On Sunday, ASV Pressbaum started its mission to “defend its title” in the 1st Badminton Bundesliga against newly promoted WAT Simmering. Some innovations have been introduced in the two federal leagues for the new 2024/25 season. The counting method was changed to shorten the playing time of an encounter. Previously a game was decided in two winning sets to 21 points, now the winner will be the first to win three sets to eleven points. Furthermore, the regulations were added that at least three Austrians must play in at least three games per match. Accordingly, in the future it will no longer necessarily be possible to use the strongest players on a team in all games.
ASV team leader Adi Pratama had almost the entire team available for the first away game, as only Carina Meinke was unavailable. WAT Simmering competed with the best line-up and built on its strong newcomers from Denmark, Germany and Ukraine. In the first meeting between the two teams, the Pressbaumers still expected a win in order to be able to take home three points.
In order to take the new regulations into account, Pratama, who is already a resident himself, played the first men’s doubles with newcomer Andraz Krapez, but decided not to compete in the men’s singles himself. The two met Simmeringer Mads Emil Monke/Pascal Cheng. The Pressbaum team had no problems getting the first point for Pressbaum in three sets with 11:4, 11:5, 12:10.
Pawel Smilowski and homecoming Philip Birker were sent to the second men’s doubles, who met Sanjeevi Padmanabhan Vasudevan and ex-Pressbaumer Philipp Drexler. The Pressbaum team narrowly lost the first set 10:12, but then found their way into the game better and secured the second point for Pressbaum with 11:9, 11:7, 11:8.
The subsequent women’s doubles were played by Lucie Cerna/Alzbeta Basova against Yevheniia Kantemyr/Katharina Hochmeir. The Pressbaum Legionnaires’ duo from the Czech Republic found no way to counter the powerful Simmeringen team at the beginning and quickly fell behind 7:11, 5:11 before winning the third set 11:9. But it wasn’t enough for success, as set four went back to Simmering with a score of 11:8. So it was only 2:1 for Pressbaum.
Zulkarnain played with his opponent again
In the first men’s singles, Pressbaum’s Malaye Iskandar Zulkarnain was the clear favorite against the Dane Mads Emil Monke, especially since the best singles player in the Austrian league had not competed in the men’s doubles in recent years. As expected, the veteran gave his young opponent little chance and won clearly 11:7, 11:1, 11:8 to increase the score to 3:1 for Pressbaum.
In the second men’s singles, Krapez Simmerings faced number two Sanjeevi Padmanabhan Vasudevan. And it started furiously and gave Pressbaum’s Slovenians no chance in the first set at 2:11. But then Krapez adjusted to his opponent’s game and dominated him in the long rallies. With 11:4, 11:6, 11:8 he clearly took the win and thus the fourth point for Pressbaum.
As expected, Simmering’s ladies were too strong
The next game was the women’s singles between Lucie Cerna and the favorite Ukrainian Yevheniia Kantemyr. But in the first set Cerna managed to take a clear lead. Unfortunately, they had to admit defeat 12:14 in extra time. And with that her resistance was broken. Kantemyr won the game with 6:11, 4:11 and reduced the score to just 4:2 for Pressbaum.
Armin Sarosi’s third men’s singles against Pascal Cheng from Simmering should be the most exciting game of the day. Sarosi started well and won the first set 11:8. But then he couldn’t do much anymore and had to lose the second and third sets with 7:11 and 8:11 respectively. His renewed effort to make it 13:11 in the fourth set was a wasted effort, as Cheng was able to win the decisive fifth set 11:6. So it was only 4:3 for Pressbaum and the last game had to decide whether to win or draw.
We could rely on the Pressbaumer Mixed again
The mixed doubles team of Smilowski/Basova was once again reliable. There was the expected win against Drexler/Hochmeir. “They controlled their opponents in every phase,” said section leader Andreas Meinke, commenting on the confident 3-set victory (11:4, 13:11, 11:9) with the final score of 5:3 for Pressbaum.
The Pressbaumers were able to celebrate their first win in the first game and start the new season successfully. “Given the new regulations, it’s really difficult to find the right line-up. We are quite satisfied with the victory in Simmering, even though we certainly see room for improvement among some participants. In any case, we are really looking forward to the first games in front of our home crowd,” says Meinke.
But players and fans still have to be patient. It continues on November 3rd and the Pressbaumers have to go to the Wolfurtern region. Only on the 9th/10th. In November there will be a double round in the Sacre Coeur sports hall.
Full screen
Andraz Krapez
Iskandar Zulkarnain
Philip Birker/Pawel Smilowski
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Photo: Andrea Meinke
Photo: Andrea Meinke
Photo: Andrea Meinke
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