Battle of the Continents: A Sneak Peek into the Mallorca Open Roundnet Tournament with Top European and North American Players
The Battle of the Continents is one of the most anticipated events in the world of roundnet, and this year, the Mallorca Open Roundnet Tournament is set to showcase the skills of top European and North American players. With competitors from both continents going head-to-head, this tournament promises to be a thrilling display of athleticism and strategy.
Tradition is kept alive
For the third time in a row, the roundnet season kicks off with a Mallorca Open, featuring the best European and also North American players across all divisions. Mallorca Open is the icing on the cake of the FRESH training camp, after which players can put the newly learned skill on full display.
Tournament Twists: Familiar Format Gets a Fun 3v3 Sidekick
This year´s tournament´s structure is similar to last year’s, with Saturday being reserved for Open/Women´s and Sunday for Mixed division. Additionally, Sunday will host a 3v3 two-net tournament, which enables players who did not find a mixed partner to hone their skills and stay active. However, the 3v3 event is just “Robin” to the mixed “Batman” 😉. Sign up here.
Without any Spikeball Tour Series Major in Europe this year, the 3rd Mallorca Open has the potential of being the most prominent tournament in terms of player quality of the year, only second to the World Championship. Is it an audacious statement? Judge for yourself.
Who can beat the North Americans?
In the first thrilling final, which was decided in the extras of game 3, the young German duo, Kopfmann/Spitznagel, beat the American star B, Hammon, and his French teammate C.Rey in 2022 to keep the trophy in Europe.
However, redemption was sweet, as B. Hammon, this time with another American star, R. Kandula, won 2023 against a US/French duo of World Champion C. Marshall and European vice-champion R. Florinda from France.This year, Mallorca open stars five World Champions (fifth being K. Pierson in women´s) and a runner-up of World Championship and STS 23´ Championship Vinny Mathieu from Critical Hit/Canada. So, what are the prominent contenders?
North American Powerhouses
North America has long been a stronghold in the world of roundnet, with some of the most dominant players hailing from the United States and Canada. Known for their powerful serves, quick reflexes, and strategic gameplay, North American players bring a fierce competitive spirit to the tournament.
(Mathieu/Marshall) Canada/US. Arguably the best setter in the game, C. Marshall is pairing up with one of the world´s best servers, V. Mathieu from Canada. Mathieu is capable of going on a serving spree at any point of the game, making 5-6 points easily, especially if provoked. Just ask the Hustling Brothers in Gent ´22 or Vandaele/Ameziane at ETS Stockholm. However, Mathieu, who is also one of the coaches at the FRESH 24 training camp, was not able to win any of the three tournaments he played in Europe in 2023. Can he break the curse?
Fred/Max (Hinkle/Model M.) are an American duo and World Champions. Hinkle is a household name worldwide, growing in popularity in Europe, especially since he made three trips to Europe last season, winning ETS Vienna with Bürkle (Germany), while completely jetlagged, since he flew from Dallas to Vienna just for about 30 hours. Hinkle/Model did not reach a podium at their last tournament together - USAR Nationals, so, they shall be hungry for the title.
Slipping in last minute, we have the Swede California (pronounced “sweet” - all naming rights reserved to Jakub) couple of B. Hammon and E. Ekman. Ekman known for his serves, won a prestigious European Indoor Masters in Prague on December 23 with J. Stachiewicz (Never Cold), as he showcased an amazing all-around game as well. Hammon´s playing IQ and defensive skills combined with Ekman´s serve pressure can go a long way.
Continental Defense: Can Europe Hold the Line on Home Soil?
German unorthodox duo called Rainbow Warriors (Claus/Lauterbach) might be Europe´s biggest hope. Their team chemistry is unparalleled and they have an arsenal of weapons, which will catch opponents off guard, especially if you are playing against them the first time - just ask Hilltop Spike at STS Major in Toulouse. It will be the first time the world will see this team wearing matching jerseys, which is a reason enough to watch the stream!😆
Moreover, if you mash up a team consisting of Europe´s best server (L. Vandaele - Belgium) and European Champion L. Eisenträger (E/S, Germany), only magic can happen. But can they cast the right spells at the right time?
Lastly, spectators will have an opportunity to experience a match made in roundnet heaven, a French-German mash-up team of Florinda/Krehle. Krehle is coming off a meteoric 2023 season, winning multiple tournaments, crowned by the European Squad Championship with team Germany. However, he has never made it to the top 4 at the ETS event, something that cannot be further from the truth about R. Florinda. Big serves, amazing defense and plenty of fair play are more than guaranteed when watching this team!
Dark Horses
Future Combat Boys (Anderle/Dziruni) are two long-time friends from Graz Austria. Known for their defense and players’ IQ, this team can shock any of the favorites.
Blue Horse (Ameziane/Vandaele Y. - France/Belgium) is another combination of successful seasoned veterans of the European roundnet. They may have their best years behind them but it would be foolish to write them off.
All in all, the 3rd Mallorca Open is promising to be an amazing contest. You can follow the event on the tournament page and live on Tops Roundnet Twitch channel - for a detailed schedule, please check Instagram @future_roundnet as we come closer to the event.
Don't Miss Out!
You can follow the action on the tournament website and also on Twitch channel of Tops Roundnet. The groups of men's pro are already online. Seeding was done by European Roundnet Federation (EURA) based on last year's results.
It will be the last stream of Tops Roundnet in his career, so make sure you will catch it. It will start at 11:00 a.m. with group coverage and go all the way to the end. for a detailed schedule, please check Instagram @future_roundnet as we come closer to the event. ¡Hasta luego!
