The NLA affair Argovia against Trogen-speicher had already ended in a draw in the fall. The second leg on Sunday also ended 4-4 in the Tal der Humility sports hall. It was a correct result in this eighth of twelve rounds. It still leaves both of them with hope of qualifying for the playoffs. Trogen-speicher takes third place, Argovia fourth.
The locals had to do without Leila Zarrouk, the people from Aargau had to do without Jenny Stadelmann. Both are convalescent. The only five-set game of the afternoon went to Trogen-speicher: player-coach Agung Ruhanda and Mochamad Rehan Diaz prevailed after a tough fight against Yann Orteu/Bjarne Geiss (German doubles champion). In the first men’s singles, Diaz was unable to stop the run of Italian champion Fabio Caponio: after seven games in the Swiss NLA, he still has a completely clean slate.
Now against the first two
With Tobias Künzi, the Swiss Olympian at Paris 2024, Caponio was also responsible for Aargau’s victory in the second men’s doubles (against Nils Harzenmoser/Patrick Volkmann). Liron Ubieto also had to acknowledge his opponent’s superiority in the third men’s singles. Tanja Oktaviani Kusumah/Franziska Volkmann won their doubles in three sets, Arlin Imka Putrama and Azkya Ruhanda won their singles in four sets. The last game to end was the mixed doubles. Kusumah/Imka lost the first two sets, won the third and had to give up the fourth with 7:11, which meant that the points were divided in the overall score. In the next rounds, Trogen-speicher will play against the top teams from French-speaking Switzerland: on Saturday, February 7th, at home against league leaders Lausanne, and the next day at runner-up Yverdon-les-Bains.
Important points in the NLB
On Sunday, the second teams from Trogen-speicher and Argovia, one league lower, met in the Valley of Humility. The hosts kept the better end for themselves with 6:2. They earned their success with a strong and balanced performance. Adina Panza, Zeno Baldegger and the Frenchman Rafael Gavois won their individual matches. Panza also won the mixed doubles with Leander Züst, Baldegger won the second men’s doubles with Lian Ubieto and Gavois won the first men’s doubles with Züst. Only the second men’s singles, which Liron Ubieto lost, as well as the women’s doubles with Vivien Schläpfer and Julia Cecchinato went to Argovia. The Ausserrhoden NLB team scored important points in the fight against relegation. It is in fifth place after eight of 14 laps. Trogen-speicher will win the NLB championship on 7/8. February (with a home game against Zurich 2 and an away game at Uni Basel.
