After my very successful wins in 2017 I decided to start a new try to catch the Open Doubles and Open Singles Title again!
The 2018 Spanish Open started on 17 of November in Las Palmas des Gran Canaria. Me and my family organized a 7 Day vacation from Wednesday the 14 to Wednesday 21 November. Very nice and warm weather waiting for us on Gran Canaria. Also our Club was a very very cool location with a big pool, wellness pool over 35 degrees and fitness center. Kind of perfect. The first days we visited some beachs and enjoyed the sun. But on Saturday morning the Group Stage of Spanish Open has started. A big sport hall with many courts and a area for playing the new eCrossminton Video Game! A good Group with some easier and some difficult Matches waited for me. But I felt good and crached with a “BYE” directly in the Quarterfinals with no lost set … But that was enough with playing Singles on Saturday. Now it was time for some Doubles 🙂 I played with my Brother like in 2017. A Match for warming up and then the Semifinals against Georges Nils and his partner. First set we played very well and it was fast. But in second set we were 4:14 in the back. For me the set was always lost. But we did it! 18:16 was the result and that means FINALS … against Daniel Gossen. What a intensive and good match. We lost first set but worked on our failures and fought to win the second one. Less fails, more points = winning set two! The deciding set was on eye-level but we reached the finish line before the others and catched the crown again!! As a result, day one was good … but day two have to be better!

On second day I started with Quarterfinals against Daniel Gossen – the old Speed Badminton Champion, a very good player! I started very very well and rushed into set two with a 16:5 win! But that wasn’t enough for him. I smashed more and more Speeders in the out and lost my Game-control … But however I found my way back and won 16:12 in the second set. A medal was safe … But I wanted to defend MY title. A good and also intensive Match in the Semis against my brother helped me to reach the Finals. But in Open Division the Draw was tough. Cyril Peltier from France also found his way into the Finals. He was World No. 10 at this time. But that’s just a number … I started with so many failures and a bad game. Not so much concentration and the focus wasn’t there. First set just flew past to me. But in second set I was focused and fit. I was on the court. Physically and mentally. That was my game. Fast ballchanges, I was there to control every Speeder. I found my way into that Match. And there was no turning back … After a definitely wrong decision I shooted a Speeder 20 meters away and get my first ever “yellow Card” … two wrong decisions in one minute. But I have not been impressed by this and get straight in set three. I wanted the Title and I won the title!! Tough Match but I did it … Spanish Champion in Singles and Doubles two times in a row.

After the tournament days I relaxed a little bit in the sun and get to work … nice and successful vacation!!!

Take a look at my Tour Vlog on YouTube:

The Polish Open 2018 has come to an end! But what an end!
I’m so happy with my performance at this time.

After a tough Group Stage with Robin Joop I have to play in the Quarterfinals, as a Group No.1, against Adrian Lutz. He wins our last meeting … But at this day I started good into the first set and can decide it with 16:14 for myself. The second set was also tough. But I stayed cool and wins it also with only two points difference (16:14).
My opponent in the half finals was nobody else than Jasa Jovan from Slovenia. Last time I met him was the World Champion 2017 in the finals … I lost in two straight sets! The match on this Saturday was also very fast and tough. He wins the first set with 17:15. In the following two sets I played a little bit better and with that much faults. In the end it was a 15:17 16:11 16:11 for me!
This was the first time ever I`ve reached a final from a World Series 1000 pts. tournament in the Open category!
But next Stop was the final against World No. 1 Petr Makrlík from Czech Republic. Last year a newcomer – this year a big Champion!!
I´ve played very well, strong and controlled. It was one of my best matches until now. And after the first set win with 16:12 nobody stopped me: the second set was also tight, but thats what I like. 16:11 and the Title was save!

Thanks to everybody who watched my games and to my Double Partner Jorge from Gran Canaria 🙂