Circuit

Nistad hunting back to back home titles in Sweden
Nistad - It will be tough but we are up for the challenge
Date: 1/17/2018 10:03 AM
Published by : Mark Phelan
The circuit travels to Sweden this week as Lund, just north of Malmo, hosts the International Series rated event for the second consecutive year. Clara Nistad returns as one half of the defending women’s doubles champions and has sweet memories after winning the title on home turf last year alongside Emma Wengberg. 

"Winning last year with Emma was a huge relief but of course the memories are happy ones. Sweden had many opportunities to win with top seeds in many events and I think all of us felt that pressure. I remember we struggled a bit through the tournament and played two matches which ended up in three sets but we still managed to win the tournament." 

Nistad returns this year and, after the retirement of Wengberg, partners up with Amanda Hogstrom to take on the rest of Europe. With a high quality women’s doubles field travelling to Lund Nistad is under no illusions about the task ahead of her and her Swedish team mates. 

"This year’s tournament is even stronger than last and we have a tough draw. We will have tough matches from the start and all the way to the final if we make it that far. It will be a lot tougher this year but we are ready for the challenge." 

"We have had not much time to practice together but we are both confident in our abilities and we fell we can challenge all the strong pairs we will meet this week." 

Like Nistad the last time Richard Eidestedt played Sweden’s premier international tournament he to was with a different partner. Eidestedt’s long partnership with Nico Ruponen ended in the summer. Now with emerging young gun Carl Harrbacka at his side the pair have shown signs of real chemistry and promise in just a few tournaments together. 

Eidestedt and Nistad combine in the mixed doubles and just like the women’s doubles will have to battle through a very tough draw laden with quality Danish and French opposition to make the podium on Sunday. 

In the singles events all eyes will be on Europe’s emerging young guns. Toma Junior Popov and Arnaud Merkle will leads the lines in the men’s singles while Line Christophersen (pictured above) will look to go better than her semi final last year in Lund. Michelle Skodstrup, who got to the final last Sunday in Estonia, will hope to continue her form and use the Swedish Open to cement her status as one of Europe’s brightest emerging women’s singles stars. 

For all draws for 2018 Swedish Open click HERE

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