Member Associations | 6 Mar 2011

National Championships: a new age in Austria

06/03/2011 – Werner SCHLAGER, LIU Jia, Robert GARDOS – these names have dominated Austrian table tennis for many, many years. But did the National Championships 2011 bring the first step into a new age? It looks like, bringing new winners in a

06/03/2011 – Werner SCHLAGER, LIU Jia, Robert GARDOS – these names have dominated Austrian table tennis for many, many years. But did the National Championships 2011 bring the first step into a new age? It looks like, bringing new winners in all events in single and doubles!

The first single title in his career secured Stefan FEGERL, who beat SVS Nieder??rreich-colleague Daniel HABESOHN 4:1 in the final. In semifinal the young Austrian beat CHEN Weixing in six sets. Robert GARDOS, winner in 2009 and 2010, had to cancel his participation in the last moment because of a virus-infection.

However, not only the Men Singles, also the Women Singles Event brought a new champion. SVS Str??Girl LI Qiangbing overcame longtime-winner LIU Jia in seven sets and followed her life-partner FEGERL at the top of the podium. Being 0:3 down, Froschberg’s LIU Jia came back to the seventh set, but with 11:8 LI Qiangbing had the better end. Making her luck perfect, “love-double” FEGERL/LI Qiangbing saved also title in Mixed-Double, beating LIU Jia and Bernhard PRESSLMAYER, the winner of the last two years, in four sets.

Men Double was a special affair of family HABESOHN. All three brothers reached the final, Daniel and Dominik beat Mathias with his Partner Kristian GARDOS in three sets. After loosing finals in single and mixed, LIU Jia captured at least one title. With Sofia POLCANOVA she ended hopes of SCH?ER/JURIC in Women Double.

(By Wolfgang PAULIK, courtesy ??)

Photo: Stefan FEGERL (photo Roscher)