Badminton Club Holten clawed its way back from an early deficit to secure a hard-fought 4-4 draw against Badminton Almelo 2 on Monday, Oct. 5.
Early Doubles Deficits Put Holten on the Back Foot
The fixture at the start of October marked a significant turnaround for Holten’s first team after opening their schedule with two defeats. Entering the match eager to salvage standing points, the club immediately ran into trouble.
The evening began with swift setbacks during the doubles encounters. Both the men’s and women’s pairings struggled to find their rhythm, allowing Badminton Almelo 2 to race ahead in the opening games.
Harold Konijnenbelt and Rolph Rikkering dropped their men’s doubles match 14-21, 14-21 to Georgie Reviano and Robin Nijmeijer. Lidy Kuiper and Gea Stam fell 17-21, 19-21 against Lotte ter Hedde and Nienke Blikman.
Singles Surge Levels the Score in Almelo
Holten responded decisively during the singles matches, shifting the momentum with high-level play.
Harold Konijnenbelt defeated Robin Nijmeijer 21-18, 22-20. Lidy Kuiper topped Nienke Blikman 21-15, 21-12.
Although Rolph Rikkering lost to Georgie Reviano 12-21, 8-21, Gea Stam engineered a dramatic comeback in her singles bout. Stam overcame a large deficit against Larissa Veenhof before closing out a 23-21, 21-16 victory, leveling the overall team score at 3-3.
Mixed Doubles Split Secures the Final Draw
With the tie hanging in the balance during the mixed doubles, the two clubs split the remaining points.
Lidy Kuiper and Harold Konijnenbelt dropped a match 18-21, 14-21 to Larissa Veenhof and Robin Nijmeijer.
However, Gea Stam and Rolph Rikkering delivered a surprise win through well-coordinated play, defeating Lotte ter Hedde and Georgie Reviano 21-18, 21-14 to secure the 4-4 draw.
Building Momentum After a Severe September Test
The October turnaround follows a severe opening test on Monday, Sept. 14, when Holten’s first team fell 7-1 to Orion from Enschede.
Despite pushing four matches into tense third sets, Holten’s only victory in that fixture came through the women’s doubles pair of Gea Stam and Lidy Kuiper, who defeated Anke Vrugt and Susanne Jannink 21-19, 21-6. Lidy Kuiper also contested a narrow three-set women’s singles match against Katja Witvers, losing 13-21, 21-17, 19-21 before Orion claimed the remaining ties.
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