Andre BERTELSMEIER and Wim VERDONSCHOT lived up to their top-seeded status at the ROMSTAL European Under 21 Championships in Cluj-Napoca, securing the Men’s Doubles title with a 3-1 victory over Danilo FASO of Italy and Görkem ÖÇAL of Türkiye.
The German pair prevailed 11-6, 6-11, 11-4, 11-7 to claim gold, while bronze medals went to Tom CLOSSET of Belgium and Stepan BRHEL of Czechia, as well as Connor GREEN of England and Mael VAN DESSEL of Luxembourg.
For Germany, the success completed an outstanding championships. VERDONSCHOT added the doubles crown to the silver medal he won in Mixed Doubles alongside Josephina NEUMANN, while both Germans also advanced to the Men’s Singles final. Together, BERTELSMEIER and VERDONSCHOT will leave Cluj-Napoca with five medals between them.
“It is my fault we did not have six, I missed one in mixed doubles,” BERTELSMEIER joked after the final.
The champions were in control from the start. They captured the opening game 11-6 by dictating the pace and taking the initiative early in the rallies. FASO and ÖÇAL responded impressively in the second game, using their aggressive over-the-table play to level the match at one game apiece.
However, the Germans quickly regained control. Their superior consistency on the first attacking balls proved decisive as they raced through the third game 11-4 before closing out the contest 11-7 in the fourth.
According to BERTELSMEIER, the tactical battle revolved around taking the initiative as early as possible.
“The crucial point was being active on the first two balls. They gave us a lot of long balls to initiate counterspin. We had to play aggressively against that. They caught us in one set, but after that we managed to play our game again and in the end we were better.”
Although they had not faced the Italian-Turkish combination before, the Germans felt well prepared.
“We knew one of them from singles, but we had never played them in doubles. They like to play aggressively over the table and use long pushes rather than short exchanges. We could imagine the tactics and anticipate what they would play. We won the first set quite comfortably,” explained BERTELSMEIER.
VERDONSCHOT admitted that the final provided the toughest test of the tournament.
“The final was the hardest challenge. When they played long to my backhand they put pressure on me and it was difficult to return with quality.”
His partner agreed that despite the demanding draw, they had managed to stay in control throughout the competition.
“Every match was difficult, but in the other matches we could dominate from start to finish. We feel very good in doubles. In all the matches we had strong starts and managed to convert them.”
The road to the title included a convincing semifinal victory over Tom CLOSSET and Stepan BRHEL, with the Germans winning in straight games. FASO and ÖÇAL also reached the final in impressive fashion, defeating Connor GREEN and Mael VAN DESSEL 3-0.
For BERTELSMEIER and VERDONSCHOT, the doubles title adds another highlight to an already memorable week in Cluj-Napoca, with one more major prize still to be decided when the two teammates face each other in the Men’s Singles final.
Men’s Doubles Final
Andre BERTELSMEIER, Wim VERDONSCHOT (Germany) – Danilo FASO (Italy), Görkem ÖÇAL (Türkiye) 3-1 (11-6, 6-11, 11-4, 11-7)
Semifinals
Andre BERTELSMEIER, Wim VERDONSCHOT (Germany) – Tom CLOSSET (Belgium), Stepan BRHEL (Czechia) 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-9)
Connor GREEN (England), Mael VAN DESSEL (Luxembourg) – Danilo FASO (Italy), Görkem ÖÇAL (Türkiye) 0-3 (7-11, 10-12, 9-11)
PHOTO by: Mihaela-Ionela BOBAR and Simion Sebastian TĂTARU
