In the Under 15 Mixed Doubles event at the ORLEN European Youth Championships Dario SALCEDO and Renata SHYPSHA of Spain caused a major upset. In the Round of 64 they halted the progress of Portugal’s Tiago ABIODUN who won the gold medal in the Singles event two days ago and Maria BERZOSA of Spain. The Portuguese/Spanish combination was seeded in the second position in the event. The match went the full distance with the scores -6 10 -9 9 9 before the Spanish players who are still in the Under 13 category sealed the victory. “This is our first time at the European Championships and our first time playing together and we are so happy with this result. It was the best match of our lives ” said SALCEDO. The winners proved that they are mature enough to handle close duels with four out of five games resolved by a narrow margin. “It was very difficult. Tiago ABIODUN has a very strong forehand ” explained SALCEDO. Renata SHYPSHA added “Maria BERZOSA never misses the ball.” In the Round of 32 they will meet Italy’s Francesco TREVISAN and Francesca SEU. The Italians prevailed against Tom WIENKE and Juli ZYNA of Germany. Top-seeded pairings Julian RZIHAUSCHEK of Austria and Josephina NEUMANN of Germany overcame Sigge HEDBLAD and Angelinia BEBAWY of Sweden on their way to the Round of 32 (-11 4 10 7). In the next round they will face Kacper PERKOWSKI and Matylda HADRYS of Poland. In the Round of 64 for the top-seeded pairings in the Under 19 Mixed Doubles event Eduard IONESCU and Ioana SINGEORZAN newly crowned champions in both the Boys’ and Girls’ Team events successfully concluded the match against David BJORKRYD and Naomin BAASAN of Sweden (2 4 7). However it was the opposite scenario for the No. 10 seeds. Croatia’s Leo VEKIC and Bruna BOROVEC overcame Simon BELIK and Vendula SICHANOVA of Czechia (-16 10 7 7) in a very close clash. The No. 15 seeds Slovakia’s Samuel ARPAS and Adriana ILLASOVA suffered at the hands of Diego LILLO and Ainhoa CRISTOBAL of Spain (5 3 3). The No. 17 seeds Lleyton ULLMANN and Eireen KALAITZIDOU of Germany were also halted by Gabrielius CAMURA of Netherlands and Dorina HUDAK of Croatia in an upset. Adam CSERY and Emma SZOSZNYAK of Hungary beat Czechia’s Ondrej KVENTON and Tereza BARTOVA (8 5 -9 11). Rafel KONG of Portugal and Oana STRUNA from Romania overcame Slovakia’s Samuel PALUSEK and Ema CINCUROVA (5 -7 6 10).
Final Result Team Event Orlen EYC 2023
Under 19Boys Under 19 Girls Under 15 Boys Under 15 Girls Level 1 1 Romania 1 Romania 1 Portugal 1 Germany 2 Czechia 2 Germany 2 Austria 2 France 3 France 3 France 3 France 3 Spain 3 Germany 3 Poland 3 Romania 3 Czechia 5 Poland 5 Slovakia 5 Netherlands 5 Hungary 5 Belgium 5 Ukraine 5 Slovakia 5 Moldova 7 Croatia 7 Portugal 7 Italy 7 Ukraine 7 Italy 7 Bulgaria 7 Ukraine 7 Sweden 9 Israel 9 Belgium 9 Montenegro 9 Türkiye 9 Netherlands 9 Spain 9 Poland 9 Romania 11 Bulgaria 11 Italy 11 Sweden 11 Poland 11 Sweden 11 Czechia 11 Hungary 11 Austria 13 Hungary 13 Wales 13 Germany 13 Portugal 13 Slovenia 13 Türkiye 13 England 13 Italy 15 Türkiye 15 Croatia 15 Türkiye 15Azerbaijan 16 Slovakia 16 England 16 Czechia 16 England Level 2 17 Spain 17 Lithuania 17 Greece 17 Slovakia 18 Austria 18 Greece 18 Belgium 18 Serbia 19 Serbia 19 Austria 19 Slovenia 19 Lithuania 19 Ukraine 19 Serbia 19 Spain 19 Belgium 21 England 21 Sweden 21 Serbia 21 Greece 21 Greece 21 Moldova 21 Israel 21 BIH 23 BIH 23 Denmark 23 Azerbaijan. 23 Israel 23 Estonia 23 BIH 23 Luxembourg 23 Switzerland 25 Portugal
Under 15 Girls: Germany Clinches Title for the Seventh Time
