Germany’s QIU Dang and Nina MITTELHAM clinched the gold medal in the Mixed Doubles Event at the 2023 European Games in Krakow securing their ticket for the European Games in Paris 2024 as well. They emerged victorious in the final against Nandor ECSEKI and Dora MADARASZ of Hungary. The bronze medal was won by Ovidiu IONESCU and Bernadette SZOCS of Romania. “Before the tournament we had already set our sights on winning but we knew it wouldn’t be easy because there are many strong opponents in the competition. The fact that we managed to achieve it in the end is simply amazing. I am overjoyed ” said Nina. Speaking about the final match QIU stated “In a final like this it’s all about the closely contested games. We both understand the importance of every game every point. We were leading 7-5 in the first game then it was 7-9 against us but we managed to win it by nine points. In the last set we were ahead for most of the time. However we suddenly faced two set points against us. In the end it’s the small details that make the difference in determining whether you secure an Olympic ticket or not. Unfortunately sports can be brutal in that regard.” Nandor ECSEKI and Dora MADARASZ expressed their disappointment after their defeat in the final match. “Of course we are disappointed that we missed out on the first ticket to Paris. Our adversaries in the final were superior to us playing at another level so there isn’t much to say about the result. However we still have one more year to qualify for Paris 2024 and we are very confident that we will achieve it. “We have managed to defeat some strong opponents throughout the tournament which shows that our hard work is paying off and we can see the progress we’ve made. We will continue to work hard and strive for success in the future ” said ECSEKI and MADARASZ. In the match for the third position the Romanian pair of IONESCU and SZOCS who had previously won a silver medal in Minsk 2019 dominated the competition. Unlike the previous day when they lost to ECSEKI and MADARASZ without winning a set IONESCU and SZOCS were in complete control. Alvaro Robles and Maria XIAO managed to win only one game. “We had a strong desire to win this bronze medal and we are incredibly happy to have achieved it especially after yesterday’s loss. Although it’s not a gold medal being on the medal podium is a great accomplishment. We had good tactical preparation and communicated effectively between points to motivate and support each other towards victory. This match was mentally challenging as it determined the medal outcome. Every match was a battle and all our opponents were tough ” said SZOCS. Mixed Doubles Gold Medal Match Nandor ECSEKI and Dora MADARASZ of Hungary (7) – QIU Dang Nina MITTELHAM of Germany (4) 0-3 (9-11 6-11 11-13) Mixed Doubles Bronze Medal Match Ovidiu IONESCU and Bernadette SZOCS of Romania (1) – Alvaro ROBLES Maria XIAO of Spain (2) 3-1 (11-6 11-8 9-11 11-9)    

HAN Ying of Germany (1) – Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania (8) 2-4 (11-8 11-1 2-11 10-12 7-11 8-11) Elizabeta SAMARA staged an impressive comeback from being two games down to defeat the top-seeded player HAN Ying. Romania’s player displayed patience and resilience to overcome her clubmate’s defensive skills and secured a spot in the semifinals where she will face YANG Xiaoxin. “I knew it would be challenging but after the second game my goal was to win at least one game. There was no way I was going to accept a straight games defeat. It is not about inventing new tactics against her because we know each other so well. However I was still unsure about how she would play the amount of spin she would put on the ball or the pace she would use. I felt the pressure. Ever since the first match in Krakow I have been feeling immense pressure ” admitted SAMARA. After the second game Elizabeta managed to overcome her stress and gain control of the match. “I took it ball by ball and found ways to avoid easy mistakes. I seized every opportunity I had because you don’t get many against HAN ” said SAMARA. Defeating the top-seeded player demonstrated that SAMARA is once again a contender for the top positions. “I am happy to be where I am now reaching the final stages of the tournament and securing a victory over one of the best players in Europe.” HAN acknowledged that it was impossible to stop SAMARA after the second game. “She didn’t make any mistakes and she controlled the game.” QIU Dang of Germany (1) – Alexis LEBRUN of France (5) 1-4 (12-10 9-11 10-12 4-11 12-14) The number one seed QIU Dang faced the same fate as the previous three favorites as he was eliminated from the competition. The 19-year-old Alexis LEBRUN continued to showcase his powerful performance and secured a spot in