Romania’s Eduard IONESCU and Bernadette SZOCS, Germany’s Benedikt DUDA and Nina MITTELHAM, Sweden’s Kristian KARLSSON and Christina KÄLLBERG, and France’s Alexis LEBRUN and Charlotte LUTZ have secured medals at the European Championships in Ljubljana after advancing to the Mixed Doubles semifinals. See the photos by Jure MARKOVEC here. Two quarterfinals went the full five games, with Romania and France surviving dramatic finishes, while Germany and Sweden progressed in straight games. With bronze medals guaranteed to all four semifinalist pairs, the focus now turns to the battle for the European title. For Bernadette SZOCS, the 3-2 victory alongside Eduard IONESCU over France’s Thibault PORET and Prithika PAVADE was particularly emotional. The Romanian pair recovered from losing the opening game and held their nerve in a tense decider to prevail 9-11, 13-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-9. “I am so happy and excited. I cannot describe how I feel right now. It was a very difficult match. Our opponents were leading, but we stayed positive and kept fighting. I think the key was how well we complement each other,” said SZOCS. The Romanian star, who arrived in Ljubljana with 13 European Championship medals, including three gold, highlighted the understanding she has developed with IONESCU, both at the table and away from competition. “We knew it would be a very difficult match, and we had prepared several tactics. Sometimes I was down, sometimes he was down, but we knew how to keep each other positive. We complement each other very well, and I think it also helps that we are good friends away from the table.” Although this is their first European Championships together, the Romanian combination had already demonstrated its potential on the WTT circuit. “Of course I am happy about the medal. This is our first European Championships playing together, and we have already achieved some amazing results on the WTT circuit. I believed we could win a medal because we play so well together. Now we want to relax a little because it was an unbelievably tough match, and then we will prepare for our next opponents.” Germany’s Benedikt DUDA and Nina MITTELHAM continued their impressive run in Ljubljana with a 3-0 victory over Moldova’s Alexandra CHIRIACOVA and Vladislav URSU (12-10, 11-5, 11-9), securing their place in the Mixed Doubles semifinals and guaranteeing a medal. Although the scoreline suggested a comfortable victory, the opening and third games were closely contested, with the Germans prevailing by just two points on each occasion. “When you are playing for a medal, it doesn’t matter who is on the other side of the table. You have to deliver your best performance. Matches like these are never easy,” said MITTELHAM, a five-time European champion. “I became a little nervous at times. Making two service errors at 10-8 is something that normally doesn’t happen to me. I’m very happy that we managed to get through those difficult moments.” Their success in Ljubljana represents a significant improvement for a partnership that had struggled earlier in the season. At three WTT tournaments together this year, DUDA and MITTELHAM were eliminated in the opening round of the main draw on each occasion. For DUDA, the difference lies in their growing understanding of each other’s game. “We have found our playing style and adapted well to each other. I know what Nina does on receive, and she knows what I generally do on receive. That means we get the kind of balls back that we are used to dealing with in Singles. That’s why it is working so well,” explained DUDA, the Men’s Singles silver medallist at the 2024 European Championships in Linz. After eliminating defending champions and top seeds Álvaro ROBLES and Maria XIAO of Spain in the Round of 16, the German combination now faces Romania’s Eduard IONESCU and Bernadette SZOCS for a place in the final. “If we continue playing like this, we will be really difficult to beat. Tomorrow, we will give everything,” added DUDA. Sweden’s Kristian KARLSSON and Christina KÄLLBERG were equally impressive, defeating Portugal’s Miguel SANTA and João GERALDO 3-0 (13-11, 11-7, 11-2). After edging a closely contested opening game, the Swedish pair grew increasingly dominant, producing an assured performance to secure their place among Europe’s leading four combinations. “I think we played a really good match from start to finish, just like in the Round of 16 yesterday. When we are aggressive and follow up each other as well as we did today, we know we are a very tough match for anyone,” said KARLSSON. For