European Youth Championships | 15 Jul 2013

Romania vs. Germany to play for gold

Last year’s bronze medalists in the Junior Girls Team’s Event, Germany will play in tomorrow’s final at the 56th European Youth Championships in Ostrava. Their adversaries will be well known, fantastic stars of women’s junior table tennis- Romania. In the semi final against Croatia, Romania’s Bernadette SZOCS showed no mercy. She beat both Mateja JEGER and Lea RAKOVAC. Irina CIOBANU lost her duel against Lea, but Bernadett BALINT faced no great problems against Dorina SREBRNJAK.

Germany beat Serbia in the semifinal. Determined German team led by Nina MITTELHAM was big challenge for Serbia, the team who showed less then in previous rounds. Nina beat Aneta MAKSUTI in opening duel. Theresa KRAFT continued in same way against Anja ZOFIA FENJVESI. In crucial moments Serbia’s players failed to showed their strength, whilst German players were at the top of the game. Chantal MANTZ overcame Viktoria TRUZINSKI in last match.

Fantastic contests marked the quarterfinal of the Junior Girls Team’s Event. Most thrilling was the duel between Croatia and Poland. Last year’s semi finalists, Croatia repeated the success. Mateja JEGER lost her opening match against Natalia BAJOR in straight games, after losing two last games 10:12 and 9:11. Lea RAKOVAC beat Sandra WABIK to level the score, but Poland was once again back in saddle after Agnieszika KACZMAREK overcame Dorina SREBRNJAK. Mateja JEGER proved her quality against WABIK and last duel against RAKOVAC and BAJOR was breathtaking clash.

Similarly, the match between Serbia and Belarus produced fantastic suspense. Aneta MAKSUTI started with the win for Serbia against Katsiaryna BARAVOK, but after five games Alina ARLOUSKAYA levelled against Anja ZOFIJA FENJVESI. Viktoria TRUZINSKI was too strong for Hanna PATSEYEVA and in the last duel MAKSUTI overcame ARLOUSKAYA after five games.

For Romania it was business as usual, even when they faced very good French team at the other side of the net. Bernadette SZOCS beat Pauline CHASSELIN, Irina CIOBANU proceed with the victory against Laura PFEFER and Bernadett BALINT sealed the triumph with the third point against Chloe MARTIAL.

Russia put Germany under pressure but not enough to reach the medal. After socking defeat of cadet girls team Germany reached the medal rostrum in junior’s category. Nina MITTELHAM was stretched to full distance against Anna ROSSIKHINA before Theresa KRAFT beast Ekaterina GUSEVA in straight games. Chantal MANTZ lost her duel against Svetlana MOKHNACHEVA in another full distance encounter, but KRAFT showed no mercy.