The Women’s Singles Round of 32 at the European Championships in Ljubljana delivered another remarkable chapter in the career of 63-year-old Ni Xia LIAN, while defending champion Sofia POLCANOVA, top seed Sabine WINTER and former finalist Bernadette SZOCS all secured their places in the Round of 16.
Luxembourg’s Ni Xia LIAN produced one of the day’s most memorable performances, overcoming Ukraine’s Margaryta PESOTSKA 4-3 in a dramatic seven-game contest. After taking a 3-1 lead, Ni saw PESOTSKA fight back to force a deciding game, but the experienced Luxembourg player held her nerve to clinch it 11-9.
“My legs are still working sometimes, and the memory is still there!” joked Ni after her victory.
“I really surprised myself. I’m very, very satisfied. I never imagined I could go this far, especially after a year without playing a match. I still have a metal implant in my hand, but it doesn’t bother me, and if I lose, I would never use that as an excuse. I haven’t been able to train enough, so of course there are some difficulties, but I really appreciate this result.”
Ni also reflected on the extraordinary experience of facing another former European champion.
“Remember, my opponent was European vice champion in 2008 and 2018, so she’s a very strong player. But for her, I’m also a strong opponent. Do you know why? Because I was European champion 30 years ago, in 1998 and 2002! So somewhere, somehow, we’re on the same level.”
Her enthusiasm for the sport remains undiminished.
“I’ve never stopped learning. There are so many great players in the world, and every time I watch them, I really enjoy it. Table tennis is so much fun because there’s always something new to learn. I think that’s what keeps you young.”
Defending champion Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria continued her campaign with a 4-1 victory over Croatia’s Hana ARAPOVIC. The opening two games were closely contested, with POLCANOVA prevailing 13-11 and 11-9 before dropping the third. She responded emphatically, taking the next two games 11-3 and 11-2.
“The first two games were very important. At the beginning, I struggled a little with her timing because she plays with a lot of curve on the ball, which confused me. I’m happy I managed to win those first two games,” explained POLCANOVA.
“In the third game, I suddenly felt really tired. I had no energy, I was hungry and I couldn’t concentrate properly. After that game, I ate a banana, and the banana saved the world! I got my energy back and was able to fight again.”
The Austrian also acknowledged the pressure of pursuing another European crown.
“I really try not to think about the title because it puts a lot of pressure on me. At the same time, I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to defend it for a third consecutive time. Not many players get that chance, so I try to look at it that way.”
Germany’s top seed Sabine WINTER overcame Croatia’s Lea RAKOVAC in straight games, although the 4-0 scoreline did not fully reflect the resistance she encountered. The first three games were decided 11-9, 11-9 and 12-10 before WINTER closed out the match 11-4.
“It was a 4-0 win, but the match was much closer than the score suggests. My opponent was the underdog, took a lot of risks and landed plenty of her shots. But I was able to stand up to her very well, especially mentally. That’s an important takeaway from this match,” said WINTER.
Romania’s Bernadette SZOCS also advanced without dropping a game, defeating France’s Alexia NODIN 4-0. Despite the convincing result, SZOCS was full of praise for her young opponent’s defensive skills.
“It was an incredibly tough match. I had to work unbelievably hard. I must say that my opponent has a bright future ahead of her. The quality of her defensive play is amazing, and I honestly didn’t expect to have to work quite so hard,” said SZOCS.
“I’m very proud of myself because I played at my best. I think I produced an excellent performance against defence, with very good tactics and ball placement. If I hadn’t been in my best shape today, I could easily have lost this match.”
SZOCS explained that her confidence against defensive players had returned after overcoming the psychological effects of an earlier arm injury.
“For about two years, I struggled against defensive players, but I think the problem was more mental than physical. Now I no longer have pain in my arm, so I don’t think about the injury anymore. I’m mentally very strong in these matches. I have a lot of patience, and I believe that’s the key to beating a defensive player.”
France’s Prithika PAVADE came through an entertaining six-game encounter against Romania’s Adina DIACONU, winning 4-2. The French player showed impressive composure after her disappointment in the Women’s Doubles earlier in the day.
“I’m extremely happy. I think it’s important to acknowledge when you’ve played really well, and today I feel I produced a very strong performance. My opponent played extremely well too. What was incredible was that the level kept getting higher as the match progressed, even though we had already started at a very high level,” said PAVADE.