KÄLLBERG, the victory brought a particularly special milestone: her first European Championship medal. However, the Swedish player made it clear that the pair’s ambitions extend beyond reaching the podium. “It feels incredible. To claim a medal here is something I’ve dreamt of and fought for, for a very long time. However, when we’re playing at this level, there’s no reason to celebrate yet, as we have our eyes on the gold,” said KÄLLBERG. France’s Alexis LEBRUN and Charlotte LUTZ completed the semifinal line-up after surviving another five-game thriller against Luxembourg’s Luka MLADENOVIC and NI Xia Lian. The French combination prevailed 3-2 (13-11, 5-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9), with the deciding game remaining on a knife-edge until the final two points. “It was not the best combination at the end, but we managed to win those two points for 11-9 in the fifth. I took some risks on the return, so I’m very happy and proud of us. It was a great match, very difficult and very strange, so I’m very happy to secure this medal,” said LEBRUN. For LUTZ, the result represented her first European Championship medal, achieved after a contest that tested the French pair’s nerves and tactical flexibility. “For me, it’s the first medal ever, so I’m very happy that we managed to win this match in the end. It was a really difficult situation for us, but we found solutions to win the fifth game. It was very stressful, but we made the right choices at

The Women’s Doubles quarterfinal line-up at the European Championships in Ljubljana is complete following eight Round of 16 encounters, with top seeds Bernadette SZOCS and Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania advancing alongside strong performances from Germany, France and Poland. Serbia’s Sabina ŠURJAN and Izabela LUPULESKU produced the most dramatic comeback of the day, recovering from two games down to keep their medal hopes alive. See the photos by Jure MARKOVEC here. Top seeds Bernadette SZOCS and Elizabeta SAMARA continued their campaign with a straight-games victory over Croatia’s Lea RAKOVAC and Hana ARAPOVIC (11-9, 11-8, 11-6). Although the Croatian pair remained competitive throughout the opening stages of each game, the experienced Romanian combination showed greater consistency and composure at the decisive moments. “We both played very well. We complemented each other perfectly, and I think that was the key to winning the match. We are very positive about the next round because we played really well together,” said SZOCS. The Romanian player highlighted communication and anticipation as the decisive factors. “The most important thing was communication. We knew where the ball was going and where we needed to move. We also avoided making easy mistakes. Our opponents played amazingly well at the beginning of the games, but they tended to make mistakes towards the end. We knew it would be a difficult match, so we stayed focused from the very beginning. I think our shots had more quality, and our ball placement prevented them from playing their own game,” explained SAMARA. France’s Prithika PAVADE and Charlotte LUTZ, seeded 11th, delivered one of the standout performances of the day, defeating fourth seeds Andreea DRAGOMAN and Adina DIACONU of Romania in straight games (14-12, 11-5, 11-7). The opening game proved crucial, with the French pair prevailing 14-12. From that moment, PAVADE and LUTZ took control, maintaining their attacking rhythm and putting their opponents under pressure. “It was definitely not an easy match. The first game was really tight, and we managed to win it. After that, I think we dominated, but we had to stay focused on every point because we felt they could come back at any moment,” said PAVADE. The French combination have set their sights on reaching at least the semifinals, although LUTZ stressed the importance of approaching each match without unnecessary pressure. “We have very big goals in this tournament. We really want to reach the semifinal and even further if possible. But we will prepare for the next match as usual, treating it like a normal match so we don’t put too much pressure on ourselves. Whoever we face, it will be tough. We will prepare as well as possible and give 100 percent,” said LUTZ. Second seeds Annett KAUFMANN and Nina MITTELHAM of Germany also secured their place in the last eight, overcoming Sweden’s Christina KÄLLBERG and Filippa BERGAND 3-1 (11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5). The German pair established a two-game advantage before the Swedes responded by taking the