Eliasson Back on Top
Date: 2002-01-07
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Magnus Eliasson proved yesterday that he is still the number one Swedish racketlon player. He won the yearly Racketlon Cup (played in Stockholm) in a very convincing manner and beat, in the final, former elite table tennis player Mats Källberg by a difference of +15 points (Table Tennis: 4-21, Squash: 21-5, Badminton: 21-12, Tennis: 14-7 ! ). Stefan Larsson was the only player that managed to get a single set (Badminton: 22-20) from him during the three matches he had to play to reach the final.

Eliasson said after the match that he felt that his mental focus has returned after a period of less than optimum performance in that respect - and that this was the main reason behind his clear victory. "Compared to World Open my focus was a lot better today" might be interpreted as a message of warning to World Open winner Mikko Kärkkäinen, who beat Eliasson in the World Open quarter final by a margin of 6 points. Next Gothenburg Racketlon World Open is scheduled for 1st-3rd of November this year...

Focus is back...

Eliasson (33) has an unusual background for a racketlon player since he comes from ice hockey(!) where he has played professionally in three countries (USA, Germany, Finland). Presently retired from hockey and a student of psychology he has dominated the Swedish racketlon scene for the last two years. The racket sport in which he has most experience is tennis but lately it seems that his clearest victories in a racketlon context come in squash (as illustrated by his first round 21-0 squash "footprint" on World Open Manager Håkan Granberg, who will probably take weeks to recover).

Finalist Mats Källberg complained after the match how difficult it was to get anything for free. "He is extremely tight". But on a more optimistic note he added: "This was not important! I am aiming for the Swedish Championships in May and Gothenburg Racketlon World Open in November."

Full results from Racketlon Cup can be found on www.enskederackethall.se

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