DHM Table Tennis in Aachen
From May 24 - 26, this year's German University Table Tennis Championships took place in Aachen. A title-hungry delegation from Karlsruhe, never before seen on this scale, arrived on Friday highly motivated and full of drive. We already had the title for the most entries of a university. Check!
First we started on Friday with the finals of the team competitions, for which we qualified with both our men's and women's teams. While the men's team reached the semi-finals directly, the women's team first had to overcome a group phase and then play out the winner in a knockout system from the quarter-finals onwards.
Our men's team consisted of very select players who already had experience at European level.
1. Michael Pfeiffer: Our star player as well as the eye-catcher of the crowd, responsible for the attractive rallies.
2. Christoph Füllner: As a prospective doctoral student, our brainiac in the team, cleverness and a forehand bomb the means to success.
3. Jakob Schmid: Motivational machine, coach and all-rounder with a brutal 1st ball, jointly responsible for the atmosphere that brings success
4. Jan Ebentheuer: University routinier always with the motto "in the peace lies the strength", radiates the necessary composure for the team.
5. Manuel Weis: used as a double expert and high quality bus driver, responsible for the intact arrival and warming up of the athletes for the competition.
Arriving at the competition, the team of WG Karlsruhe unfortunately had the bad luck to meet the title favorite and later university champion WG Göttingen in the semifinal match. Karlsruhe was clearly defeated 1:6 in this match, but still had the chance to climb the podium against WG Aachen in the match for third place. Accordingly, our team was motivated and focused in this match. The Karlsruhe fan base, which had arrived in the meantime and was euphoric from the trip, cheered our boys to a clear 6:1 victory, which brought the first podium place to Karlsruhe's account.
Our women's team, which also had European experience to show, was as a spectator magnet sporty and visually something for the eye.
1st Kathrin Hessenthaler: With 2nd Bundesliga experience in her luggage, simply a machine.
2. Carolin Reisig: With the fansong: "Sweet Caroline" always the whole audience loudly on her side
First of all, the group phase was about settling into the competition and using one's own strengths to bring success, which succeeded brilliantly with the clear group victory. After winning the quarterfinals 3:0, the team faced the nominally stronger Frankfurt team in the semifinals. Tactically and motivationally top adjusted Carolin Reisig played the first singles and outgrew herself with the whole audience behind her. Against a Frankfurt defender who was superior on paper, she played herself into a frenzy with sensational rallies and defeated her opponent in 3:1 sets. However, the lead did not last long, because our number 1 Kathrin Hessenthaler lost in a very exciting match against the top player from Frankfurt and then the doubles and second singles of Kathrin with many attractive rallies were decided very closely with the better end for the Frankfurt women. Accordingly, the match for 3rd place against WG Ulm was again about grabbing a podium place. After the 1st men had already played their last match and the entire Karlsruhe faction was present in the hall with all their men, the women's court turned into a witch's cauldron surrounded by Karlsruhe fans. Under these conditions, the fans inspired our two ladies with loud cheers and several "Sweet Carolines" to an ultimately clear 3:0 victory, which secured the 2nd place on the podium.
The doubles and singles competitions took place the following day. However, despite very good performances (of most of the athletes from Karlsruhe), they unfortunately did not bring any titles. It has to be emphasized that the active performance of all Karlsruher who came to the event was on the highest level throughout, both in terms of atmosphere in the hall and on both evening programs, and earned great recognition! With great praise to the Aachen organization, sporting success, physical borderline experiences as well as a lot of fun we like to remember this German University Championship and are already looking forward to next year.