Noma Noha Akugue and Benjamin Hassan triumph at the German Championships
Noma Noha Akugue and Benjamin Hassan won the title at the 49th German Championships in Biberach. Noha Akugue beat Nastasja Schunk 6: 3 and 6: 3 at the base of the Württemberg Tennis Association. In the men's final, Benjamin Hassan beat Elmar Ejupovic 4: 6, 7: 6 (5) and 6: 4 in three sets.
by PM
last edit: Dec 13, 2020, 06:35 pm
The 17-year-old Noma Noha Akugue (The Club on the Alster) is the new German champion. In the final, she beat Nastasja Schunk (BASF TC Ludwigshafen) of the same age 6: 3 and 6: 3. The duel between the two left-handers who belong to the Porsche junior teams of the German Tennis Association lasted 1:28 hours: Noha Akugue from the Porsche Junior Team, Schunk is a member of the Porsche Talent Team. Noha Akungue is the youngest title holder of the indoor championships that have been held twelve times in Biberach. Only in 1984 were the then 15-year-old Steffi Graf at the indoor championships in Mainz and Isabel Cueto (16) at the championships that were also held outdoors in 1984 younger at all in national championships. “To win another title like this at the end of the season is of course great. As in the last few days here in Biberach, I also tried in the final to go onto the pitch without expectations and to get the best out of it. The fact that it got tight again at the end was less due to my head than to the fact that my five matches had taken me physically too, "said Noha Akugue, who is based in Glinde near Hamburg, about her triumphant week
Hassan wins the men's title
Also in the men's competition, Benjamin Hassan (TK Kurhaus Aachen) has entered a new player on the list of winners of the German championships. In a thrilling final over three sets, 25-year-old Hassan prevailed 4: 6, 7: 6 (5) and 6: 4 against Elmar Ejupovic (TC Bad Homburg). Ejupovic had thrown defending champion Daniel Masur out of the tournament in the semi-finals.
“For now I'm relieved and, of course, also proud that the whole training has paid off for me after a very long tournament break,” said Hassan, who was born in Saarland, happily after the final. Regarding the game itself, he said: "Overall, I returned well and was able to free myself from difficult situations again and again, also through good anticipation." The two new German champions were rewarded with 3600 euros each; for second place there was 2300 euros. The German championships were endowed with a total of 34,000 euros
Positive conclusion to German championships
With the German championships, which like many other events were held without an audience, the last official tennis tournament this year came to an end. “On behalf of the whole DTB and its executive committee, I would like to congratulate Noma Noha Akugue and Benjamin Hassan on their first German championship titles. It is particularly gratifying that the women’s youngsters took the opportunity and played their way into the foreground, ”said DTB President Ulrich Klaus.