On Sunday, BC St. Pölten started its first season in the Bundesliga. 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.
In its first Bundesliga encounter, promoted team BC St. Pölten welcomed long-time 1st division club ASKÖ Kelag Kärnten to the Prandtauerhalle on Sunday. Since it was a rainy day, it was feared that the roof of the hall might get rained on, but the hosts were spared that in the presence of Mayor Matthias Stadler and City Councilor for Sports Heinz Hauptmann, who made the first serve against mascot Minty.
The game started exactly as the home crowd wanted, and quite a few of them turned up for the first games. Team captain and chairman’s son Manuel Krisper got off to a brilliant start in the first singles doubles together with veteran Stefan Ratheyser. The first two sides were clearly won and everything seemed to go smoothly in the third set. But two set points remained unused and Gasper Krivec/Felix Steinwender were able to save themselves into a fourth set. Because they then won just as confidently as they did the fifth.
Meanwhile, Michael Hofmann/Jan Schumacher were able to win the second men’s doubles 3-1 after being down a set, as was summer newcomer Emily Wu, who scored points in the women’s doubles with Kateryna Zaitseva. “Emily barely trained for a year because of her studies and went into this match practically cold,” said father Kenny, astonished at the good performance of his daughter, who was once the top talent at ASV Pressbaum. So after two matches it was 2-0 for the hosts, but they were unable to make it 3-0, instead it was only 2-1. And the shock among the locals was deep.
The Carinthians then dominated in the individual duels. Ratheyser in particular didn’t find his way into the game at all and lost 3-0 to Krivec. After 0:1, Kristler temporarily turned the match around to 2:1, but then gave up sets four and five again. And Zaitseva simply didn’t have luck on her side in a tight women’s singles match. After clearly winning the first set, she dropped the remaining two to nine. In the fourth set there was the closest possible result with 14:15 for Carinthia’s Chinese. The guests thus secured overall victory ahead of schedule. Martin Cerkovnik/Lea Kreulitsch then completed the Carinthians’ 6-2 away win with their victory over Michi Hofmann/Jasmin Hofer in the final mixed doubles.
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Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
Photo: Claus Stumpfer
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2nd Bundesliga: Missed match points in a one-point double result in a draw.
The Carinthians’ 6-2 win sounds clear, but BC St. Pölten had the chance to make it 3-0 in their first Bundesliga game, which would have at least meant a draw. But Stefan Ratheyser/Manuel Kristler couldn’t close the bag in the third set and then lost the game 2:3.
Statistics
BC ST. PÖLTEN – ASKÖ Kelag KÄRNTEN 2:6 (12:19 sets, 281:306 points). – Stefan Ratheyser/Manuel Kristler – Gasper Krivec/Felix Steinwender 11:6, 11:8, 11:13, 6:11, 7:11; Michael Hofmann/Jan Schumacher – Emanuel Kraiger/Simon Yu Xuan Wang 6:11, 11:9, 11:3, 11:8; Emily Wu/Kateryna Zaitseva – Denise Hofer/Laura Hasenbichler 11:7, 11:6, 11:7; Stefan Ratheyser – Gasper Krivec 9:11, 5:11, 7:11, Manuel Kristler – Martin Cerkovnik 4:11, 11:9, 11:5, 4:11, 4:11; Kateryna Zaitseva – Miranda Zhang 11:7, 9:11, 9:11, 14:15; Philipp Fritz – Shangzu Zhan 7:11, 14:15, 7:11; Michael Hofmann/Jasmin Hofer – Martin Cerkovnik/Lea Kreulitsch 14:12, 9:11, 6:11, 8:11.
