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.

2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships   The top 8 players entered the game today at the 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships. In Women’s Singles Event in the morning session none of the top seeds faced severe pressure.   Top seeded WAN Yuan of Germany faced Ozge YILOMAZ of Turkey (12:10 10:12 11:5 11:8 11:7) but her adversary managed only to win the set. However the two opening games were very close but when WAN settled into the rhythm it was the one-way street. Adina DIACONU of Romania also needed some time to warm up and it looked that Sabina SURJAN of Serbia can produce the upset but eventually DIACONU showed her power (12:10 11:9 11:2 11:9).   In Group with Adina Jamila LAURENTI of Italy beat the odds and overcame Andrea PAVLOVICH of Croatia (9:11 7:11 15:13 10:12 11:5 12:10 7:11).   “That was a tough one. I was leading 3:1 in games when I lost focus which led to the loss of the fifth set. In that set I let myself relax and thought of winning the match already but this was a mistake and I paid for it. Nonetheless I managed to regain concentration and finished the game in my favor ” explained LAURENTI.   The host nation’s ace Alina NIKITCHANKA followed the path in the duel against Anna KRIOSHENKO of Finland (11:6 11:4 11:6 11:7).   “I was anxious before the start. It is my first match in Singles so I was a bit hesitative even though I played in Doubles yesterday. I am about getting used to the venue now ” said NIKITCHANKA. “I have faced my today’s adversary many times before. The last match against her was two months ago and it was a straight win back then. I know KIRICHENKO pretty well so today’s situation on the table did not bring any surprises.”   Daria TRIGOLOS also brought joy to host nation supporters. She overcame Kristina KALLBERG of Sweden (11:5 8:11 11:5 11:5 11:8).   “This game was not easy but I like how I did against KALLBERG. I played with her half a year ago so I had known what I c an expect of the game before even getting to the table. It was in the second game that I lost several points in sequence but then I recovered advantage and finished the match successfully ” explained TRIGOLOS.   In the same group Tatiana KUKULKOVA of Slovakia overcame Fanni HARASZTOVICH of Hungary (11:4 11:4 11:6 11:3).   “I was confident about how I performed in this match. I played with HARASZTOVICH a month ago and I lost then but today situation was different. She was nervous while I was calm and did well so the match is mine now ” concluded KUKULKOVA.   The winning series was completed with third Belarus representative Nadezhda BOGDANOVA. She beat Airi AVAMERI of Estonia (11:6 7:11 11:4 14:12 12:10).   “At the beginning I was nervous this is my first match here. But during the duel I felt the endless support of my city and my country so that was what helped me to win. My opponent plays with this special racket – one side of it is smooth and the other one is spiky so I had to adapt to this different style. In the end everything went just fine “ explained BOGDANOVA.   Solomiya BRATEYKO of Ukraine overcame Ana TOFANT of Slovenia (11:7 11:8 11:7 11:7) whilst Natalija BAYOR of Poland beat Filippa BERGAND of Sweden (14:12 11:7 14:12 8:11 11:9). Mariia TAILAKOVA of Russia prevailed against Orsolya FEHER of Hungary (11:3 11:5 11:6 4:11 11:3).   “ I didn’t play yesterday it is my first match here hence it was rather hard to win. My opponent is very good at topspins so my strategy was to put the ball on the table at least once and then impose my play style ” said BRATEYKO.   Marketa SEVICKOVA of Czech Republic beat Simay KULAKCEKEN of Turkey: “I am so happy that I’ve won in this match. I’ve never defeated KULAKCEKEN before you see so today’s victory is truly an achievement for me. The game wasn’t easy at all for my rival didn’t make any simple mistakes and I had to be in the game to the fullest. It was hard.”   Andreea DRAGOMAN of Romania overcame ZHANG Xuan of Spain: “Today’s match was harder than the previous one. More top seeded players are here today everyone is motivated and you have to do your best. ZHANG attacked very much and imposed diagonal play so my tactics was to play in parallel stay focused and be faster than the rival.”   Valeria SHCHERBATYKH of Russia overcame Katerina CECHOVA of Czech Republic (11:7 11:4 8:11 11:5 11:6):” I feel that today it is easier for me to play than it was yesterday. Sometimes I made mistakes in this match but my opponent was not really as strong as I expected so I won quite easily. I thought this game to be trickier.”  

BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships Unlike the Women’s the Men’s Singles Event at the BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships did not conclude with so many major upsets in the initial phase. One of the biggest was caused by Konstantinos ANGELAKIS of Greece who progressed to the second stage of the Event as no. one after being placed only at the position. no. four.   ANGELAKIS recorded all three victories. He beat Joan MASIP Thomas GRININGER and Simon SODERLUND.   “I was determined to fight until the end even if I lose. I lost one game indeed and made a lot of mistakes. I missed four returns after which I re-focused on the game did my best and finish the match victoriously ” said ANGELAKIS.   In Group one Tobias HIPPLER of Germany moved from position two to no. one whilst in Group two Deni KOZUL preserved his status. Andres LIND of Denmark joined them.   “I have got little to say about this match. Everything was smooth all the way no surprises no falls. I’m pretty satisfied with how I played ” explained shortly LIND who beat Aleksandr LUSIN in the last round.    Carlo ROSSI of Italy changed his position in the group with Ibrahim GUNDUZ of Turkey unlike Denis KLEIN of Germany who called off the day as leader. Andrei PUTUNTICA of Moldova and Csaba ANDRAS of Hungary progressed further from the Group 6. Tom JARVIS of England is also safely through with three wins. Last one came against Malte MOREGARD of Sweden.   “My adversary is really strong even tricky I’d say. He produced many strange shots which was hard to predict so I had to stay focused all the way. I kept to the strategy of playing backhand most of the time ” said JARVIS.   The list of group winners goes on with Jiri MARTINKO of Czech Republic Vladimir SIDORENKJO of Russia Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS of Greece and Tomasz KOTOWSKI of Poland.   “The match against Bathuan ULUCAK was not very tough maybe because my adversary didn’t fight in his full strength due to his position in the group. His receives were rather weak. Me and my coach developed a strategy for this match which was to cut the shots and play forehand. Such shots were hard for my opponent to receive.”  

BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships Unlike the Women’s the Men’s Singles Event at the BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships did not conclude with so many major upsets in the initial phase. One of the biggest was caused by Konstantinos ANGELAKIS of Greece who progressed to the second stage of the Event as no. one after being placed only at the position. no. four.   ANGELAKIS recorded all three victories. He beat Joan MASIP Thomas GRININGER and Simon SODERLUND.   “I was determined to fight until the end even if I lose. I lost one game indeed and made a lot of mistakes. I missed four returns after which I re-focused on the game did my best and finish the match victoriously ” said ANGELAKIS.   In Group one Tobias HIPPLER of Germany moved from position two to no. one whilst in Group two Deni KOZUL preserved his status. Andres LIND of Denmark joined them.   “I have got little to say about this match. Everything was smooth all the way no surprises no falls. I’m pretty satisfied with how I played ” explained shortly LIND who beat Aleksandr LUSIN in the last round.    Carlo ROSSI of Italy changed his position in the group with Ibrahim GUNDUZ of Turkey unlike Denis KLEIN of Germany who called off the day as leader. Andrei PUTUNTICA of Moldova and Csaba ANDRAS of Hungary progressed further from the Group 6. Tom JARVIS of England is also safely through with three wins. Last one came against Malte MOREGARD of Sweden.   “My adversary is really strong even tricky I’d say. He produced many strange shots which was hard to predict so I had to stay focused all the way. I kept to the strategy of playing backhand most of the time ” said JARVIS.   The list of group winners goes on with Jiri MARTINKO of Czech Republic Vladimir SIDORENKJO of Russia Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS of Greece and Tomasz KOTOWSKI of Poland.   “The match against Bathuan ULUCAK was not very tough maybe because my adversary didn’t fight in his full strength due to his position in the group. His receives were rather weak. Me and my coach developed a strategy for this match which was to cut the shots and play forehand. Such shots were hard for my opponent to receive.”  

BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships   At the end of the first day’s competition in Women’s Singles Event at the 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships in seven out of 12 Groups leading players failed to justified their position.   Top ranked player in first stage Lisa LUNG of Belgium progressed to next stage as no. one and after a little struggle and one defeat Andreea DRAGOMAN of Romania followed her but in Group three no. three Karoline Mischek of Austria failed to progress further even as no. two. Rebekka CARLSEN of Norway moved to next stage as no. one.   Valeria SCHERBATYKH of Russia also justified her status but in Groups five six and seven it was not the case. Tatiana KUKULOVA of Slovakia accounted for ZHANG Xuan of Spain and moved to no. one position. Marketa SEVCIKOVA of Czech Republic also exceeded the expectation and moved from no. 4 to no. 1 position. Andrea PAVLOVIC of Croatia beat Veronica MOSCONI of Italy to take her spot.   “I was determined to be aggressive all the time and stay active. Everyone here plays on a high level. The first game was tough but after that the things went fine. I noted that it was important not to play in the middle of the table send long balls and attack as much as possible “ said PAVLOVIC after the victory over Marie MAESEN of Belgium.   Anastasia KOLISH of Russia concluded the opening day unbeaten and that was expected.   “I have played with the girls from my group before and I lost previously. In this tournament even the fourth numbers are strong so you have to fight through each match despite any rankings. My adversary played wide and it was hard to adapt to ” said KOLISH.     Surprise came in further Groups with Orsolya FEHER from Hungary Ozge YILMAZ of Turkey and Airi AVIMERI of Estonia. In last Group Christina KALLBERG of Sweden secured the leading position.   “I have troubles getting into the game today – it was in the first match and I struggled in last. It’s hard to maintain the rhythm. However I was not very nervous during the match against SURJAN because I knew that two participants of my group would be in. I had a strategy for this match to play left as my coach told me but let it go in the last game ” said AVIMERI.    

The highest ranked men on duty in the first phase of the Men’s Singles at the 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships in Minsk Marek BADOWSKI of Poland suffered by the hands of Tobias HIPPLER of Germany. He lost in five games.   Next in line to fall was Ibrahim GUNDUZ of Turkey. Carlo ROSSI of Italy prevailed in seven games. Andrei PUTUNTICA followed the path by beating Nils HOHMEIER of Germany. Vladimir SIDORENKO of Russia joined the winning line after success over Simon BERLUNGD of Sweden. Tomasz KOTOWSKI of Poland overcame Konstantin CHERNOV of Russia whilst the list of upsets concluded with the Austria’s Thomas GRININGER’s victory over Simon SUDERLUND of Sweden.   “I did nothing special to beat BERLUNGD. No big changes in game no dramatic moments just kept being focused until the end of the game. The emotions were very strong but I was stronger. I played with this player two years ago and I won that match too. The venue plays its role too: the ceilings here are very high and because of this you can’t always hear the ball hence you have to pay maximum attention to the speed of the game. Also I wasn’t always able to come close to the table due to this ” said SIDORENKO.   Deni KOZUL of Slovenia second ranked player in first phase beat Stanislav KUCERA of Czech Republic to justify his status.   Artur ABUSEV of Russia recovered from the opening match defeat against Jiri MARTINKO of Czech Republic to beat Medardas STANKEVICIUS of Lithuania.   “The first match was not very successful for me but this game was just fine. My adversary is younger than me but it was the challenge to play with. I didn’t make a lot of changes to my tactics I worked with spins to make more of them and change the direction of the spins ” said ABUSEV.   Konstantinos ANGELAKIS of Greece reached the top spot in the group by beating Joan MASIP of Spain and Thomas GRININGER of Austria.   “The game was just fine at the beginning of the match I played to the middle of the table and applied many top spins which confused my opponent. Then at 2:0 he read my tactics which resulted in me losing the third game and nearly missing fourth game ” admitted ANGELAKIS.   Tatiana KUKULOVA of Slovakia created the upset in the second round by beating ZHANG Xuan of Spain. “My adversary is left-handed and I can use it to my favor. She won the first set after which I strengthened my serves and played more to the middle of the table. I’m extremely happy about this win because this player is much more than just “good”.”   