Leo Lindblad, 91, a palm of the Senior SM

Talin at the tennis center in Helsinki Last Monday, a historic Senior SM Tennis Tournament was played. For the first time, there were so many participants in the over 90’s series that the brightest medals were shared.

In the final of as much as 2.5 hours, the Korsoan fought in the final Leo Lindbladwho turns 92 in July. His opponent was one year younger Pentti Seppälä. Lindblad won the second and decisive third round in the three -rounded match, which was played by the Tie -Break method.

The winner admits that he has left the match as an underdog.

“I think my opponent Pentti was a favorite. He is very mobile and has no artificial joints as I have had in my knees for a few second years, ”Lindblad said.

“Pentti was disappointed with the result, but we had a good relationship. He did take a loss. ”

Lindblad and Seppälä already knew each other. They had only played in the doubles game years ago.

Elderly The players did not hold any extra sweat in the marathon match, only the normal rest breaks allowed by the rules.

Lindblad said he was playing tennis two or three times a week.

“I have got my palm From Pekka Mäkelä I saw coaching even in the old way, and it carried fruit. I have a pretty good palm to be an old man. It’s my weapon. Another thing was that my feed was playing. ”

Lindblad says he was able to run amazingly after the ball.

“I felt fatigue at the end of the first round, but in the second round I didn’t really feel at all. I had a cohabitant fitness drink, such a magic drink, and it may be that it also helped. ”

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From the very beginning there were a couple of women in the audience that I didn’t even know. They clapped the successful beats, which was pretty nice.

Tournament The hero also gained extra forces from the audience. Even the admirers did not confuse Lindblad’s game so that the balls would have thrown from the frame of the club to the sky.

“From the beginning, there were a couple of women in the audience that I didn’t even know. They clapped the successful beats, which was pretty nice. At the end of the game, there were a lot of people on the edge of the field who lived well as an audience. ”

The match has also attracted attention on social media. The video of the Seniors SM final has received tens of thousands of likes on Instagram.

Lindblad and Seppälä received the Finnish Championship medals for contracting.

“The money has not been seen in these games,” the winner says.

How are you celebrating SM gold?

“We took glasses with sparkling wine with my cohabitant and watched the TV.”

Lindblad says that five seniors registered in his series. However, three of these were left out due to health. Therefore, the championship was resolved as a direct final without qualifying games.

Lindblad Has been active in sports all his life, which makes him so doing so well. He started tennis 35 years ago.

“From school, I was running a sprint. My 100 -meter record is 11.4 on old fields. ”

“Then I played basketball. When I was in Sweden for a while in the 1960s, I played one match even in the there in the there. ”

Linblad also had a badminton at a young age before finding tennis.

“At first, I was fascinated by its difficulty in tennis. It’s clearly harder than badminton, and the ball wants to fly a little here and there. In tennis, it is not so easy to get the ball to stay on the field and get a good shot. It is a very technical sport that many do not even know. ”

“There was a challenge in the tennis, and little by little I became the idea that I was trying to win the Finnish championship.”

Lindblad’s dream has come true. He says that he has already won the championships in senior classes in singles and in a mixed game.

“I got my first double-game championship at the age of 80.”

Tennis hero is a Master of Science (MSc) in education. He worked in the welding industry.

Lindblad also had war memories in their youth. He was too young as a real soldier.

“In 1944 I was a military boy at the age of 11. We did not do anything miraculous. We marched and we had some games. ”