Stephan The Man

Lyngby Squeaks Out Another Victory!

Last weekend might have been the MOST exciting team match I have ever played and coached. Saturday afternoon Lyngby Badminton Klub played at home against Farum Badminton Klub. Farum is the 4th best team in our pool but has lost to the top teams in VERY close matches. Ours was no exception. We started our first round of mixed doubles and ladies singles which went very well for Lyngby. We won 1 mixed doubles and 2 ladies singles which put us ahead 3-1 right of the bat. However our first ladies singles was a barn burner since she won 21-19 in the third set! It was great!
Second round is usualy a good one for us because it is men’s singles, and we are very strong. However instead of coming out with 3 or 4 more matches under our belts we split the men’s singles! That was a bit of a shock…which put the score 5-3 for us heading into the ladies double. For a moment I thought we were out of the woodworks when I saw our first ladies doubles dominating and our second ladies doubles taking the first set. But then our second ladies lost the match 21-19 in the third! So we went to the last round of matches which was men’s doubles being up 6-4. We needed to win one match to win the team match but we needed two matches to COMPLETELY win the team match (if you win 7-6 then both teams splits the 3 points that is giving to a team for winning….but if you win 8 matches or more you get all 3 points) So I play the first doubles and LOSE…my first loss of the season. Then our 3rd men’s doubles wins in 3 sets, so we have “won” the team match but still do not have all the points we want. So it came down to the 2nd men’s doubles which was also in 3 sets. They were down 20-13 in the third! and came back to win 23-21!! I swear it felt like a miracle because I have never seen such a comeback in doubles.
I can tell you that I was so emotionaly drained from all the high’s and low’s during the team match that I needed a few minutes on my own to re-group.
So I have to say a job well done by our team:) Now we are playing one more match before Christmas and that will be against Vaerlose Badminton Klub. They are number two in the pool and will be VERY tough to beat. So I hope we bring our A game next weekend because we are going to need it!
To view Lyngby results please click on the link below
LYNGBY RESULTS

Irish International 2009, Draw

Today the draw for the Irish International 2009 was published. Like I said in one of my previous statements, it is one of the strongest EBU’s I have played in a long time. I have been moved up from being the 9th highest ranked player in the tournament which would not allow me to be a seeded player in the draw to being 8th seed. The ranking was taken from yesterday’s updated World Ranking and I bumped ahead of Henri Hurskainen of Sweden. What does the draw have in store for me you ask? Well surprise, surprise I am playing a qualifier once again. I will be playing qualier number 7, which is impossible to tell who will be coming out of there. So I will keep up my training and getting to go to Dublin next thursday. Looking forward to it!
To view the draw please click on the link below
DRAW

Irish International Championships 2009, Entry List

Here is the entry list for the 2009 Irish International. This year’s Irish international is probably the strongest I have ever seen it. Every player in the draw is a formidable foe…the qualifying list alone is a tournament worth winning! Unfortunatly I will probably not be seeded in this tournament since I am the 9th highest world ranked player. But in all honesty, this tournament is so strong that whatever match I play will be a battle!
To see the list please click on the link below
ENTRY LIST

Song Of The Week The Black Eyed Peas – I Got A Feelin’ – Oprah Winfrey

This week’s song of the week is “I Got A Feelin’” by The Black Eyed Peas. However this video is a bit different since a Live concert that is being held in Chicago with Oprah Winfrey. I heard about this video from my friends and they all told me how cool it was. I went to look for myself and agree…this is one cool video:) And the song is also pretty good:)
Have fun watching!

2009 Bank of Scotland International Badminton Championships, My Battle for Top 16

Yesterday I played my second round at the 2009 Scottish International. I was matched up against a Scottish player, Calum Menzies. I had never seen him play before so I think it was a first for both of us. The first set I was leading for the most part, doing a good job of taking the net and moving the shuttle around. However in the second half I was giving him too many easy points and he also starting winning points at the net which resulted in me losing my lead and losing the set. In the second set I was not really getting any rhythm and still giving him easy points and went down 11-7. At the break my coach,Michael Kjeldsen, gave me a good talking to and that once again I had to turn this match into a Man’s game. From that moment in the second set I just caught fire! I won 14 points in a row to win 21-11! In the third and final game I had the same tactic, which was to play long tough rallies,keep the pace high and limit my mistakes. Unfortunatly it was much easier to say than do:) Calum was also very steady and was not giving me an inch! I was then down 11-6 at the switch and could not for the life of me win two points in a row. But then at around 15-10 we had a HUGE rally and we were both gasping for air. Even though I could see he was tired I still went down 18-11. But from there I think he hit the wall and I kept playing as high paced as I could. I then came back to 18-18, playing as solid as a rock! However then he got 19-18 which of course had potential to completly rattle my momentum. But it was not to be for the Scott, I played 3 great reallies and ended winning 21-19! Probably my best comeback ever.

