Völklingen, Germany – Annika Horbach of TV Refrath continued her impressive form, successfully defending her mixed doubles title with partner Marcello Kausemann at the 1. DBV-Rangliste tournament in Völklingen this past weekend. The victory adds another accolade to Horbach’s growing list of achievements, solidifying her position as a key player in German badminton.
The duo navigated the tournament with remarkable efficiency, dropping only one game throughout the entire competition. Their path to the final included decisive victories over Linus Emmerich and Marie Fein (21-9, 21-14) in the round of 16, and Jakob Sjöblom and Maike Iffland (21-14, 21-7) in the quarterfinals. The semi-final saw them overcome Nikolas Klauer and Sophie Heidebrecht with a 21-19, 21-11 win, setting up a final showdown against Christopher Klauer and Florentine Schöffski.
Sovereign Final Victory
Horbach and Kausemann proved too strong in the final, securing a comfortable victory over Klauer and Schöffski with scores of 21-15 and 21-10. “It really went very, very well,” Horbach said, reflecting on their performance. The win underscores the growing synergy between Horbach and Kausemann, hinting at a potentially formidable partnership on the international stage.
Whereas the mixed doubles event proved highly successful, Horbach’s campaign in the women’s doubles fell just short of another title. Partnering with Alicia Molitor, the pair initially showed promise, securing a first-round bye and then defeating Annika Karmann and Carina Karmann convincingly (21-7, 21-9) in the round of 16.
A Hard-Fought Quarterfinal
The quarterfinal match proved to be a much tighter contest. After a dominant first set victory (21-7), Horbach and Molitor faced a resilient challenge in the second, ultimately losing 19-21. This forced a decisive third set, where they prevailed against Marie Lücke and Charlotte Notni with a score of 21-15. “They were very unpleasant to play against,” Horbach noted, acknowledging the difficulty of facing Lücke and Notni. “They somehow returned every ball.”
Their run came to an end in the semi-final, where they were narrowly defeated by Leonie Wronna and Aurelia Wulandoko in two closely contested sets, both ending 19-21. “They are two young national players against whom we had won at the German Championships,” Horbach explained, acknowledging the competitive nature of the match. “We just didn’t have luck on our side this time.”
Challenging Conditions
Horbach also expressed some dissatisfaction with the playing conditions in the Sporthalle Völklingen. “It was something to get used to,” she described, citing the exceptionally bright walls and floor which made tracking the shuttlecock difficult. The shuttlecock itself also presented a challenge. “It was very fast when hitting from below, and exactly the opposite when hitting from above,” she commented. However, she was quick to add, “That said, the conditions were the same for everyone.”
Jule Marie Giebeler, also of TV Refrath and originally trained at TV Littfeld, also participated in the tournament but faced early exits. She lost in the mixed doubles (17-21, 11-21) and the singles (17-21, 18-21) in the first round. In the women’s doubles, she and her partner were defeated by Wronna and Wulandoko in the round of 16 (7-21, 12-21), mirroring Horbach’s earlier challenge against the same duo.
This tournament serves as an important stepping stone for German badminton players as they prepare for larger competitions. The 1. DBV-Rangliste provides a crucial opportunity to gauge form, test new partnerships, and fine-tune strategies ahead of national and international events. The success of Horbach and Kausemann, in particular, signals a promising future for German mixed doubles badminton.
The next major event on the German badminton calendar is the German Open, scheduled for later this year. Fans can stay updated on the latest news and results through the official website of the German Badminton Association (https://www.badminton.de/).
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