The champagne was ready, the torches and the kegs of beer too. But the season of the Groningen student tennis players ended in a huge anticlimax: Bakkum won and became champion.
The whole of TAM was ready to pull off the same trick as five years ago, when TAM won the championship at the expense of the talent team of fellow townsman Cream Crackers and was promoted to the main class. In a bizarre duel, under similar weather conditions, and with about 400 beer-drinking TAM members around the lanes, who made it very difficult for the youngsters of ‘Cream’ while screaming.
Cream Crackers left several match points unused at the time, TAM finally decided the game around half past nine in the evening. This was followed by a party not to be forgotten.
For 150 euros worth of champagne
That is exactly what the new crop of TAM players really wanted to achieve. “We have 150 euros worth of champagne ready,” said TAM president Tess Maathuis on Sunday morning. “Not one expensive bottle, no, a lot of cheap champagne. And the torches are ready.”
It was also a competition: the number 1, TAM, on their own ACLO courts against the number 2, Bakkum from North Holland. Before the start of the top match, TAM had a distorted lead of 7 points over Bakkum, which had to play the remainder of the match against Marquette from Heemskerk, which was stopped due to rain.
5-3 win was necessary
The score in that game was 4-1 in favor of Bakkum, which could easily end up 7-1 against the already relegated Marquette if they won the remaining games.
Counting those points, TAM and Bakkum were equal at the start. ,,This is how we enter the match”, said president Tess Maathuis on Sunday morning. ,,We really have to beat Bakkum, 4-4 is probably not enough.”
Dramatic loss Maderink
But things soon didn’t go as planned. Rixt van der Werff, who played with Cream Crackers against TAM as a young 16-year-old five years ago, lost her single against Jinte de Boer (3-6, 6-1, 4-6). On the adjacent track, Amber Maalderink also had to lose against Safien Boulonois (6-3, 1-6, 6-7), but her loss was almost as dramatic as that of ‘Cream’ five years ago: Maalderink left in the third set three match points unused.
“Really, unbelievable. It didn’t matter much either. Twice a forehand return that I just hit out. I didn’t expect to get to match point against her in advance, but yes, if you are that close, you want to win that pot too.”
Unnecessary loss Jasper Visker
Subsequently, Jasper Visker also lost his single to Ruud Vis: 6-4, 3-6, 4-6. Unnecessary, thought the younger brother of Niels Visker, who was also part of the Cream team at the time and is now working hard to become a tennis pro. ,,I shouldn’t have lost this one”, Jasper sulked. ,,I thought I was the better tennis player, but I gave him away in the third set due to my own mistakes. Really, this sucks.”
Sven van Dijk did win his singles match, 6-4, 6-4 against Marnix Blom, making the score 1-3 after the singles. ,,All doubles win now”, Maathuis was still positive. “But it will be a tough one.”
For a moment, the TAM women seemed to grow wings
This was already evident in the women’s doubles. Tesse Haan and Van der Werff already conceded three match points at 5-3 in the second set, but then revived and for a moment it looked like that match from five years ago: a lot of noise, lots of fists and shouts with which Haan and Van der Werff briefly seemed to have wings. But it was short-lived. The tiebreak was reached, but Bakkum was stronger: 6-3 and 7-6.
When the men’s doubles were also lost, it was already clear: Bakkum will become champion, TAM will also play in the first division next year. Disappointed, the TAM people took another beer. And that champagne? ,,We save that for next year”, said president Maathuis. “Then we’ll get promoted.”