European Championships | 23 Oct 2016

HU Melek crowned European champion

LIEBHERR 2016 ITTF European Championships

 

Newly crowned European champion HU Melek of Turkey showed no mercy in the final of the LIEBHERR 2016 ITTF European Championships in Budapest; at the penultimate stage of the Women’s Singles Event she overcame FU Yu of Portugal 4:1 (11:3, 11:2, 11:4, 10:12, 11:7). LI Jie of Netherlands and Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania won bronze medals.

 

“I am happy the way I played today. I am not afraid any more of the penholders. I was very confident and I had right feeling for the ball,” said HU.

 

YU just said:”She was very fast. I had no answer to her game.”

 

In the semi final HU Melek showed no trace of fear in the match against LI Jie of Netherlands 4:0 (11:5, 11:3, 11:3, 11:6). She was in fast lane for final. Turkish player had a lot of chances for practising in past few days against defenders, even yesterday she played two matches against HAN Ying and Polina MIHKAILOVA, so she was ready for the challenge. With her top spin and killing short ball that followed she was a nightmer for LI. It was risky, but it paid off.

 

«For sure LI showed very little from her usual game. She was far from her best. Yesterday I had to play long matches and to use my back spin, so today I decided to be more aggresive and to attack,» said HU.

 

As opposed to first semi final, the duel between Elizabeta SAMARA and YU Fu was everything but one way fast affair. The European champion from 2015 streched YU to full sistance 3:4 (8:11, 12:10, 5:11, 13:11, 14:12, 8:11, 11:8) but after firce battle she lost her crown. In phusical aspect of game it was YU who dominate, SAMARA was one step behing all the time.

 

«We both struggled with the receive of service. In addition I had a difficulties with the ball. It bounced a little bit strange,» said YU.