Marketa SEVICKOVA added another victory to her scoreboard. This time it was Julia SLAZAK who suffered by the hands of Czechs hands.   “This match was much easier than the previous one. I have played against her many times before so I know her strong and weak moments and I know that she is not very good in defense. I took the advantage of it and just played ” said SEVICKOVA.   Young Romania’s player Elena ZAHARIA overcame Nikoleta PUCHAVANOVA of Slovakia. “It was a nice match. We know each other very well; we have played against each other so many times before. She was trying to put the ball on the table and I served with downspins and up spins hence gaining points. My tactics was quite simple. I’m 13 so I feel a bit uncomfortable in this U21 tournament but in the end it’s just fine ” explained ZAHARIA who is still cadet.   Zdena BLASKOVA of Czech Republic recorded second win against great favorite Andreea DRAGOMAN.   “I was confident about this game but I’m still happy that I’ve won. My preparation was not very good but everything seems to be just fine now. I faced my opponent two weeks ago and won then. I know her tactics I can see perfectly well that she prefers to use backhands so once she applies a backhand I know the direction of the ball ” sais BLASKOVA.     Valeria SHCHERBATYKH of Russia beat Fanni HARASZTOVIOCH of Hungary: “I am not in a great shape as for now I still need time to roll into the play. Moreover the ball has changed which needs time to get used to. I have played against this opponent only once before I know that she ius left-handed and my performance was not very different from what I did in the previous match with her. I noticed that she can hardly take spins and slices so I combined this information with what my coach told me in the timeout. He said that I should attack more. In the fifth set I was leading 8:4 but lost it here’s where the struggle started.”   Christina KALLBERG of Sweden was under severe pressure in the match against Dragana VIGNJEVIC of Serbia 4:3. “I lost three games in a row because my adversary was very strong and she did not miss. I decided to change tactics at 1:3 and slowed down the game which helped me dramatically. In the last set I was leading 7-0 when a little nervousness came but then I felt relaxed and finished the match ” said Swede.   Veronica MOSCONI the leader in Group 7 failed to justified her status. Andrea PAVLOVIC of Croatia upset the order. “I had to stay focused during the game. Each set was close. I played many balls in the table but then decided to attack more and put more pressure on MOSCONI which was a right decision. I was active in this match and I can say it was good for me.”   Despite late arrival in Minsk Sabina SURJAN of Serbia recorded bot wins in two opening rounds.   “This game was hard. I think my adversary has not practiced enough for this match. Normally

The highest ranked men on duty in the first phase of the Men’s Singles at the 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships in Minsk Marek BADOWSKI of Poland suffered by the hands of Tobias HIPPLER of Germany. He lost in five games.   Next in line to fall was Ibrahim GUNDUZ of Turkey. Carlo ROSSI of Italy prevailed in seven games. Andrei PUTUNTICA followed the path by beating Nils HOHMEIER of Germany. Vladimir SIDORENKO of Russia joined the winning line after success over Simon BERLUNGD of Sweden. Tomasz KOTOWSKI of Poland overcame Konstantin CHERNOV of Russia whilst the list of upsets concluded with the Austria’s Thomas GRININGER’s victory over Simon SUDERLUND of Sweden.   “I did nothing special to beat BERLUNGD. No big changes in game no dramatic moments just kept being focused until the end of the game. The emotions were very strong but I was stronger. I played with this player two years ago and I won that match too. The venue plays its role too: the ceilings here are very high and because of this you can’t always hear the ball hence you have to pay maximum attention to the speed of the game. Also I wasn’t always able to come close to the table due to this ” said SIDORENKO.   Deni KOZUL of Slovenia second ranked player in first phase beat Stanislav KUCERA of Czech Republic to justify his status.   Artur ABUSEV of Russia recovered from the opening match defeat against Jiri MARTINKO of Czech Republic to beat Medardas STANKEVICIUS of Lithuania.   “The first match was not very successful for me but this game was just fine. My adversary is younger than me but it was the challenge to play with. I didn’t make a lot of changes to my tactics I worked with spins to make more of them and change the direction of the spins ” said ABUSEV.   