Nordhorn Brettchen Open 2011 at 21.05.2011

Franz-Josef Hürmann wins the Nordhorn Brettchen Open for the third time Nordhorn (HH). In the eleventh implementation of Nordhorn Brettchen Open, the oldest hardbat table tennis tournament in Germany, Franz-Josef Hürmann from TTF Bönen won the men I competition for the third time. The currently strongest German hardbat player won in the finals against his doubles partner Ulrich Watermann from SC Bad Salzuflen in five games. In the final first it seemed for a surprise move, when Watermann took the lead with 2-0 games. Only later the former first division player Hürmann showed his full strenght and finally secured after three successing games also the individual title. The doubles final Hürmann had won directly before along with Watermann for the second time in their fourth common final. Ultimately here Marcel Krämer (TTC BW Grevenbroich) and Francis Leibenguth (TTHR Saint Max) were without a chance. Leibenguth from the French Nancy started for the fourth time in Nordhorn and has been once more the player with the longest travel distance. In the men II competition for players from the district divisions four hardbat veterans came to the first places. Christian Reinike (SC Union Emlichheim ) in the finals managed with a 3-1 his revenge against Jan Giebel (1. TTC Münster), after he had lost in the first round group against the former Bentheim player. Jürgen Lohrie from the East Frisian SV Stikelkamp won the doubles final with Mike Schachner (Spvgg Brandlecht/Hestrup) against Schachner's teammate Reinhold Nüsse and Jörg Knospe from the host club TTC Eintracht Nordhorn. In the men III class for the players of the county level the players from North Rhine-Westphalia were unstoppable. Michael Keil (TTC Blau-Weiß Grevenbroich) won the singles and the doubles competition, where his partner Tore Schwefer (DJK Gravenhorst) succeeded to defend the title. Damian Kleinert (Jugend 70 Merfeld) was left standing in both finals. Fourth man in the doubles final was the 82-year-old Wolfgang Traub from the Hessian SV Annerod, together with men I winner Hürmann the only tournament participant who plays the hardbat his whole life, while all other players normally compete with the modern table tennis rackets. In the junior classes all titles remained in Nordhorn. By the boys Jannik Lampen from SpVgg. Brandlecht/Hestrup won the singles and the doubles in the final against last year's winner Fabian Veldboer (TTC Eintracht Nordhorn), whose teammates Levin Zare and Nils Kommessin played off for the places with the cadets among themselves - in the doubles and with the victory of Zare in singles. Thanks to the first participation of young players - including four female cadets - of leading Grafschaft Bentheim clubs in the youth area, SpVgg. Brandlecht/Hestrup and Hoogsteder SV, the cadet class with 13 starters was the largest of the tournament for the first time. TTC Eintracht Nordhorn was very pleased with the good response at the tournaments 10-year anniversary. With a total of 41 starters, mainly from Lower Saxony and North Rhine Westphalia, the number of participants of the previous year increased by over 150 %. Especially the good response in the cadet area gives hope that the spread of hardbat table tennis will continue in Germany. Coming soon more hardbat tournaments follow in Norden, Berlin-Tegel, Mettingen near Osnabrück, Kassel, Cologne and in Waltrop.