In the Under 15 Girls event at the ORLEN European Youth Championships Germany clinched the gold medal for the seventh time by defeating France in the final. The German team consisted of Koharu ITAGAKI Josephina NEUMANN Lorena MORSCH and Lisa-Sophie WANG. The silver medalists Team France were represented by Nina GUO ZHENG Leana HOCHART and Gaetane BLED. Taking home the bronze medals were Spain with Maria BERZOSA Irina GIMENO FONT Isabel CONCHILLO and Renata SHYPSHA and Czechia with Veronika POLAKOVA Hanka KODETOVA and Anna HOLEJSOVSKA. In the final match Koharu ITAGAKI got off to a strong start by defeating Nina GUO ZHENG. However Josephina NEUMANN struggled in her first appearance at the table and was unable to score against Leana HOCHART. “I was extremely nervous in that match. Playing in the final was overwhelming. Despite knowing that France was the favorite and that we had nothing to lose I still felt the pressure to give our best. We were not under pressure but it’s hard to forget what’s at stake ” said Josephina NEUMANN. France claimed victory in the doubles match but NEUMANN and ITAGAKI secured wins in their respective singles matches. “At one point during the doubles match Koharu was ‘frozen ‘ but I encouraged her and she played fantastically in the singles ” said NEUMANN. Both ITAGAKI and NEUMANN emphasized the importance of the support they received from their teammates on the bench. “The girls on the bench were cheering and screaming for us and we had supporters in the stands. It was incredible.” Germany defeated Czechia Moldova and Austria in the knockout stage to reach the final. The German girls have previously won this title six times (1994 1998 1999 2009 2012 2021) and have been runners-up in three finals (2005 2008 2011). France has yet to secure victory in the Under 15 girls event having lost in the final in 2013 2015 and 2017. The record holders for the most titles in this category are the Soviet Union and Romania (both with 11) followed by Russia (9) and Hungary (8). Final Germany – France 3-2 Koharu ITAGAKI – Nina GUO ZHENG 3-0 (11-5 12-10 11-7) Josephina NEUMANN – Leana HOCHART 0-3 (9-11 8-11 10-12) Koharu ITAGAKI Josephina NEUMANN – Nina GUO ZHENG Leana HOCHART 1-3 (10-12 4-11 11-8 6-11) Koharu ITAGAKI – Leana HOCHART 3-0 (14-12 11-7 11-9) Josephina NEUMANN – Nina GUO ZHENG 3-0 (13-11 11-9 11-4)
Portugal Rewrites the History Books
In a historic feat the Under 15 Boys team of Portugal has rewritten the history books by clinching the gold medal at the ORLEN European Youth Championships in Gliwice. Tiago ABIODUN Dinis YE and Carlos GONÇALVES have etched their names as the first-ever Portuguese team to reach the final of the European Youth Championships surpassing their previous best record of six bronze medals. In a thrilling final Portugal triumphed over Austria represented by Julian RZIHAUSCHEK Petr HODINA Benjamin GIRLINGER and Franciszek KOLODZIEJCZYK. Standing proudly on the podium just below them are France with Nathan PILARD Sandro CAVAILLE and Rija WARIN as well as Romania with Robert PODAR Robert ISTRATE Mihai NAGY and Flavius RUS. This remarkable final highlighted a unique moment in this century as two countries that have never claimed a European Youth Championship team title faced off. While Austria previously reached the final in Junior Girls in 1958 they had never advanced this far in the Under 15 Boys category. Despite their first-time presence in the final the Portuguese team delivered an exceptional performance demonstrating a remarkable level of skill and composure. “The opening match between Dinis and Julian was very close and I initially struggled after losing the first game. However I managed to regain my rhythm from the second game. The doubles match against the Austrians posed a big challenge but Carlos GONÇALVES played exceptionally well and propelled us towards victory. It was crucial to adopt an aggressive approach against the Austrians and prevent them