The last day of the Group Stage matches at the European Team Championships in Zadar brought decisive clashes for the remaining places in the Round of 16.
Additionally, the teams that reached the last 16 also secured qualification for the World Championships in London 2026.
Belgium – Czechia 1–3
Group 4: Portugal 2–0, Czechia 1–1, Belgium 0–2
Czechia recovered from their earlier defeat against Portugal and, with a win over Belgium, secured a place in the Round of 16. Hana MATELOVA beat both Margo DEGRAEF and Julie VAN HAUWAERT, while Veronika POLAKOVA overcame Margo DEGRAEF. Lilou MASSART claimed Belgium’s only point, prevailing against Karin GROFOVA in a tight five-game duel.
“I think Veronika started off really well, winning 3–2, and that gave me a nice sense of calm as well,” said Hana MATELOVA. “For me, it was actually quite an advantage that the Belgian team changed their lineup. I won both of my matches comfortably, so that’s great. I’m really enjoying the young energy and spirit in our team, we’re always taking photos, Snapchats, stories, but I don’t mind. It’s all part of it.”
Spain – Netherlands 0–3
Group 3: Netherlands 2–0, Spain 1–1, France 0–2
Both Netherlands and Spain secured their place in the second stage by overcoming France in the previous two rounds. Today, the Dutch team confirmed their top position in the standings and a better draw position by defeating Spain in straight matches.
Netherlands’ Britt EERLAND, Jie LI, and Shuohan MEN overcame Maria XIAO, Sofia-Xuan ZHANG, and Maria BERZOSA without due alarm.
“I think after beating France we were, of course, a little bit more confident, but we didn’t really think ahead yet. We also watched the match between France and Spain, and we saw that Spain really pushed France hard, they wanted to win, not just play. From that match, we felt the pressure too, knowing they would come strong against us, so we had to go all in.
Of course, nobody wants to lose, so we stayed super focused. Maybe not always the nicest, but very focused, and that showed in our performance. For me, for Jie, and for Shuohan at number three, she was a little nervous, but I’m happy she could finish the match for us,” said Britt EERLAND.
Asked about the next goal, EERLAND continued:
“It would be great to go for a medal, of course. But as I said before, we’re the type of team that just wants to win, it doesn’t matter if it’s the semifinals, final, or group stage, we just want to win. So we’ll keep fighting and try to make it as difficult as possible for everyone. Most importantly, we’ll play our own game and our best table tennis.”
“You never know, any match can be the deciding one, any point can turn the momentum. So if we have a chance, even a small one, we have to take it. I’m also very happy for Shuohan that she could win her match; it’s great for her confidence going forward in the tournament. Of course, we still have to see who we’ll play next and how we can prepare, because we also have Tanja, so we’ll do everything to play our best table tennis and find the best possible tactics.”
Austria – Greece 3–0
Group 5: Sweden 2–0, Austria 1–1, Greece 0–2
After Aikaterini TOLIOU defeated Yuan LIU in a long and hard-fought duel, Austria shifted into a higher gear. Sofia POLCANOVA beat both Malamatenia PAPADIMITRIOU and TOLIOU in straight games (3–0), while Karoline MISCHEK prevailed against Ioanna GERASIMATOU to complete the victory.
“It was our goal to qualify for the last 16 and also to secure a place at the World Championships in London 2026, so now that we’ve done it, we are, of course, really happy,” said Sofia POLCANOVA. “Today we showed that we are one team and that we did what we had to do. I might be the number one in the team, but we’re all one unit — I’m happy when everyone can play and win.
As the top player, I do feel the pressure, but I believe that if I can win two matches, the other girls can also deliver, and today, that was exactly the case.”
Although Nina SKERBINZ did not play in this match, POLCANOVA spoke warmly about her young teammate’s debut.
“This is our first tournament together with Nina, and I hope she can gain valuable experience here at the European Championships, not only from me, but also from the other players on the team.”
England – Italy 3-2
Group 7: Croatia 2-0, England 1-1, Italy 0-2.
England emerged victorious in a tense five-match duel against Italy, clinching second place in Group 7 and a spot in the Round of 16.
It was Italy who started stronger, as Giorgia PICCOLIN defeated Tin-Tin HO in the opening encounter. England then responded with Tianer YU’s convincing win over Gaia MONFARDINI. The balance shifted again when Nicole ARLIA overcame Jasmin WONG, but HO and YU held their nerve to seal England’s overall 3–2 triumph.
“The first match against Giorgia PICCOLIN was a tough loss for me. I had control for most of it, but unfortunately she changed a few things and I couldn’t find a way to win,” said HO.
