On the sixth day of play at the European Team Championships in Zadar, the battle for the medals intensified as the semi-final line-up was confirmed. In the men’s event, Germany will face France, while Romania will take on Slovenia in what promises to be two thrilling clashes for a place in the final. Portugal – Slovenia 1–3 In the morning session, Slovenia celebrated a memorable 3–1 victory over Portugal to book their ticket to the semi-finals. World No. 30 Deni KOŽUL gave Slovenia a dream start by defeating world No. 24 João GERALDO, before world No. 4 Darko JORGIĆ extended the lead with a 3–1 win over Tiago APOLÓNIA (No. 35). The veteran duel between the two 42-year-olds, João MONTEIRO and 44-years-old Bojan TOKIĆ, went the full distance, with MONTEIRO narrowly prevailing. However, on his second appearance at the table, JORGIĆ sealed the tie with another commanding performance against GERALDO, sending Slovenia into the last four. Darko JORGIĆ: “We’ve dreamed about this. During our training camp, Bojan told me that we’d play Portugal in the quarter-finals and beat them, and that’s exactly what happened! I’m so proud of the whole team, from the first match to the last. From the group stage, we’ve shown that we’re a real team, that we fight for each other and that we’re ready to give everything for one another.” JORGIĆ continued: “Deni was fantastic in the opening match. Last time at the World Championships he lost 4–0 to Geraldo, but this time we were well prepared tactically. It was a different Deni, not the one from yesterday who was just reacting, but one who came in with the right mindset from the start. He even went for a run at six in the morning today, maybe that helped! I hope he repeats that tomorrow. As for my second match, you simply have to beat APOLONIA. He’s injured, but he still plays his game. The pressure was on me because we were already 1–0 up, and everyone knew that if I won two matches, the tie would be over, and that’s what happened. I feel sorry for Bojan; he had his chances. He was leading 10–8 in the third game, if he had taken that one, who knows how it would have gone. But in the end, maybe it’s even sweeter this way. I played a fantastic match against GERALDO. We always have tough battles, you probably remember our match from the Top 16. He’s a player who returns everything and fights until the very last point. I’m really happy that today I managed to play with a clear head.” Deni KOŽUL:“This is what we practice for. I’m really, really satisfied with my own game, I played against an amazing player in GERALDO. When we have our number one, Darko, who once again proved why he’s among the world’s top 10, it’s much easier for all of us. Even in the third position, Bojan showed that at his age he can still perform at an incredibly high level. He was 1–1 and 10–8 up, just a little unlucky not to convert that game in his favour, but he played great. The bench and the youngsters were so loud and supportive, I really think we all fought for this medal, and we all deserve it.” On his unusual pre-match preparation, KOŽUL added: “Yes, I went running at 6 o’clock in the morning to change my energy. Yesterday, I wasn’t feeling great, I was dizzy, my reactions weren’t sharp. I’m a little superstitious, so I changed everything today, from breakfast to dinner. I even went running with Hribar early in the morning. My legs felt so fast today that I think I’ll do it again tomorrow!” Bojan TOKIĆ: “Darko was amazing against both GERALDO and APOLONIA, both are in fantastic shape this tournament. What the guys are showing is amazing table tennis. In the key moments, Darko stayed really calm, yes, a few lucky points at the end, but that’s part of the game. We’re a compact team, and I think my comeback maybe made each of them a little bit better. I’m not their father, I don’t give them tips, that’s the coach’s role, but we have amazing spirit. We’re great friends despite the age difference; I’m 18 years older than the boys. Maybe I could just sense this medal coming, that’s why I wanted to return. The Association gave me the opportunity, and the coach, Darko, and Deni all asked me to play this event. So here I am, and I think this is an amazing achievement for us after eight years.” On his opponent, João MONTEIRO, TOKIĆ added: “He’s an incredible athlete, when he’s focused, he’s 100% in the game. There were no easy points against him; for every rally, you have to build, to work hard. Every point is earned. I have huge respect for him, he’s a fantastic competitor and an amazing sportsman.” France – Belgium 3–0 Once again, France were in the fast lane. France swept past Belgium 3–0 to secure a place on the medal rostrum at the European Team Championships in Zadar. The French trio of Félix LEBRUN, Alexis LEBRUN, and Simon GAZY delivered a flawless performance, each claiming straight-games victories to book their spot in the semi-finals. Alexis LEBRUN:“The match went really well. Félix gave us the perfect start with a very solid performance against NUYTINCK, who also played a good match. That allowed me to come in with great energy against Adrien, who’s been in good form lately, he just played a competition in Sweden, so I knew it would be a tough battle. I managed to handle it really well, and that set up Simon perfectly to finish the job. Overall, it was a perfect match for us today.” “As for tomorrow, it’s going to be a different story. We’ll probably face Germany, since they haven’t played their quarter-final yet. On paper, that’s likely the two strongest teams of the tournament going head-to-head. It’s going
Women’s Semi-Finals: Germany to Face Portugal, Romania to Meet the Netherlands
