The fans can look forward to top games in the 2nd Badminton Bundesliga South: On Saturday (4.30 p.m.) TSV Freystadt will welcome last year’s champions TSV Neuhausen Nymphenburg to Neumarkt’s Willibald-Gluck-Gymnasium. On Sunday (2 p.m.) comes runner-up TuS Geretsried.
If you look at the table, Freystadt should be favored as the leader of Duels. But TSV team manager Stephan Pistorius warns: “Both opponents had a series of failures and suffered unexpected defeats. If they want to play for the championship, they have to win against us, otherwise the point gap between us and our table neighbors Dortelweil will probably be too big.”
Teams probably have the best possible cast
Pistorius expects both teams to compete with their best players. Freystadt also plans to compete with a strong team. Only Mihaljo Tomic will be missing. The number 66 in the world rankings starts a tournament in Kazakhstan.
Ella Neve could face Barbora Bursova in the singles against Neuhausen. Until recently, the Czech trained together with Neve at the national base in Nuremberg. If she doesn’t play, Neuhausen would have an alternative in ex-Wolfsteiner Alexia Nedelcu, who is also Ella Neve’s daily training partner in Nuremberg. In the women’s doubles, the newly crowned German youth champion Aurelia Wulandoko and Katharina Rudert will have a difficult task if the Munich team competes with the Estonian Helina Rüütel or Anna Mejikovskiy.
Question mark behind Tobias Wadenka
For the men, a lot will depend on whether Tobias Wadenka, who was born in Middle Franconia, can play for Neuhausen. The multiple German ranking winner was recently injured. Another top performer in the Munich ranks is Justin Seibel. At the last meeting in the spring, he and the Austrian Gustav Andree somewhat surprisingly lost to the Freystadt doubles Andreas Pistorius and Vitor Petrovic, but took revenge with a victory in the singles over Petrovic.
Auditya Hidayat could become a key player for Freystadt. After a long absence, the professional coach of the South Tyrolean first division club ASV Mals is back in the TSV lineup. It is unclear whether he will attack in doubles with Moritz Miller or in mixed doubles with Aurelia Wulandoko.
Tension against Geretsried guaranteed
It should be no less exciting against Geretsried. The team around the ex-vice European champion and ex-Freystadt native Oliver Roth is difficult to assess. Most recently, the sixth-place team defeated TSV Neuhausen 5-2. Along with Oliver Roth, Kevin Feibicke is a top performer. With ten wins in 14 matches, he is one of the best players in the league. Lukas Oesele will serve for Geretsried for the first time. Former national player Ann-Kathrin Spöri stands out for the Geretsried women.
There are no favorites for Stephan Pistorius this weekend. Of course he is hoping for two wins to finish the first half of the season as league leader.
The 2nd team of TSV will play in Landshut on Saturday.
