It was an exciting final because the players were evenly matched. Schweertman won the first set 11-5, but in the second set Gerrits took the win. Schweertman won the third set 11-8 and he eventually won the fourth set 11-7.
The 40-year-old Schweertman, who now lives in Poland, still enjoys the sport despite his age. “I still play quite a lot of competition, which also keeps me fit. Then I know what I have to work on during the season. This tournament is always an important item in my agenda,” he says during the tournament.
The life of the Zeelander is completely devoted to squash. In Warsaw he is still on the court every day and he is also a trainer and coach. “You can be very fit, but if you can’t hit the ball, it’s still not of much use. You can hit very well, but if you’re not fit, it doesn’t work either. So that combination of technique I really like the game, tactics, mentally and physically,” he says.
He is aware that Schweertman is one of the oldest players on the court during the National Championships. During the National Championships, the squash player mainly plays against young talents. “Some may even be my sons,” he laughs. But he is also aware that the competition is getting better and that his peers have already quit. “I see myself more as a late bloomer. I’m happy that I can still play at this level and I do a lot for that, but I know that those young boys are coming. This generation, 18 to 20 year olds , are very good. So I have to stay fit for that.”
De Zeeuw’s success on the track has not gone unnoticed in Amsterdam. He has a big fan: Marco van Basten. The successful former professional footballer can often be found on the squash court these days. And he enjoys Schweertman’s game. “He is unperturbed. He has a plan and he does not deviate from it. He knows what he wants. He does not make a fuss about it. He is a very straightforward type who gets where he wants to go,” says Van Basten.
He has also played against De Zeeuw himself. “That actually went well, but then it turned out that he was playing with me. In other words: he kept giving me the balls back so that I could hit him back every time. The rallies took a long time, but that was more because he didn’t want me beat, but wanted to keep in the game,” says van Basten.
For the time being, Schweertman has no plans to stop. “As long as I like it, as long as my body allows it, I try to get the most out of it and stay ahead of those young boys.”
So at the age of forty he is Dutch Champion again. Squash will become an Olympic sport in 2028, but participating in the Games is too late for him. “I won’t be able to achieve that anymore, but perhaps as a coach,” he says with a wink.
