Romania’s Eduard IONESCU won the title in the Under 19 Boy’s Singles Event at the 2022 Dunav Osiguranje European Youth Championships in Belgrade. In the final he overcame Maciej KUBIK of Poland (6:11 9:11 11:6 10:12 5:11). Romania’s Darius MOVILEANU and Andrea PUPPO of Italy are third. “I am exercised. We played so many matches before and I know what kind of duel I can expect but mental I was strong ” said IONESCU. In all -Romanian clash in the semi final Eduard IONESCU overcame the favorite and his teammate Darius MOVILEANU (11:8 8:11 11:5 11:5 11:8). “It was never a secret that this match is going to be very hard for both of us. We train together we practice in the same club so there were no tactical details in other’s play that we are not aware of. It was all about the mental strength and it was good for me that I was in good shape mentally. Darius is so unpredictable and I had to be fully into the each and every point ” said IONESCU.”Most difficult moment for me in Belgrade was the match against RASSENFOSSE in the quarterfinals. Then I was very nervous but from that victory my game took off.” In the longest match of the semi final Maciej KUBIK overcame Andrea PUPPO (6:11 8:11 11:7 11:6 11:4 9:11 11:9). PUPPO had fantastic run by winning two epic matches as this one yesterday against DESCHAMPS and ISTRATE but this time could not pull out the victory. “I am terribly tired now but so happy to win. As you can see from the result I am a fierce fighter I never gave up. Now I hope I can recover for the final. In the match I was forced to adjust my game to slow it down. Physically this was the toughest match for me ” said KUBIK.  

Belgium’s Lilou MASSART is the surprise winer of the title at the Under 15 Girl’s Singles Event at the 2022 Dunav Osiguranje European Youth Championships. On her way to the top place at the medal rostrum she overcame top seed Bianca MEI ROSU Nina GUO ZHENG Josephina NEUMANN and in the final she beat no. two seed Natalia BOGDANOWICZ of Poland (11:6 11:7 12:14 7:11 11:4 4:11 11:7). Josephina NEUMANN of Germany and Veronika POLAKOVA of Czech Republic are third. Lilou is first ever winner in girls singles for Belgium at the EYC. Belgium had the winner in boy’s singles in 1984 and it was Jean Michele SAIVE. “I did not expect I could win the title here. I am so surprised. It was tough journey in the Belgrade but the final itself was most difficult ” stated Lilou. At the beginning of the ultimate day in the semis Lilou MASSART continued to dominate. She needed only four games to overcame Josephina NEUMANN (11:8 11:8 11:6 11:4). “It was important to commence the match good to put it under control from the early stage. After I did it it was easier ” said MASSART. Natalia BOGDANOWICZ had surprise free semi final. She overcame Veronika POLAKOVA in straight games (11:7 11:6 13:11 11:2). “It as not that easy as the results predicts. We already met in the Team’s event and the outcome was the same so for sure I was ready for this one ” said BOGDANOWICZ.

French player Flavien COTON added another gold to his record. In the final of the Under 15 Boy’s Singles Event 2022 Dunav Osiguranje European Youth Championships he overcame Samuel ARPAS of Slovakia (10:12 6:11 16:14 6:11 11:2 11:5 11:5). Lei BALASZ of Hungary and Julian RZIHAUSCHEK of Austria finished third. “It was 3:1 for Samuel but I stopped to play in the backhand and I started to play more aggressive. This mach was so close and very stressful ” said COTON. In the penultimate stage Flavien COTON overcame Lei BALASZ in five games (12:10 11:9 10:12 11:8 11:7). “In the team’s event we had much closer encounter. I beat him 3:2 but I remembered how difficult it was. How worthy adversary he is Lei proved gain. I was 2:0 up and 10:5 but he recovered. Then again at 2:1 and 10:4 he came back. I had to stay 100 percent in the game throughout whole match ” said COTON. Samuel ARPAS beat Julian RZIHAUSCHEK in other match of the semis (8:11 12:10 11:7 9:11 11:8 l 11:9). “I was thinking the match will be a little bit easier but it proved as very close one. I had to play at my best. In the opening game I was to passive and Julian took full advantage of that. After that I played more aggressive ” said ARPAS.

