2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships No. one seed in the Men’s Singles Event at the 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships Tomas POLANSKY of Czech Republic is safely through to the quarterfinal. In the Round of 16 he overcame Vladimir SIDORENKO of Russia (6:11 11:13 11:3 11:9 11:9 11:7).   “I have played with SIDORENKO three or four times already and won each time so it was not much of a deal now but I should admit that he is a good player. He has beaten many strong players to get to this level and I appreciate how he does. I just proceeded in my style even when he was leading 2:0. After those two games my coach was not nervous or anything but he told me to change tactics so I implemented long receives and won points back. My next rival is Csaba ANDRAS from Hungary I’ve never play against him before but his will to win impresses me ” said POLANSKY.   In straight games Csaba ANDRAS of Hungary beat Tobias HIPPLER of Germany (11:8 11:7 11:8 11:9): “We have never played against each other before. I just tried to hold on to my tactic and not to let him play his game ” said Csaba.   Rares SIPOS of Romania prevailed against Stanislav KUCERA of Czech Republic (9:11 11:8 11:7 11:4 11:3) whilst Jiri MARTINKO of Czech Republic overcame Andreas LEVENKO of Russia (12:10 11:6 8:11 11:8 11:13 11:8).   “I started the match well I was confident. Today I mostly played backhands and it was fine. My next adversary is Rares SIPOS from Romania so I ca not say anything definite about what awaits me in the nearest future. All I know is that I am all ready to fight and impose my play it is unlikely that I will make any serious changes to my tactics ” said MARTINKO.   Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS of Greece beat Patryk ZATOWKA of Poland in straight games (15:13 12:10 11:9 11:6).   “I was 8:10 in reverse in the opening game and I was down in next but in both I managed to recover. We have never played against each other before but recently we have a chance to practice together in Sweden so I am familiar with his style of play ” said Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS who praised the conditions and the level of play in Sweden. ”I am very pleased with my progress there and I will stay there  for next year too. “   Darko JORGIC of Slovenia beat Marek BADOWSKI of Poland in five games (11:7 6:11 7:11 6:11 6:11): “I made few mistakes in the opening game and gave Marek few easy points. Luckily I raised the rhythm in next game to secure the victory ” said JORGIC.   Andrei PUTUNTICA of Moldova beat Russia’s Artur ABUSEV (12:10 12:10 11:1 11:9).   “The first two sets went not so well because I needed time to figure out the right tactics. Then I found my way and finished the match with good results. My adversary is a defender but I find it comfortable to play with him because he mostly attacks whereas some defenders master both attacks and defense. Actually I had a flight home today’s morning but I cancelled it and I am happy with it ” said Andrei.   Cristian PLETEA of Romania halted the progress of the last year’s bronze medalists in Sochi Deni KOZUL of Slovenia (11:6 5;11 7:11 11:8 11:8 9:11 11:3)   “I had difficulties playing with KOZUL he’s skilled. I have trained with him many times and he always beat me so I was a bit afraid before this match but everything has turned out in my favor. He has great services and I’m happy I have made it through this game ” said PLETEA.

