A weekend with two completely different starting points, but in the end without any countable success, lies behind BC Offenburg in the 2nd Badminton Bundesliga. While they had urgently hoped for a win in the basement duel at TV Marktheidenfeld on Saturday, they went into the game against second-placed SV Fun-Ball Dortelweil on Sunday as clear outsiders.
On Saturday, the BCO had the landmark duel against the third-to-last TV Marktheidenfeld on the program. The Offenburgers arrived confidently as it was assumed that the hosts would have to do without their top Swiss player Lida Schadegg. This was registered at a tournament in Switzerland at the same time. However, Schadegg won without a fight through a so-called walkover and ended up playing for Marktheidenfeld at short notice – a surprising reinforcement in the women’s doubles and women’s singles.
The Offenburg women’s doubles once again presented themselves unimpressed. Lina Berger and Lena Reder won their game and thus confirmed their strong season record. Statistically, this discipline can be relied upon: only four out of twelve women’s doubles have been lost so far this season – the best rate of all Offenburg disciplines.
Lina Berger scored another point in the mixed doubles alongside Jonas Burger. For Burger, who recently became a father, it was unclear until recently whether he would even be able to compete. It was also a special situation for Lina Berger herself: she is actually currently playing in the BCO’s second team, but impressively demonstrated on Saturday that she is still more than up to the pace of the 2nd Bundesliga.
Andreas Müller and Mark Obermeier scored Offenburg’s third point in the second men’s doubles. They surprisingly defeated the third-placed team at the Southeast German Championships, Tim Specht and Matthias Schnabel. But then the well-known Offenburg drama began: both men’s singles were lost by the narrowest of margins in the fifth set. Despite great fighting spirit, in the end it was only enough for a bitter 3:4 defeat – a bitter setback in a direct duel against a table rival.
On Sunday, SV Fun-Ball Dortelweil, second in the table, was waiting for the BCO. Points were not planned in advance, but hope arose just by looking at the lineups. The Hessians competed in the men’s competition with a supposedly weaker line-up, without their best man Christian Dumler, which gave the Offenburgers additional motivation.
The first men’s doubles with Nils Discher and Jonas Burger took advantage of the opportunity and won confidently. However, the women’s doubles could not repeat the strong performance from the previous day and had to admit defeat to former national player Emma Moszczynski and Theresa Wurm. The second men’s doubles lost again in five sets – a result that runs like a common thread through the entire season. Three of the four other games also went to the Hessians in the deciding set.
For BC Offenburg, who are second to last in the table, the situation in the bottom of the table is now getting tricky. Two teams are expected to be relegated from the 2nd Bundesliga. The next key game will take place in just six days at the bottom of the table, BSV Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen. The Offenburgers are also hoping for the support of their fans, who can travel to Karlsruhe to loudly support the BCO in the relegation battle.
Image: Jochen Berger
Text: Lena Reder
Keep reading
