Martin Karner Austrian Champion
2004-01-02

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Awaiting the next big international tournament, Swedish Open in Stockholm next weekend (see the Swedish Open Homepage for the recently published draws) the Racketlon World seems full of more activity than ever before. From Eastbourne, England, Stuart Foster reported a few days ago about a racketlon doubles(!) test match (see report) and from the German speaking area there are traces of no less than 3(!) local racketlon tournaments during the last couple of weeks; Beside the Austrian Championships (see below) the first Racketlon Feldkirch Open was held in Feldkirch in Vorarlberg (western Austria) on 13 Dec; and in Wetzlar, Germany, another tournament took place last Sunday (under the name "Racketlon" although both Tennis and Squash were missing). From Sweden can be reported that the yearly Local Gothenburg Racketlon Championships are due to take place on Sunday (see draw) and that the first ever Local Växjö Racketlon Championships are planned for next weekend (10-11 Jan). It is also hard to leave out that considerable anticipation is building up for the first Racketlon Canadian Open in March where Canadian former Squash World Champion Jonathon Power is a potential participant. See the Canadian Open Homepage for the latest entry list which contains no less than 38 names, sensationally many at this early stage.

But, most notably, the first ever Austrian Racketlon Champions were appointed in Vienna last weekend. In the most prestigious of all categories, the Men's Elite Class, Martin Karner (no. 41 on the latest world ranking) managed to cause an upset with a final victory over better ranked Marcel Weigl (15). Read tournament organizer Weigl's report below:

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A record of 57 Austrians entered for the first official Austrian Racketlon Championships held in Vienna on the weekend 27th and 28th of December 2003. Regardless the date between Christmas and New Year more locals entered than for the Austrian Open in Club Danube Donauzentrum/22nd district in September 2003. For the Austrian Championships the venue, being the home of the first registered Racketlon Club in Austria - Racketlon Klosterneuburg, was once again chosen, due to its perfect facilities and being located in the capital of Austria. National Champions were determined in five classes: Men Elite, Men Amateur, Women, Seniors (+45) and for the first time ever a junior event (20-) was held in Austria.

Photo: www.digitalfoto.nu

Martin Karner - at the far left.
As one of the members of the Austrian Team in the 2003 Racketlon World Championships in Gothenburg.

Karner wins Mens Elite Class over Weigl
In the Mens Elite Class sixteen players entered. In the final, national players Marcel Weigl (IRF 15) and Martin Karner (IRF 61) battled for the first Austrian men's title in Racketlon ever. The match was already decided in table tennis, where Austria's nervous number one played much to defensive and lost to Karner with 9:21. After being 0:7 down in the following squash set the organiser of the championships, Marcel Weigl, decided to fight back, but still lost with 16:21 and it did not look good for him before badminton. But the doctor on the national team, Martin Karner from St. Pölten the capital of Lower Austria, was too sure about his victory and lost the badminton set with 8:21 which meant that the 29 year-old Weigl needed to win tennis with 21:17. Not impossible but very unlikely as Karner is currently ranked 227 in Austrias tennis. In the best tennis set Racketlon has seen in Austria, Klosterneuburg (a suburb of Vienna)-player Weigl tried everything to win back the match and was leading with 18:16 before a netball liberated Karner and made him national champion of Austria 2003. "Martin played very well in this match and deserved to win. I tried everything to come back, but it was not enough. I know I lost the match in table tennis, all other sets I played extremely well," said Weigl, who will still be ranked Austria's number one in the new national rankings. Karners`s answer: "Its unbelievable, you never give up. In the end when it got closer and closer I started to sweat." The third place went to Robert Kirschner from Vienna, who defeated Michael Dickert (Klosterneuburg) by the Rubberarm rule. Austria's biggest talent only needed eight points in tennis to win, but could not make more than seven. "Michael will still win many medals in the future, he lost this match in his head. I am sure he has learnt his lesson," is Mr. Racketlon, Marcel Weigl not worried.

Photo: www.digitalfoto.nu

Marcel Weigl. Defeated this time.

Seitz substitutes Minichsdorfer in the Womens Competition
Bad luck for national team player Susi Minichsdorfer. At her last practice one day before the tournament she twisted her ankle in the squash box and could not take home the gold medal. Thanks to Simone Seitz the title still went to the club Racketlon Klosterneuburg. The ex-Austrian top 20 Badminton player defeated her opponents closely in the preliminary rounds (+10 and +11), but in the finals she dominated clearly: against Daniela Mikulitsch (Vienna) she started with a 21:11 in table tennis, commenced with a 21:17 in squash and finished with a 21:4 in badminton. Her prize is a place in the national team squad. Bronze went to Uli Knorr, also from Vienna.

Tennisplayer Christoph Krenn wins Junior Class (20-)
For the first time ever a junior Racketlon tournament was played in Austria. It ended with an easy win for Austria's current number 46 in tennis, Christoph Krenn. "The spider" from Vienna as he is nicknamed won all his matches pretty easily, the final against table tennis specialist Christoph Aubrecht from Upper Austria was even over before tennis. Neither of the finalists can defend their medals next year, they will be past the age limit. Third place once again went to Klosterneuburg, Badminton youngster Stefan Weinwurm won by the small margin of five points.

Rubberarm decides Amateurs Final, Newcomer wins Seniors Class (+45)
One of the most exciting matches of the tournament was the final in the Amateur Class. In a very even match one newcomer Werner Herzog, won over the other newcomer Christian Rummerskirch with 12:21, 21:11, 11:21, 21:12 +1G after the final point was played in tennis in accordance to the rubberarm rule. The winner of previous local Racketlon tournaments Peter Schwarzinger became third. Another newcomer won the Seniors Class, Walter Mayrhuber. In the final he defeated Austrian Open winner Leopold Ille by 20 points. Peter Libal became third.

Vienna Top Tournament series continues in January
Already on Saturday the 17th January 2004 the Racketlon tournaments in Vienna will continue. The monthly series Vienna Top expand to other Club Danubes in Vienna's 3rd and 16th district. A total of six tournaments will be played until June 2004. One event will be a doubles draw and the last tournament in June will be held as a Masters with only the best players having qualified. The Austrian national rankings are published after every tournament and are available as well as the tournament calendar on the homepage. Interesting news from Salzburg: A small Racketlon tournament, with slightly divertive rules has taken place at the end of 2003 at a centre called Tenniscourt South. Can this be the start of an Austrian Tour 2004?

Further information, updated regularly on www.racketlon.at

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