the semifinals. This French player who defeated World No. 1 FAN Zhendong in April this year is making a remarkable climb to the top in Krakow. “It was a very close match. All the games were decided by the narrowest of margins. I gave my best to attack him with my service and I had to employ various game variations including changing my service strategy… As the match progressed I felt better and better ” said LEBRUN. In the semifinals LEBRUN will face Marcos FREITAS. “I watched him play against JORGIC here and it was an amazing performance. It will be extremely challenging to beat him when he is playing at such a high level ” LEBRUN acknowledged. No. one seed QIU was dissapointed. “I have to close out the second game after leading 9:6. I was clearly the better man then. Alexis played great overall and did a lot of good things. I made a few mental mistakes and bad decisions. Losing three times in overtime is not so untypical for me but nevertheless I don’t always see myself behind. Today I lacked confidence and maybe a bit of greed. Many things came together. Even though the priority is the mixed I wanted to play for the medals in the singles. That’s why the defeat hurts. I have to draw my conclusions for next time. After the World Championships I changed my backhand rubber because it makes more sense for the future. The European Games are my first competition with the new material after only three weeks of training. There is not much time in the year before the Olympics. That’s why you have to start with a change of material as early as possible ” exxplained QIU. YUAN Jia Nan of France (5) – Natalia BAJOR of Poland (14) 2-4 (11-9 7-11 11-5 11-13 6-11 6-11) After stopping the progress of European Champion Sofia POLCANOVA Natalia BAJOR continued her impressive run by defeating YUAN Jia Nan. In a clash between two fast players Natalia proved to be the faster one. “I didn’t get much sleep before the game. I woke up at 5:50 AM and left the athletes’ village at 7:10 AM. I arrived at the venue at 8 AM and had a training session with one of the WĘGRZYN sisters since 8. The first match of the day is always the hardest for me as I love to sleep ” admitted BAJOR. Speaking about her match against YUAN Natalia said: “I was afraid of YUAN’s service game so I focused on practicing my receive a lot this morning. It paid off and I managed to control the match. My receive helped me push the rallies into longer exchanges. YUAN struggled to find an answer to that ” said BAJOR. BAJOR emphasized the crucial role of mental strength. “I came back after losing the third game and I narrowly won the fourth game. That was the turning point.” Regarding the support she receives in Krakow BAJOR explained that her friends and supporters in Poland are her “allowed doping.” “I discovered at the European Championships in Warsaw how much power I gain from the home crowd. It gives me extra strength.” Marcos FREITAS of Portugal (18) – Darko JORGIC of Slovenia (4) 4-2 (11-9 11-7 11-9 8-11 11-13 11-4) As Darko JORGIC failed to deliver his service and receive game at full strength it was challenging for him to stop the progress of Marcos FREITAS whose powerful performance propelled him to the semifinals. “It was a difficult match very similar to the one I had against Tomislav PUCAR in the Round of 32. I started very well being very aggressive. On the other hand JORGIC didn’t perform as well in the beginning as his service didn’t work as he wished. It was often half long or too high so I took advantage of it. But he is a very good player and after being down 3-0 he managed to make a comeback ” said Marcos. JORGIC won the fourth game to stay in the match. “The

The afternoon session in the Round of 16 of both the Men’s and Women’s Singles events at the 2023 Krakow European Games began with great upsets. In thrilling duels both the number two seeds departed from the competition earlier than their rankings predicted. Natalia BAJOR of Poland (14) – Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria (2) 4-1 (4-11 11-4 11-3 11-8 12-10) Cheered on by the enthusiastic home crowd Natalia BAJOR reached the quarterfinals of the Women’s Singles at the European Games in Krakow. In the process she overcame the number two seed and European champion Sofia POLCANOVA. “I still don’t know how I did it how I beat a European champion. I have had a lot of health problems recently. This is actually the first tournament where I am playing well this year. I am very happy that I got into shape just for the tournament taking place in Poland ” said BAJOR. Natalia certainly made the home crowd proud. “The atmosphere here in Krakow is great. Recently I played in Lagos where the atmosphere was equally intense so it was a good warm-up. In my opinion the European Games