Almere secured a commanding 7-1 victory against VELO on Sunday, a result that lifts the club back to second place in the Eredivisie badminton standings behind reigning champions Duinwijck.
Almere Secures Dominant Seven to One Victory Over VELO
The fixture at the Topsportcentrum Almere showcased the depth of the home squad despite early tests in both doubles and singles encounters. In the opening men’s doubles, Joep Strooper and Dyon van Wijlick overcame an early 8-10 deficit against Rens Lagrouw and Mees Janssen. The Almere duo leveled the score at the coaching interval at 11-10 before pulling away to take the first game 21-14, quickly sealing the second game to establish early momentum.
Kirsten de Wit and Diede Odijk followed with a solid performance in the women’s doubles, defeating Myke Halkema and Veda Diemel in straight games by identical 21-15 scores. First singles player Dennis Koppen then extended the lead by overpowering Dion Rovers 21-12, 21-15 with a relentless high-tempo style that kept his opponent on the defensive.
Singles Battles Provide Drama and Extended Rallies
The women’s singles encounter between Diede Odijk and Amy Tan delivered the day’s most dramatic sequence. After dropping the first game 13-21 following a 3-13 deficit, Odijk fought back to take the second 21-12. In a tense third game deadlocked at 11-11, Tan experienced physical distress at 14-16, receiving a brief pause from the referee due to nausea. The stoppage interrupted Odijk’s rhythm, allowing Tan to close out the decider 16-21.
In the men’s singles, Dyon van Wijlick stepped into a new role and recovered from a slow start against Mees Jansen to win 15-21, 21-12, 21-17. Alida Chen added another crucial point in the women’s singles against Veda Diemel, recovering from a first-game loss to win 15-21, 21-18, 21-19 after holding off a late third-game surge.
Mixed Doubles Confirm the Seven to One Scoreline
Joep Strooper and Kirsten de Wit claimed a demanding first mixed doubles victory against Dion Rovers and Myke Halkema. After dropping behind 4-10 in the opening game due to tactical adjustments against a left-handed opponent, the Almere pair fought back to win 23-21, dropped the second 18-21, and secured the match with a 21-15 score in the third game.
Dennis Koppen and Alida Chen wrapped up the afternoon in the second mixed doubles with a dominant 21-12, 21-14 win over Rens Lagrouw and Amy Tan. The convincing victory cements Almere’s position in the national standings just behind Duinwijck.
Upcoming Rematch in Wateringen Scheduled for Next Week
Almere will face VELO again next week, traveling away to Wateringen for the return fixture. Originally scheduled for mid-December, the upcoming round was brought forward to accommodate upcoming European Team Championship qualification matches. Tournament results and updated standings remain available via toernooi.nl, with match photography published on badmintonenzo.net.
