The Men’s Doubles semifinals at the European Championships in Ljubljana will feature an all-French encounter between brothers Félix and Alexis LEBRUN and Esteban DORR and Florian BOURRASSAUD, while Sweden’s Anton KALLBERG and Kristian KARLSSON and Moldova’s Vladislav URSU and Andrei PUTUNTICA have also secured their places on the podium. The quarterfinals produced two dramatic five-game battles, a remarkable Swedish comeback and a historic achievement for Moldova, with all four winning pairs now guaranteed at least a bronze medal. KALLBERG and KARLSSON produced one of the most impressive comebacks of the morning, recovering from 0-2 down to defeat Germany’s Benedikt DUDA and Dang QIU 3-2. The Swedish pair lost the opening two games 8-11, 8-11, but responded to take the next three 11-9, 14-12, 12-10. “We didn’t feel like we were far behind, even being down 2-0. So we had to make some small adjustments and kept believing that the match was ours to win or lose. It was close all the way to the end, so we really had to leave it all out there,” said KARLSSON. KALLBERG believes the manner of their victory will give the pair additional confidence heading into the medal matches. “This win obviously boosts our confidence, not only because of how we played but also how we turned the match around. We were at our best when it was most important, which is often what it comes down to in the latter stages of a European Championship.” The LEBRUN brothers also had to battle through five games to overcome Finland’s Alex NAUMI and Benedek OLAH 3-2. After losing the opening game, the French pair moved 2-1 ahead before their opponents forced a decider. Félix and Alexis eventually prevailed 11-8 in the fifth game. “Of course, it was a huge relief, especially knowing that we’ve secured a medal. We want to go further, but we’re already very happy to have guaranteed ourselves a medal. It was an extremely difficult match, with so much tension. To come through in the end, especially after being in such a difficult position, feels really good. I think our celebration was definitely a reaction of relief,” said Félix LEBRUN. Alexis LEBRUN shared his brother’s emotions. “I feel exactly the same as Félix. We’re very happy to have secured a medal, but it was incredibly tough. We really had to dig deep and rely on our fighting spirit to get through. That makes the victory even more satisfying.” Their semifinal opponents, DORR and BOURRASSAUD, overcame Serbia’s Zsolt PETO and Uroš NINKOVIC 3-0. Although the result suggested a comfortable victory, the French pair faced a difficult opening game, recovering from 8-10 down to win 12-10 before taking the following two games 11-7, 11-8. “It was a really tough match, even though the score doesn’t suggest that. A 3-0 result looks convincing, but every game was difficult, especially the first one. We were trailing 10-8, but we managed to come back to 10-10. We made some tactical adjustments, won that opening game, and I think that gave us a psychological advantage,” explained DORR. “We are really happy. This is our second medal at a major championship after winning bronze at the World Championships last year. Now we are delighted to have the opportunity to play in the European Championships semifinals.” BOURRASSAUD is looking forward to the challenge of facing his compatriots, with whom he regularly trains. “We will work on how to beat the LEBRUN brothers. That’s our task for this afternoon and tomorrow morning. Of course, we know them very well. We train together all the time, including in Doubles, so we know each other’s games. They are definitely the big favourites, but we will try to disrupt their rhythm, create an opportunity and take it. We will do our best.” “Playing a European Championships semifinal against our friends is something special. We are grateful to be here, and we will fight like hell to win and secure our place in the final.” Moldova’s URSU and PUTUNTICA completed the semifinal line-up with a commanding 3-0 victory over Belgium’s Adrien RASSENFOSSE and Martin ALLEGRO. Their success was particularly significant for PUTUNTICA, who celebrated his first European Championships medal. “It feels great! It’s our first medal playing together and my first medal overall at the European Championships. This is actually the first time we have competed together in Doubles at the European Championships, and we already have a medal. It’s a wonderful feeling,” said PUTUNTICA. “We have developed our own system and we understand each other very well. He knows me, I know him, and somehow everything works. We take it step by step, and I feel that we have controlled most of the matches we have played so far.” The Moldovan pair had not arrived in Ljubljana with a medal as their stated target. “To be honest, we didn’t come here with a medal as our goal. We just wanted to play and enjoy the game as much as possible, and somehow it worked. Everything that comes now is a bonus, but we are confident and we will definitely fight,” added PUTUNTICA. For URSU, the medal carries both personal and national significance. “This is my second European Championships medal in Doubles. It’s nice to win another one, although the first medal is always the sweetest. Of course, we are very happy, and we will fight to reach the final. It will certainly be difficult, but we have to find the right solution against our next opponents. I feel quite confident in my game, so I just need to maintain my concentration.” “It means a lot for our country because we don’t have many medals. I won Moldova’s first European Championships medal together with my Austrian partner, Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK. Now we have three medals in total.” With all four pairs having secured their medals, attention now turns to the semifinals and the battle for places in the European Championships final.