At the European Team Championships in Zadar, the women’s semi-final line-up is complete. In the penultimate stage, Portugal will take on Germany, while Romania will face the Netherlands in two highly anticipated encounters for a place in the final. Poland – Netherlands 1-3 In the opening session of the day, the Netherlands made history by returning to the medal podium for the first time since 2017, when the team also featured Britt EERLAND and Jie LI. Facing a young and ambitious Polish team, the Dutch side showed resilience to earn a 3–1 victory and secure their place among the top four in Europe. Poland took the early lead after Natalia BAJOR defeated Britt EERLAND 3–1. However, Jie LI quickly levelled the score with a dominant win over Anna BRZYSKA 3–0, her defensive game proving too difficult for the 19-year-old opponent to break through. In the third match, Shuohan MEN overcame Zuzanna WIELGOS 3–1, before LI returned to the table to defeat BAJOR once more, this time 3–1 sealing the Netherlands’ victory and a guaranteed medal. Britt EERLAND:“We played better today. Yesterday, LI said she felt that everyone was growing into the tournament more and more. We’re here with a goal, and we’re fighting for it. We don’t want to lose that momentum, and I think we really built on it today. After the match, she said, ‘We’re not done yet.’ The hardest part of the quarter-finals is always the mental game, the one who can still play under pressure is the one who comes out on top. Every match is a fight. LI said she really had to start attacking to make her opponent feel more pressure, and she made small but smart adjustments that made things uncomfortable for her opponent. I tried the same, to change things up, but it was really difficult to get her out of rhythm. I had a small chance to turn it around and even took a timeout for that moment; I felt I had done everything right. But in the end, it’s all about teamwork, we warm up together, change positions, and support each other. Before she started, LI said, ‘If I don’t win, you can still win,’ so we have full confidence in one another. Anton and Maaike, our coach and physio, everyone supports us. I really feel we’re working as one team.” Reflecting on Poland’s challenge, EERLAND added: “LI has played many times against Anna, so she’s experienced in this style. We weren’t really worried, but we didn’t know if Poland would change their order, that was the only question mark. Before my first match, I was nervous, but I told myself that even if I lost, I just had to do my best. I think my opponent was also nervous, so I just gave everything. She was nervous too, but when she made her choices, she committed fully and put real quality behind the ball, that kind of extra effort can make the difference.” Germany – Sweden 3–0 Reigning champions Germany once again demonstrated their quality and consistency, sweeping Sweden 3–0 to reach the semi-finals of the European Team Championships in Zadar and secure another medal. Led by Sabine WINTER, Annett KAUFMANN, and Nina MITTELHAM, the German side delivered a disciplined performance against a determined Swedish team featuring Christina KÄLLBERG, Linda BERGSTRÖM, and Filippa BERGAND. WINTER gave Germany the perfect start, overcoming KÄLLBERG 3–1 after four well-contested games. KAUFMANN extended the lead with a straight-games win against defensive specialist BERGSTRÖM, before MITTELHAM sealed the tie with a convincing victory over BERGAND. Sabine WINTER:“I played my best match today, though there’s still room to improve, especially with my forehand and variation. It’s easier said than done under pressure, but I’ll take the confidence into tomorrow and aim to raise my level again.” Nina MITTELHAM: “Filippa Bergand played much better than last time, but even when she had a set ball, I always felt in control and stayed quite relaxed throughout the match.” Annett KAUFMANN: “It was a solid team performance. There were tight moments, but we never felt in danger. Playing against defense suits me, I’ve practiced that since I was ten.” Coach Tamara BOROS: “I expected tough matches today. Sabine was excellent in key moments, Annett played smart and patient, and Nina impressed me after her illness. The whole team, including Mia and Yuan, showed great spirit.” Ukraine – Portugal 2–3 Portugal extended their remarkable streak of reaching the medal rounds at the European Team Championships to four consecutive editions, following a dramatic 3–2 victory over Ukraine in the quarter-finals in Zadar. Portugals had to fight back from 1–2 down, showing remarkable composure under pressure to clinch the deciding match in five games. Margaryta PESOTSKA gave Ukraine a strong start by defeating Fu YU 3–1, but Jieni SHAO levelled the score after a five-game battle against Veronika MATIUNINA. Tetyana BILENKO then restored Ukraine’s lead with a straight-games victory over Julia LEAL, before SHAO struck again, beating PESOTSKA to force a decisive fifth match. In the final clash, Fu YU held her nerve against MATIUNINA, prevailing 3–2 to secure Portugal’s place in the semi-finals. Fu YU:“We needed to stay focused despite the great pressure. Especially the last match was very difficult for me. Jieni did her part of the job perfectly by giving us two points, so the pressure was on me to deliver the third one, and I’m very happy I managed to do it.” Jieni SHAO: “I needed to be at the top of my game to win both my matches. There wasn’t much room for mistakes today, every point mattered.” Romania – Slovakia 3–0 Top-seeded Romania showed no mercy against Slovakia, recording a 3–0 victory to secure their place on the medal rostrum at the European Team Championships in Zadar. Romania was in full control throughout the tie. Bernadette SZÖCS opened with a confident straight-games win over Ema LABOSOVÁ, followed by Elizabeta SAMARA, who overcame Tatiana KUKULKOVÁ 3–1 after a brief stumble in the third game. Andreea