Czech side SKST Plus Hodonín bounced back from a straight-match defeat in the opening leg of the Europe Cup semifinal in Hungary to secure a spot in the final. Playing on home soil, they responded with a 3-1 victory over Budaörsi Sport Club, forcing a decisive golden match. Markéta ŠEVČÍKOVÁ opened the match with a straight-games win over Helga DARI and later sealed the overall victory by avenging her first-leg loss to Dora MADARÁSZ with a dramatic five-game triumph, decided by a sudden death point. Karin GROFOVÁ also overcame MADARÁSZ, while Maria FAZEKAS earned the only point for the visiting team. Jaroslav MIKESKA, coach of SKST Plus Hodonín, commented: “Our lineup worked out well—that’s exactly how we planned it. But the match itself wasn’t easy. We aimed for a 3-0 win because Markéta ŠEVČÍKOVÁ wasn’t the favorite against Dora MADARÁSZ. However, she played superbly and turned the fifth set around from 3-5 to 6-5, securing the golden match. That final match was heavily influenced by luck. We’re extremely happy—after reaching the Champions League semifinals, we’re now in the final of the Europe Cup. The Champions League may carry more prestige, but our season isn’t over yet. We’ll fight for the title in the final.” SKST Plus Hodonín – Budaörsi Sport Club 3-1 Marketa SEVCIKOVA – Helga DARI 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 11-3) Karin GROFOVA – Dora MADARASZ 3-1 (11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8) Solomiya BRATEYKO – Maria FAZEKAS 1-3 (8-11, 9-11, 11-8, 6-11) Marketa SEVCIKOVA – Dora MADARASZ 3-2 (11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 7-11, 6-5) Golden Match SKST Plus Hodonín – Budaörsi Sport Club 2-1 Karin GROFOVA – Helga DARI 11-6 Marketa SEVCIKOVA – Dora MADARASZ 9-11 Solomiya BRATEYKO – Maria FAZEKAS 11-7 Opening leg Budaörsi Sport Club – SKST Plus Hodonín 3-0 Dora MADARASZ – Marketa SEVCIKOVA 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 13-11) Helga DARI – Karin GROFOVA 3-2 (5-11, 11-7, 11-8, 6-11, 6-4) Maria FAZEKAS – Natalia PARTYKA 3-0 (11-3, 11-7, 11-9)
Undefeated Olympiacos Crowned A1 Men’s Champions Once Again
Olympiacos SFP has claimed its fourth consecutive and 18th overall Greek Men’s Table Tennis Championship title. In the playoffs, which concluded on Wednesday, May 28, at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, Olympiacos secured three more victories, finishing the 2024–2025 season undefeated in all 17 matches. They defeated AEK 4-0, Pera Athens 4-0, and their long-standing rival Panathinaikos 4-3. Although they officially clinched the title in the second round of the playoff pool, Olympiacos had essentially secured first place back in late April with another 4-3 win over Panathinaikos, ending the regular season two points ahead. In the playoff group, Olympiacos collected six points, Panathinaikos finished second with five, while AEK came third with four points. In the bronze medal match, AEK overcame Pera Athens 4-2. Olympiacos also celebrated a double triumph, winning both the men’s and women’s national championships for the fourth straight year. During the final playoff stage of the men’s event, the team fielded Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS, Giorgos STAMATOUROS, Tasos RINIOTIS, and Croatian star Tomislav PUCAR. Throughout the regular season, Swedish standout Truls MOREGARD and Ukrainian Jaroslav ZMUNDENKO also contributed to the squad, led by head coach George CHRISTOFORAKIS. Panathinaikos was notably without Panagiotis GIONIS and Spanish international Alvaro ROBLES for the last three matches. The final clash between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos featured exclusively Greek players and once again delivered a thrilling spectacle. For the fifth time in two years, the outcome was decided in doubles, where SGOUROPOULOS/STAMATOUROS prevailed 3-1 over GIORGOS and Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS. A particularly emotional moment occurred during the playoffs on Tuesday, when all teams observed a minute of silence in memory of Olga GEORGOPOULOU, the beloved athlete and coach of Pera Athens, who sadly passed away on May 6 at the age of 39 after battling cancer. The matches were emotionally charged for the Pera players, marking their first appearance since her passing. Present at the stadium were her parents, Michalis and Anastasia, as well as the club president, Vicky CHRISTOFORIDOU.
OVTCHAROV Undergoes Successful Surgery
After sustaining an injury during the World Championships in Doha, Dimitrij OVTCHAROV underwent a successful minor endoscopic procedure on his cervical spine on Monday. “According to the surgeon, the short procedure went very well. He removed the disc tissue that was pressing on the nerve,” explained the former world number one. “I can now immediately begin the rehabilitation process.” Severe neck pain radiating down to his wrist had affected the six-time Olympic medalist so badly in Qatar that he was unable to compete in the singles event after using the doubles match as a test run. As a result, the 2017 World Cup winner has had to withdraw from both the upcoming German Table Tennis Finals in Erfurt during the long Whitsun weekend, as well as the WTT tournaments in Skopje and Zagreb later in June.
