Second ÖM title

Koller benefits from injury to her opponent

Arabella Koller won the state tennis championships.(Bild: GEPA)

An injury ended the women's final at the state tennis championships. As a result, Arabella Koller won her second title. The Salzburg native is now heading back to Monastir for several weeks.

A victory you wouldn't wish for in this way. Tennis ace Arabella Koller wins her second national title after 2017 in Oberpullendorf (B). However, a foot injury to her opponent and good friend Betina Stummer ended the evenly poised match prematurely. Stummer had to retire in the third set at 1:6, 6:1, 3:4. "I have mixed feelings right now. I hope there's nothing wrong with Betina. I'm still happy that I'm state champion again, it was a very intense match," said the winner. "I always believed in it and knew that I was physically fitter when it went the full distance," said the Grossgmain native confidently.

Betina Stummer (left) had to retire due to injury, Koller won.(Bild: GEPA)

The 41-year-old Stummer was visibly disappointed after the match. "It's typical for me. It started hurting in qualifying, I suppressed it with painkillers," she said, biting through the pain and even defeating favorite Julia Grabherr on her way to the final. In between, she took nine games from Koller in the final and led 3:0 in the third set. Nevertheless, in the end, it was her fourth defeat in an ÖM final. "At 50 then . . ." Stummer took it with humor.

Koller, meanwhile, is getting back on the plane to Monastir with the winner's cheque of 8,000 euros and will play a series of tournaments on hard court in Tunisia. In the long term, the 23-year-old wants to tackle the Grand Slams.

In the men's tournament, Filip Misolic from Styria (who beat Lukas Neumayer in the semi-finals) won clearly against Jurij Rodionov 6:0, 6:2. While the winner will play in the 125 tournament in Salzburg on Monday, Rodionov will take part in a Challenger in Braunschweig.