third. However, KAUFMANN and MITTELHAM quickly regained control, dominating the fourth game to close out the contest. Germany’s HAN Ying and Sabine WINTER secured their place in the Women’s Doubles quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory over Luxembourg’s NI Xia Lian and Sarah DE NUTTE, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallists. “We knew beforehand that this would be a very difficult match, and we had a lot of respect for our opponents. We had to step outside our comfort zone, try something different and change our tactics. Ying attacked more, which was necessary, and she did it very well and with great courage,” said WINTER. The German praised the understanding she has already developed with HAN, despite the pair only beginning their European Championships campaign together the previous day. “Even when I have to stretch to reach a ball and can only manage to put it back on the table, I know Ying will be there for the next shot. She is incredibly reliable,” explained WINTER. Looking ahead to their quarterfinal against Romania’s top seeds Elizabeta SAMARA and Bernadette SZOCS, HAN acknowledged the challenge. “The two Romanians are a very strong and well-established doubles pair. We have a chance if we fight really hard,” said HAN. WINTER was equally determined. “We are an awkward pair to play against, and it won’t be easy for them either. We will fight for every ball again and make sure we win those difficult points.” The most dramatic encounter of the day saw Serbia’s Sabina ŠURJAN and Izabela LUPULESKU recover from two games down to defeat Italy’s Gaia MONFARDINI and Nicole ARLIA 3-2 (7-11, 8-11, 12-10, 14-12, 11-2). The Serbian duo, bronze medallists at the 2024 European Championships in Linz, struggled in the opening stages as the Italians established a commanding advantage. However, ŠURJAN and LUPULESKU refused to surrender, edging two extremely tight games before dominating the decider. “I think we started playing in a very nervous and almost panicky way. We are defending our medal from Linz, and I personally felt a lot of pressure. But after going 0-2 down, we managed to calm ourselves, started taking it point by point and began playing much smarter. I think that was the key to turning the match around,” explained ŠURJAN. LUPULESKU highlighted the strong emotional connection between the two players and the importance of supporting each other during difficult moments. “I draw a lot of energy from Sabina. If she is nervous, I become nervous too. If she is calm, I become even calmer. In our partnership, Sabina is usually the one who finishes the points, while I create opportunities and set things up for her. When things aren’t going well for her, I try to take more responsibility and help her regain her confidence,” said LUPULESKU. The Serbian player admitted that the pair had not produced their best performance but was delighted with their fighting spirit. “As my father always says, the quality of great players is that they find a way to win even when they aren’t playing well. That’s the attitude

Defending champions Alexis and Félix LEBRUN of France continued their title defence at the European Championships in Ljubljana, while Serbia’s Uroš NINKOVIC and Zsolt PETO celebrated a remarkable breakthrough as the Men’s Doubles quarterfinal line-up was completed. Germany’s Benedikt DUDA and Dang QIU produced an extraordinary comeback, Moldova’s Vladislav URSU and Andrei PUTUNTICA survived a five-game battle, and Belgium’s Adrien RASSENFOSSE and Martin ALLEGRO also came through a dramatic encounter. See the photos by Jure MARKOVEC here. The LEBRUN brothers faced a challenging test against Slovenia’s Darko JORGIC and Deni KOZUL, with the home favourites pushing them all the way in the opening game. The French pair eventually prevailed 15-13 before taking the next two games 11-9 and 11-8 to complete a 3-0 victory. Despite the straight-games scoreline, the match was far from comfortable for the defending champions. “It’s always difficult to play against Darko and Kozul. It was a tough match. We won the first game by a very narrow margin, and the second was also close. It could have been much more difficult, so we are very happy to win 3-0,” said Alexis LEBRUN. The victory keeps the French brothers on course to defend the European title they won in Linz two years ago. “We are still on the road. We are in the quarterfinals, so we are happy about that. We have just beaten a very strong pair, which gives us confidence for the rest of the tournament. We will see what happens next,” said Felix LEBRUN. With both