Nordhorn Brettchen Open 2019 at 25./26.05.2019

Gilles Hébert is the first to win all four titles at the Nordhorn Brettchen Open Nordhorn (HH). By winning all four titles in the two main classes the Belgian Gilles Hébert made his mark on the Nordhorn Brettchen Open, the most important tournament for classical table tennis in Germany, this weekend. On Saturday, Hébert was the first player ever to win for the fourth time in a row with the hardbat, and by winning with the sandpaper bat on Sunday, he was the only player so far to defend both individual titles. On both days he also won the doubles finals with different partners and is therefore the true champion in classic table tennis. The organizer SV Vorwärts Nordhorn let play on both tournament days for the fifth time with uniform bats. No player was allowed to use his own racket, but had to play with the bat lying on the table. Absolute equality of opportunity was therefore guaranteed. At the second attempt, Jacques Pietquin from CTT Bosquet (BEL), made it to the final of the Hardbat I competition for the first time, where the players played with pimpled rubber rackets as they did 70 years ago. However, he could not prevent Gilles Hébert of the Belgian club Palette Castellinoise from winning 3-1 and thus defending his title once again. Both were also considered favourites on Sunday, when they played with uniform sandpaper rackets as they did 100 years ago. But Pietquin lost early on to his club mate Vincent Lotte and had to settle for 3rd place. Hébert only needed a third set against Lotte and the strong newcomer Marcel Seifert (TV Dinklage) and proved to be the undefeated player on both days as clearly the strongest player with the classic rackets. By winning the clickball doubles together with the Dutchman Kelvin Heemstra (Smash Monster) Hébert rounded off his triumphal procession in Nordhorn. On Saturday in the hardbat doubles final he had also won together with his fellow countryman Louis Levis (CTT Perwez) against Jacques Pietquin and Vincent Lotte. The local players were not able to continue the successes of the last years in the lower hardbat classes. So the Belgian Jonathan Godfriaux (CTT Perwez) won both titles in Hardbat II at his first tournament start in Nordhorn, and his compatriot Vincent Holsbeek (CTT Bosquet) won the title in Hardbat III right away. The other three victories went to two players from SV Vorwärts Nordhorn. Thorsten Boomhuis won the Hardbat III doubles with Harald Lindner (TTV Mettingen), and junior player Jonas Gellink won both titles in Hardbat IV, the doubles alongside 68-year-old Heinz Passmann of Concordia Belm-Powe. Marco Knospe from the host club SV Vorwärts Nordhorn took part in a clickball tournament for the first time on Sunday and made it to both finals of the clickball II competition. But in the singles Andre Hälker from TV Dinklage was much stronger. But in the doubles it was enough for the Nordhorn player at the side of Reinhold Nüsse (SpVgg. Brandlecht/Hestrup). They surprisingly prevailed against the Hardbat II double winners Kevin de Wilde/Jonathan Godfriaux of the Belgian TTC Perwez.