The winners of the Mixed Doubles Event at the European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava are Darius MOVILEANU and Elena ZAHARIA of Romania. In the final, they overcame Wim VERDONSCHOT and Josephina NEUMANN of Germany in a thrilling five-game match (9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-13, 11-7). The final was filled with drama and momentum shifts—nothing unfamiliar for the Romanian pair in this tournament. MOVILEANU and ZAHARIA were 0-2 down twice earlier in the event: once against Borna PETEK of Croatia and Natalia BOGDANOWICZ of Poland, and again against Andre BERTELSMEIER and Mia GRIESEL of Germany. Even in the opening match, they trailed 0-1 against Julian RZIHAUSCHEK and Nina SKERBINZ of Austria, yet they managed to prevail each time. “It was very hard for me. I played after my defeat in the singles event—after a 3-4 loss. It was very difficult for me to regain my strength and mental focus… I fought hard to recover, and I’m happy we managed to avenge our defeat in last year’s final,” said MOVILEANU. The psychological pressure was high, but the Romanian pair had the advantage of already having handled tense situations earlier in the Championships. “For sure, the previous wins were helpful. We were leading 2-1 and 10-6, and they came back to level at 2-2, but we stayed calm and positive.” ZAHARIA added: “I think we like playing under pressure. We won three matches here 3-2. This final was very difficult. Our opponents were very strong—they brought out the best in us. They saved four match points to level the score, but we didn’t give up.” In the semi finals last year’s runners-up, Darius MOVILEANU and Elena ZAHARIA, overcame Daniel BERZOSA of Spain and Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine in convincing style (11-2, 11-5, 11-4), controlling the match from beginning to end. “Despite what the result might suggest, it was a tough match because they are very strong pairings. BERZOSA and MATIUNINA are the defending European Under 19 champions in Mixed Doubles. We were aware of how good they are and we kept our focus clear from the beginning. We complement each other’s games very well and we are a strong pairing, so we managed to dominate,” explained ZAHARIA who won the crown at Under 21 Championships in 2022. MOVILEANU, who was also crowned singles champion at the Under 19 event in Malmö last year, commented on their semi-final performance: “We did not expect to win 3-0, but we proved that if we just play our game and stay focused, the win comes much easier.” In the other semi-final, Wim VERDONSCHOT and Josephina NEUMANN stunned No. 2 seeds Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal and Hana ARAPOVIC of Croatia (11-7, 11-6, 11-4). Hana, who clinched gold in Mixed Doubles at last year’s Under 21 Championships in Skopje with Ivor BAN, could not overcome the dominance of the German duo in today’s match. “From the first stroke in the opening game, we attacked. It didn’t matter that we had never played against this pairing—or even together before. That makes this result even more special for us,” said VERDONSCHOT. NEUMANN, still competing in the Under 15 category, added: “We play very well together. Our playing styles are compatible,” said NEUMANN. “I played very safely today. I didn’t make easy mistakes and blocked well.” Romania Extends Legacy – Historic Win for MOVILEANU and ZAHARIA With this victory, Romania confirmed its dominance in the Mixed Doubles category, having now appeared in all six European Under 21 Championships finals. The Romanian teams won the first three editions, lost the next two, and regained the title this year in Bratislava. For MOVILEANU, this was his third final appearance in Mixed Doubles—and the first one he has won. ZAHARIA extended her impressive record by reaching her fifth final, winning three titles, which now equals the all-time record set by Poland’s Milosz REDZIMSKI. The pair had also reached the final together last year, where they had to settle for silver—making this year’s triumph a personal redemption. For Germany, this final marked a historic milestone. The pairing of VERDONSCHOT and NEUMANN brought the nation to its first-ever Mixed Doubles final at the European Under 21 Championships, earning a well-deserved silver medal.