2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships Top seeded player at the Women’s Singles Event Germany’s WAN Yuan inflicted the pain in the host nation supporters by beating Nadezhda BOGDANOVA of Belarus in the Round of 16 at the 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships.   “This game was very demanding for me. Not only is Nadezhda a good player but I should also note that she is stronger than me. I felt uncomfortable playing against her but in the end it was me who won. I felt a lot of pressure from the tribunes but I tried to ignore the shouts and just play. What’s more my coach’s support was vitally important for me and in the breaks Tamara BOROS told me that I would win despite everything. She has never ceased to believe in me ” said WAN.   WAN Yuan succeeded after fierce battle (11:4 12:14 9:11 11:7 9:11 11:5 11:6).   “I’m grateful for the support of the fans it helped me through. I heard that people believed in me and in my victory so I was confident and did everything I could. My tactics for this game was to hit through the right as she played left but she had pimples on the right side so it was hard to strike as planned ” said BOGDANOVA.   The winner of the bronze medal last year in Sochi junior Mariia TAILAKOVA of Russia overcame Tatiana KUKULKOVA of Slovakia in the Round of 16 (3:11 11:8 4:11 6:11 14:16).   “We played last time against each other three years ago as cadets. I beat her in five games just like today. Her game has not changed a lot since so I knew that she had a passive approach and that I have to attack first. At some point of the match I lost a focus but my coach was there to rebuild my confidence and to bring me back in the match ” said TAILAKOVA.   Marketa SEVCIKOVA of Czech Republic suffered by the hands of Anna WEGRZYN of Poland (10:12 11:6 6:11 11:5 11:7 11:6).   “I’m so glad that I succeeded in this hard match. The toughest part of it was at 2:2 just after I had lost a game. I had to focus and revise my tactics so I added more top spins to my play and succeeded. I feel exhausted but happy ” admitted Anna.   Anastasia KOLISH of Russia beat Jamila LAURENTI of Italy (4:11 8:11 5:11 4:11) whilst in the lower half of the draw Valeria SHCHERBATYKH of Russia overcame Lisa LUNG of Belgium (11:7 11:9 11:4 11:7).   “ I had prepared well before this game and succeeded without any major difficulties. The hardest thing was to maintain focus throughout the match because my usual problem is that I lose concentration in the last sets. Hence the most serious part of the game was when I was leading 3:0 it was crucial to stay focused. Lisa Lung is a serious rival and I wasn’t really sure about the result of the encounter. What’s more I lost to her twice in the past ” explained SHCHERBATYKH.   Natalia BAJOR of Poland overcame Andreea DRAGOMAN of Romania on her way to the quarterfinal (6:11 11:13 13:11 4:11 9:11).   “It was our first encounter and I am very happy with the level of the game I produced.  I kept Andreea close to the table with the short balls and I was better in the backhand exchange of the rallies. I outplayed her ” said BAJOR.   Ozge YILMAZ of Turkey beat Daria TRIGOLOS of Belarus (9:11 11:4 12:10 11:8 8:11 13:11). However there were some consolation for the fans in the victory of Alina NIKITCHANKA. She eliminated the seed no. two Adina DIACONU of Romania (8:11 13:11 7:11 11:8 11:4 11:5).   “It was so great playing in front of such enthusiastic crowd. They helped me a lot and lifted me when I was down. Of course at the beginning was not that easy because it made me nervous but as the times went by I felt better and better. Yesterday was under less stress I guess the importance of the matches put some weight on my legs but it ended well ” said NIKITCHANKA.”The matches between Adina and me were always close but I did not want to think about it. I was just focused on today’s match.”  

2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships Top seeded player at the Women’s Singles Event Germany’s WAN Yuan inflicted the pain in the host nation supporters by beating Nadezhda BOGDANOVA of Belarus in the Round of 16 at the 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships.   “This game was very demanding for me. Not only is Nadezhda a good player but I should also note that she is stronger than me. I felt uncomfortable playing against her but in the end it was me who won. I felt a lot of pressure from the tribunes but I tried to ignore the shouts and just play. What’s more my coach’s support was vitally important for me and in the breaks Tamara BOROS told me that I would win despite everything. She has never ceased to believe in me ” said WAN.   