On the same day I had to play my round of 16. I was matched up against an Indonesian/Welshman, Irwansyah. I did not know how my body was going to feel after two big matches. In the first set I felt that we were both feeling each other out and it was relatively even. At around 16-16 I made a few easy mistakes that were really expensive and cost me the set. In the second set once again I was down for the most part. I really had to stay away from his around the head corner because it was soooo deadly. Which meant that I had to keep the attack as much as possible. With this tactic was once again able to save myself and took the second set 21-19:) I was of course very fired up for the third set, even though I was playing on fumes:) As usual I went down 13-8 in the third and final game…but then I came back to go UP 15-13! I was sure that I can run away with it but then he also picked up the pace. It was a battle until 18-18…but then I had two points that I had the upper hand and should have finished it but I ended up making the mistake:( So the comeback kid finaly went down 21-18 in the third. It was a great run and I was very positive about how I could win on tough days and leave EVERYTHING on court…I had nothing left and that is the best thing to feel after a match…win or lose.

My tournament is in a few weeks in Ireland. I will have a few days rest and then back to the grind to get ready!

2009 Bank of Scotland International Badminton Championships, First Round Close Call

Here I am in Glasgow at the 2009 Scottish International. Yesterday afternoon I played my first round against a young English player Chris Coles and what a match it turned out to be. I had a feeling that I was going to have a tough time in that match since in my warm up I was not feeling quite right. Before it was time to play I told my coach, Michael Kjeldsen, that I was feeling heavy and that he would have to push me throughout the match.
In the first set I had a tough time seeing the shuttle and resorted to only play the net and flat. This worked to a certain extent but he was better than me in the flat play and that kept the game close. I was leading 19-17 when he then played a few very good rallies to take the set 22-20.
In the second set I felt a bit stunned and still uncomfortable on court and it showed. Coles was leading the whole way, being up 12-8 and 17-14. But that whole set my coach was constantly telling to turn it into a man’s game….which means no mistakes and get everything back. That is what I did. I had nothing else to offer but my desire to win the match. I ended up winning the second set 21-19.
In the third set it was pretty even until about 5-5, but then I took a good lead by going up 11-6. I held that lead throughout the second half of the set and ended up winning 21-16. That match was won purely on desire, nothing else….it was not my great play or tactics..just desire. I am happy to say that I was able to win it.
Today I will be facing a Scottish player, Calum Menzies at 2.00pm Scotland time. I have never played him or seen him play before. I will just go out there and want to win as badly as I did yesterday.
To follow the results please click on the link below
DRAW and RESULTS

Song Of The Week AQUA – My Mamma Said

This week’s song of the week is “mamma said” by Aqua. This Danish group is going strong with their new hit. They were made famous with their bubble gum song “Barbie girl” but it seems that they are taking a bit of a sadder approach this time. I thought it was a cool song and a neat video…so here it is on Stephan the Man:)
Enjoy!

Lyngby Strikes Again!

Another great day for Lyngby Badminton Klub. Our team played away yesterday afternoon in Frederiksberg (Copenhagen) against Frederiksberg Badminton Klub. This was going to be a very big challenge for us since they were the #2 team in the group and we were,and still are, the #1 team in our group. However when not playing on home courts and not quite knowing the opponents all that well, anything can happen.
The whole team played very well and we took a comanding lead right off the bat when both our mixed doubles and both our women’s singles won the first 4 matches. But 3 out of those 4 matches were in 3 sets, so it was quite the challenge to win. Then luck should have it one of their top players injured his leg (not severely) and had to stop the match which means that we won both matches he was supposed to play by default. From there our momentum was too great and we ended up winning the Team match 10-3.

That was a great victory for us, however after yesterday’s matches a new #2 team has emerged which means we will have to have another clash of the titans before the year is over. Our next team match will be against Farum Badminton Klub on the 28th of November 2009. We will be playing this one at home which is always an advantage. They are number 4 in the group.
In order to follow the results of Lyngby Badminton Klub please click on the link below
LYNGBY RESULTS

2009 Bank of Scotland International Badminton Championships, Draw

The draw for the Scottish International 2009 has been released today. I am the 5th seed in the tournament and have been drawn up against qualifier #4. Funny its seems that I often get a qualifier first round. The qualifying rounds start on Wednesday the 18th of November and the main draw starts on Thursday the 19th. The reason for that is that the Scottish International has a 64 draw instead of the usual 32 draws in the EBU circuit.
I will be playing a team match this weekend and then have a few training days left leading up to the tournament next week. I will be departing for Glasgow,Scotland on the 18th. Looking forward to it.

To view the draw please click on the link below
DRAW

Stephan The Man on TV5 November 18th

I would like to make a quick annoucement to all my stephantheman readers that I will be on television on the 18th of November at 22.30 (eastern standard time). I will be on a station called TV5 which is a french television station and the show is called “Plus loin + sport”. The episode will be lasting 30m and will be about my badminton life here in Copenhagen,Denmark.
So for those of you who do not speak or understand french you have exactly one week to learn:) For those of you who cannot learn the language in time, there is quite a bit of english in it for you to know what’s going on.
I am posting a link below so you can get more details about the show and when the re-runs are….oh yes there are re-runs:)
TV5 details