The Singles Events at the European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava have reached the penultimate stage. The biggest upset in the Men’s Singles was created by Miguel PANTOJA of Spain, who reached the semi-final, while in the Women’s event, defending champion Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine survived a tough clash against the top seed. In the quarter-finals, Miguel PANTOJA, seeded no. 23, defeated no. 7 seed Andrei ISTRATE of Romania 4-1 (11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5). No. 3 seed Flavien COTON of France prevailed against Daniel BERZOSA of Spain in a tight five-game match (5-11, 11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 10-12). Top seed Eduard IONESCU of Romania was also eliminated, losing to his teammate, no. 4 seed Iulian CHIRITA, in straight games (11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4). Last year’s bronze medallist, Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany, who had survived a tough Round of 16 battle against Alexis KOURAICHI of France, will be the highest-ranked seed in the semi-finals. The no. 2 seed edged past Darius MOVILEANU of Romania in a dramatic full-distance clash (12-10, 12-14, 11-7, 8-11, 3-11, 13-11, 8-11). In the Women’s Singles event, 2022 champion and last year’s runner-up Elena ZAHARIA of Romania overcame Anna BRZYSKA of Poland 4-1 (11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-8). In the semi-finals, she will meet the reigning champion and no. 2 seed Veronika MATIUNINA. The Ukrainian recovered from a 1-3 deficit to defeat 2023 champion and last year’s bronze medallist Hana ARAPOVIC of Croatia in a seven-game battle (10-12, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 8-11). The match between French Under 15 player Nina GUO ZHENG, seeded no. 26, and fifth seed Ioana SINGEORZAN of Romania also went the distance. SINGEORZAN emerged victorious 4-3 (11-4, 8-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 3-11, 14-12). She will face Wales’ no. 3 seed Anna HURSEY, who justified her status by defeating Italy’s no. 6 seed Nicole ARLIA 4-1 (9-11, 11-7, 10-12, 9-11, 5-11).

In the Women’s Doubles event at the European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava, Romania’s Elena ZAHARIA and Bianca MEI ROSU will face Anna HURSEY of Wales and Mia GRIESEL of Germany for a place on the highest step of the medal rostrum. In the semi-final, the newly formed pairing of HURSEY and GRIESEL defeated the top-seeded duo Hana ARAPOVIC of Croatia and Ioana SINGEORZAN of Romania in straight games (14-12, 11-9, 12-10). “We only played one tournament together, in Metz this year,” said HURSEY. “Our doubles partnership is quite new, but we communicate very well. We trust each other because we’ve known each other for a really long time. I think when it comes to tactics and similar stuff, it comes very easily.” GRIESEL also emphasized the importance of communication: “We really trust each other. Sometimes, when one of us does something really stupid or makes an easy mistake, the other one doesn’t get upset. We can be relaxed, and we know we can count on support from each other. In this match, sometimes our service wasn’t the best, or maybe the receive didn’t go as planned, but overall we played well and kept our level from the first to the last ball.” Defending champions ZAHARIA and MEI ROSU overcame Poland’s Zuzanna WIELGOS and Anna BRZYSKA 3-1 (9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-6). “It was a pleasure to play once again with my teammate and clubmate from Constanța, Elena. We enjoy it to the fullest. Our goal is always clear—we’re aiming for the title, just like last year,” said MEI ROSU. ZAHARIA reflected on the tough challenge presented by the Polish team: “They are a very tough pairing to beat. BRZYSKA is very dangerous, but WIELGOS should not be underestimated either. They are both strong players, and we expected to fight for every point. Still, we really enjoyed playing together. Since we are in the same club and practice together, our communication is very strong.”

In tomorrow’s final of the Men’s Doubles event at the European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava, Eduard IONESCU and Darius MOVILEANU of Romania will face Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany and Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal. In the penultimate stage, last year’s runners-up IONESCU and MOVILEANU defeated Croatia’s Leon BENKO and Ivan HENCL 3-1 (11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 11-2). “We started very confidently and took the opening game easily. However, the Croatian pair changed their tactics. They raised the level of their play and became more aggressive on the backhand, which worked well for them. We lost the second game, but our confidence remained high. We also adjusted our game, looking for solutions to neutralize their backhands — and we succeeded,” explained IONESCU. The anticipated all-Romanian final will not happen. Bronze medallists from 2024, Iulian CHIRITA and Andrei ISTRATE, lost to BERTELSMEIER and ABIODUN in straight games (6-11, 6-11, 6-11). “It will be a great challenge for us. Unfortunately, Iulian and Andrei lost to them, but we will prepare well and hopefully beat them,” said MOVILEANU. For the Portugal-Germany duo, Bratislava marked their debut tournament as a pair. “This was our first tournament together, and it’s really amazing how quickly we adapted to each other,” said ABIODUN. BERTELSMEIER added: “We played well and very consistently. As the tournament progressed, we got to know each other better. We found a way to play effectively together — to put pressure on the opponents and create spectacular shots.”