Poland, Romania and Germany, together with a Slovak-Polish partnership, will be represented in the Women’s Doubles semifinals at the European Championships in Ljubljana after an exciting morning of quarterfinal action. The Polish combination of Zuzanna WIELGOS and Anna BRZYSKA survived a five-game battle against France’s Prithika PAVADE and Charlotte LUTZ, while Romania’s Bernadette SZOCS and Elizabeta SAMARA, Germany’s Annett KAUFMANN and Nina MITTELHAM, and Slovakia’s Tatiana KUKULKOVA alongside Poland’s Natalia BAJOR also secured medals. WIELGOS and BRZYSKA were pushed to the limit by the French pair before prevailing 3-2. After winning the opening game 11-6, the Polish duo lost the next two games 9-11, 9-11, but responded impressively to take the fourth and fifth games 11-4, 11-3. “We started well and won the first game 11-6, but then we lost the second and third games 11-9, so it was very close. We were leading in the third game, but we knew we still had a chance. We tried to stick to our tactics, and we managed to come back in the fourth game,” explained BRZYSKA. “I think we played really well in the fourth and fifth games. We stayed committed to our tactical plan, and that was the key.” WIELGOS also highlighted the tactical adjustments that helped turn the match around. “At 1-2 down, we decided we needed to play better, put more balls on the table and be ready for the returns because our opponents were getting a lot of balls back. I tried to counterattack well, while Anna had to be ready for the next ball. I think we won most of our points when I played a stronger shot and Anna finished the rally with the following ball.” Romania’s SZOCS and SAMARA secured their semifinal place with a 3-1 victory over Germany’s Ying HAN and Sabine WINTER. The Romanian pair combined aggressive play with tactical discipline to overcome opponents whose different playing styles presented a significant challenge. “I’m very proud of us. We complemented each other very well today and played amazingly. Everybody knows that they are very strong players, and we knew from the beginning that it would be a very difficult match. But we prepared very well, and the most important thing was that we found the key to winning in the end,” said SZOCS. SAMARA explained that maintaining their approach throughout the match was essential. “I think the key was staying calm and not changing our tactics. We had to remain consistent and play the same way from the first ball until the last. We had to take a timeout, but in the end, the most important thing is that we won.” Germany’s KAUFMANN and MITTELHAM also booked their places in the last four, defeating Serbia’s Sabina SURJAN and Izabela LUPULESKU 3-1. The German pair recovered from losing the opening game to take the next three and guarantee themselves a place on the podium. Meanwhile, the Slovak-Polish combination of KUKULKOVA and BAJOR produced an impressive straight-games victory over Mariia TAILAKOVA and Elizabet ABRAAMIAN, winning 11-5, 12-10, 11-9. The victory marked another important achievement for the partnership, which had previously won bronze at the European Championships in Linz. “We are very happy. All the games were extremely close, and I think the first game was particularly important. In the second game, we were trailing 4-7, but we managed to come back and win 12-10. That was another crucial moment. Our opponents played very well, but I think today we produced our best performance in the three years we have played together,” said BAJOR. The pair reunited after a break in their partnership. “We played together for around three years before taking a one-year break. We reunited for the European Championships and also played a Feeder tournament together in Berlin. We already have a bronze medal from Linz, so this is another very special achievement for us,” BAJOR added. KUKULKOVA praised their preparation and determination against difficult opponents. “I have to say that I’ve been improving since the first day, and today was really good. I think we gave our best on every ball. We told ourselves that we had to fight and be vocal from the very first point because we knew how strong our opponents were.” “I think winning the toss and choosing to receive was already a very important decision because we knew exactly how we wanted to play. Our tactics were unbelievable today. Everything we planned seemed to work.” The Slovak player was especially pleased to have achieved the objective she had set for the day. “Winning a medal was my goal today. I even said it to the Slovak media, so I’m very happy that we achieved it.” With four semifinal places decided, all remaining pairs are assured of medals, while the race for the Women’s Doubles title continues in Ljubljana.