Finals day in Zurich with all the remaining draws completing, cow bells to be claimed (I unashamedly love the cow bells, possibly the best prize in Racketlon after those marzipan “blobs” you could win in Antwerp), and for the Elite a hefty trophy to boot.
Maiden Titles For Myriam & Martin
The past 15 months have been sensation for Stine Jacobson, a double World Champion (Elite & O40s) and a stack of titles in singles and doubles. Myriam Enmer has been consistently there or thereabouts, competing in finals with regularity, but missing that first win. As the pair faced off, the early pace was set by Stine; opening up a 9 point lead with 21-18 and 21-15 wins in the TT and Badminton. Myriam, however was not going to roll over; she struck back on the squash court, 21-16, reducing that deficit to just 4 points. The tennis however, was pretty much one way traffic, and that traffic was all French. Where many others have failed, Myriam was able to hit through Stine’s famed defensive game and romped home a 21-8 victory to defeat the defending champion and claim the Women’s A Swiss Open title by 9 points, surely the first of many to come for the Frenchwoman. Kirsten Kaptein (Ned) finished third.
In the Men’s A, Czechia’s Martin Sopko faced Germany’s Max Plettenberg, with both gents having eased their way into the final by playing only 3 sports. In a Racketlon career of well over 10 years, Martin has some notable victories over some top players (but has never being able to play enough tournaments to boost his ranking to the level where he belongs)…but neither he nor Max had claimed an Elite singles title before.
It was Max who started brightest, 21-10 in the TT to open up an early lead. Martin claimed the badminton (21-18), before Max took the squash (21-17) and would lead by 12 points into the tennis. However, in one of the more stunning tennis performances you will ever see in a Racketlon final, Martin devastated his German opponent with an almost unbelievable (I can’t believe I am writing it in all honesty) 21-1 victory to win the Men’s A Swiss Open title, Oliver Buhler (Swi) finished third. .
Around the Categories – Senior Sensibilities & Junior Joy!
Martin wasn’t satisfied with taking home just the Elite title, he also claimed the Men’s O40s title to conclude a very good few days for the man from the Czech Republic. There was more Czechia success in the Men’s O50s with Jan Port defeating Magnus Edby in the final built on excellent badminton. There was home success as Esther Dubendorfer juggled Tournament Director duties with playing in the Women’s O50s and won it in style with Katrin Maldre (USA) finishing second. We rounded up many of the junior categories in yesterdays report, but we didn’t cover the Boy’s U16s, which was won by a Swiss Andreas Kotala, with compatriot Lucas Moreno finishing second.
Around the Categories – Swiss Roll the Rest
The remaining open Categories B-F were dominated by the home favourites, the second most thrilling of which was in the Men’s B were Frederik Floether trailed by 9 onto the the tennis against Jan Port, Jan needing just 13 to secure the title, and at 20-11, one point to secure even the gumi-arm. Alas the Czech was unable to snatch that point, Frederik holding his nerve to secure a 21-11 win and the Men’s B title. The Women’s B was contested amongst the three first round losers from the Women’s A, and it was Adeline Kilchenmann who dominated compatriots Dara Ladner and Susan Rutschmann to win the title. A brutal five-man box league awaited the players in the Men’s D, but it was Simon Wachter who rose to the challenge of his rivals to claim the title. For the first timers in the Men’s F, it was also a brutal five-person box league with Lucas Wild who was the winner.
Now, I started this section, talking about the second most thrilling final, because there was something more thrilling than a 1 point win in a final, a gumi-arm. Unless playing in one, it is an undisputed fact, all Racketlon players LOVE a gumi-arm (our reguar reporter Sam Barker more than anyone), so all eyes would have loved the finale of the Men’s C between Swiss Pablo Jakobcic and France’s Sami Tabbara. The match lurched one way then the other, Sami took the TT to 17, before Pablo the badminton to 12. Sami then demolished his opponent on the squash court, 21-4, to lead by 12 into the tennis, and needing 10 to win. Pablo won the tennis, 21-9, leaving us with a gumi-arm point, having done all the hard work, could Pablo finish the job on the nervy point? Of course he could, gumi-arm in a final, what a way to finish, more impressively Pablo had only played one event before, finishing 17th in the Men’s E a year ago at the Swiss Open. A first title, a first gumi-arm, a fantastic finish to the event for the host nation.
Next Up On Tour
Most racket sport eyes might be turning to SW19 from Monday morning; but for the Racketlon community it is all eyes on Riga as the Latvian Open returns, always a fantastic event, full of fun and great Racketlon in a gorgeous city. That event kicks off on the 8th July (and you have only a few days to enter, with the entry deadline now being extended to Wed 29th June). After that it is Racketlon’s turn to grace grass court tennis (I will not be there, or in-fact in the UK so glorious sunshine is probably guaranteed as a result), we are at Roehampton on from the 22nd to the 24th July (entry for this has reached capacity). On the 5th August, it is a return to Nussloch for the German Open, the last chance to get practice in for the World Championships which kick off in Vienna on the 19th August before heading to Graz on the 24th August. Entry for Germany and the World Championships is still open, but please do enter as soon as possible!
James Pope / FIR Media Team
