Houten, the Dutch shine just days before Doha

Dutch athletes took center stage this weekend at the FIP Promotion in Houten. In front of the home crowd, Sten Richters and Bram Meijer claimed the final (3-6 6-2 6-4) against the tournament’s top seeds, Italians Michele Bruno and Simone Iacovino. This match might be a preview of another showdown, this time at the World Championships in Doha, which kick off on October 28, with Richters, Meijer, and Bruno all competing for their respective national teams. “It always feels special to win an international title at home”, Richters said after the victory. “Thanks to Bram for fighting together for every point and, of course, thanks to our coach Leander van der Vaart. Let’s keep going!”

Another “Oranje” will also head to the World Championships, Steffie Weterings, who, paired with Britain’s Tia Norton, won the women’s tournament against fellow Dutch players Maaike Betz and Janine Hemmes (6-3 6-1 the final score), who are also set to compete in Qatar. For Weterings, this marks her second win in Houten, following her victory at last year’s Rise.