DEBUTANT LINSENBOLZ COMPLETES QUADRUPLE AT MASTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ellen Linsenbolz achieved an historic quadruple on a dream debut at the ITF Masters World Individual Championships (30-35-40-45-50) in Manavgat, Türkiye.

Having not competed at an ITF event (her last was an ITF World Tennis Tour tournament in Stuttgart-Vaihingen) since 2007, Linsenbolz became only the second player in the 30-35-40-45 age groups to win all four world titles – singles, doubles, mixed doubles and teams – at the same event.

In achieving this rare feat, the German follows in the footsteps of her compatriot Manon Kruse, who completed the quadruple in 2022, and then again in 2023.

“I still can’t believe it”, Linsenbolz said after her victory. “I think it will be a few days before I realise what I have achieved in the last two weeks. It feels great because I was really tired and put a lot of pressure on myself.”

Winning all four of her matches, Linsenbolz was an instrumental member of the Germany team that was victorious in the Women’s 30+ event. Linsenbolz maintained her red-hot form in the Individual Championships, storming to victory in the Mixed 30 Doubles alongside Sebastian Geigle.

She then teamed up with her compatriot, Lisa Rauch, to win the Women’s 30 Doubles. The partners then became rivals because Linsenbolz defeated Rauch in the final of the Women’s 30 Singles.

Asked how she has spent her sixteen-year hiatus from the ITF Circuit, Linsenbolz told itftennis.com:

“I studied at college in Hawaii, and I now work in a federal public prosecutor’s office. But I love this sport so I can never stop playing tennis. I first heard about the Masters World Championships last year, and so I thought ‘why not?'.

"Masters tennis is much more relaxed than the professional tour and it is fun to compete with players who are the same age. I will definitely come back."

History was also created in the Men’s 45 Singles. After suffering from illness the previous week, Roberto Menendez Ferre completed La Décima, defeating Allen Belobrajdic in the Men’s 45 Singles to collect a 10th gold medal.

Elsewhere, there was a highly emotional victory in the Men’s 35 Doubles for the Ukrainian pair Andriy Baidikov and Viacheslav Sieodplatov, who defended their title from last year.

But joy was shortly followed by disappointment for Baidikov, as he suffered a heavy defeat in the finals of the Men’s 40 Singles to first-time champion Marco Mirnegg.

There were other first-time champions in the men’s events. Brendon Lee Moore, once-upon-a-time Roger Federer’s hitting partner at an ATP event in Brisbane, triumphed in the Men’s 35 Singles.

Former world no. 42 Michael Berrer, whose professional career featured victories against the likes of Rafael Nadal and Tomas Berdych, proved to be a level above the competition as he barely dropped games on route to the Men’s 30 Singles.

By contrast, there were familiar champions in the women’s events. There were victories for the German Steffi Bachofer, who won an impressive three titles in total, and Barbara Mulej, who added a fifth gold medal to her collection.

Finally, there was redemption for Susi Fortun Lohrmann, who had previously lost in two finals to Mulej. After defeating Patricia Rogulski in the Women’s 50 Singles, an emotional Lohrmann dedicated her victory to her parents, who passed away recently:

“It is really unexpected that I would win this title. It is a really special moment for me. I want to thank everybody, especially my parents.”