from gaining control. They punished any passive strategies ” shared Tiago ABIODUN who remains unbeaten in the Championships. Portugal’s journey to the gold medal was paved with victories over Romania Slovakia and Germany demonstrated their unwavering determination and talent. “The most challenging match for us was against Germany. They possess a formidable lineup of four outstanding players ” ABIODUN added. Final Austria – Portugal 1-3 Julian RZIHAUSCHEK – Dinis YE 3-0 (11-8 11-7 11-9) Petr HODINA – Tiago ABIODUN 1-3 (12-10 8-11 5-11 7-11) Petr HODINA Julian RZIHAUSCHEK – Tiago ABIODUN Carlos GONÇALVES 0-3 (8-11 8-11 13-15) Julian RZIHAUSCHEK – Tiago ABIODUN 0-3 (8-11 8-11 10-12)
Romania Regains Title in Under 19 Girls Category
Romania emerged victorious in the Under 19 Girls event at the ORLEN European Youth Championships reclaiming their title after a one-year break. The final saw Romania triumph over Germany. The Romanian team comprising Elena ZAHARIA Ioana SINGEORZAN Bianca MEI ROSU Evelyn UNGVARI and Adela STRUNA proved their exceptional skills. Meanwhile the silver medal went to a strong German team represented by Mia GRIESEL Lea LACHENMAYER Naomi PRANJKOVIC Eireen KALAITZIDOU and Melanie MERK. Securing the bronze medal were France with Clea DE STOPPELEIRE Elise PUJOL Agathe AVEZOU and Lea MINNI and Poland represented by Zuzanna WIELGOS Wiktoria WROBEL Anna BRZYSKA Natalia BOGDANOWICZ and Ilona SZTWIERTNIA. In the final we saw Romania’s resilience as they fought back from a 0-2 deficit to claim victory. Elena ZAHARIA expressed her joy and pride in the team’s accomplishment stating “Our dream has come true. We came here determined to reclaim our title and we did it. I am incredibly happy and proud of my team. Despite being two matches down all three of us won crucial points. It was exceptional teamwork. Bianca MEI ROSU turned the tide of the match and Ioana SINGEORZAN delivered an outstanding performance in the decisive match.” Bianca MEI ROSU faced a challenging moment when she joined the game at 0-2. However her belief in the team’s abilities and the effective tactics set by the coach propelled them to victory. “I had faith in this team and I believed we could still win. I fought hard and with our coach’s guidance we succeeded ” said MEI ROSU. Ioana SINGEORZAN demonstrated her maturity and composure as she overcame Lea LACHENMAYER’s defensive skills. Reflecting on her mindset during the game SINGEORZAN said “I focused on executing the coach’s instructions and remained fully engaged. I didn’t dwell on the result or the magnitude of the final. My goal was to stay patient and determined against my opponent’s defensive strategy.” In their journey to the gold medal Romania overcame tough challenges from France Slovakia and Italy in the main draw. While the Soviet Union holds the record with 15 titles in this category Romania’s impressive record includes 13 titles (1956 1958 1959 1987 1994 2009 2010 2012 2013 2015 2016 2021) and 10 finals lost (1986 1988 1990 1996 2002 2005 2007 2011 2017 2022). Germany with 3 titles (2000 2003 2019) and 5 additional finals (1991 2008 2010 2013 2014) also holds a notable record in the category. Final Germany – Romania 2-3 Mia GRIESEL – Ioana SINGEORZAN 3-1 (11-5 9-11 11-7 13-11) Lea LACHENMAYER – Elena ZAHARIA 3-2 (5-11 11-9 13-15 19-17 11-4) Naomi PRANJKOVIC – Bianca MEI ROSU 1-3 (11-9 4-11 3-11 8-11) Mia GRIESEL – Elena ZAHARIA 0-3 (9-11 7-11 8-11) Lea LACHENMAYER – Ioana SINGEORZAN 1-3 (11-13 3-11 13-11 10-12)
Romania Reigns Supreme in Under 19 Boys Category
