SA ringtennis teams tour Germany, gain experience
'The main purpose of the tour was to build relationships with the Germans and give our players valuable exposure to their 'German' style of play,' said club member Emelia Olley.
The teams were hosted by three different German clubs during their stay. For the first leg, they stayed in Kieselbronn at the TV Kieselbronn Ringtennis Club, where they trained, learned new techniques, and played warm-up matches in preparation for the first test.
The u/23 Protea team, unfamiliar with their German counterparts, fielded all members to give everyone test-match experience. Each test consisted of 10 games: two men's singles, two women's singles, two mixed doubles, two men's doubles, and two women's doubles, all worth a total of 20 points.
The u/23s lost their first test 18-2. The Protea National team followed, losing 15-5, though club members Richter van Tonder and Olley managed a draw in mixed doubles, and Van Tonder won his doubles match.
An open singles championship that weekend saw strong performances:
• Carla Craig secured a second spot in the u/21 division.
• Ilze Olley obtained a fifth place.
The next stop was Rossdorf, where the teams continued training and played against Gross Karben and Rossdorf clubs, winning both encounters.
In the second u/23 test in Gross Karben, changes in combinations paid off, with the team narrowly losing 11-9. The Protea National team lost their second test 16-4, though Van Tonder drew his singles match and won his mixed doubles with Olley.
The tour concluded with an open mixed doubles and doubles tournament:
• Richter and Rowan van Tonder – second place (doubles).
• Carla Craig – first place (u/21 doubles) and second place (mixed doubles).
• Ilze Olley – third place (mixed doubles).
'All our matches were played on tartan surfaces, which is new for us as South Africans since we usually play on hard courts,' said Olley. 'Overall, it was a great tour with lots of new friendships made and experience gained.'
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