A short recap of the opening matches at the 2023 FIR Racketlon World Championships! The day kicked off with the first rounds in all age categories. A great show of skill and determination, as senior and junior players from around the globe showcased their talents on the court. From seasoned veterans to up-and-coming talents, the competition set the stage for an unforgettable tournament ahead.
U11
The U11 had five first-round matches. One Chan beat Charles Flatman +11 (12-15 15-6 10-5) and will now play no 1 seed Luul. Louise Duguet beat Deniz Korer +11 (15-17 15-13 15-4). Clément Augereau caused an upset defeating no 4 seed Sach in a very close match, taking it +3 (15-12 17-15 11-13). Pierre Barrier beat Henry Flatman +26 (15-11 15-2 15-6) and is now playing Eliseeva . Edouard Duguet also got through to the quarter-finals, beating Noah Penna +18 (15-7 15-13 15-7). The quarter-finals will take place on Thursday at 14:15.
U13
Top seeds Zahn and Luul got off to a winning start as they both beat Lara Altmann and Nina Altmann. Zahn went then on to beat Nina Altmann +50 (21-3 21-3 21-7). Luul also continued her winning streak, defeating Eliseeva +13 (21-8 21-19 16-21 13-10).
Both top seeds in the Juniors U13 got safely through to the quarter-finals. Romeo and Robin Sam both won their matches before tennis. Bouchard defeated fourth seed Borchert +9 (21-1 9-21 17-21 18-13) to prevent an all-Austrian semi-final. Barrier defeated third seed Widu +36 (21-16 21-3 21-8) which means that both France and Austria have a guaranteed medal. The semi-finals will be on Friday at 10:45 and the final at 15:30.
U16
There was an upset early on in the girls u16 draw as K A defeated top seed Kozłowska +46 (21-6 21-5 21-6). She will now play Mols from the Netherlands, who got the better of Sezemska +25 (21-6 21-12 21-16 7-11). On the other side of the draw, there was another upset as Nothegger beat the second seed Vuorinen +2 (21-18 12-21 14-21 21-6) in an incredibly close match. Nothegger will play Zahn who beat Grüner +24 (21-14 21-13 21-12). The semi-finals will be tomorrow at 19:45 and 20:00. Top seed Kotala is safely through to the quarter-finals in the Juniors u16 draw, as he defeated Fischer from Sweden by +25 (17-21 21-11 21-2). He now plays Worobel who received a walkover in his first match. Fifth seed Voplakal is also safely through to the quarter-finals, beating Zimmermann +8 (9-21 21-18 21-10 20-14). He now plays Prager who got the better of Hickling in a tough encounter, taking the match +9 (21-2 21-11 1-21 13-13). Fourth seed Burgess is also through to the quarter-finals where he will play fellow Brit Fontanelli who caused an upset by defeating seventh seed Batiot +12 (21-14 11-21 21-3 7-10). The last quarter-final is between Kniezek and Austin who both got through their first matches. Austin had to work hard in table tennis and badminton, before taking the match with squash and tennis. The score was +17 (21-23 20-22 21-7 12-5). The quarter finals will be from 15:45 tomorrow.
U18
Top seed Ranson got off to a good start in the u18 girls category, as she beat Delpont +33 (21-23 21-0 21-7). Aadirai K A defeated Grüner +50 (21-3 21-5 21-5). She then went on to beat Delpont +34 (21-9 21-12 21-8) whilst Ranson also made quick work of Grüner +44 (21-9 21-4 21-6). K A and Ranson face each other tomorrow to determine who will make the final. Second seed and last year’s champion Pye also won both her matches +50 (21-0 21-7 21-6) and +32 (21-10 21-6 21-15) and she is well on her way to become a repeat champion.
There were six u18 junior matches in the first round, which saw victories for Dvořák, Hörtinger, Volf, Radl and Kiljunen. Dvorský got off to a good start, beating third seed Steiner +7 (13-21 21-9 10-21 21-7) but fell to Hörtinger in the second round. Junior World no 26 Hörtinger now plays top seed Steyer in the semi-finals. Volf got the better of Radl beating him +14 (21-10 21-17 19-21 9-8). Last year’s champion Kiljunen beat second seed Sam +19 (14-21 21-14 21-9 10-3). He will play Volf in the semi-finals on Friday which start at 12:30
U21
There were only a few players playing the first round of the Juniors U21 draw as most top seeds received a bye. Junior no 22 Ried defeated Shergill +16 (21-0 4-21 21-5 2-6) to set up a meeting against defending champion and top seed Griffiths. Griffiths took the match before tennis, winning +25 and now plays fellow Brit Wilson, who defeated fourth seed Böhm +20 (15-21 21-10 21-9 5-2) in an exciting match. No 2 seed Harca went up against Hamon, who had earlier defeated Gupta +4 (19-21 21-16 4-21 21-3) in a very close match. Top seed Ogram lost in a very close encounter to Steiner by only four points. The player from Austria won the match +4 (12-21 10-21 21-10 18-13). Pye won her first group match , defeating Steiner +9 (21-13 11-21 14-21 21-3). She will play Ogram tomorrow at 12:30. Second seed Ranson won her first match +22 against Posdijk. Defending Champion Lau also beat Posdijk by +20. They will play on Friday at 12:30 to decide who will top group B and will make it to the final.
