Iulian CHIRITA of Romania, now teaming up with Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal, successfully defended his title in the Under 19 Boys Doubles Event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava. CHIRITA claimed gold last year alongside Andrei ISTRATE. This time, he reached the top of the podium with a new partner. The silver medals went to Dragos BUJOR and Robert Alexandru ISTRATE of Romania.
Bronze medals were awarded to Rafal FORMELA and Alan KULCZYCKI of Poland, as well as to Yoan VELICHKOV of Bulgaria and Julian RZIHAUSCHEK of Austria.
“It feels really nice to be champion again. Last year, I won the doubles title with ISTRATE. Now, with Tiago, it’s our first title together, and I’m really happy about it. We played very well throughout the tournament—we only dropped two games in the quarterfinals. This final was great for us; we stayed confident and made fewer mistakes,” said CHIRITA.
ABIODUN added: “We had a lot of fun during the match. We’re all close friends, so we just wanted to enjoy it. We played our game and got the win!”
Top seeds CHIRITA and ABIODUN reached the final after a straight-games win over FORMELA and KULCZYCKI of Poland.
CHIRITA commented: “That was probably our best match of the tournament. We had a great tactical plan from our coaches, and everything worked perfectly. I’m proud and excited to reach the final with Tiago, it’s our first together.”
ABIODUN noted: “The first game was the most difficult. We started a bit cold, but winning it made a big difference. If we had lost it, the pressure would’ve been on us. That win gave us control.”
In the other semifinal, BUJOR and ISTRATE got the better of VELICHKOV and RZIHAUSCHEK in a competitive match.
“We focused from the beginning and aimed to play our best. Our initial goal was just to win a medal, but once we got to the semifinal, we set our sights on gold. During the match, we adjusted our tactics and played as aggressively as we could,” said ISTRATE.
BUJOR added: “The first game was both the hardest and the most important. After that, we focused on finding the right tactical approach. Of course, reaching the final brings some pressure, but we truly believed in ourselves and our chances.”
BUJOR and ISTRATE previously teamed up at the national championships, where they won the Under 21 doubles title.
Final
- Iulian CHIRITA of Romania and Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal – Dragos BUJOR and Robert Alexandru ISTRATE of Romania 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-5)
Semi final
- Iulian CHIRITA of Romania and Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal -Rafal FORMELA and Alan KULCZYCKI of Poland 3-0 (11-6, 11-2, 11-5)
- Dragos BUJOR and Robert Alexandru ISTRATE of Romania – Yoan VELICHKOV of Bulgaria and Julian RZIHAUSCHEK of Austria 3-1 (11-9, 11-9, 2-11, 11-7)