Konstantinos ANGELAKIS of Greece reached the top spot in the group by beating Joan MASIP of Spain and Thomas GRININGER of Austria.   “The game was just fine at the beginning of the match I played to the middle of the table and applied many top spins which confused my opponent. Then at 2:0 he read my tactics which resulted in me losing the third game and nearly missing fourth game ” admitted ANGELAKIS.   Tatiana KUKULOVA of Slovakia created the upset in the second round by beating ZHANG Xuan of Spain. “My adversary is left-handed and I can use it to my favor. She won the first set after which I strengthened my serves and played more to the middle of the table. I’m extremely happy about this win because this player is much more than just “good”.”   Marketa SEVICKOVA added another victory to her scoreboard. This time it was Julia SLAZAK who suffered by the hands of Czechs hands.   “This match was much easier than the previous one. I have played against her many times before so I know her strong and weak moments and I know that she is not very good in defense. I took the advantage of it and just played ” said SEVICKOVA.   Young Romania’s player Elena ZAHARIA overcame Nikoleta PUCHAVANOVA of Slovakia. “It was a nice match. We know each other very well; we have played against each other so many times before. She was trying to put the ball on the table and I served with downspins and up spins hence gaining points. My tactics was quite simple. I’m 13 so I feel a bit uncomfortable in this U21 tournament but in the end it’s just fine ” explained ZAHARIA who is still cadet.   Zdena BLASKOVA of Czech Republic recorded second win against great favorite Andreea DRAGOMAN.   “I was confident about this game but I’m still happy that I’ve won. My preparation was not very good but everything seems to be just fine now. I faced my opponent two weeks ago and won then. I know her tactics I can see perfectly well that she prefers to use backhands so once she applies a backhand I know the direction of the ball ” sais BLASKOVA.     Valeria SHCHERBATYKH of Russia beat Fanni HARASZTOVIOCH of Hungary: “I am not in a great shape as for now I still need time to roll into the play. Moreover the ball has changed which needs time to get used to. I have played against this opponent only once before I know that she ius left-handed and my performance was not very different from what I did in the previous match with her. I noticed that she can hardly take spins and slices so I combined this information with what my coach told me in the timeout. He said that I should attack more. In the fifth set I was leading 8:4 but lost it here’s where the struggle started.”   Christina KALLBERG of Sweden was under severe pressure in the match against Dragana VIGNJEVIC of Serbia 4:3. “I lost three games in a row because my adversary was very strong and she did not miss. I decided to change tactics at 1:3 and slowed down the game which helped me dramatically. In the last set I was leading 7-0 when a little nervousness came but then I felt relaxed and finished the match ” said Swede.   Veronica MOSCONI the leader in Group 7 failed to justified her status. Andrea PAVLOVIC of Croatia upset the order. “I had to stay focused during the game. Each set was close. I played many balls in the table but then decided to attack more and put more pressure on MOSCONI which was a right decision. I was active in this match and I can say it was good for me.”   Despite late arrival in Minsk Sabina SURJAN of Serbia recorded bot wins in two opening rounds.   “This game was hard. I think my adversary has not practiced enough for this match. Normally

2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships   The opening day of the competition at the 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships in Minsk proved very difficult for girls who started matches early at 9 AM local time whilst for the time of men’s event it seamed that the boys were ready.     In the opening round of the Women’s Singles event top ranked two players in Stage one Lisa LUNG of Belgium and Andreea DRAGOMAN of Romania recorded easy wins.   “It was not that easy match for me. It was the opening one at the tournament and I need some time to warm up ” said LUNG who beat Simay KULAKCEKEN of Turkey.   However for the Karoline MISCHEK of Austria it was a tough start. She suffered by the hands of third player in the group Rebekka CARLSEN of Norway 1:4.   “I maintained my focus and to play for each ball. It was very difficult match for me ” said CARLSEN. Seeded at the position no. four in her Group Marketa SEVCIKOVA of Czech Republic overcame Hungary’s Leonie HARTBRICH 4:2. “I am not happy how I played at the beginning. I performed bad at the start but managed to do much better in the end ” said SEVCIKOVA.   