France’s Prithika PAVADE and Germany’s Annett KAUFMANN became the first two players to secure places in the Women’s Singles semifinals at the European Championships in Ljubljana on Saturday. Both celebrated their first European Singles medals after impressive quarterfinal victories at Arena Stožice. PAVADE overcame Romania’s Elena ZAHARIA in straight games, while KAUFMANN defeated her experienced German teammate Ying HAN.
A day after eliminating top seed Sabine WINTER, 22-year-old PAVADE continued her outstanding campaign with a 4-0 victory over ZAHARIA (11-4, 11-9, 16-14, 11-8).
The French player maintained her impressive form against an opponent she knows well from their junior careers. The third game proved particularly demanding, but PAVADE prevailed 16-14 before completing the victory in four games.
“Of course, I’m extremely happy to be in the semifinals. As the tournament progresses, you naturally start thinking about a medal, and when you reach the quarterfinals, it’s obviously somewhere in the back of your mind,” said PAVADE.
“But above all, I’m really pleased with the way I approached this match and how I managed it from beginning to end. Elena is someone I know extremely well, although it’s actually been quite a long time since we last played each other. She was something of a rival of mine, and I think that rivalry could continue in the future.
“So to win 4-0 and produce such solid table tennis is really satisfying. It’s a continuation of the level I’ve been showing throughout this tournament, and that’s very encouraging for me.”
PAVADE arrived in Ljubljana with four senior European Championships medals already to her name. She won Mixed Doubles bronze in Warsaw in 2020 and Linz in 2024, as well as Team bronze in Cluj-Napoca in 2021 and Malmö in 2023. She was also part of France’s bronze-medal-winning team at the 2024 World Championships in Busan.
Her success in Ljubljana guarantees her fifth European Championships medal, but her first in Women’s Singles. However, the French player is determined not to become distracted by the achievement while the opportunity to reach the final remains.
“To be honest, I don’t really want to think too much about what this medal represents just yet, because I want to keep the momentum going. I think I’ll reflect on everything once the tournament is over and the emotions have settled.
“For now, I just want to enjoy the feeling, enjoy the way I’m playing and make the most of this experience. There are still some wonderful things to achieve here.”
PAVADE also emphasised the tactical adjustments required to follow her victory over WINTER with another commanding performance.
“Every player is different. Yesterday I faced WINTER, who has a very particular playing style, and today I played against someone who uses both sides of the racket in a much more rhythmic game. The rallies and the rhythm are completely different, especially when you only have one day between matches.
“You almost have to start from scratch tactically every time. There are always adjustments to make depending on the opponent.
“That’s why it’s so important to have a clear plan in mind. But having a plan is one thing – the most important part is actually putting it into practice at the table. You also have to trust your instincts because situations change during a match, and you need to be able to adapt.”
Germany’s Annett KAUFMANN also celebrated a major milestone, defeating third seed Ying HAN in the all-German quarterfinal to secure her first European Women’s Singles medal.
The 20-year-old, who has enjoyed considerable success in European youth competitions, demonstrated the progress she has made physically, mentally and tactically against one of Europe’s most accomplished defensive players.
“I certainly had quite a bit of luck at important moments today. For once, luck was on my side. Of course, that wasn’t what decided the match. I also played really well, but at crucial moments I managed to get that one net ball or edge ball when I needed it,” said KAUFMANN.
“I’ve actually never trained very much with Ying. I’m not based in Düsseldorf, so we haven’t had many opportunities to practise together. I played against her in Frankfurt last year and lost 3-0 quite convincingly. Then, at the Europe Top 16, I started playing better after falling 2-0 behind.
“Even back then, I felt relatively comfortable playing against her, but physically and mentally I simply wasn’t ready to compete at that level throughout the match.”
KAUFMANN believes the improvements she has made over recent months were crucial in allowing her to maintain the intensity required against HAN.
“Today, I could really see how much the work I’ve put in over the past several months, more than half a year, has paid off. I’m now physically capable of maintaining my fitness throughout a tournament and continuing to play high-quality table tennis right until the end of a best-of-seven match.
“That’s exactly what you have to do against Ying. You don’t get easy points against her. You have to work for every single ball and position yourself properly for every shot.
“There’s a reason why she was one of the top players before her injury and remains one of the best even after coming back. I really had to concentrate and consistently execute my tactical plan to win points against her.”
The German also explained how the playing conditions influenced her approach, with her aggressive opening shots helping her avoid becoming involved in too many long rallies.
“I think the playing conditions also make a difference. On the black table with the Nittaku ball, there’s an incredible amount of spin.
“In the first game, I hit four high balls straight into the net, even though my racket was open almost like a frying pan! That really showed me just how much spin there was.
“One of my strengths is the quality of my first attacking shot, which can be very difficult for opponents to handle. That’s something I’ve worked on a lot over the past few months, and today I tried to use it to create the right opportunities to finish the points.
“My playing style isn’t really based on long rallies. I’m someone who tries to put a lot of quality into the first few shots and win the point as early as possible.”
Having collected numerous titles during her youth career, KAUFMANN admitted that reaching the medal positions in senior Singles competition carries special significance.
“Of course, the Women’s Singles title is still missing from my collection, and naturally I want to win that too.
“Sometimes I don’t even think about my age. I don’t really see myself as a 20-year-old because I’ve already been competing in senior competitions for five years. That’s why I don’t necessarily feel like I’m only 20.
“This medal means a great deal to me. I owe so much to my coaches, my family and my friends.
“This year hasn’t always been easy, particularly when it comes to tournament draws. Even here at the European Championships, I haven’t had an easy draw.
“But all the experiences I’ve gained, the support from my coaching team and the confidence my family has given me to keep going and continue working have helped me enormously.
“I’ve brought all of that with me to this tournament, and I’m really happy that the hard work is paying off. It also feels wonderful to be able to give something back to the people who have supported me.”
KAUFMANN, who is only in her second year as a professional player, acknowledged that the transition from youth success to senior competition has required patience.
“Until I was 18, I still saw table tennis as my hobby. Now I’m really building my professional career, and this is only my second year as a professional player.
“To have already secured at least a bronze medal is something really special. It also gives me a moment to breathe and feel relieved, because I often have the feeling that I’m somehow behind or that my progress is too slow.
“Then I remind myself that I’m only 20 years old, and it’s perfectly normal not to play well all the time.
“But I don’t want to talk about the difficult moments now. Right now, I’m simply very happy that I won.”
