Koharu ITAGAKI of Germany captured the gold medal in the Under 15 Girls Singles Event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava, ending the remarkable run of two-time defending champion Hanka KODET of Czechia. The bronze medals went to Lou-Anne BOCQUET and Albane ROCHUT of France.
ITAGAKI reached all four finals in Ostrava and secured gold in both the Team and Singles events, making her the most successful player of the Championships.
In the final, the German player faced a tough battle against the home favourite KODET, with the local crowd passionately supporting their player. Despite the pressure, ITAGAKI held her nerve and sealed the win.
“I lost to her the past two years. To be honest, I still can’t believe I did it. In the last game, I was leading 8-4 and then 10-7, but she won a few amazing points, and suddenly it was 10-10. I just stayed focused and managed to win. I had to fight for every ball, she never gives up. Throughout the match, I stuck to my tactics, because I knew that if I changed anything, she would take control. I’m really proud of myself. My coach told me before the match: just enjoy it and fight for every ball,” said ITAGAKI.
Both semi-finals ended in straight games. ITAGAKI reached her fourth final at the event, having already won gold in the Team event and silver in Mixed Doubles and Girls Doubles, by defeating 12-year-old Albane ROCHUT of France. ROCHUT had already made headlines by reaching the doubles podium alongside 12-year-olds Louis FEGERL (Austria) and Ladimir MAYOROV (Spain).
“It wasn’t an easy match. I knew from the start that she’s a very strong player. I spoke with my coach beforehand, she told me to play more to her forehand because her backhand block is really solid, so I avoided playing to that side. Now I’m going to face KODET in the final. She’s a really strong player, she’s won the U15 title twice already. For me, this is my first final. Last year, I lost to her in the semis, and the year before that, in the quarterfinals. But I’ll give it my best and fight for the gold!” said ITAGAKI.
To book her place in the final, Hanka KODET overcame Lou-Anne BOCQUET in straight games.
“I lost to her 0-3 in the team event, I couldn’t return her serves. So I knew this would be a really difficult match. Still, I stayed confident and focused the entire time. I knew what I had to do and came in well-prepared. It might look like an easy 4-0 win, but it definitely wasn’t. For the final, I’ll approach it like any other match—focused and ready to play my best table tennis. Whether it’s a semifinal or final, I just go out there and try to win,” said KODET.
Final
- Koharu ITAGAKI of Germany – Hanka KODET of Czechia 4-2 (7-11, 11-7, 11-9, 13-11, 8-11, 12-10)
Semi final
- Hanka KODET of Czechia – Lou-Anne BOCQUET of France 4-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-1, 11-5)
- Koharu ITAGAKI of Germany – Albane ROCHUT of France 4-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-7, 12-10)