Veronica MOSCONI of Italy prevailed against Marie MAESEN of Belgium: ”It was not hard for me to win this one. I think my adversary did not show her best so I took the upper hand.”   Cristina KALLBERG of Sweden beat Ana TOFANT of Slovenia in straight games. “I’d say it was not tough but it was not easy neither. Quite OK that’s it. I did not do anything special I just focused on putting the ball to the table. My opponent was not very strong too maybe she was not in her best today. I am happy I have won” said KALLBERG.   Ozge YILMAZ of Turkey stretched the favorite Ilka DOVAL of Norway to full seven games. “Although the score is 4:3 I can’t say this was a difficult match. It’s my first here so I think I’ll do better in the next games ” TYILMAZ was confident after the match.   Marek BADOWSKI of Poland the leading name in the first phase beat Jordy PICCOLIN of Italy in straight games. Despite slight injury Deni KOZUL of Slovenia joined him after the victory over Matteo MUTTI of Italy.   “I had to fight for each point. My adversary was strong so I had to catch his rhythm to deal with his backhands. Also he played aggressively so the game was tense. I’m glad about the results ” said KOZUL.   Andreas LUND of Denmark safely concluded opening round but in the same Group Florian CNUDE of Belgium suffered by the hands of Aleksandr LUSIN of Estonia. “I did not expect to win this match. Three months ago I lost 3:0 to this player so that’s a nice surprise for me. His play style is something I can hardly catch. I think the change of spin helped me to win today. A glorious game this is it ” LUSIN was very happy.   Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK of Austria beat Helshan WEERASINGHE of England but he found himself in great trouble after Helshan recovered from 2:0 to level the match.   “The first two sets were a piece of cake but then something changed in the mood of the game so I started losing. I lost two next games. Finally I understood what was needed I changed my service style got a good ball to play and managed to lead in the fifth set which was crucial for me to recover. Many fast balls were on the play so I had to act quickly with no time to think” explained KOLODZIEJCZYK.   Csaba ANDRAS of Hungary upset the favorite. He beat Nils HOHMEIER of Germany 1:4. “I had told my coach that I had to win before the match. Actually the game was nice but there were some difficulties. I lost the first set and understood that something was missing but then I got the chance to make neat services received well and applied many backhand loops and topspins which I think helped me a lot. A nice one I’d say. “   Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS of Greece overcame top seeded player in his Group Abdullah YINGLERT of Turkey 4:2.   “You never know what to expect from the first match. I played free did my best but still I lost two sets so I had to re-focus to achieve the result. My opponent is a strong player so yes it wasn’t easy ” said SGOUROPOULOS.   Joan MASIP of Spain forced Simon SODERLUND of Sweden to go full distance.   “The game was tough for me. Actually I had to struggle with my own play during the match because there were some flaws with the short serves. Also I’d known little about the tactics of my rival so I had to adapt to the situation explained SODERLUND.   Another favorite Jiri MARTINKO of Czech Republic and another escape by narrow margin. Artur ABUSEV of Russia recovered from 1:3 in reverse but failed to win the match.   “ I had a great start so I thought it to be an easy one. I was still leading 3:1 when the situation changed in the fifth set. It was a real battle but in the end I got my victory. Also I’ve played with ABUSEV many times before and he always beat me so today’s win is an achievement for me” said MARTINKO.   Samuel KALUZNY of Slovakia overcame Israel’s Mathan SIMON 4:1 “Second and third game were crucial in this match. In the second I was leading 8-4 and still lost it. After taht it was hard for me to regain the rhythm of the game. The third game was long as we made it 15:13 but it determined the result of the game and it was in my

