The defending champions had reason to celebrate at the National Championships in Bruck/Mur: Andreas LEVENKO emerged victorious in the final against Simon PFEFFER with a 4-3 win while LIU Yuan secured gold in the women’s singles with a 4-1 victory over Karoline MISCHEK. Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK emerged as the most successful medalist triumphing in mixed doubles with Anastasia STERNER in doubles with Andre KASES and also claiming bronze in singles. In the women’s doubles Nicole GALITSCHITSCH and talent Nina SKERBINZ surprised.
Andreas LEVENKO jubilantly secured his second national champion title but had to go the full distance twice: in the quarterfinals the ÖTTV team player narrowly escaped defeat against LIU Zhenlong after trailing 2-3 clinching the seventh set with a close 12-10 victory. The final against Simon PFEFFER was even more dramatic. The Vorarlberg native fought back from a 2-3 deficit to force a decider leading 5-2 but ultimately succumbed to a 9-11 defeat.
“Today I learned once again that determination is key ” breathed Andreas LEVENKO after clinching his second title.
In the absence of Sofia POLCANOVA—who is preparing for the WTT Champions Tournament in Korea (27-31.3.) in China—LIU Yuan successfully defended her title in the women’s singles. The Linz native defeated Karoline MISCHEK 4-1 in the final just like last year. Prior to that the 38-year-old eliminated Anastasia STERNER with the same score.
“I mainly focused on the player from Linz. The journey to gold was tough ” said LIU after claiming her fourth overall title.
STERNER in addition to her bronze in singles celebrated mixed doubles gold with Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK. In the women’s doubles she and Molei FANG (NÖ) settled for silver after a 1-3 defeat against Nicole GaLitschitsch (St)/Nina SKERBINZ (NÖ).
“For me this title is the highlight of my career ” beamed the local alongside 14-year-old Nina SKERBINZ.
Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK won two golds and one bronze. Prior to the mixed doubles title he claimed his first gold in doubles with Andre KASES (B). His Wels clubmate Petr HODINA secured bronze in doubles with Linz’s LIU Zhenlong and at 15 became Austria’s youngest male national championship medalist.
National Championships in Bruck/Mur
Women’s Singles Final:
Liu Yuan (OÖ) – Karoline Mischek (OÖ) 4:1 (6 5 3 -8 6)
Semifinals (all semifinal losers win bronze):
Karoline Mischek (OÖ) – Selina Leitner (S) 4:0 (1 2 6 12)
Liu Yuan (OÖ) – Anastasia Sterner (OÖ) 4:1 (1 1 -9 9 7)
Men’s Singles Final:
Andreas Levenko (OÖ) – Simon Pfeffer (V) 4:3 (-8 6 12 -7 8 -9 9)
Semifinals:
Andreas Levenko (OÖ) – Alexander Chen (NÖ) 4:2 (8 -5 7 6 -6 7)
Simon Pfeffer (V) – Maciej Kolodziejczyk (OÖ) 4:3 (8 -7 8 -5 6 -9 6)
Women’s Doubles Final:
Nicole Galitschitsch (St)/Nina Skerbinz (NÖ) – Anastasia Sterner (OÖ)/Fang Molei (NÖ) 3:1 (5 10 -11 9)
Semifinals:
Anastasia Sterner (OÖ)/Fang Molei (NÖ) – Ines Diendorfer (OÖ)/Karoline Mischek (NÖ) 3:0
Nicole Galitschitsch (St)/Nina Skerbinz (NÖ) – Liu Yuan/Celine Panholzer (OÖ) 3:2
Men’s Doubles Final:
Maciej Kolodziejczyk (OÖ)/Andre Pierre Kases (B) – Simon Pfeffer (V)/Michael Trink (S) 3:0 (5 5 8)
Semifinals:
- Kolodziejczyk (OÖ)/Andre Kases (B) – Mathias Habesohn/Alexander Chen (NÖ) 3:1
Simon Pfeffer (V)/Michael Trink (S) – Petr Hodina/Liu Zhenlong (OÖ) 3:0
Mixed Doubles Final:
Anastasia Sterner/Maciej Kolodziejczyk (OÖ) – Celine Panholzer (OÖ)/Andrea Pierre Kases (B) 3:2 (-11 7 -6 7 8)
Semifinals:
Anastasia Sterner/Maciej Kolodziejczyk (OÖ) – Molei Fang/Alexander Chen (NÖ) 3:0
Celine Panholzer (OÖ)/Andrea Pierre Kases (B) – Nina Skerbinz/Patrick Skerbinz (NÖ) 3:0
