Semi-Finals : Worms recover as Paderborn gain redemption
It’s semi-finals day at Turnhalle, as yesterday’s quarter-final winners took on the Divisional Winners for a spot in the final.
It was the top seeds who triumphed though, as Worms beat Bremer 3-1 and Paderborn dismissed last year’s heartbreak by overcoming Hamburg (technically on games countback, but they’d already won after three matches) setting up their fifth final in six years.
Brief reports below the results …
Black & White Worms 3-1 Bremer SC
#4 : Carsten Schoor 0-3 Heiko Schwarzer 16-18, 6-11, 4-11 (38m)
#1 : Sebastien Bonmalais 3-1 Patrick Rooney 9-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-6 (65m)
#2 : Greg Lobban 3-0 Ibrahim Elkabbani 11-5, 11-7, 11-2 (32m)
#3 : Yannik Omlor 3-0 Tim Weber 11-7, 11-5, 11-3 (26m)
Paderborner SC 2*-2 Sportwerk Hamburg (10-7)
#4 : Lucas Wirths 2-3 Julius Benthin 4-11, 11-6, 3-11, 11-3, 11-2 (55m)
#1 : Aly Abou Eleinen 3-0 Yahya Elnawasany 11-7, 11-5, 11-1 (38m)
#2 : Dimitri Steinmann 3-1 Karim El Hammamy 11-13, 11-5, 11-2, 12-10 (67m)
#3 : Simon Rosner 2-3 Valentin Rapp 11-6, 11-7, 5-11 rtd (43m)
Worms back into the final
Defending champions Worms reached their sixth successive final as they came from one down to beat Bremen.
Bremer’s veteran Heiko Schwartzer faced Carsten Schoor in a match that most expected to be close, but after edging the first 18-16 Schwartzer ran away with it to give Hamburg the edge.
When Patrick Rooney took the first game over Seb Bonmalais in the top string match, Worms’ nerves might have been jangling, but the Frenchmanc continued to move superbly as Rooney tired, taking the next three games to level the match.
Greg Lobban and Yannik Omlor wrapped up the match for Worms, both winning in straight games with their opponents barely competing in the third games.
“We didn’t have such a good start in position four and have started better in the finals,” said Jens Schoor. “But when you’re 0-3 in games down after the first match, it’s difficult.
“My compliments go to Sébastien, who showed a great performance in the top match and got a lot out of the court. Greg then showed his playing qualities as a top twenty player. Yannik then made everything clear in the last match with his confident 3-0 win against Tim Weber. That was a good team performance from us.”
Paderborn redeem themselves
After a shock defeat in last year’s semi-finals – when they were nine-time defending champions – Paderborn reached yet another final as they overcame Hamburg – technically on points countback, but they’d already won after three matches were completed.
Julius Benthin put Hamburg ahead with his second five-game win in a row, but when Aly Abou Eleinen won his all-Egyptian top string match 3-0 and Dimitri Steinmann squeezed past Karim El Hammamy in straight games, Paderborn were 2-1 ahead and uncatchable on games at 8-4.
Simon Rosner and Valentin Rapp played the final match, with Rosner going two games up, but after Rapp pulled a game back Rosner retired injured, making it 2-2 and 10-7 in games.
“It was a close game against Hamburg, where anyone could have won,” said Paderborn’s team manager Friedrich van Rossum. “Now we are in the final again and hope that we can bring the title back to Paderborn!”
