Elizabeta SAMARA secured third medal
Polina MIKHAILOVA awarded enthusiastic home crowd with fantastic quarter final win over the top seeded HAN Yin of Germany 4:2 (15:13 9:11 8:11 12:10 11:5 11:8). In the semi final of the 2015 LIEBHERR European Championships she will meet Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania. In other semi final Portugal’s FU Yu will play against LI Jie of Netherlands.
“We met two times before and in both occasions I suffered defeat. I thought before the match that Expedite Rule might be invoked. In last two matches I lost 4:0 without any chance but now it was opposite ” said Polina.
At 3:2 and 9:4 in the sixth game MIKHAILOVA made one mistake.
“I was impatient. I smashed one ball that I should not and I made error. I should wait for the safer position. Then I started to think about missed chance thought it will cost me a lot….Luckily I managed to come back to the game and to play brave.”
At the European Championships In Schwechat 2013 LI Fen of Sweden beat FU Yu of Portugal on her way to the gold in Women’s Singles. For FU it has been consolation in bronze – first ever medal at women Event for Portugal at the Old Continents’ Championships. Now in Russia FU avenged her defeat 4:1 (11:8 12:10 9:11 11:8 11:7).
“We meet one time after the Championships and LI beat me then as well. After that I studied her game watched a lot of matches that she has played. Today the key was not to rush with the points. I love to play fast and to attack but it proved as bad tactics against Swede before. Here I slowed the game. I was focused to put the ball at the table. I was patient and wait for the right moment ” explained FU.
LI jie of Netherlands halted the progress of Petrissa SOLJA of Germany 4:1 (11:6 12:10 12:10 7:11 11:6).
“The first two games were very close because of the tempo of the play Petrissa played very fast; after that I was able to slow things down and then I felt more comfortable. Gradually I was becoming used to her top spin play ” explained LI.
So far the best result in singles for German player were the second round whilst LI played in Round of 16 in Stuttgart in 2009.
Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania secured the third medal at the Championships in Ekaterinburg by beating Georgina POTA of Hungary 1:4 (9:11 11:9 12:14 7:11 7:11). Only two hours after they clinched the medal in doubles playing together they were force to face each other in the quarterfinal of the singles.
“It is look like easy win but everyone will tell you it is hard to play against POTA. Her style is unbelievable. I had to work hard to keep her away from the table. Spin after spin I had to built every point ” said SAMARA.
