ATP Tennis Star Melzer Shows up, but Weigl and Steinwender Austrian Champions
Date: 2004-12-11
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The Austrian representative in the IRF, Marcel Weigl, reports below from this year's Austrian Championships.
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The Austrian Champions. Marcel Weigl and Ulrike Steinwender. Photo: www.photing.com

Austria's no.1 tennisplayer Jürgen Melzer shows impressive Racketlon skill
A special guest was welcome among the 90 participants (new national record) at the 2nd Austrian Championships 2005 last weekend (4/5th Dec.) in Vienna. ATP-Tennisstar Jürgen Melzer currently Top 40 in the world and Austrias no.1 tennis player took part in his first Racketlon tournament after skipping the world championships due to his holiday. And the lefthander did a very good job, after a first round win over Buschek nearly reached the semifinal after beating big bird Christoph Krenn 21:7 in the quarterfinal table tennis match playing with his right! hand. Krenn hat to make every effort to catch up and only won by a few points in the end. "A shame I would have loved to play Jürgen in the semis, cause we would not have got to tennis", says later Austrian champion Marcel Weigl. "I am very glad that Christoph the co-organiser of the championships and me managed to get him here to help us promote Racketlon and I will try to get him back for the worlds 2005." "It was great fun and I think I was not so bad either. If my time allows it I will be back for sure", promises Melzer.

Melzer. In Racketlon. Photo: www.photing.com

Marcel Weigl Austrian champion for the first time
In the elite competition reigning champion Martin Karner did not start, he ended his career before the world championships after losing in the qualification for the national team line up. In the end the favorits from Klosterneuburg reached the finals pretty easily, World Tour Race 2004 no.7 Marcel Weigl faced World Tour Race no. 15 Michael Dickert and it was a very exciting and close match in which youngster Dickert failed to make use of his chances. After winning table tennis 21:7, Dickert only made one more point keeping pace until 11 all in squash: 21:12 to Weigl. And in badminton Dickert even had a 14:8 lead, which Weigl then turned around in a 21:16 win. So the score was exactly even before tennis and the game practically over. A safe 21:9 win in tennis made Weigl Austrian Champion for the first time with +12. The bronze medal went to U20 vice-world champion Christoph Krenn.

Ulrike Steinwender takes over from Simone Seitz
Some surprises took place in the women's competition. Although national team player Uli Steinwender won the title quite safely, it was another Uli who sensationally outcasted Austria's former no.1 Susi Minichsdorfer in the semfinal. Uli Knorr won the silver medal, leaving bronze to the Austrian champion 2003 Simone Seitz. The no.1 badminton player from the first official Racketlonclub world wide, Racketlon Klosterneuburg, beat a totally demotivated Susi in the game for third place.

U15-world champion Krawcewicz, Karasconyi and Csar take further titles
In the U15 competition, which was played for the first time, favorit Roy Krawcewicz was to strong for all his opponents. The tennis super talent and rackelton world champion beat Fabian Mayrhuber in the final. Quite a few top new players entered the senior's competition, where Michael Karasconyi took gold from Erich Knotter in the final. Third place went to the youngest player in the draw Michael Sommerlatte. The amateur title was won by Christoph Csar, who was supposed to start in Elite but was pulled down to the amateurs due to the late wildcard entry of Jürgen Melzer. Second place went to newcomer Manuel Repa, third to Christoph Trettenbein.

Doubles and Mixed as new innovations for world champs 2005?
Due to the introduction of new classes in the end it was Michael Dickert, who was the most successful player at the Austrian Championships 2005. Although he lost the singles final, he won the mixed-double competition with Ulrike Steinwender and the doubles with Christoph Krenn. Two silver medals went to Andi Höchtl, super talent who hates to practice, who had Florence Eidler on his side in the mixed and Marcel Weigl in the doubles. The two only lost in a very close final by a margin of three points. "I want to introduce a small doubles and mixed competition, where each country is allowed to nominate one pair" ,says Weigl who is planning new innovations for next year's world champs held from 24th to 27th December 2005 in Vienna again.

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