WAN Yuan succeeded after fierce battle (11:4 12:14 9:11 11:7 9:11 11:5 11:6).   “I’m grateful for the support of the fans it helped me through. I heard that people believed in me and in my victory so I was confident and did everything I could. My tactics for this game was to hit through the right as she played left but she had pimples on the right side so it was hard to strike as planned ” said BOGDANOVA.   The winner of the bronze medal last year in Sochi junior Mariia TAILAKOVA of Russia overcame Tatiana KUKULKOVA of Slovakia in the Round of 16 (3:11 11:8 4:11 6:11 14:16).   “We played last time against each other three years ago as cadets. I beat her in five games just like today. Her game has not changed a lot since so I knew that she had a passive approach and that I have to attack first. At some point of the match I lost a focus but my coach was there to rebuild my confidence and to bring me back in the match ” said TAILAKOVA.   Marketa SEVCIKOVA of Czech Republic suffered by the hands of Anna WEGRZYN of Poland (10:12 11:6 6:11 11:5 11:7 11:6).   “I’m so glad that I succeeded in this hard match. The toughest part of it was at 2:2 just after I had lost a game. I had to focus and revise my tactics so I added more top spins to my play and succeeded. I feel exhausted but happy ” admitted Anna.   Anastasia KOLISH of Russia beat Jamila LAURENTI of Italy (4:11 8:11 5:11 4:11) whilst in the lower half of the draw Valeria SHCHERBATYKH of Russia overcame Lisa LUNG of Belgium (11:7 11:9 11:4 11:7).   “ I had prepared well before this game and succeeded without any major difficulties. The hardest thing was to maintain focus throughout the match because my usual problem is that I lose concentration in the last sets. Hence the most serious part of the game was when I was leading 3:0 it was crucial to stay focused. Lisa Lung is a serious rival and I wasn’t really sure about the result of the encounter. What’s more I lost to her twice in the past ” explained SHCHERBATYKH.   Natalia BAJOR of Poland overcame Andreea DRAGOMAN of Romania on her way to the quarterfinal (6:11 11:13 13:11 4:11 9:11).   “It was our first encounter and I am very happy with the level of the game I produced.  I kept Andreea close to the table with the short balls and I was better in the backhand exchange of the rallies. I outplayed her ” said BAJOR.   Ozge YILMAZ of Turkey beat Daria TRIGOLOS of Belarus (9:11 11:4 12:10 11:8 8:11 13:11). However there were some consolation for the fans in the victory of Alina NIKITCHANKA. She eliminated the seed no. two Adina DIACONU of Romania (8:11 13:11 7:11 11:8 11:4 11:5).   “It was so great playing in front of such enthusiastic crowd. They helped me a lot and lifted me when I was down. Of course at the beginning was not that easy because it made me nervous but as the times went by I felt better and better. Yesterday was under less stress I guess the importance of the matches put some weight on my legs but it ended well ” said NIKITCHANKA.”The matches between Adina and me were always close but I did not want to think about it. I was just focused on today’s match.”  

2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships     At the big events always busy schedule does not allow a lot of time for anything but table tennis. The 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships is not the exception to the rule. However the end of the day was the right time for a little gathering.   Today the Referees and Umpires from Hungary Lithuania Ukraine France Russia Portugal Netherlands Norway and Belarus gathered for brief photo session in the beautiful Falcon Club in Minsk. 

2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships     At the big events always busy schedule does not allow a lot of time for anything but table tennis. The 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships is not the exception to the rule. However the end of the day was the right time for a little gathering.   Today the Referees and Umpires from Hungary Lithuania Ukraine France Russia Portugal Netherlands Norway and Belarus gathered for brief photo session in the beautiful Falcon Club in Minsk. 

