With days to go until the 2021 European Championships in Kyiv, we look back at a title victory that was the stuff of dreams for Marc Zwiebler and Germany.
Marc Zwiebler was born in the former German capital, Bonn, and expectations were high of the determined left-hander when he won the 2003 European Junior Championships in Esbjerg, Denmark, defeating the Dane Rune Ulsing on his home court in the final.
Interestingly, Zwiebler also was the gold in mixed doubles with Birgit Overzier (later Michels), but of course, focused on his men’s singles career at senior level.
By 2012, the German had accumulated several titles and in 2011 reached the semifinal of the All England Open, taking Lin Dan to three games. Coming into an Olympic year, the 28-year-old was playing some of his best badminton.
The tale of two winners
Karlskrona, Sweden was the location for the 2012 European Championships. As is the case in Kyiv, the Danish men’s singles group were gearing up for a big year. Peter Gade was the holder and number one seed, followed by Jan Ø Jørgensen, and Hans-Kristian Vittinghus. Zwiebler was in at fourth seed.
There are two tales to tell from the men’s singles category in 2012. Playing at home, Sweden’s Henri Hurskainen had a stunning run that perhaps not even he could have dreamed up. He ground out a second-round win in three games against Germany’s Lukas Schmidt, to then surpass the now famous Russian doubles star, Ivan Sozonov, to book a place in the quarterfinal.
Already the opportunity to play Peter Gade on this stage in front of the home crowd was a major success. Their previous encounters were dominant wins by Gade, but today, something special happened on court. In the deciding game, Hurskainen was able to muster up the energy of the crowd and win 21-19.
Hurskainen then met the rising young talent of Viktor Axelsen in the semifinal. Again, the two met at the German Open just a few months before, with Axelsen winning in just 31 minutes. But it wasn’t just Hurskainen on court this time, it was Hurskainen and Sweden. In over one hour of great badminton spirit, Sweden had there man book a spot in the final.
The German fairytale
Meanwhile, Zwiebler was gaining momentum not only from seeing the falling seeds in the other half of the draw but also from his own performances. Zwiebler overcame a strong challenge from Estonia’s Raul Must in round three and then efficiently dispatched England’s Rajiv Ouseph in the quarterfinal. Their matches were always tight, so this was a great sign for what was to come.
Zwiebler faced Jørgensen in the semifinal. Past form would deem Zwiebler unbackable. In the three matches they played in the previous two years, Jørgensen was the comfortable winner. Earlier in the year at the European Men’s Team Championships final in Amsterdam, the Dane won 21-11, 21-14.
However, as was demonstrated by Hurskainen, anything is possible. Zwiebler managed to turn the tables and win 21-19, 21-15. The two-left-handers who were ripping up the formbook met in the final.
Got the job done
Zwiebler is known for his ‘business-like’ approach to badminton, and he simply got the job done in that final, winning 21-15, 21-13 against a Swede who had nothing left to give after an unforgettable run. Zwiebler scored gold for Germany, breaking up a Danish 10-title reign beginning in 1992.
Will we get similar surprises this year? The 2021 European Championships will take place in Kyiv, Ukraine from 27 April to 2 May.