1. The months-long 2021-2022 European Club Competition begins but a few measures after the dust settles from this summer's Olympics. Champions League play begins on September 15, the Europe Trophy on October 10, and the Europe Cup kicks off October 22. Each culminates in a final in early spring of 2022. Europe's elite players have surely yearned for a return to the good old days of travel and battle. This year, they appear poised to get their wish, and then some.

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