In a thrilling final of the Under 19 Boys event at the ORLEN European Youth Championships Romania emerged as the champions clinching the gold medal. The defending champions put on a remarkable display in Gliwice overcoming Czechia in straight matches. The Romanian team that competed in the final consisted of Darius MOVILEANU Eduard IONESCU and Iulian CHIRITA with Alexandru Dragos BUJOR and Teodor ISTRATE also listed. Czechia was represented by Simon BELIK Ondrej KVENTON Stepan BRHEL Martin SIP and Vit KADLEC. Taking home the bronze medals were France with Thibault PORET Flavien COTON Hugo DESCHAMPS and Alexis KOURAICHI and Germany with Tom SCHWEIGER Andre BERTELSMEIER Matthias DANZER and Wim VERDONSCHOT. The pivotal clash that determined the outcome of the match was the intense duel between Darius MOVILEANU and Simon BELIK. Darius found himself match point down but managed to mount a remarkable comeback ultimately winning the five-game duel. “I have faced BELIK many times before with victories and defeats on both sides. I knew beating him would be challenging and I had to give my all for every single ball. The match was incredibly close and the match point I encountered in the decisive game is a testament to that. However that victory paved the way for our success here ” said Darius. Throughout the knockout stage Romania demonstrated their prowess by securing convincing 3-0 victories over Israel Croatia and France. “While we maintained a flawless record we encountered several challenges. The match against France was particularly tough. However for me the most demanding match aside from the final was our encounter with Spain during the group stage ” shared MOVILEANU. Eduard IONESCU has been in exceptional form this season. Just a few weeks ago he showed his talent by defeating numerous top-ranked seniors including Dimitrij OVTCHAROV at the European Games. Now he continues to shine in his own age category. “This final was incredibly demanding. We did not anticipate facing Czechia today. Darius’s achievements were crucial providing us with a significant boost and relieving much of the pressure on me during the second match ” added IONESCU. Iulian CHIRITA commended their adversaries acknowledging their strength as a team. “They proved to be an incredibly strong team forcing us to perform at our absolute best. We couldn’t afford to lose focus even for a split second. They fought tenaciously for every ball punishing any lapse in concentration or weak shot ” praised CHIRITA. Before this victory the Romanian Under 19/Junior boys’ team had previously secured this title only once back in 1958 prior to their success last year in Belgrade. Czechia has yet to claim this title despite reaching the final in 1998 2007 and 2016. However as Czechoslovakia they boasted an impressive record with 6 titles (1961 1968-1970 and 1980) and 6 additional finals (1965 1972 1975 1979 1981 1982). Final Czechia – Romania 0-3 Simon BELIK – Darius MOVILEANU 2-3 (11-9 9-11 12-10 7-11 11-13) Ondrej KVETON – Eduard IONESCU 1-3 (5-11 11-13 11-8 11-13) Stepan BRHEL – Iulian CHIRITA 0-3 (6-11 5-11 5-11)
Under 19 Boys:Czechia won the thrilling semis against Germany
Tomorrow’s finalists of the Under 19 Boys event at the ORLEN European Youth Championships in Gliwice are Romania and Czechia both of whom concluded their semifinals in straight matches. Romania started their match against France in furious style. Eduard IONESCU beat Thibault PORET without losing a game while Darius MOVILEANU needed four games to overcome Flavien COTON. Only Iulian CHIRITA was stretched to the full distance against Hugo DESCHAMPS. “It is hard to speak when you win in straight matches. Everything worked fine today ” said IONESCU. Czechia overcame Germany and the coach of the team Karel KARÁSEK was a happy man after the straight matches victory. “Everything worked out for us. Šimon BĚLÍK had a great start then Ondra KVĚTON saved an almost lost match at the last