are well organized and at a very high level including the training hall ” explained BAJOR. Natalia will face Jia YUAN in the quarterfinals of the tournament. “I lost against her in the European Championships last year but tomorrow is a new day and anything can happen.” Daniel HABESOHN of Austria (26) – Truls MOREGARDH of Sweden (2) 4-3 (11-6 6-11 12-10 12-10 11-13 3-11 11-7) Unlike BAJOR’s straightforward success Daniel HABESOHN failed to finish the match after leading 3-1. Truls MOREGARDH made a recovery to level the score but in a thrilling finish the Austrian halted his spirited comeback. “I had a great start to the match and I could have finished it much earlier. I still believe I made the right decision but Truls won the fifth game. Then he started shouting cheering himself up and tried to push himself back into the match. And he easily won the next game ” said HABESOHN. The game continued both on the table and mentally. At such high quality and high stakes every detail matters. “In the sixth game I told myself to calm down. I had to stay focused. I even told my coach to keep a straight face. I didn’t want to see a negative reaction or anything that could cause me to lose my focus ” said HABESOHN. In the seventh game Daniel had a 7-2 advantage but even that was not enough to ensure a safe closure. “It has happened so many times that players have wasted such advantages. I had to stay calm and not think about victory just about the next point.” In the next round Daniel will meet Andrej GACINA. “I think he was cheering for me. I am definitely the underdog in that match. However in this championship I beat PITCHFORD after being 1-3 down and I overcame MOREGARDH…” Dimitrij OVTCHAROV of Germany (3) – Eduard IONESCU of Romania (29) 2-4 (11-7 11-7 12-14 7-11 10-12 5-11) In a fantastic comeback and with a bold and aggressive performance 18-year-old Eduardo IONESCU raised the bar even higher by defeating the number three seed OVTCHAROV. “I couldn’t find the right solution in the opening games of the match. However my coach Andrei FILIMON told me few small things I needed to change. I quickly managed to adjust those changes and I won four games in a row. I wasn’t afraid; I just kept the momentum when I started winning. I lived in the moment and played ball by ball ” explained IONESCU. “Something like that rarely happens to me. Everything went according to plan. I was leading 2:0 10:8 in the third and three more times in extra time. I had five set points to lead 3:0. After that he got better and I got much worse my game almost completely collapsed. I had another chance in the fifth set. But if you leave all your chances like I did today and your game collapses then it’s probably normal that you lose ” said OVTCHAROV. Ivana MALOBABIC of Croatia (25) – Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania (8) 0-4 (3-11 6-11 2-11 8-11) Elizabeta SAMARA dominated the match against Ivana MALOBABIC securing a quick victory. “Despite the difference in rankings it is always dangerous to underestimate your opponent. It was good that I didn’t have a very challenging match but I prepared well. It was a good opportunity for me to warm up for what’s coming tomorrow ” said SAMARA. Tomorrow in the quarterfinals SAMARA will face the number one seed HAN Ying. “We play in the same club in Poland and Japan and we are very good friends. There is nothing new we can do to surprise each other. It will be a good match for sure ” stated SAMARA. Jonathan GROTH of Denmark (13) – Alexis LEBRUN of France (5) 3-4 (11-6 9-11 8-11 11-6 11-9 7-11 8-11) Once again in the Round of 16 iwe saw a seven-game thriller. LEBRUN was under severe pressure in the match against GROTH but he kept fighting back. “I didn’t play at the level I wanted. I made mistakes with the tactics and I had to make a lot of changes during the game. I had to adjust my service and find a way to counter Jonathan’s excellent backhand. It was a very difficult match ” explained Alexis. Dora MADARASZ of Hungary (22) – YANG Xiaoxin of Monaco (4) 0-4 (1-11 3-11 8-11 11-13) YANG started the match in superb style but from the third game onwards MADARASZ managed to create a few chances. However she failed to capitalize on them. “I was well prepared for this match. It was one of those duels that could have gone either way. MADARASZ is a very dangerous player. I put her under pressure in the first two games but then she started to recover. She adjusted her game and

