The team was not irritated by the fact that they had to do without Nikita Khakimov and Joel König at the start, and the newcomer Johannes Pistorius was not allowed to play in Lausanne due to COVID-19.
Not ideal conditions when the opponents can compete with the best possible team. Once again it became clear how much a good team spirit is worth: the new (old) players were able to integrate themselves perfectly into the team and “delivered” straight away.
Saturday, October 3rd: Team Argovia – BC Uzwil: 5-3
BC Uzwil offered all three new signings: the Croatian Zvonimir Durkinjak and for the ladies Milena Schnider and with the Dutchwoman Cheryl Seinen no less than the current No. 24 in the world in women’s doubles.
Returning Ronja Stern, who played her first interclub game in over a year after her long injury break, and with Lea Müller won the women’s doubles in three sets 11: 6, 11: 9 and 11: 3, was not at all impressed by this.
It was no worse in the first men’s doubles, in which newcomer Johannes Pistorius and Tobias Künzi won in four sets, surprisingly bringing the Argovia team 2-0 up. Maryna Ilynska (women singles), Tobias Künzi in the 2nd men singles and Christian Kirchmayr (1st men singles) made the success perfect.
Sunday, October 4th: Badminton Lausanne Association – Team Argovia: 3: 5
The game in Lausanne was viewed with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the victory against the favorites out of Uzwil gave self-confidence, on the other hand, “the players went out”. Without the regular players Nikita Khakimov, Joel König and Johannes Pistorius, a doubles and mixed player was missing, so that Timm Stern from the NLB team had to step in.
Unlike the day before, the start went wrong: the women’s doubles (Lea Müller, Maryna Ilynska) lost unluckily in four sets, the first men’s doubles (Christian Kirchmayr, Tobias Künzi) even narrower in the 5th set with 9:11.
And then? The two “newbies” in the team (Cedric Nyffenegger and Timm Stern), who were least likely to be successful, played cheekily and won the second men’s doubles in a 5-sentence thriller with 11: 9, 7:11, 7 : 11, 11: 9 and 11: 9.
That was the turning point. Maryna Ilynska improved after losing the starting set and won the women’s singles in four sets, Tobias Künzi gave his opponent no chance in the second men’s singles (straight 3-set victory) and Cedric Nyffenegger also won his second game for the team in the third men’s singles.
The team and the fans who had traveled with them were more than satisfied with the sure draw after the failures and the unsuccessful start, but the team wanted even more now. The final first men’s singles between the two top players from both teams turned out to be a nerve-racking game at the top level.
On the one hand the experienced Pole playing for Lausanne, on the side of the Argovia team the hungry Christian Kirchmayr, who had gained a lot of self-confidence with the win the day before and played in impressive form. In the end, after 5 sets, he was a wafer-thin ahead and thus gave the Argovia team the away win that was previously not thought possible.
For the Argovia team, it’s not just both wins that count, but also the knowledge that it is strong as a team and can compensate for failures very well. And these will certainly occur more frequently in the current season due to COVID-19.
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