moment and finally our little madman shone. Štěpán BRHEL was playing incredibly. The match came down to a few balls but it worked out for us and we are in the final.” The “Little Madman ” as the coach called Štěpán BRHEL found himself in the arms of his teammates and even on their hands after winning the match point. He was just as happy as the others but he admitted that this time it was definitely not without stress. “I have to admit that there was a lot of luck this time. I was very nervous at the beginning and I saw how Ondřej KVĚTON almost won the match. We were playing to advance to the final and we were leading 2-0. In the third set the coach told me to de-stress and start giving it my all. So I relaxed and it worked ” said Štěpán BRHEL. Romania – France 3-0 Eduard IONESCU – Thibault PORET 3-0 (11-9 13-11 11-6) Darius MOVILEANU – Flavien COTON 3-1 (13-11 5-11 11-9 11-6) Iulian CHIRITA – Hugo DESCHAMPS 3-2 (11-5 9-11 11-8 4-11 11-8) Czechia – Germany 3-0 Simon BELIK – Tom SCHWEIGER 3-2 (9-11 13-11 11-7 5-11 12-10) Ondrej KVETON – Andre BERTELSMEIER 3-2 (11-9 11-7 9-11 9-11 11-9) Stepan BRHEL – Matthias DANZER 3-2 (9-11 5-11 11-6 11-8 11-4)
Under 15 Girls:
France and Germany will play in the final of the Under 15 event at the ORLEN European Youth Championships in Gliwice. The French team was not in the mood for charity tonight. Nina GUO ZHENG and Leana HOCHART overcame Maria BERZOSA and Irina GIMENO FONT in straight matches and they did not lose a game in the process. “I recently played against Maria BERZOSA at the WTT tournament and I beat her 4-1. Last year in Belgrade at the European Championships I also prevailed 4-2 so her game was not a mystery to me. At the beginning I was under a little pressure because it is not easy to play in the semifinal but eventually everything fell into place ” said Nina. Leana added shortly that she was very confident that they could win. Koharu ITAGAKI won both her matches against Veronika POLAKOVA and Hanka KODETOVA as well as the point in the doubles with Josephina NEUMANN. “I believed we could win this one and I am happy we managed it. I have already played against both Czechia’s players and I won on every occasion ” said ITAGAKI. Josephina NEUMANN admitted she was very nervous but she said that her game improved from the morning session. Spain – France 0-3 Maria BERZOSA – Nina GUO ZHENG 0-3 (8-11 8-11 7-11) Irina GIMENO FONT – Leana HOCHART 0-3 (5-11 6-11 10-12) Maria BERZOSA Irina GIMENO FONT – Nina GUO ZHENG Leana HOCHART 0-3 (5-11 6-11 7-11) Germany – Czechia 3-1 Koharu ITAGAKI – Veronika POLAKOVA 3-1 (10-12 11-4 11-5 11-3) Josephina NEUMANN – Hanka KODETOVA 1-3 (13-15 11-8 9-11 5-11) Koharu ITAGAKI Josephina NEUMANN – Veronika POLAKOVA Hanka KODETOVA 3-1 (11-8 7-11 11-8 11-5) Koharu ITAGAKI – Hanka KODETOVA 3-0 (11-8 11-9 11-9)
Under 19 Girls: Germany and Poland in the finals
In the final of the Under 19 Girls event at the ORLEN European Youth Championships Romania will meet Germany. This is the outcome of tonight’s matches in Gliwice. Romania was the first to book their place in the ultimate stage but it didn’t happen easily. France failed to win any points but both Elise PUJOL and Agathe AVEZOU forced Elena ZAHARIA and Bianca MEI ROSU to go the full distance. “I am so proud of my team. We have our goal and we are getting closer to the gold but it is not easy. This match was very difficult and we needed to show a lot of patience ” said ZAHARIA. MEI ROSU maintained her patience to overcome AVEZOU’s defensive style of play. “I had a very bad start to the day. I wasn’t mentally in the right state of mind but after talking with the coach and teammates everything looks different. I am very happy with my performance in this match ” said MEI ROSU. When asked