In the ultimate stage in the Under 19 Boy’s Doubles event Eduard IONESCU and Darius MOVILEANU of Romania beat Hugo DESCHAMPS and Thibault PORET to secure gold medal (12:0 13:11 12:10). Belgium’s Louis LAFFINEUR and Adrien RASSENFOSSE and French pairings Adrien COTON and Alexis KOURAICHI won bronze. “IONESCU and I proved how strong we are. We prepared a lot for this. We had very tough players on the other side of the net. DESCHAMPS and PORET eliminated very good doubles on their way to the final. It was very close match because we were in reverse in each game today but we managed to win eventually ” said Darius. In the semis Hugo DESCHAMPS and Thibault PORET overcame Louis LAFFINEUR and Adrien RASSENFOSSE (7:11 11:6 9:11 13:11 11:9). “It was 2:2 and 9:9 and from that moment we rose our game and took the control of the match. We tried to be in control and to play aggressive. So far all the matches at the Event we won 3:0 this was first occasion that we lost two games so I can tell this was the hardest match for us ” said Thibault PORET. Top seeds Eduard IONESCU and Darius MOVILEANU overcame Adrien COTON and Alexis KOURAICHI (11:8 11:5 11:9). It was their sixth match in the row that ended in straight games. “French pairings are very powerful but we very focused today. We managed to keep our focus and to be very precise ” said MOVILEANU.  

Croatia’s Hana ARAPOVIC and Linda ZADEROVA of Czech Republic won the title in the Under 19 Girl’s Doubles Event at the 2022 Dunav Osiguranje European Youth Championships in Belgrade. In the final they overcame Sophie EARLEY of Ireland and Anna HURSEY of Wales (11:9 11:4 11:8). Poland’s pairings Ilona SZTWIERTNIA and Wiktoria WROBEL as well as Germany’s Mia GRIESEL and Lea LACHENMAYER shared third step at the medal rostrum. “We feel that we played very good throughout the whole tournament. We felt a little under pressure at the beginning of the final match when we were down 2:5 in the opening game but when we recovered to win it everything went our way ” said Hana. In the semis Hana ARAPOVIC and Linda ZADEROVA overcame Poland’s pairings Ilona SZTWIERTNIA and Wiktoria WROBEL in straight games (11:8 11:7 11:4). “Two times before we clinched bronze medals at the European Youth Championships as cadets and as juniors we will finally go step further ” said ZADEROVA. HANA added: “Against Ilona and Wiktoria we managed to play our game with lot of rotations and good first top spin. In addition with our receive we controlled the match very well.” In other penultimate round match Sophie EARLEY and Anna HURSEY overcame Germany’s Mia GRIESEL and Lea LACHENMAYER (7:11 11:6 7:11 11:8 11:7). “Mia and Lea was choking semi finalists after their victory over the ZAHARIA and KAUFMANN but we were ready to play to whoever come against us ” said HURSEY.”For us the most difficult match was also the quarterfinal duel when we beat BRZYSKA and WIELGOS of Poland. “

Romania’s Bianca MEI ROSU and Poland’s Natalia BOGDANOWICZ are the crowned champions in the Under 15 Girl’s Doubles Event at the 2022 Dunav Osiguranje European Youth Championships. In the final they overcame Germany’s Koharu ITAGAKI and Josephina NEUMANN (11:6 11:8 13:11). Büşra DEMIR and Aybüke Banu ŞIMŞEK of Turkiye and Jade Quynh-Tien HUYNH and Elise PUJOL of France won bronze. After the straight matches final MEI ROSU felt relieved that she defended her last year’s title. “In Varazdin I won it with Annett KAUFMANN “ reminded MEI ROSU.”Today we had a very good start; we had 2:0 and 10:5 but then Koharu ITAGAKI and Josephina NEUMANN managed to rise the level of their play and everything become harder for us.” In the semi final Koharu ITAGAKI and Josephina NEUMANN accounted for Büşra DEMIR and Aybüke Banu ŞIMŞEK of Turkiye after full five games thrilling match (7:11 11:7 12:10 3:11 11:6). “We were in the very good positive mood before the start of the match. Turkish pairings are good but we had study their game and we believed we could win ” said Josephina NEUMANN. Bianca MEI ROSU and Natalia BOGDANOWICZ overcame Jade Quynh-Tien HUYNH and Elise PUJOL of France and they needed one game less (11:7 6:11 11:3 11:8). “For Natalia and me this is the first European Championships together but we are doing just fine. The reason for that is good chemistry. We are good friends we are feeling good by plying together and there is always good atmosphere when we play. That kind of spirit pushes us forward and gives us strength. I am feeling tired after so many matches here but in the court it was not case at all. I felt fresh ” said MEI ROSU.