2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships   The winners of their respective Groups in Men’s Singles event at the 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships in Minsk booked their positions in the Round of 16 to be played tomorrow. Top 8 players are: Tomas POLANSKY of Czech Republic Darko JORGIC of Slovenia Andreas LEVENNKO of Austria Cristian PLETEA of Romania Andrei PUTUNTICA of Moldova Andras CSABA of Hungary Patryk ZATOWKA of Poland and Rares SIPOS of Romania.   The players placed at the position no. two in their respective Groups also joined them for tomorrow’s battles in the main draw: Artur ABUSEV of Russia Stanislav KUCERA of Czech Republic Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS of Greece Jiri MARTINKO of Czech Republic Vladimir SIDORENKO of Russia Deni KOZUL of Slovenia Tobias HIPPLER of Germany and Marek BADFOWSKI of Poland.   Tomas POLANSKY concluded the second phase of the tournament unbeaten. In last two rounds Tom JARVIS of England lost against POLANSKY (11:4 11:8 9:11 3:11 11:6 11:6) before the top seeded player in the event accounted for Artur ABUSEV of Russia (11:3 6:11 11:7 11:7 11:6).   “I played against JARVIS a year ago and he beat me back then so I am proud of how I performed today. I knew from the very beginning that the match was not going to be easy at all I was focused on the process from the first point and through the game. I won first two games which proved as very important. I had to change tactics during the game: in the beginning I produced fast shots but it proved to be unsafe so I adapted to the situation and added patience to the table making shots more accurate in a slower manner ” Tomas explained how he beat no. two seeded player in his Group JARVIS   About the match against ABUSEV POLANSKY said:” I won the first game 11-3 which made me believe hat the match was going to be easy so I let go the situation a little bit. This is why I lost the second game so I told myself I had to be fully concentrated moreover ABUSEV’s play got better so I had to put much efforts to win.“   Cristian PLETEA of Romania overcame Jiri MARTINKO of Czech Republic (11:4 11:7 14:16 11;9 11:5) and Ibrahim GUNDUZ of Turkey (15:13 11:8 7:11 9:11 11:6 11:6).   “I started the game against MARTINKO with great confidence and played well. The third game was a tricky one with me winning at 16-14 there were lots of lucky balls. I was getting angry but my coach calmed me down and it helped me. Indeed the fourth set was finished with 11-9 in my favor I was relaxed while my rival was not ” said PLETEA.   Darko JORGIC of Slovenia beat Dennis KLEIN of Germany (12:10 15:13 7:11 11:4 11:8) and Stanislav KUCERA of Czech Republic (11:9 11:9 11:6 11:9).   “I won three games quite easily but I kept in mind that I had to be 100 percent concentrated on the game nothing more. It was proven when I was leading 7-2 in one of the games and then it became 7-7 in split second so then I realized I wasn’t focused all the time. This is very important” reflected JORGIC.   Andreas LEVENKO of Austria lost two games in last two matches. He beat Carlo ROSSI of Italy (15:13 11:8 11:6 11:7) and then Malte MOREGARD of Sweden (11:2 5:11 9:11 13:11 13:11 11:3).   “Everything worked fine except my receives. MOREGARD has the strongest services of all players here in my opinion. When I started losing points I decided to put the ball to the table and this change was the key to success” said LEVENKO.   The biggest upset so far at the tournament was made by Csaba ANDRAS of Hungary. He was placed only at the position no. four in group F but he managed to find his way to the top. In last two games he succeeded. He beat Konstantin CHERNOV of Russia (9:11 11:13 11:13 11:7 11:6 11:1 10:12) and Aliaksandr KHANIN of Belarus (11:2 11:3 11:8 12:10).   “I’m tired now after having played two days of the competition. When I finished my previous match my coach told me that it would be better next time but now I feel I’m not in my best. Anyway I’m happy that I’m the first in my group although some people call it “the group of death”. Also I’m the youngest player in men’s singles at this tournament I’m 15 now ” reminded Csaba.   As it was expected the matches involved Romania’s Rares SIPOS could not conclude without the drama but this time there was a happy end for Romania’s player. In the last match of the day against Marek BADOWSKI of Poland he was stretched to full distance (11:3 7:11 11:9 11:7 8:11 8:11 11:8) before he succeeded. SIPOS previously also overcame Anders LIND of Denmark (15:134 11:9 8:11 11:6 11:5).   “I had had a lot of pressure put on me before the match because I played with my rival in Sochi the last year and I lost that game. I knew I had to win because elsewhere I would have been at the second place. I’m the first in my group that’s a pleasure for me ” said SIPOS at the end of the day.     Patryk ZATOWKA overcame Tobias HIPPLER of Germany (5:11 11:9 11:4 11:7 11:6) and Maciej KOLODZIJCZYK of Austria (7:11 11:9 11:7 8:11 11:7 13:11).   “ I played softly in the first set and that was my mistake. More force – more points. 6 games is alright but it could have been better ” said ZATOWKA.

