The 2011 European Outdoor Championships for Seniors and Super Seniors were held during the week of 13-19 June, and once again saw some inspiring performances from the stars of the ITF Seniors Circuit, with champions travelling from as far as Australia and Canada to take part. The event was split across two venues, with players in the Over 40s to Over 55s age groups returning to the Rot-Weiss Club in the German town of Baden-Baden, which hosted the Championships for a 54th time, whilst the Super Seniors played in Pörtschach in Austria.
World #9 Taras Beyko of Canada won the Men’s 40 event, ending 2009 champion Christian Arraya of Chile’s hopes of a second European title for the loss of just three games. Beyko had a lucky break in the semi finals, when top seed Christoph Back (GER) was forced to retire after playing just one game.
In the Men’s 45s, Stefan Burchard retained his crown, taking the title for a third time in four years. Burchard almost left the competition at the semi final stage, recovering from a set down to beat Spain’s Carlos Costa 3-6 7-6(3) 6-2. The title match was a repeat of last year’s final with Girts Dzelde of Latvia, but the result was the same, with the German posting a straight sets win.
Top seed Norbert Henn went one better than in 2010, winning the Men’s 50s title in style. The German won all of his matches in straight sets, including a 6-0 6-0 win over seventh seeded compatriot Thomas Rothe in the final.
Henn’s 2010 conqueror Glenn Busby moved up to the 55s category this year and picked up where he left off, breezing to the title for the loss of just nine games in five matches, including a 6-0 6-2 dismissal of defending champion Andrew Rae in an all-Australian final.
In the doubles events, German pair Teo Jägersberg and Marc Bientzle won the 40/45s title after playing just one match, as their quarter and semi final opponents were forced to withdraw, while Pierre Godfroid (BEL) successfully defended the 50/55s crown, teaming this year with Frits Rajimakers (NED).
The biggest surprise of the ladies’ events saw Katy Agnelli of Italy upset top seed and two-time defending champion Lucie Schwab of Austria in her first match before going on to take her maiden European title in the final of the 40s.
Klartje van Baarle of Belgium defended her 45s title with ease, beating Lisa Prechtl (GER) in the semis in a repeat of last year’s final, before brushing past Pavla Mrazova (CZE) 6-1 6-1 for the title. Last year’s Player of the Year Barbara Koutna (CZE) had to work harder to defend her 50s title, coming from a set down in the final to outlast Maria Rosa Bruno 3-6 6-3 7-6(5).
There was another titanic battle in the Ladies 55s, where Germany’s Heide Eisterlehner fell at the final hurdle. Playing the event for the first time, American world #2 Carolyn Nichols won her first European title, ending Eisterlehner’s six year unbeaten run in the Over 55s age group with a 6-3 5-7 6-4 win. Nichols also added the doubles alongside Lyn Mortimer (AUS).
Over in Pörtschach, top seeded Spaniard Jorge Camina Borda defended his Mens 60s title with a 5-7 6-0 6-2 win over Lubomir Petrov of Germany. The win marks Camina Borda’s sixth European Outdoor seniors title in total, and he has now won the event in four consecutive years. The two finalists also paired up to win the doubles crown.
Peter Adrigan (GER) reclaimed the Men’s 65 title that he last won in 2009 with a 6-0 6-2 win over Australia’s John Rheinberger. In the 70s, record-breaker Peter Pokorny once again extended his incredible run of European Championship victories. Sadly, the final was a short-lived encounter, with Vittorio Monaco (ITA) being forced to retire with the core at 1-1 in the first set. Nevertheless, Pokorny becomes one of just two players to win European Championship titles indoors and outdoors in 2011, and increases his total tally of singles titles to 33.
There was an all-German final of the 75s event, with Gerd Coldewey beating Günther Kindermann 6-2 6-3 for his first European title. The Men’s 80s title saw Lorne Main defend his title with a win over Britain’s Paul Drane, while Italy’s Angelo Sala won the 85s event, a 7-5 6-2 winner over Stefan Stefanoff of Bulgaria.
A new winner was guaranteed in the Ladies 60s event, with Sylvia Bauwens not defending her title. Third seed Alena Klein ensured that the trophy stayed in German hands, sweeping to the title without the loss of a set.
Top seed Heide Orth re-claimed the Ladies 65s title – her 30th European Championship win in total – surviving a fight back from Australian eighth seed Carol Campling to win 6-2 2-6 6-3. With the win, Orth joins Peter Pokorny as the only player to win indoor and outdoor European titles in 2011, the second consecutive year the pair has done so.
Zsofia Garaguly of Hungary won the 70s title when defending champion Renate Castellucci (GER) had to retire whilst trailing 7-5 4-6 1-4 in the final. There was no third time lucky for Ilse Michael in the 75s final. The German was runner-up for a third consecutive year, this time losing to American Doris De Vries. Finally, the 80s title went to Magdalena Jauch (GER), who beat 2010 Player of the Year Erzsebet Szentirmay (HUN) 6-2 6-0 in the final.
Full draws and results from the European Outdoor Seniors Championships, as well as other tournaments on the ITF Seniors Circuit in Europe, can be found on the European Tennis Calendar.