“The most important thing was being able to switch my focus quickly. Defeats can affect me quite deeply, but today I’m really proud of how I managed to put that disappointment behind me. Above all, I’m happy with the level of table tennis I produced. It’s important to see that I’m making progress.”
Romania enjoyed further success through Andreea DRAGOMAN, who overcame Slovenia’s Sara TOKIC 4-2 in a demanding encounter. DRAGOMAN was pushed hard by the home player, eventually sealing victory 12-10 in the sixth game.
“I can barely breathe after this match! It was incredibly intense. I knew from the beginning that it wouldn’t be easy, but my opponent played really well. I was actually surprised by how well she performed,” said DRAGOMAN.
“I had to stay focused on every point because even when I was leading, she never gave up. At one stage, I was ahead 7-2 and perhaps relaxed a little, but suddenly it was 7-7, which put me under even more pressure. I’m really happy that I managed to win the important points towards the end.”
Elizabet ABRAAMIAN of Russia ended the run of another Slovenian player, Ana TOFANT, with a 4-1 victory. The third game proved particularly important, with ABRAAMIAN taking it 14-12 after the players had split the opening two games.
“It’s always difficult to play against someone on home ground, especially with so many people supporting her. But I knew the spectators were there to enjoy the match and the table tennis, so I just wanted to focus on my own game,” explained ABRAAMIAN.
“She has a very unusual playing style, with slow balls, a lot of spin and some unpredictable shots. I watched her previous match, and when I saw that she had beaten Fu YU, I knew I had to be prepared for a tough contest. The key was to concentrate on every ball and stick to my own game.”
Wales’ Anna HURSEY also booked her place in the next round after defeating France’s Nina GUO ZHENG 4-2. The match featured several shifts in momentum, but HURSEY raised her level in the decisive moments.
“It was a really tough match, and I think we both played very well. In the end, it came down to who could perform better in the close moments. Thankfully, I managed to win those important points, and that also helped me in the final game,” said HURSEY.
“Mentally, it was quite challenging. My opponent has a difficult playing style for me, and there were a lot of tricky balls to deal with. But I think I was mentally strong today, and that made the difference.”
Romania’s Elena ZAHARIA needed six games to overcome the Netherlands’ Shuohan MEN, winning 4-2. After the opening four games were shared, ZAHARIA took control with victories in the fifth and sixth.
“I knew this match would be all about patience. My opponent is a very tactical player, so I knew I had to be smart and make the right decisions. I also want to thank my coach because she helped me stay patient and play at my own rhythm rather than allowing my opponent to dictate the pace,” said ZAHARIA.
“Even though it was a very close match, with plenty of ups and downs, I’m happy that I managed to control my thoughts and emotions, stay balanced and secure the victory.”
Poland’s Natalia BAJOR advanced with a 4-2 victory over Karin GROFOVA of Czechia, while Germany’s Annett KAUFMANN overcame Monaco’s Xiaoxin YANG by the same margin.
“I made things unnecessarily exciting again when I let my 10-4 lead slip and the game went into deuce,” admitted KAUFMANN, who eventually closed out the sixth game 12-10.
The German now faces 63-year-old Ni Xia LIAN in the Round of 16.
“I’ve never played her before. Given the age difference, she could be my mother or almost even my grandmother. But what she achieves, both in terms of her table tennis and her physical fitness, is truly impressive. We’ll see what awaits me. But then again, she doesn’t know what to expect from me either.”
Germany’s Nina MITTELHAM defeated Switzerland’s Rachel MORET 4-1 to secure a Round of 16 meeting with Romania’s Andreea DRAGOMAN.
“I’m happy with my performance. In the game I lost, MORET played very well and hit some difficult shots. I know DRAGOMAN, my next opponent, very well. We’ve played each other several times before,” said MITTELHAM.
Slovakia’s Tatiana KUKULKOVA secured a 4-1 victory over Portugal’s Jieni SHAO, while France’s Jia Nan YUAN progressed after beating Ukraine’s Veronika MATIUNINA by the same margin, while Germany’s Ying HAN recorded a straight-games victory over Luxembourg’s Sarah DE NUTTE.
Italy’s Gaia MONFARDINI completed the list of winners from the afternoon’s later sessions with a 4-2 success against Türkiye’s Ece HARAC.