2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships   The winners of their respective Groups in Men’s Singles event at the 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships in Minsk booked their positions in the Round of 16 to be played tomorrow. Top 8 players are: Tomas POLANSKY of Czech Republic Darko JORGIC of Slovenia Andreas LEVENNKO of Austria Cristian PLETEA of Romania Andrei PUTUNTICA of Moldova Andras CSABA of Hungary Patryk ZATOWKA of Poland and Rares SIPOS of Romania.   The players placed at the position no. two in their respective Groups also joined them for tomorrow’s battles in the main draw: Artur ABUSEV of Russia Stanislav KUCERA of Czech Republic Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS of Greece Jiri MARTINKO of Czech Republic Vladimir SIDORENKO of Russia Deni KOZUL of Slovenia Tobias HIPPLER of Germany and Marek BADFOWSKI of Poland.   Tomas POLANSKY concluded the second phase of the tournament unbeaten. In last two rounds Tom JARVIS of England lost against POLANSKY (11:4 11:8 9:11 3:11 11:6 11:6) before the top seeded player in the event accounted for Artur ABUSEV of Russia (11:3 6:11 11:7 11:7 11:6).   “I played against JARVIS a year ago and he beat me back then so I am proud of how I performed today. I knew from the very beginning that the match was not going to be easy at all I was focused on the process from the first point and through the game. I won first two games which proved as very important. I had to change tactics during the game: in the beginning I produced fast shots but it proved to be unsafe so I adapted to the situation and added patience to the table making shots more accurate in a slower manner ” Tomas explained how he beat no. two seeded player in his Group JARVIS   About the match against ABUSEV POLANSKY said:” I won the first game 11-3 which made me believe hat the match was going to be easy so I let go the situation a little bit. This is why I lost the second game so I told myself I had to be fully concentrated moreover ABUSEV’s play got better so I had to put much efforts to win.“   Cristian PLETEA of Romania overcame Jiri MARTINKO of Czech Republic (11:4 11:7 14:16 11;9 11:5) and Ibrahim GUNDUZ of Turkey (15:13 11:8 7:11 9:11 11:6 11:6).   “I started the game against MARTINKO with great confidence and played well. The third game was a tricky one with me winning at 16-14 there were lots of lucky balls. I was getting angry but my coach calmed me down and it helped me. Indeed the fourth set was finished with 11-9 in my favor I was relaxed while my rival was not ” said PLETEA.   Darko JORGIC of Slovenia beat Dennis KLEIN of Germany (12:10 15:13 7:11 11:4 11:8) and Stanislav KUCERA of Czech Republic (11:9 11:9 11:6 11:9).   “I won three games quite easily but I kept in mind that I had to be 100 percent concentrated on the game nothing more. It was proven when I was leading 7-2 in one of the games and then it became 7-7 in split second so then I realized I wasn’t focused all the time. This is very important” reflected JORGIC.   Andreas LEVENKO of Austria lost two games in last two matches. He beat Carlo ROSSI of Italy (15:13 11:8 11:6 11:7) and then Malte MOREGARD of Sweden (11:2 5:11 9:11 13:11 13:11 11:3).   “Everything worked fine except my receives. MOREGARD has the strongest services of all players here in my opinion. When I started losing points I decided to put the ball to the table and this change was the key to success” said LEVENKO.   The biggest upset so far at the tournament was made by Csaba ANDRAS of Hungary. He was placed only at the position no. four in group F but he managed to find his way to the top. In last two games he succeeded. He beat Konstantin CHERNOV of Russia (9:11 11:13 11:13 11:7 11:6 11:1 10:12) and Aliaksandr KHANIN of Belarus (11:2 11:3 11:8 12:10).   “I’m tired now after having played two days of the competition. When I finished my previous match my coach told me that it would be better next time but now I feel I’m not in my best. Anyway I’m happy that I’m the first in my group although some people call it “the group of death”. Also I’m the youngest player in men’s singles at this tournament I’m 15 now ” reminded Csaba.   As it was expected the matches involved Romania’s Rares SIPOS could not conclude without the drama but this time there was a happy end for Romania’s player. In the last match of the day against Marek BADOWSKI of Poland he was stretched to full distance (11:3 7:11 11:9 11:7 8:11 8:11 11:8) before he succeeded. SIPOS previously also overcame Anders LIND of Denmark (15:134 11:9 8:11 11:6 11:5).   “I had had a lot of pressure put on me before the match because I played with my rival in Sochi the last year and I lost that game. I knew I had to win because elsewhere I would have been at the second place. I’m the first in my group that’s a pleasure for me ” said SIPOS at the end of the day.     Patryk ZATOWKA overcame Tobias HIPPLER of Germany (5:11 11:9 11:4 11:7 11:6) and Maciej KOLODZIJCZYK of Austria (7:11 11:9 11:7 8:11 11:7 13:11).   “ I played softly in the first set and that was my mistake. More force – more points. 6 games is alright but it could have been better ” said ZATOWKA.