“In my second match against Gaia MONFARDINI I felt really good, she played my game, and I’m happy that I managed to win 3–0. Overall, we’re so happy that we reached the Round of 16 and showed some really good table tennis.”
Overall we are so happy that we managed to get in the round of 16 and showed a good game,”said HO.
Slovenia – Serbia 0–3
Group 2: Germany 2–0, Serbia 1–1, Slovenia 0–2
Serbia’s Izabela LUPULESKU, Sabina ŠURJAN, and Aneta MAKSUTI overcame Slovenia’s Sara TOKIĆ, Ana TOFANT, and Katarina STRAŽAR to secure second place in the group and a spot in the Round of 16.
“We’re satisfied. We knew our opponents wouldn’t be easy. It’s true, we were the favourites, but we also knew it wouldn’t be an easy match, and that proved right, because two of the matches went to 3–2. We fought hard and gave our best. Now we’re waiting for the draw to see who we’ll face tomorrow. We’re hoping for the best, and we’ll keep fighting until the end,” said Izabela LUPULESKU after the match.
Asked whether the earlier loss against Germany had affected the team, she replied:
“It was expected that we’d lose, because they were the favourites, but honestly, we didn’t expect it to be that easy for them. I thought we’d have much better chances. That was their second match and our first, so we hadn’t really found our rhythm yet. I hope we’ll get another chance to play against them, I’m looking forward to a rematch.”
Bulgaria – Hungary 1-3
Group 6: Poland 2-0, Hungary 1-1, Bulgaria 0-2
Hungary’s Judit NAGY, Georgina POTA, and Rebeka NAGY overcame Bulgaria’s Maria YOVKOVA, Kalina HRISTOVA, and Tsvetelina GEORGIEVA to secure their spot in the Round of 16.
“I think we’re the youngest team, well, except for me (hahaha). I’m actually one of the oldest, and the others are the youngest,” said Georgina POTA with a laugh. “I always joke that I’m the mommy, and they’re my children. I love my new team because they’re always clapping, shouting, and full of energy. They really keep me going.”
Asked whether she felt any pressure, POTA admitted:
“It’s not easy. When you’re number one, everyone expects you to win, and that pressure can be really tough. Still, I have self-confidence. After yesterday, I knew I had to do something because I didn’t play very well. I’m not the fastest player on court, but I try to use my hands and play smart, and today, it worked.”
She also commented on Rebeka NAGY’s decisive match:
“The match was really intense. It ended 3–2. She was leading 2–0, then it became 2–2 in sets. I had to walk outside; I couldn’t even watch the match because I was so nervous! It was such an important match, since it meant qualification for the World Championships — so there was a lot of extra stress.”
Slovakia – Türkiye 3–0
Group 8: Ukraine 2–0, Slovakia 1–1, Türkiye 0–2
Slovakia bounced back after their defeat against Ukraine to overcome Türkiye and secure a place in the knockout stage.
Tatiana KUKULKOVA, Barbora VARADY, and Ema LABOSOVA all posted victories against Türkiye’s Özge YILMAZ, Sibel ALTINKAYA, and Ece HARAC.
Barbora VARADY said after the match:
“Although the result may look like an easy win, it definitely wasn’t. Only Tatiana KUKULKOVA had her match fully under control. My match with Sibel was very tough, the last time I played her, I lost. But this time I was better prepared and managed the endings of the sets really well, so with this 3–0 win I’m more than satisfied.
I also have to say that Ema LABOSOVA played a very good match. I’m really proud of us and of the performance we showed today.”
Luxembourg – Wales 3–2
Group 1: Romania 2–0, Luxembourg 1–1, Wales 0–2
In a dramatic series of twists and turns, Luxembourg, led by Sarah DE NUTTE, overcame Wales 3–2 to secure their spot in the next stage.
Although Anna HURSEY won both of her matches for Wales, 18-year-old Enisa SADIKOVIC and Melisa SADIKOVIC held their nerve to deliver the crucial points, with Enisa sealing the victory in the decisive fifth match.
“We tried to stay calm, but there were definitely a lot of emotions,” said Sarah DE NUTTE. “In the end, we just tried to stay as composed as possible and fight for the victory. We knew it was going to be very tough to beat Anna HURSEY, so we understood that the other three matches would be the key to winning. Our great team spirit made the difference, we supported each other and stayed calm in the important moments, and I think that was the key to victory.”
Enisa SADIKOVIC revealed a fun post-match promise:
“The coach promised us that if we won, we could throw him in the pool!”
