Two ÖTV teams are on course for medals in Mallorca

Overall, the World Senior Team Championship in Mallorca for the 65+ to 85+ age groups is still going very well from a red, white and red perspective. With women over 65 and men over 75, two of ÖTV’s five teams will compete for medals from Thursday.

The Austrian women’s 65+ team, with captain Maja Kirschbaum, Inge Pils-Fechter, Silvia Riegel and doubles specialist Hildegard Brugraber, defeated the Netherlands 3-0 in their second group match after a 2-1 win over Germany. This puts them in the final round of the top eight, where the top seeds await the Americans.

The ÖTV Women’s 75+ team with team captains Hydros Toth, Louise Moser, Walburga Stefanowski and Margot Passegger also won the opening match against Brazil 3-0. In the second match, Argentina lost 2-1. The last preliminary round match was against the favored Americans. Here, the home team clearly lost 3-0 due to bad injury luck and is now playing among 15 countries in positions 5th to 8th.

In the men’s over-70 category, the Austrian team started last year’s runner-up. After beating Ireland 3-0, team captains Alex Haupt-Buchenrode, Harald Helmunseder, Günter Richter and Alfred Och also beat Denmark 3-0. In the final group match against France, Haupt-Buchenrode made it 1-0, but after Helmunseder lost at second singles, the doubles had to be decided. There, Haupt-Buchenrode/Hellmonseder lost 5:7, 5:7 to their ranked opponents. A play-off for places 9th to 14th between 22 proud nations awaits us.

Also telling is that the ÖTV Men’s 75+ team under captain Helmut Flagel, Hans-Dietrich Hessel, Heinrich Griesemeier and Hans Peverment won their opening match 3-0 over Zimbabwe. The second mission against Germany was no problem for the local top seven. A 2-1 win over neighboring Austria, with the decision already decided in the individual rounds, secured a place in the top eight. Denmark is waiting there.

The red, white and red men over 65 were given a break on the first game day. With captains Christian Hebenstreit, Karl Scheidel, Hans Zeschka and Hans Vighofer playing their first encounter against the top-seeded and superior Australians, against whom there was nothing to gain at 0:3. The improvement was clear in the second match, but Denmark won over Austria 2-1.