2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships Top seeded player in Women’s Singles Event WAN Yuan of Germany booked her place in the third stage of the 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships. In the Round of 16 will also play Adina DIACONU of Romania Anastasia KOLISH of Russia Daria TRIGOLOS of Belarus Natalia BAJOR of Poland Mariia TAILAKOVA of Russia Valeria SHCHERBATYKH of Russia and Anna WEGRZYN of Poland as the winners of their respective Groups.   From the position two in their Groups to the Main draw progressed Ozge YILMAZ of Turkey Jamila LAURENTI of Italy Alina NIKITCHANKA of Belarus Tatiana KUKULOVA of Slovakia Nadezhda BOGDANOVA of Belarus Andreea DRAGOMAN of Romania and Lisa LUNG of Belgium.   In the second return to the table today WAN Yuan overcame Rebekka CARLSEN of Norway (11:6 11:9 11:9 11:1).   “Today’s match was hard despite the final score. The first two sets were really close but then I regained focus and did much better ” said WAN before she beat Julia SLAZAK of Poland in full seven games thriller (11:13 10:12 5:11 11:2 11:5 11:8 11:6).   Adina DIACONU beat Andrea PAVLOVIC of Croatia (11:8 11:8 11:7 11:4) and Jamila LAURENTI of Italy (8:11 11:5 11:4 11:9 11:3).   “It was difficult to play today due to this new rubber. The play of Jamila was very strange too. I needed time to get accustomed to her style so that is what I did in the first set. After that I felt much better and things went just fine ” said Adina.   In Group C Anastasia KOLISH of Russia exceeded her position and took the first place from Alina NIKITCHANKA of Belarus. KOLISH beat host nation representative (11:3 11:8 7:11 5:11 11:4 3:11 7:11) and Anna KIRICHENKO of Finland (11:7 11:6 7:11 11:7 11:5).   “I feel that it’s much easier for me to play now than it was yesterday. The first matches are hard because we warm up and trying to read one another’s styles and personalities and now we know a lot about who’s who. Maybe that’s why this game was simple for me” said KOLISH.   Daria TRIGOLOS maintained unbeaten status. In the afternoon program she overcame Tatiana KUKULOVA of Slovakia (9:11 11:8 11:9 11:4 11:5) and Fanni HARASZTOVICH of Hungary (11:6 8:11 11:6 11:4 10:12 11:9).   “I did my best to get the first place in the Group. I was nervous and I knew it would be difficult to reach my goal. Through the three games that I played today I felt the ball but lost focus sometimes. For example games 2 and 5 in last match: I opened them good but then something went wrong which resulted in losing points. It was the first time that I played with HARASZTOVICH and it was tough. Maybe it was for the psychological factor too – I knew I was going to be the first in the Group and this caused tension ” admitted TRIGOLOS. “Support is very important for me and today I felt extremely confident thanks to the Belarusian fans. I am usually anxious but not this time. I’d say that the second match was harder than the first one. In the beginning I was unaware of what to do but having understood the situation at the table I developed my strategy and imposed my play to Tatiana KUKULKOVA which she couldn’t handle.”   Natalia BAJOR of Poland overcame Marketa SEVCIKOVA of Czech Republic (11:6 11:5 7:11 11:9 12:10) and Simay KULAKCEKEN of Turkey (11:4 11:134 13:11 11:6 11:7).   “The last match was hard but I managed. I have won 4:1 and this result needed focus at every point so I was. I mainly served long and short backhands because I knew my adversary could hardly receive them ” explained BAJOR.   Valeria SHCHERBATYKH of Russia beat Nadezdha BOGDANOVA of Belarus (7:11 11:13 11:9 11:13 9:11) and Airi AVEMERI of Estonia (13:11 12:10 11:5 12:10).   “I had prepared seriously for the match against Airi because I knew I had to win here. I’ve got used to the ball and to the venue already so now I can play like I always do. Avameri is a non-standard player with tricky style but I’ve already faced an athlete with such play in Russia so I knew what to expect from her. “

