Eskilstuna by STIGA edged out kosta SK in a tightly contested Swedish Pingisligan match decided by a thrilling doubles finish Tuesday evening. the victory, fueled by a strong performance from debutant Kim Taehyun, keeps Eskilstuna in contention for a semifinal berth as the regular season approaches its midpoint [[1]]. A rematch is already scheduled for next week,with Kosta SK looking for revenge on their home court.
Eskilstuna by STIGA secured a hard-fought victory over Kosta SK in a thrilling Swedish Pingisligan match, decided in a dramatic doubles showdown.
Eskilstuna by STIGA fielded debutant Kim Taehyun alongside David Björkryd, Amirreza Abassi, and Hugo Törngren. Kosta SK countered with Pär Gerell, Martin Fröseth, Mathieu De Saintilans, and Aleksi Räsänen.
Kosta drew first blood as defensive specialist Mathieu De Saintilans delivered a steady performance against Hugo Törngren, controlling the table with length and minimizing errors to win 3-0 in sets.
Eskilstuna quickly responded with a tense victory. Kim Taehyun took the first two sets with quick footwork and a powerful forehand, consistently attacking Martin Fröseth’s backhand. Fröseth battled back, improving his defense and returns to level the match at 2-2. The deciding set went down to the wire, with Taehyun ultimately prevailing 11-9 in front of the home crowd.
Amirreza Abassi then dominated Aleksi Räsänen, showcasing his short-grip rubber to secure a straight-sets win for Eskilstuna.
A well-played and closely contested match between David Björkryd and Pär Gerell followed. Gerell ultimately emerged victorious, saving five match points in the fourth set before closing out the game and tying the team score at 2-2.
The momentum swung again after the break as Martin Fröseth continued his strong play, convincingly defeating David Björkryd. On the adjacent table, Kim Taehyun claimed his second win of the evening with an impressive 3-1 victory over Pär Gerell.
A highlight of the night came in the match between the two defensive players, Amirreza Abassi and Mathieu De Saintilans. Abassi proved too strong, displaying a wider range of variations in his game to win 3-0.
With the teams evenly matched, the contest came down to a decisive doubles match after Aleksi Räsänen defeated Hugo Törngren 3-1, minimizing his unforced errors.
Eskilstuna opted for the pairing of Taehyun and Abassi, while Kosta countered with Räsänen and Gerell.
Räsänen and Gerell took the first set, but Taehyun and Abassi fought back, winning the second and forcing a deciding set. With momentum on their side, Taehyun and Abassi dominated the final set, winning 11-3 and securing the crucial bonus point for Eskilstuna.
Eskilstuna by STIGA’s team leader, Martin Björkryd, expressed satisfaction with the win, though he hoped for a clean sweep.
– It was a fair victory, where I had hoped for three points. Today our foreign players had to carry a big load, so we need more players to contribute with wins. Hugo (Törngren) and David (Björkryd) probably feel they want to contribute more.
How good did this win feel?
– Of course, it feels good. It would have felt really bad and unfair to only get one point.
A rematch between the two teams is scheduled for next Tuesday. Eskilstuna anticipates a tough challenge and believes they will need to elevate their game.
– Kosta will be extremely motivated and fired up next week, but we need to be able to handle that. We’ll probably need to step it up considerably to even take two points next week. They’ll be playing at home and will do everything to get revenge, so we’re preparing for that.
Kim Taehyun, who made an impressive debut, won both of his singles matches and the deciding doubles match with Abassi. He downplayed his individual performance, however.
– I’m not thinking too much about my own performance; it’s a team match. It was an important win to be able to challenge for a semifinal spot. The win gave us a lot of confidence, and I’m grateful to my teammates. A salute to Kosta for a good fight and their sporting conduct.
Kosta SK were content with earning a point, given their circumstances.
– We are a team that is depleted and a bit banged up, considering that, we stood up well. Two points would have been better than one, but we’ll assess after the match on our home court, said team leader Joel Svensson.
Svensson continued:
– We will have everyone available next week, which is nice. We will go through this match, recharge, and then start fresh.
Both teams take away valuable points heading into next week’s rematch, setting the stage for an exciting continuation of the season.
Full match results:
Kim Taehyun – Martin Fröseth 3-2 (12-10, 11-7, 9-11, 8-11, 11-9)
Hugo Törngren – Mathieu De Saintilans 0-3 (10-12, 5-11, 7-11)
David Björkryd – Pär Gerell 1-3 (9-11, 10-12, 11-6, 14-16)
Amirreza Abassi – Aleksi Räsänen 3-0 (11-2, 11-6, 11-8)
Kim Taehyun – Pär Gerell 3-1 (11-3, 14-12, 2-11, 11-6)
David Björkryd – Martin Fröseth 0-3 (5-11, 3-11 5-11)
Amirreza Abassi – Mathieu De Saintilans 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-6)
Hugo Törngren – Aleksi Räsänen 1-3 (11-6, 8-11, 9-11, 5-11)
Abassi/Taehyun – Gerell/Räsänen 2-1 (6-11, 11-8, 11-3)
Other matches in round 7:
11/12, 18:30: BTK Rekord – Halmstad BTK Webcast
11/12, 18:30: Spårvägens BTK – Söderhamns UIF Webcast
17/12, 18:30: Eslövs AI BTK – Falkenbergs BTK Webcast
Complete results and the schedule for the Pingisligan By STIGA can be found here.
Image: Hugo Thörngren, Eskilstuna by STIGA Photo: Erik Kruse