2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships   The opening day of the competition at the 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships in Minsk proved very difficult for girls who started matches early at 9 AM local time whilst for the time of men’s event it seamed that the boys were ready.     In the opening round of the Women’s Singles event top ranked two players in Stage one Lisa LUNG of Belgium and Andreea DRAGOMAN of Romania recorded easy wins.   “It was not that easy match for me. It was the opening one at the tournament and I need some time to warm up ” said LUNG who beat Simay KULAKCEKEN of Turkey.   However for the Karoline MISCHEK of Austria it was a tough start. She suffered by the hands of third player in the group Rebekka CARLSEN of Norway 1:4.   “I maintained my focus and to play for each ball. It was very difficult match for me ” said CARLSEN. Seeded at the position no. four in her Group Marketa SEVCIKOVA of Czech Republic overcame Hungary’s Leonie HARTBRICH 4:2. “I am not happy how I played at the beginning. I performed bad at the start but managed to do much better in the end ” said SEVCIKOVA.   Veronica MOSCONI of Italy prevailed against Marie MAESEN of Belgium: ”It was not hard for me to win this one. I think my adversary did not show her best so I took the upper hand.”   Cristina KALLBERG of Sweden beat Ana TOFANT of Slovenia in straight games. “I’d say it was not tough but it was not easy neither. Quite OK that’s it. I did not do anything special I just focused on putting the ball to the table. My opponent was not very strong too maybe she was not in her best today. I am happy I have won” said KALLBERG.   Ozge YILMAZ of Turkey stretched the favorite Ilka DOVAL of Norway to full seven games. “Although the score is 4:3 I can’t say this was a difficult match. It’s my first here so I think I’ll do better in the next games ” TYILMAZ was confident after the match.   Marek BADOWSKI of Poland the leading name in the first phase beat Jordy PICCOLIN of Italy in straight games. Despite slight injury Deni KOZUL of Slovenia joined him after the victory over Matteo MUTTI of Italy.   “I had to fight for each point. My adversary was strong so I had to catch his rhythm to deal with his backhands. Also he played aggressively so the game was tense. I’m glad about the results ” said KOZUL.   Andreas LUND of Denmark safely concluded opening round but in the same Group Florian CNUDE of Belgium suffered by the hands of Aleksandr LUSIN of Estonia. “I did not expect to win this match. Three months ago I lost 3:0 to this player so that’s a nice surprise for me. His play style is something I can hardly catch. I think the change of spin helped me to win today. A glorious game this is it ” LUSIN was very happy.   Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK of Austria beat Helshan WEERASINGHE of England but he found himself in great trouble after Helshan recovered from 2:0 to level the match.   “The first two sets were a piece of cake but then something changed in the mood of the game so I started losing. I lost two next games. Finally I understood what was needed I changed my service style got a good ball to play and managed to lead in the fifth set which was crucial for me to recover. Many fast balls were on the play so I had to act quickly with no time to think” explained KOLODZIEJCZYK.   Csaba ANDRAS of Hungary upset the favorite. He beat Nils HOHMEIER of Germany 1:4. “I had told my coach that I had to win before the match. Actually the game was nice but there were some difficulties. I lost the first set and understood that something was missing but then I got the chance to make neat services received well and applied many backhand loops and topspins which I think helped me a lot. A nice one I’d say. “   Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS of Greece overcame top seeded player in his Group Abdullah YINGLERT of Turkey 4:2.   “You never know what to expect from the first match. I played free did my best but still I lost two sets so I had to re-focus to achieve the result. My opponent is a strong player so yes it wasn’t easy ” said SGOUROPOULOS.   Joan MASIP of Spain forced Simon SODERLUND of Sweden to go full distance.   “The game was tough for me. Actually I had to struggle with my own play during the match because there were some flaws with the short serves. Also I’d known little about the tactics of my rival so I had to adapt to the situation explained SODERLUND.   Another favorite Jiri MARTINKO of Czech Republic and another escape by narrow margin. Artur ABUSEV of Russia recovered from 1:3 in reverse but failed to win the match.   “ I had a great start so I thought it to be an easy one. I was still leading 3:1 when the situation changed in the fifth set. It was a real battle but in the end I got my victory. Also I’ve played with ABUSEV many times before and he always beat me so today’s win is an achievement for me” said MARTINKO.   Samuel KALUZNY of Slovakia overcame Israel’s Mathan SIMON 4:1 “Second and third game were crucial in this match. In the second I was leading 8-4 and still lost it. After taht it was hard for me to regain the rhythm of the game. The third game was long as we made it 15:13 but it determined the result of the game and it was in my