2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships Top seeded player in Women’s Singles Event WAN Yuan of Germany booked her place in the third stage of the 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships. In the Round of 16 will also play Adina DIACONU of Romania Anastasia KOLISH of Russia Daria TRIGOLOS of Belarus Natalia BAJOR of Poland Mariia TAILAKOVA of Russia Valeria SHCHERBATYKH of Russia and Anna WEGRZYN of Poland as the winners of their respective Groups.   From the position two in their Groups to the Main draw progressed Ozge YILMAZ of Turkey Jamila LAURENTI of Italy Alina NIKITCHANKA of Belarus Tatiana KUKULOVA of Slovakia Nadezhda BOGDANOVA of Belarus Andreea DRAGOMAN of Romania and Lisa LUNG of Belgium.   In the second return to the table today WAN Yuan overcame Rebekka CARLSEN of Norway (11:6 11:9 11:9 11:1).   “Today’s match was hard despite the final score. The first two sets were really close but then I regained focus and did much better ” said WAN before she beat Julia SLAZAK of Poland in full seven games thriller (11:13 10:12 5:11 11:2 11:5 11:8 11:6).   Adina DIACONU beat Andrea PAVLOVIC of Croatia (11:8 11:8 11:7 11:4) and Jamila LAURENTI of Italy (8:11 11:5 11:4 11:9 11:3).   “It was difficult to play today due to this new rubber. The play of Jamila was very strange too. I needed time to get accustomed to her style so that is what I did in the first set. After that I felt much better and things went just fine ” said Adina.   In Group C Anastasia KOLISH of Russia exceeded her position and took the first place from Alina NIKITCHANKA of Belarus. KOLISH beat host nation representative (11:3 11:8 7:11 5:11 11:4 3:11 7:11) and Anna KIRICHENKO of Finland (11:7 11:6 7:11 11:7 11:5).   “I feel that it’s much easier for me to play now than it was yesterday. The first matches are hard because we warm up and trying to read one another’s styles and personalities and now we know a lot about who’s who. Maybe that’s why this game was simple for me” said KOLISH.   Daria TRIGOLOS maintained unbeaten status. In the afternoon program she overcame Tatiana KUKULOVA of Slovakia (9:11 11:8 11:9 11:4 11:5) and Fanni HARASZTOVICH of Hungary (11:6 8:11 11:6 11:4 10:12 11:9).   “I did my best to get the first place in the Group. I was nervous and I knew it would be difficult to reach my goal. Through the three games that I played today I felt the ball but lost focus sometimes. For example games 2 and 5 in last match: I opened them good but then something went wrong which resulted in losing points. It was the first time that I played with HARASZTOVICH and it was tough. Maybe it was for the psychological factor too – I knew I was going to be the first in the Group and this caused tension ” admitted TRIGOLOS. “Support is very important for me and today I felt extremely confident thanks to the Belarusian fans. I am usually anxious but not this time. I’d say that the second match was harder than the first one. In the beginning I was unaware of what to do but having understood the situation at the table I developed my strategy and imposed my play to Tatiana KUKULKOVA which she couldn’t handle.”   Natalia BAJOR of Poland overcame Marketa SEVCIKOVA of Czech Republic (11:6 11:5 7:11 11:9 12:10) and Simay KULAKCEKEN of Turkey (11:4 11:134 13:11 11:6 11:7).   “The last match was hard but I managed. I have won 4:1 and this result needed focus at every point so I was. I mainly served long and short backhands because I knew my adversary could hardly receive them ” explained BAJOR.   Valeria SHCHERBATYKH of Russia beat Nadezdha BOGDANOVA of Belarus (7:11 11:13 11:9 11:13 9:11) and Airi AVEMERI of Estonia (13:11 12:10 11:5 12:10).   “I had prepared seriously for the match against Airi because I knew I had to win here. I’ve got used to the ball and to the venue already so now I can play like I always do. Avameri is a non-standard player with tricky style but I’ve already faced an athlete with such play in Russia so I knew what to expect from her. “

2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships   Top seeded player in the Men’s Singles Event at the 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships Tomas POLANSKY of Czech Republic had a safe start of the competition day in Minsk.   On his first coming to the table POLANSKY overcame Thomas GRININGER of Germany (11:2 11:7 11:6 13:11). In the same Group Artur ABUSEV of Russia created the upset by beating Tom JARVIS of England (6:11 4:11 6:11 12:10 7;11).   “ I had some difficulties yesterday. In the previous match it was no sooner that I started leading when I realized I could win. Today I feel much more focused and prepared. Jarvis has played the majority of games with defenders. I am a defender too so I knew what he could bring up. I started leading at the beginning and kept this mood till the end of the game ” said ABUSEV.   