brothers competing in singles and doubles, managing their demanding schedule is another challenge. “I’m very happy to finish early today! I hope I won’t have to play the last match of the evening session every time. Of course, competing in three draws is not easy, but for the moment I feel good,” said Alexis. Felix added: “It’s a tough schedule, of course, but we are starting to get used to it. The last time I had a similar situation, travelling from Asia to Europe, I played really well. I hope it will be the same this week.” One of the most emotional victories of the day belonged to Serbia’s Zsolt PETO and 18-year-old Uroš NINKOVIC, who defeated Slovakia’s Jakub ZELINKA and Lubomir PISTEJ in a five-game thriller. The Serbian pair, competing together for the first time, took the opening game 11-8 before the Slovaks levelled. PETO and NINKOVIC regained the advantage by taking the third 12-10, but their opponents forced a decider. The fifth game was another tense battle, with the Serbians eventually prevailing 13-11 to secure their place among Europe’s top eight pairs. For NINKOVIC, who turns 19 in approximately ten days, the achievement was almost impossible to comprehend. “This is an enormous achievement for me. Honestly, I never imagined I could reach the last eight in Europe in any category, let alone at senior level. I haven’t even achieved that in juniors this year! It’s really something special, and I still can’t quite believe what we’ve accomplished,” said NINKOVIC. The young Serbian admitted that the closing stages tested his nerves. “We were leading 1-0, then 2-1, and we also had the lead in the fifth game. At 11-10, I was definitely nervous, but fortunately I had my more experienced partner beside me to take responsibility when it mattered most.” For the experienced PETO, the unexpected success has made their first tournament together particularly memorable. “It’s an unbelievable story because this is actually the first time we’ve played together. At the beginning, I thought we would just enjoy ourselves, play some doubles and see how far we could go. But here we are, one victory away from a medal!” said PETO. The Serbian player, who revealed that he had been ill at the beginning of the Championships, hopes their remarkable run is not over. “I was actually ill at the start of the Championships, and quite a few people have already joked that I play better when I’m sick than when I’m healthy! We’ve had some incredible moments throughout the tournament. I wouldn’t say we’ve won because of luck, but perhaps luck has finally started to follow us a little. I hope this isn’t where our journey stops. We want to keep going tomorrow. We want a medal,” said PETO. Germany’s Benedikt DUDA and Dang QIU staged another remarkable comeback, recovering from two games down to defeat Russia’s Evgenii TIKHONOV and Vladimir SIDORENKO 3-2 (8-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-0). TIKHONOV and SIDORENKO made an excellent start, taking the opening two games and moving within one game of the quarterfinals. However, DUDA and QIU responded with greater consistency, narrowing the deficit before levelling the contest. The deciding game was completely one-sided, with the German pair winning 11-0 to complete an extraordinary turnaround. Moldova’s Vladislav URSU and Andrei PUTUNTICA also needed five games to secure their quarterfinal place, overcoming Germany’s Wim VERDONSCHOT and Andre BERTELSMEIER 3-2 (8-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-6, 11-4). The German combination twice took the lead, winning the opening game and then edging a closely contested third 12-10. However, the Moldovan pair responded strongly on both occasions. After dominating the fourth game, URSU and PUTUNTICA carried their momentum into the decider. “The match was very evenly balanced throughout. We were always close, at 5-5 or 6-6. I think the turning point came in the fifth game when we were leading 5-4. I played a slightly unusual backhand shot towards the middle to make it 6-4. I felt that point gave us a lot of confidence. Otherwise, the whole match was extremely close,” explained PUTUNTICA. The Moldovan duo, both left-handed, arrived in Ljubljana without particularly high expectations in Doubles, but their impressive run has continued into the last eight. “We came here as two left-handed players without particularly high expectations. We had played together before and performed well, but against stronger opponents it was always difficult. So far, things have been going well. This was actually the first time we lost two games, as we had won