+40
Top seed Kaptein got off to a winning start against Wan Yin Lui from Hong Kong China. She won her first match +27 (21-10 22-20 21-7). The other match in their group of four was between Flatman and Hlavacova. Hlavacova took the match +11 (5-21 21-4 21-13 13-11). Kaptein now plays Hlavacova and Flatman will play Lui at 17:00 tomorrow. In the seniors +40, top seed Schaefer got off to a great start, beating Cassier +19 (21-12 25-23 21-17 7-3). Schaefer now plays multiple world champion Eliasson, who defeated Branke +23 (21-10 21-14 21-16). Sixth seed Jordan got the better of Windbacher before tennis, taking the match +23 (21-8 17-21 21-7) and now plays third seed Mikac, who overcame Batinic +22 (21-7 14-21 21-9 3-0). On the bottom half of the draw, Chan plays seventh seed Lesser after he beat Perin +29 (21-7 21-17 21-10). Bertrand Carlier defeated Antione +22 (21-8 17-21 21-8) he now plays Koubaa for a spot in the semi-finals.
Women +40 | Seniors +40
+45
There were a few first round matches in the seniors +45 draw as most players received a bye. Kainulainen beat Delpont +25 (12-21 21-4 21-4) to set up a round 2 clash with top seed Weigl. Bücker defeated Ecuyer +35 (21-2 21-19 21-7) to play Fyrst, Worobel beat Borkowski +11 (10-21 21-6 18-21 21-11) to play Korer, and Bhandare defeated Lardet +3 (10-21 8-21 21-4 21-11) to book his place in the second round. Weigl had to battle past Kainulainen to book his place in the quarter-finals, taking the match +7 (21-19 21-15 22-20 12-15). He plays Giertz who defeated eighth seed Vico +14 (21-15 21-17 14-21 19-8). Seventh seed Kuntz will play Bücker after he beat Fyrst +1 (21-13 3-21 21-6 17-21). Korer plays Cocriamont who defeated fifth seed Barton +37 (21-8 21-3 21-15). Sixth seed van de Burgt battled past Kheur to book his quarter-final spot. He now plays defending champion Manners.
Top seed Maldre started well in the +45 as she beat Perschinka +28 (21-4 15-21 21-4) in her first match. Ettenauer beat Wigren +10 (6-21 15-21 21-10 21-1) and Wigren beat Perschinka +18 (21-6 3-21 21-9 13-4). Second seed Voelkel defeated Ettenauer +20. They play their second group matches tomorrow from 16:15.
+50
The 50+ only saw a few first round matches. Chelly beat Yadav +13 (21-4 7-21 22-20 21-12) to book his spot in the semi-finals against Port . Nándori beat de Bruin +37 (21-9 14-21 21-9 21-1) to play Steeden in the next round. There were also wins for Fagerström and Westmacott who now play the no 4 and 5 seeds respectively. Foulds also won his first match, he now plays top seed Durand. In the women’s +50, Bois defeated top seed Vancuríková +2 (8-21 3-21 21-3 21-6). Second seed and defending champion Shelley beat Kamphues +24 (8-21 21-2 21-3).
+55
Some seeds fell in the +55 draw, Jonsson beat Whale +10 (16-21 21-15 21-11 11-12) in his first match, and got a walkover to reach the quarter finals. He plays Ostaszyk, who beat Gutknecht in his first round and received a walkover to the quarter finals. Eight seed Lau got the better of Skock, beating him +19 (4-21 21-5 21-3 5-3). Lau faces Böhm for a place in the semi-finals, who defeated Zimmermann +14 (21-9 11-21 21-12 11-8). On the bottom half of the draw, Gentile faces Knaack after they both won their matches. Grab is also through to the quarter finals, after beating Seppälä +38 (21-3 21-5 21-17). He now plays Hägerbrand who beat sixth seed Ionescu by only two points. The score was +2 (21-5 11-21 12-21 21-16).
Top seed Vancuríková won her first match against Kamphues +8 (7-21 21-13 21-11 18-14). She lost her second match against Ball, who took it +11 (13-21 19-21 21-3 14-11). Ball also took out the no 2 seed, defeating Von Heimburg +3 (15-21 6-21 21-10 21-8). In the last group match of the evening, Voigt beat Kamphues +20 *9-21 21-1 21-10 3-2).
+60
There were only three first-round matches in the +60 draw. Gundelach defeated Stevenot +33 (21-19 21-9 21-2) to set up a meeting with no 2 seed Sach. Niemeyer got through a very tight match against Ahti Antikainen, taking it +5 (21-19 11-21 21-8 17-17) to now play Sákovics . Marlow defeated Van de Kerkhof +27 (11-21 21-2 21-3) to book his place in the second round. He will now play Kleiber . The rest of the field will come into action tomorrow, with second-round matches starting at 15:00 and quarter-final matches at 18:15.
+65
The seniors +65 also had just three matches on the first day, with Budinsky beating Bercík +34 (21-8 21-11 21-10). He will now play top seed King in the quarter-finals. Merta beat Ryan in a very close encounter, taking it +8 (18-21 19-21 21-7 13-14) to set up a meeting with fourth seed Veldkamp. Third seed Nielsen will know his opponent tomorrow morning, whilst Rayson defeated Kumpulainen +34 (21-14 21-11 21-4) and he will now play second seed and last year’s champions Clapp. The quarter final matches will start tomorrow from 16:45.
+70
Top seed Rayson won his first match +11 (20-22 21-7 21-17 14-19) against Arbuthnot, whilst Cain defeated Stålberg +30 (18-21 21-7 21-14 21-9). They play their second group matches tomorrow starting at 14:30. in Group B, Räisänen defeated Östberg +18 (21-9 21-9 16-21 20-21). Second seed Hesselbjerg also beat Östberg +25 (21-11 21-4 20-22). He plays Räisänen tomorrow to determine who will reach the final.
Sanne Veldkamp / FIR Media Officer
