Yesterday evening we won the international match against Germany. In front of about 400 spectators we scored a 3-2 victory in the sports hall in Emden.
After both teams had been introduced and the national anthems had been played the match could start. The hall was a kind of gym with big glass windows at the tribune side. The courts had not been laid smartly because when you were playing facing the public you could look outside and sometimes you had the sun shining in your face. At that side you could hardly see something but of course it was a problem for both teams.
Samantha and I started with the mixed double. In the first game we were on the “wrong”side and every smash of the opponents meant a point as we only saw the shuttle when it was on the floor. Almost the whole first game we were behind but still we managed to win this game. In the second game we took the initiative and we kept our opponents at some distance but at a certain moment we lost focus and we presented the Germans a few easy points. This is something you should never do to Germans because they grab these opportunities with both hands. We lost the second game and so we had to start the third game on the wrong side again. Fortunately we were able to reduce the damage and all game long we kept the score in balance. At the end we were slightly more focussed and we won the third game by 21-19.
Both single matches were won by the Germans and after a short break the doubles could enter the court. Dave and I had to play against Zurwonne and Heinz. The first game we won easily. In no time we had a 21-11 score on the board. The second game was a lot more difficult and we kept each other in balance. With the numbers 18-19 on the board we scored 3 points in a row and with this win we had an intermediate draw 2-2.
In the ladies double the first game was a close loss and the second a close win. So the third game should be decisive not only for this match but also for the entire competition. Samantha and Iris showed that they were the better pair by winning this game by 21-15.
Of course the 3-2 victory over the Germans had to be celebrated so I grabbed a Dutch flag and made a good round of honour on the courts.
After a joined meal we could start our return journey and at 2.30 AM we were back at Papendal again. It was a great day with compliments to our German hosts who organise these events in a fantastic way every time again.