Wetzel sparks Wels comeback to retain Austrian Bundesliga title
Felix Wetzel turned the final with a five-game win over Khalid Assar, and Wels survived a 0-2 hole to reclaim Austria’s title by three points.
Felbermayr Wels defended the Austrian Men’s Bundesliga crown in one of the tightest finals the league has seen, edging Panaceo Stockerau on sets and points after the two sides finished level at 3-3 in rubbers. The title was still undecided when Zhao Zhaoyan walked off the table in Wiener Neustadt at 22:33 local time, but Wels had already done the hard part: both clubs were locked at 13-13 in games, and Wels held the decisive edge only on points, 232-229.
Stockerau set the tone early and made Wels chase from behind. Youssef Abdelaziz saved three match points against Zhao before squeezing out the opening rubber, then Mykhailo Lovha beat Maciej Kolodziejczyk to push Stockerau into a 2-0 lead and put the title defense in immediate danger. Wels had already shown a taste for rescue work earlier in the playoffs, coming back from 0-2 down against Wiener Neustadt in the semifinal and advancing on a 26-21 sets advantage, but this final still looked like Stockerau’s to lose.
Felix Wetzel changed that. Facing Khalid Assar, he trailed 1-2 before forcing a decider and then cutting loose in the fifth game, winning it 6-2 for his first career victory over the Egyptian star. That was the swing point of the night. Wels had its lifeline, the crowd had a match, and Stockerau suddenly had to absorb the pressure after looking in control for the first stretch.
Wetzel did not stop there. Partnering Kolodziejczyk in the doubles, he beat Assar and Abdelaziz 3-1 to pull Wels back level at 2-2 overall and keep the championship within reach. Stockerau answered again when Abdelaziz beat Kolodziejczyk 3-1, but the margin never widened enough to settle the title outright. Wels had stayed close on the scoreboard all night, and that meant one final chance for Zhao.
The January signing delivered it. Zhao Zhaoyan beat Lovha 3-1 in the last match to restore parity and secure Wels’ fifth Austrian men’s league title. The finish carried extra weight because Stockerau had beaten Wels in both regular-season meetings and also knocked them out in the Austria Cup final in March, when Abdelaziz had beaten Wetzel 3-0 to lift the club’s fourth cup crown. This time, though, Wels answered the setbacks with a championship that depended on Wetzel’s rescue act, Zhao’s composure, and the smallest possible margin. Werner Schlager presented the trophy, while the departures of Lovha and Abdelaziz hinted that another twist may be waiting in the next league cycle.
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