The best tennis players gathered at the Wanderers Sports Club on 21 October for the 2022 Windhoek Table Tennis Open Championships.
The final showdown of the year had players under pressure – not only as a result of the heat but also due to the tremendous efforts made to secure their positions on the National Table Tennis rankings.
The seasoned veteran, Christa Mrozek, stunned once again, clinching her whopping 19th ladies› championship since its inauguration in 1981.
She remains the record holder for this title, claiming not only the Ladies Single title but also the mixed doubles trophy with her partner Heiko Fleidl.
Khutsafalo Sekolokwane put up a brave fight but had to settle for silver.
In a joint third position, national team player Janika Biederlack shared the podium with Bregida George, an ex-national player who returned to table tennis after a four-year hiatus from the sport.
The star of the men’s singles division was without a doubt Delton Dreyer, who won his inaugural gold singles title.
It was not an easy feat, however. In the semi-finals, he saw off Maximillian Böck after losing his first set to Namibia’s No.1 junior player.
Böck eliminated Heiko Fleidl in their quarterfinal after earlier defeating No.1 Seed Wayne Green in the group stage.
In another semi-final, Rudi Saunderson put up a brave fight against Cui Yunke but eventually bowed out 3-2 against his fellow club member.
Having reached the finals, Dreyer was functioning in top gear.
Cui Yunke tried his best to unsettle Dreyer – but in the end, he had no answer to the relentless attacks from the young Marientaler, who clinched the coveted singles title with 4-0.
Dreyer was part of the national team that recently brought home bronze in the AUSC Region 5 games in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The mixed doubles saw two strong teams going head-to-head with the pairing of Khutsafalo Sekolokwane and Delton Dreyer; unfortunately, falling short against the regular pair-up of Christa Mrozek and Heiko Fleidl.
Third place was secured by another Hochland Acers pair Michelle de Koker and Ewan Orlam.
The men’s doubles division saw Fabian Tait and Charles Cui Yunke reign victorious against Rudi Saunderson and Bastian Hüster, with Delton Dreyer and Ewan Orlam securing third place.