Darko JORGIC of Slovenia no. two seed faced serious pressure in the match against Tomasz KOTOWSKI of Czech Republic (7:11 11:2 11:4 11:5 5:11 8:11 11:5) but prevailed after the fierce battle.   “ It is my first match so I am probably not in the nest shape I hope it will get better in the upcoming games. I have played against KOTOWSKI many times before and I lost some of those matches against him. The last set was nervous for me I had to push to the table and just make points one by one ” explained JORGIC.   In the same Group Stanislav KUCERA of Czech Republic beat the odds and overcame Dennis KLEIN of Germany (8:11 9:11 7:11 8:11).   “I felt comfortable in this game. I beat KLEIN last time we meet. He’s not so good with defense while I was safe and made no mistakes. At some moments I changed the direction of my spins which confused him and helped me scored 3-4 extra points in every game ” said KUCERA.   Andreas LEVENKO of Austria avenged his last year’s defeat at the European U 21 Championships in Sochi against Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS of Greece (11:9 4:11 11:8 14:12 10:12 11:9).   “The match was tricky. I’ve played against him a couple of times before but I feel like I still need to heat up my play in this tournament. My strategy for this match was to be safe no surprises today ” said LEVENKO.   In the same Group Jiri MARTINKO of Czech Republic beat Ibrahim GUNDUZ of Turkey (12:10 12:10 11:8 11:6).   “I won two first games by narrow margin which was very important for me. After that I saw clearly that MARTINKO was under great pressure whereas I did well and implied my tactics. Everything was done neatly ” said MARTINKO.   Cristian PLETEA of Romania needed five games to overcame Luka MLADENOVIC of Luxembourg (11:5 11:3 10:12 11:5 11:5).   “I saw how MLADENOVIC played yesterday so I knew what to expect. Still his play style is strange he is a good athlete. He performs nice spins in forehand which gave me the idea of how to withstand him and I was focused on the match from the very first point. I am a bit scared of what is to be next but I will do my best at this tournament ” said PLETEA.   Bence MAJAROS of Hungary was first in line of top seeded players to suffer. He lost against Vladimir SIDORENKO of Russia (9:11 9:11 11:7 11:8 11:7 8:11 6:11). Aliaksandr KHANIN of Belarus was the next. He lost against Konstantin CHERNOV of Russia (6:11 11:5 14:16 9:11 15:13 8:11).   “Alexander and I know each other pretty well so we both knew it will not be an easy game. I won the first game quite decisively but it was harder to make the lead in the rest of the match. I mainly performed short shots through the right that’s my technique ” explained CHERNOV.   In the same Group another upset came from Csaba ANDRAS from Hungary. He overcame Denik KOZUL of Slovenia (9:11 8:11 3:11 8:11). “I am happy with how it all went. I think my rival was nervous he made mistakes and I had the right tactics. I played backhand with spins. In the last set nervousness came but I finished the game successful.”   Andrei PUTUNTICA of Moldova overcame Aleksandr LUSIN of Estonia (11:4 11:8 11:2 5:11 11:9) : “I felt good in this match it wasn’t anything extraordinary that I had to perform to win. I know LUSIN just as well as he knows me he does great in defense.”   Patryk ZATOWKA of Poland overcame Abdullah YINGLER of Turkey (12:10 7:11 1:11 12:10 11:5 11:6). Rares SIPOS of Romania prevailed against Konstantinos ANGELAKIS of Greece (11:7 5:11 7:11 11:9 11:2 11:8).   “I did not expect to win because few weeks ago I was ill. I did not play anything recently in order to recover as much as I can for this Championships. I only played at the Romanian National Championships ” explained SIPOS.   Anders LIND of Denmark accounted for Marek BADOWSKI of Poland (11:8 9:11 7:11 11:5 5:11 11:9 11:9).   “I had not the best feeling concerning this game and it turned out to be very hard indeed. My tactics was perfect but I couldn’t help missing key shots. I’ve played with BADOWSKI two times before this encounter and I won once only ” summarized LIND.     Tobias HIPPLER of Germany overcame Maicej KOLODZIEJCZYK of Austria (11:9 5:11 11:5 11:7 11:5).   “Actually yesterday’s match with BADOWSKI was more difficult for me than today’s one. I played against KOLODZIEJCZYK in Juniors so I knew what to expect. Also it’s much easier to win when you lead-the adversary becomes under stress and it’s harder to play ” explained HIPPLER.