if they had the opportunity to train against players with a defensive style ZAHARIA said “Sure we play a lot against my sister Alina who is a chopper. Neither of us is very comfortable with her style but it paid off here.” Germany had a tough clash against a spirited Polish team. Last year’s champions gave Germany a hard time led by Zuzanna WIELGOS who remained unbeaten in the duel. “We are so happy because they are a very strong team. We even doubted that we could win this. Poland was the favorite. I lost my opening duel but Mia was very confident after. After Lea added another point to the scoreline we became more and more confident. Then we started to think about the victory ” said Naomi PRANJKOVIC. Zuzanna WIELGOS leveled the score and on the second exit to the table Naomi admitted she was very nervous. “I was down two games but then I told myself to stop being so nervous. I wondered why I was so stressed when I had to enjoy my semifinal. It’s a big thing to be at the European championships and to play in the semis. I should not allow myself to be under stress; I should enjoy it. Then I started to think about how to put one more ball on the table than Wiktoria ” said PRANJKOVIC. Semifinals France – Romania 0-3 Clea DE STOPPELEIRE – Ioana SINGEORZAN 1-3 (11-4 7-11 8-11 1-11) Elise PUJOL – Elena ZAHARIA 2-3 (8-11 11-8 11-7 10-12 8-11) Agathe AVEZOU – Bianca MEI ROSU 2-3 (11-6 9-11 5-11 11-7 6-11) Poland – Germany 2-3 Zuzanna WIELGOS – Naomi PRANJKOVIC 3-2 (10-12 11-5 7-11 11-4 11-8) Wiktoria WROBEL – Mia GRIESEL 0-3 (1-11 9-11 7-11) Anna BRZYSKA – Lea LACHENMAYER 0-3 (6-11 8-11 5-11) Zuzanna WIELGOS – Mia GRIESEL 3-0 (11-9 11-7 13-11) Wiktoria WROBEL – Naomi PRANJKOVIC 2-3 (11-4 11-6 8-11 9-11 6-11).
Under 15 Boys: Portugal reached the final from Level 2
It has been seven years since the last time a team reached the final of the teams event coming from level two. In the Under 15 Boys teams event at the 2023 ORLEN European Youth Championships Portugal secured their place in the final after coming a long way from level 2. In the match for gold they will meet Austria. Portugal beat the odds once again after prevailing against Romania in the semifinal tonight. “It was a difficult match especially the duel between Dinis and ISTRATE who is a left-hander. We had the same problem in the doubles which ended very close in our favor ” explained Tiago ABIODUN. The team reached the final after winning in the group at level 2 against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Cyprus. In the playoffs they prevailed against Belgium and in the knockout stage they prevailed against Slovakia and Montenegro. The last time a team from level 2 reached the final was in 2016. Then the junior team of Serbia had a fantastic run until Romania halted their progress. Austria beat France in three matches but the two opening singles were very close. Peter HONDA overcame Nathan PILARD 3-2 before Julian RZIHAUSCHEK prevailed against Sandro CAVAILLE by the same margin. “It was very good for me that Petr opened the match with the victory. It helped me play a little bit more relaxed ” said Julian RZIHAUSCHEK. Speaking about the final Julian said “I played against Tiago ABIODUN before and he beat me 2-4. I will try to do better tomorrow.” Semifinals France – Austria 0-3 Nathan PILARD – Petr HODINA 2-3 (14-16 11-9 11-9 6-11 7-11) Sandro CAVAILLE – Julian RZIHAUSCHEK 2-3 (8-11 6-11 11-8 12-10 10-12) Nathan PILARD rija WARIN – Petr HODINA Julian RZIHAUSCHEK 0-3 (9-11 9-11 5-11) Portugal – Romania 3-1 Tiago ABIODUN – Robert PODAR 3-0 (12-10 11-2 11-8) Dinis YE – Robert ISTRATE 0-3 (7-11 7-11 6-11) Tiago ABIODUN Carlos GONÇALVES – Robert PODAR Robert ISTRATE (11-5 12-10 11-9) Tiago ABIODUN – Robert ISTRATE 3-0 (11-3 11-1 12-10)
