Lisa Zaar and Enskede LTK ready for the final. Photo: Patrick Bengtsson
Fredrika Runström and Fair Play TK are in the final – meet Enskede LTK. Photo: Patrick Bengtsson
It will be Fair Play TK against Enskede LTK in Friday’s SM final on the women’s side. It is clear after the semi-finals where Fair Play TK won against SALK with 3-1 and Enskede LTK against Påvelunds TBK with the same numbers.
Enskede LTK and Fair Play TK have met each other in the last three years’ playoffs. Last year in the semi-finals and the years before that in the final – all times with Enskede as the winner.
– On Friday we will win, we hope so, says Malmölaget’s Fredrika Runström.
Fair Play TK made it to the final via 3-1 against SALK, but it got even worse on the courts in Lidingö Tennishall. The opening third single between Lea Nilsson (SALK) and Emma Lindh (Fair Play TK) was not old when Emma had to give up at the score 4-0 to Lea. SALK thus took an early lead, but in a way that no one wanted.
Tilda Larsson in the doubles match. Photo: Patrick Bengtsson
On the court next door, Johanne Svendsen and Tilda Larsson took the first set, 6-2, in the doubles against Tiana Tian Deng and Sara Dahlström. The SALK duo was able to win an even second set with 7-5, but in the match tiebreak, Svendsen / Larsson were more even and could win with 10-6.
In the first singles, young Dane Rebecca Munk Mortensen in Fair Play TK was pitted against seasoned and former top 70 player Dalila Jakupovic in SALK. On the fifth set point in the first set, the Fair Play player was able to win the first set 6-2.
In the second singles on the court next door, Tilde Strömquist had 5-2 against Fredrika Runström and set ball at 5-3. However, Fredrika Runström caught up to 5-5. After that, the players broke each other and we reached the tiebreak in the first set. There, Runström was the stronger and won in the end.
1-0 lead in both singles for Fair Play TK and it started to smell like a final for Malmöag. In the second set, Fredrika Runström went from 3-1 and was able to win 6-3 in the end. In the first singles – which was entertaining and well played, Rebecca Munk Mortensen was able to win a tight second set 7-5 and the matter was settled.
– It’s so much fun, we’re super happy. We have had a bit of a hard time with some who are sick and injured, but our team has fought so hard. Today there were even matches and tough play, but we managed to win, says Fredrika Runström in Fair Play TK.
Klara Milicevic and Anastasia Pettersson won the doubles for Påvelund’s TBK. Photo: Patrick Bengtsson
The next semi-final – Enskede against Påvelund – was also a repeat of last year’s highly dramatic SC final where Enskede won its third straight title. Would there be revenge?
Påvelund’s TBK took the lead with a comfortable win in the doubles where Klara Milicevic and Anastasia Pettersson beat Paulina Milosavljevic and Mathilda Vidgren 6-3, 6-2.
Fanny Norin won a long and entertaining match against Alexandra Viktorovitch. Photo: Patrick Bengtsson
Fanny Norin and Alexandra Viktorovitch in the ongoing third singles had no plans to rush. No one wants to give in to a match that contained many long and nerve-wracking duels. 6-3 to Fanny Norin in the first set. In the second set, Alexandra Viktorovitch was the stronger player and was able to win it 6-2. The match went to a tiebreak with rarely seen long duels. Fanny started strongly and progressed to 4-1 and soon 7-4. But Alexandra keyed in and had 8-9 when Fanny Norin was able to decide, 10-8 in the match tiebreak.
With 1-1 in matches, an interesting Swedish showdown awaited in the second singles between Lisa Zaar and Nellie Taraba Wallberg, who had not met before. Lisa – who is back at parent club Enskede LTK – went away early in the first set and was 3-0 in a set that featured many entertaining duels. First set to Zaar with clear 6-1.
Sarah Beth Gray won the last match of the evening for Enskede LTK. Photo: Patrick Bengtsson
It did not go as quickly in the first singles, where the British Sarah Beth Gray and the Finnish Laura Hietaranta fought in an almost 20-minute long fourth game. It took Sarah Beth Gray to break back to 2-2 and take a 3-2 lead when 19-year-old Hietaranta needed medical attention for back thigh problems. At the same time, Nellie Taraba Wallberg actually also received physio help in the set change on the second court and after a longer break was able to come out to play in the second set. Lisa Zaar was outnumbered in the second set as well and won 6-0.
– I had prepared for a tough match. I thought I started and finished at a good level today, says the Swedish BJKC player.
The first single continued with a 2-1 lead for Enskede. At that point the score was 6-3, 1-1 between Sarah Beth Gray against Laura Hietaranta in a second set where the players broke each other all the time. The players were tied at 4-4 when Sarah Beth Gray broke to 5-4 and had two match points, but Hietaranta managed to turn around with narrow margins to make it 5-5. But this was the match of the break and sure enough Sarah Beth Gray broke back and this time she won, 7-5.
– I think everyone did a great job and fought hard. Nice to get the win and play the final on Friday. It will be exciting. We met Fair Play TK in the group and then it was 2-2. Now I hope for a win.
The semi-finals (click for match facts):
SALK – Fair Play TK 1-3
Enskede LTK – Påvelunds TBK
On Thursday, the men’s semifinals will be played:
15.00: Fair Play TK – SALK
19.00: Lidingö TK – Påvelunds TBK
Follow the matches on MATCHi.tv
2023-12-20 22:43:34
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