The final set went into extra time. When Jarne Schlevoigt and Annie Lado made it 14:12 in the mixed doubles against Robin Harper and Amelie Lehmann, the pre-Christmas present for 1. BV Mülheim was clear. The badminton Bundesliga team not only secured their first win of the season with a 5-2 win against TSV Trittau, but also denied their direct rival the extra point for the table and thus handed over the red lantern for the first time since the second match day.
47 photos: Clear defeat for 1. BV Mülheim against Blau-Weiss Wittorf
“It worked out the way we imagined today,” says team manager Florian Reinhold, who adds: “The close games ended in our favor – except for the first men’s doubles, otherwise it might even have ended 6-1 and we would have gotten three points.” On the other hand, the Mülheim team had to be happy that the final mixed doubles went to their own team, otherwise Trittau would have been rewarded with an additional point for the narrow 4:3, so that both teams would have been tied on points in the table.
Doesn’t anyone get relegated in the end? Mülheimers “want to be on the safe side”
But this way, BVM finally manages to move away from last place in the table. “That was of course particularly important for us,” says the team manager, although there is a possibility that none of the currently only eight first division teams will end up being relegated because the league actually has a target number of ten teams. “But we want to be on the safe side and not come last,” says Reinhold.
The club is definitely planning for another year in the first division, even though the season so far has shown how difficult it will be. “The competition is simply strong, especially financially. If you look at the top three or four, there are top international players there,” emphasizes the team boss. At the end of November, for example, in the duel between Mülheim and SV Fun-Ball Dortelweil, Christo Popov served for the league leaders. The Frenchman recently won the World Tour Finals and has moved up to seventh place in the world rankings.
1. BV Mülheim relies primarily on local players in the Bundesliga
1. BV Mülheim, still the German record champions, cannot come up with such names. “We try with local people and then add a few international players,” says Reinhold, describing the strategy. The gap is now so big that the BVM plays in some games with its absolute top squad, while the opponents have to play with substitutes.
Dimitar Yanakiev and Florian Reinhold are part of the 1. BV Mülheim squad.
© FUNKE Foto Services | Alexandra Roth
The latter in particular is unlikely because many competitors expect big victories against the Mülheim team this season and are therefore bringing in good people to be on the safe side. Because for a 7:0 and 6:1 there is one table point more than for a 5:2. “We currently have to orient ourselves towards teams like Trittau or perhaps Refrath,” says Reinhold.
The BVM will definitely get a team together for the new season. “But if you want to play in midfield, more has to happen on the sponsor side.” The Bundesliga season will continue on January 18th, when 1. BV Mülheim will face SC Union Lüdinghausen away.
