Today, Mark Lamsfuss looked as if he had never left the court, securing a men's doubles victory with Marvin Seidel at the Denmark Open 2023.
The German pair showed some class badminton after coming back a game down against China’s Tan/ Zhou to win the match 17-21 21-16 21-17.
In their post-match interview for Badminton Europe, Seidel expressed their content, considering the challenges they had faced in the past month. “We are satisfied considering we weren’t able to train a lot. We played really well today and are on the right track. We found something in our game that really helps us, and we look forward to our next matches”.
“It was quite a long and tough time”
The journey to this victory was anything but easy, as Lamsfuss had endured a trying period in recent months. As the reigning European Championships gold medallist in men's doubles and mixed doubles, Lamsfuss has had a tough couple of months when a knee injury in June forced him into surgery and a lengthy period of rehabilitation. In the months that followed, he participated in a few tournaments but struggled to reach his full potential. This win comes a month after their last tour match at the Hong Kong Open 2023.
“I’m improving nutrition again, having a lot of physio treatments, and I have to say they’ve done a great job. A lot of doctor appointments and with my physical coach as well, so it was a lot that we have done so that we could win today”.
He went on to add in a playful tone, “Now I think I’m in a better shape and can play my matches without any painkillers so that’s very good. [The match] was very fun, I enjoyed it, and look forward to [playing] more matches”.
Overall, and most importantly, Mark Lamsfuss is looking to get back into the fast and demanding rhythm of the HSBC World Tour, in hopes of getting the necessary points to reach the Paris 2024 Olympics, next summer.
“My goal now is to play good badminton, to enjoy it again, and to not put too much pressure on myself especially because of the Olympic qualifications. I believe when the knee is good, we will have good results, and we will make it, so I try to enjoy it. Having self-confidence, we know we can beat everyone. But [still] taking it easy”.
Next up:
In the next round, Lamsfuss and Seidel could potentially face the home favourites, reigning world silver medallists Kim Astrup and Anders Rasmussen. This matchup is something they are eagerly anticipating, despite the obvious challenge. The recent Arctic Open winners are in stellar form, and the German duo will need to be at their best to secure a place in the quarterfinals.
Seidel shared his excitement for the potential showdown, saying, “We are really looking forward to it, especially because they are in really good shape now, that it would be a good test for our game and seeing where we are at [at the moment]. So, I think it’s going to be great if they win their first round and we meet them. Also, for the spectators, it’s always nice if European matchups are going on. We will go on and enjoy it as much as possible”.