The Hague, the Netherlands, June 16, 2013 – Katrin Holtwick and Ilka Semmler claimed the first medal for Germany in four World Tour events in the Netherlands. The German team won the bronze medal match against Dutch Jantine van der Vlist and Marloes Wesslink at the Transavia The Hague Grand Slam.
It was the first time the German teams could travel to The Hague. The three previous Open editions were staged in August, in the same week as the German championships.
Pressure from the start
Holtwick and Semmler took the lead from the beginning and did not give the Dutch a chance to get comfortable. With 21-12 21-14 they claimed their second medal of the season after finishing third in Fuzhou and their seventh overall medal.
“We served well from the beginning and that gave us a lot of confidence. We put on enough pressure for them to not be able to get back in the game”, Holtwick said.
The German girls were a bit sad after losing the semifinal yesterday to the Salgado sisters. Semmler: “But we really wanted to win today. You don’t want to be fourth. It’s the worst position you can get.”
A-status for Dutch team
For the Dutch team fourth place is still a big accomplishment. They both established a personal record on the World Tour. Finishing in the top four also means that they earned the A-status in the Netherlands, which means financial support from the national federation.
In their first bronze medal match they mostly lacked experience. “I think we are a bit more used to playing a medal match”, Holtwick said. “They had a good tournament but it is always difficult to come back after losing the semifinal.”
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