In all-French final of the Under 15 Boy’s Doubles Event Flavio MOURIER and Antoine Jean Christian NOIRAULT prevailed against Flavien COTON and Nathan LAM to secure the title. Balazs LEI of Hungary and Samuel ARPAS of Slovakia and Bulgaria’s Yoan VELICHKOV and Austria’s Julian RZIHAUSCHEK won bronze. In the final Flavio MOURIER and Antoine Jean Christian NOIRAULT overcame their teammates in four games (8:11 11:7 12:10 12:10). “We played very smart we know each other well. We put COTN and LAM under pressure with our top spin. We are very strong in that part ” agreed both MOURIER and NOIRAULT together. In the semi final at two tables both French pairings had 2:0 advantage before their adversaries increased the pressure. Bulgaria’s Yoan VELICHKOV and Austria’s Julian RZIHAUSCHEK and Balazs LEI of Hungary and Samuel ARPAS of Slovakia managed just to extend the match to additional game. Flavio MOURIER and Antoine Jean Christian NOIRAULT beat top seeds Balazs LEI and Samuel ARPAS (11:9 11:7 9:11 12:10). “It was important to stay calm after we lost third game after we had 9:4 lead. Balasz and Samuel recovered to win that game 11:9. We did not give up we continued to play aggressive ” said Flavio MOURIER. Flavien COTON and Nathan LAM overcame Yoan VELICHKOV and Julian RZIHAUSCHEK in similar style (11:3 11:8 5:11 12:10). “We are playing since 2018 together but this is our first year at the European Championships together. This combination of left-hander/right-hander proved right. I am also happy that whatever happened France will have the gold at the end. It will be difficult for us since we lost against this very doubles last month in straight games ” said COTON.

Romania’s Iulian CHIRITA and Germany’s Annett KAUFMANN reached the top of the medal rostrum in the Under 19 Mixed Doubles Event at the 2022 Dunav Osiguranje European Youth Championships. In the final they overcame Milosz REDZIMSKI and Wiktoria WROBEL of Poland (1 13 -6 9) . “It is first time that we are playing together and I am so happy that we won gold. There were so many good pairings on our way to the title. In two opening matches against Tom CLOSSET and Sara TOKIC and then against Mauro SCHARRER and Sara DEVOS was really difficult but when we settled into the rhythm everything was easier. Hardest challenge was the semi final against Romania’s pairings ” said CHIRITA. In the penultimate stage earlier today Milosz REDZIMSKI and Wiktoria WROBEL of Poland overcame Ivor BAN and Hana ARAPOVIC of Croatia without due alarm (11:7 12:10 11:9). “Match was very tough. The most important tactical moment was to receive good Ivor BAN’s service. His service game is amazing but we were focused and hungry for medals and especially gold. The last game was very important ” said REDZIMSKI. BAN and HANA eliminated second seeds PUPPO and ARLIA of Italy on their way to the semis. Top seeds Darius MOVILEANU and Elena ZAHARIA of Romania had a match ball at 2:1 against Iulian CHIRITA and Annett KAUFMANN but Romania’s / Germany’s combination prevailed (13:11 4:11 11:7 11:13 8:11). “It is unbelievable; the match was very close. It was the hardest duel for us throughout the tournament. I am so proud that we managed to win it. We communicate very well and we enjoy playing together. After we were 1:2 in reverse and when we recovered after 9:10 to win fourth game we took over the control. We were able to play much freely ”said Annett.

New champions in the Under 15 Mixed Doubles Event at the 2022 Dunav Osiguranje European Youth Championships are Artur GROMEK and Natalia BOGDANOWICZ of Poland. In the final they overcame Nathan LAM and Jade Quynh-Tien HUYNH of France (7 -10 4 8). “It is fantastic. I do not know to describe the feeling. We played together for 8 years and we won a lot of titles in Poland but this is my best result at the Europeans ” said GROMEK. In the semi final Flavio MOURIER and Elise PUJOL of France lost to Artur GROMEK and Natalia BOGDANOWICZ of Poland in straight games (5:11 11:13 8:11). “We played very well. This was our best match at the tournament. We managed to control the duel from the opening game and French pairings failed to change the course ” said GROMEK. “However the hardest match at the tournament was against Portugal in third round when Tiago OLHERO and SANTA COMBA recovered from 0:2 in reverse to level the match. After that we also played five games duel against Norway/Lithuanian combination of LAM JUCHNAITE. In other Nathan LAM and Jade Quynh-Tien HUYNH faced two match balls against Yoan VELICHKOV and Sidelya MUTLU of Bulgaria but eventually prevailed (11:8 4:11 11:6 9:11 10:13). “We are very happy. We managed to stay calm until the last point despite the Bulgaria’s two match balls against us ” said Jade Quynh-Tien HUYNH.