Maarsen en Opstal lose openingsgame on ‘Dutch Day’

Dutchmen Uriël Maarsen and Bart van Opstal failed to create a surprise during the first day of the World Padel Tour Decathlon Amsterdam Open. In the opening match on 'Dutch Day', they lost on centre court to Clément Geens and Benjamin Tison (6-2, 6-2).

Maarsen and Van Opstal are one of three Dutch duos scheduled to play on the first day in the main hall at AFAS Live. Steffie Weterings and Marcella Koek close the day's session, while Bram Meijer and Sten Richters are scheduled as the second match in the evening.

The stands around the centre court were already well filled when Maarsen and Van Opstal, who had qualified through the wildcard tournament, entered the court on Wednesday morning. 'It was super cool to be received with loud applause,' said Van Opstal, who was making his debut in the main tournament of the World Padel Tour. 'Despite the defeat, I enjoyed every second of it.'

Together with Maarsen, he hoped to cause a surprise against the higher-ranked Geens and Tison in the first match of the World Padel Tour Decathlon Amsterdam Open, but once on the court, the French-Belgian duo proved just a little bit better. Van Opstal: 'They gave us very little room to get into our game and constantly put us under pressure.'

For Maarsen, it was the second time he participated in the World Padel Tour Amsterdam Open. Last year, he teamed up with Bram Meijer at the Central Market Hall in Amsterdam. Maarsen called the AFAS Live as a venue 'insane' and felt the organisation had taken another step up from last year. 'Yes, it was very cool to play here on centre court.'

According to Van Opstal and Maarsen, it is important in several ways for padel sport in the Netherlands that this kind of tournament, where the complete world top is present, is held in the Netherlands. 'It gives Dutch players the chance to compete with the absolute world top, which also benefits other players in the Netherlands,' said Van Opstal. 'If we get better, the players we play against in the Netherlands get better too.'

In addition, it is also good for the visibility of the already popular sport in the Netherlands. 'Hopefully we can stimulate and inspire the players who play weekly in the Netherlands by playing tournaments like this,' Maarsen said. 'A few years ago, I still had to explain what padel is, now we appear live on television.'