On Tuesday evening, it was clear: Every of the 2,739 participants of the European Veterans Championships in Bremen has started the tournament. With the class Men 40, the “cream of the crop”, the last category played their first matches on the second day o,
On Tuesday evening, it was clear: Every of the 2,739 participants of the European Veterans Championships in Bremen has started the tournament. With the class Men 40, the “cream of the crop”, the last category played their first matches on the second day of the event. They had to fulfill both tasks at once – play all their group matches in singles and doubles.
The favorites endured their opening matches in the singles without any problem. The 1989 World Doubles Champion, Steffen FETZNER, did not lose a single game. Like him did the number 3 seeded Russian, Dmitrij MAZUNOV, and Martin OLEJNIK, finalist of the 2012 World Veterans Championships from Czech Republic. Ari-Matti KOSKINEN from Finland used the opportunity and won group 1 as Austrian pro, the actual number one seed CHEN Weixing, had to cancel his participation after the draw had been done because he has to compete in the league play-offs in Austria. “Everyone wants to win against me here, so I am glad to have survived the first round”, admits Steffen FETZNER. For him, success is no longer the only important thing. “For me the fun factor is very high in these championships”.
In doubles, FETZNER conceded a surprising defeat: along with Heiko WIRKNER the number 4 seed combination lost its second match against the German-Danish duo Alexander OLTMANN/Henrik VENDELBO in four games. Anyway, this defeat does not have a huge negative effect. Like in the singles events this winner of the group and the runner-up continue to the main competition proper. Only the third and fourth play the consolation rounds only.
