Successful performance by the Swiss delegation at the European Pickleball Championships in Southampton
The European Pickleball Championship of the European Pickleball Federation (EPF) in Southampton, England, was an exciting highlight for the Swiss pickleball community. With a total of six teams competing in the first Swiss Championship Switzerland was well represented on the international stage. Especially the Winterthur duo André Müller and Stefano Cucuzza ensured a strong performance and an impressive placing in the category Men's Doubles Senior.
Winterthur duo reach semi-finals
Müller and Cucuzza fought their way through to the semi-finals, where they faced an extremely strong Italian team, who later became European champions. After three hard-fought sets, however, the team from Winterthur had to concede defeat. In the match for the bronze medal, they were defeated by a fresh team from Spain and finished in second place. 4th place among 23 nations. Even though the two of them were upset about narrowly missing out on a podium place, André Müller joked: "I already said at home that we just didn't want to come fourth. Unfortunately, we're both very annoyed that it turned out that way." - fourth place is a strong result that demonstrates the quality and fighting spirit of the Swiss team.
Qualification through the Swiss Championship
The two men from Winterthur paved their way to the European Championships with their Swiss championship title in the doubles category, which they won in the Tennis and Squash Grüze AG in Winterthur were achieved. To date, this plant is the only one in Switzerland with four dedicated pickleball courts and played a central role in the development of the sport in Switzerland. The Swiss Championship, which is organized by the Swiss Pickleball Association served as a qualifying tournament for the European Championships. A total of six teams qualified for the international tournament in Southampton.
Other Swiss teams: played strongly, gained a lot of experience
In addition to Müller and Cucuzza, other Swiss teams were represented in various categories:
- Women Doubles Senior: Chrystelle Losey and Nicole Mackenzie
- Mixed Doubles Senior: Chrystelle Losey and Eddy Dayen
- Women's doubles: Stefanie Sandri and Sara Schläppi
- Mixed doubles: Stefanie Sandri and Jérôme Frei
- Men's doubles: Jérôme Frei and Nicola Imhof
Even though these teams did not make it into the top 4, they provided exciting matches and represented Switzerland with great commitment. The opponents came from over 20 European countries, which made the standard of the European Championships extremely high. Despite the strong competition, the entire delegation had great fun gaining experience on the international stage and competing against the best players in Europe.
Thanks to the Pickleball community
The Swiss Pickleball Association would like to thank all the players, helpers and fans who made these successes possible. Especially the organization of the Swiss Pickleball Tourthe qualifying tournaments for the Swiss championship, played a key role in raising the level of Swiss pickleball and further establishing the sport. Thanks to these joint efforts, pickleball is becoming increasingly popular and professional in Switzerland.
A big thank you goes to our sponsors HEAD Switzerland and the Pro Pickleball Ltd.. Without their generous support and the commitment of the people responsible - Pascal Blöchlinger, Kevin Gugelmann and Magnus Stedile-Foradori - would be the Qualifying tournamentswhich Swiss Championship and the Trip to the European Pickleball Championships would not have been possible. Your commitment has played a key role in ensuring that pickleball can continue to grow in Switzerland and present itself on the international stage. Thank you for your support and your belief in the sport!
Pickleball on the rise
The Swiss championship in Winterthur was a milestone for the sport in Switzerland. With facilities such as Grüze AG, the growing enthusiasm in the community and successful international appearances, it is clear that pickleball is still on the rise in Switzerland. The Swiss Pickleball Association is looking forward to taking this momentum with it and making the sport even better known.
If you want to experience the exciting moments of the Swiss teams in Southampton, you can find a video summary here.
We congratulate all players on their performance and look forward to more exciting tournaments and successes for pickleball in Switzerland!
