From Wednesday till Friday many promising juniors battled it out on court to determine who would become the new 2023 FIR Racketlon World Champion in their respective age categories. Let’s see who crowned themselves World Champions.
U11 and U13 World Titles for Barrier, Sam and Zahn
There was an u11 category at the World Championships for the first time, and Pierre Barrier crowned himself the first u11 champion. He beat Clément Augereau in the final, by a score of +7 (13-15 15-3 6-9). Yorsalem Luul took the bronze medal as she beat Edouard Duguet +28 (21-4 21-10). In an all-brothers final Romeo Sam beat his brother Robin Sam in a closely contested final. The score was +12 (21-15 21-17 21-19 10-10). Jean Bouchard beat fellow French player Pierre Barrier for bronze, taking it +9 (21-2 2-21 21-15 16-13). In an all German group in the girls u13, it was Ylvie Zahn who won all her group matches to win the u13 title for the third time, an impressive achievement. Yorsalem Luul finished second and Nina Altmann finished third.
Juniors U11 | Juniors U13 | Girls u13
Two titles for Aadirai K A as she wins the girls u16 and u18 in an impressive week
India’s Aadirai K A had a stellar weekend as she not only managed to take not one but two titles at the world championships. She won the u16 title convincingly in a final against u13 champion Zahn, where she took the match +37 (21-9 21-7 21-10). Romy Nothegger beat Elcke Mols +10 (21-9 21-11 1-21 21-13) and finished third. Aadirai K A also won the u18 title, beating Bethany Pye in the final by +20 (21-16 21-11 21-16 2-2). Holly Ranson beat Romy Nothegger +46 (21-11 21-2 21-4) in the 3/4 playoff.
The Juniors u16 was won by Austria’s Leonhard Prager. The no 3 seed defeated no 4 seed Chase Burgess +24 (21-5 21-16 21-18) in the final. Andreas Kotala won bronze after beating Daniel Austin +35 (21-7 21-11 21-10). The juniors u18 title went to Jesse Kiljunen, who has added the u18 title to his collection after winning the u16 last year. He beat Lucas Steyer in a close and entertaining final +5 (16-21 20-22 21-15 21-15). Matěj Volf took the bronze medal, beating Leo Hörtinger +17 (21-9 12-21 21-15 13-5).
Girls u16 | Girls u18 | Juniors u16 | Juniors u18
Pye and Griffiths are the u21 World Champions
Bethany Pye is the 2023 u21 World Champion, after she beat her doubles partner Holly Ranson in the final by only one point. She took the match +1 (21-10 1-21 13-21 21-3). Clarissa Steiner finished third, after she beat last year’s champion Cherisse Lau +9 (21-15 16-21 21-9 9-14). Luke Griffiths was trying to defend his title from last year, and did so successfully, winning all his matches before tennis. He beat junior no 2 Florian Harca in the final by +22 (15-21 21-3 21-11). Matthew Davidson finished third, battling past good friend Ross Wilson. He took the match +13 (21-16 21-9 13-21 13-9).