In tomorrow’s final of the Mixed Doubles Event at the 2023 European Games in Krakow Germany’s QIU Dang and Nina MITTELHAM will face Hungary’s Nandor ECSEKI and Dora MADARASZ. The winners will not only compete for the gold medal but also secure a ticket to the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. Additionally Spain’s Alvaro ROBLES and Maria XIAO will face Romania’s Ovidiu IONESCU and Bernadette SZOCS for the bronze medal. Ovidiu IONESCU and Bernadette SZOCS of Romania (1) – Nandor ECSEKI and Dora MADARASZ of Hungary (7) 0-3 (9-11 6-11 6-11) Romania’s Ovidiu IONESCU and Bernadette SZOCS the silver medalists from the last European Games and top seeds have been eliminated. Nandor ECSEKI and Dora MADARASZ secured their place in the final with a straight games victory. “At the beginning I struggled to find the right response to Ovidiu’s service. It caused me great trouble but eventually I managed to adjust very well and it worked for me. We made some variations in our tactics to put extra pressure ” said Dora MADARASZ. “We played against them in Amman and we lost so we learned something from that defeat.” Tomorrow they will face QIU Dang and Nina MITTELHAM. “They are in the top 20 of the World Rankings so clearly they are the favorites in the mixed doubles as well. We will study their game to be prepared ” said ECSEKI. QIU Dang Nina MITTELHAM of Germany (4) – Alvaro ROBLES Maria XIAO of Spain (2) 3-1 (11-9 11-4 9-11 11-8) Without great difficulties QIU Dang and Nina MITTELHAM prevailed in the opening match of the mixed doubles semifinal. “That was a strong performance from Nina and me. They are an incredibly strong mixed pair and as left-handed players they were very challenging especially since ROBLES is one of the best doubles players in the world. We really wanted to make it to the final because we didn’t want to play for the third-place match ” said QIU. “We had already defeated them once last year in Lima but in such a championship it’s a completely different situation. We had a great start and our coordination worked perfectly. It was a very good game for us ” added MITTELHAM.

On the third day of play at the 2023 European Games in Krakow follow the matches of Round of 16 in Singles Men’s and Women’s Events as well as semi final clashes in mixed Doubles event. For the contesters in mixed doubles the importance of this event is even greater – the winners will book the place for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Kristian KARLSSON of Sweden (6) – Marcos FREITAS of Portugal (18) 3-4 (11-7 11-6 11-13 6-11 11-5 8-11 9-11) The conclusion of the morning session in Krakow brought an unforgettable clash – a true jewel among the experienced contenders. In a nail-biting battle it was Marcos FREITAS who secured a spot in the quarterfinals. “I had a very bad start. It’s hard to explain what happened but the truth is we know each other very well and we have even played together on the same team in France. He caught me by surprise. In the beginning I wasn’t able to keep the game short and low since the ball was bouncing high. Basically the first two games went by very quickly ” explained FREITAS. Even the third game began poorly for FREITAS. “I knew I had to take the third game so I called for a time-out when Kristian had a 9-8 advantage. I thought it was the last moment to stay in the match because if I had lost it I wouldn’t be able to make a comeback. Winning four games in a row against KARLSSON would be extremely difficult. I had to take a risk but I made it to 2-2. Then Kristian changed his tactics a bit; he started playing aggressively on the backhand. That secured him the fifth game but mentally I stayed focused ” explained Marcos. Then the pendulum swung for the last time. “I had a lot of ups and downs in the match; overall he won more points than me. However I showed a better game in close finishes and I had self-confidence that pushed me forward even when I was two games down. I am very happy with this victory ” said Marcos. In the quarterfinals Marcos will face JORGIC. “I lost against him on two previous occasions 2-3 in Macao and in the Champions League. He is very confident here; he plays very well in Germany and at tournaments… but despite him being the favorite I think it will be an open game.” HAN Ying of Germany (1) – Linda BERGSTROM of Sweden (13) 4-2 (8-11 11-5 8-11 11-9 11-3 11-3) Top-seeded HAN Ying overcame a very difficult hurdle on her way to the quarterfinals facing Linda BERGSTRÖM. “It’s good that I won. I expected it to be a tough game. BERGSTRÖM improves every time we play and against players with a defensive style of play it’s generally a 50-50 game for me. I felt like I was playing a bit better than her but she hit everything in the first game – topspins and shots – it was very difficult for me. In the third game I made a comeback after being down 0-4 but then I made some stupid mistakes. In the fourth set even after leading 9-3 it got close again ” explained HAN. Robert GARDOS of Austria (15) – Darko JORGIC of Slovenia (4) 2-4 (2-11 9-11 14-12 12-10 7-11 10-12) Robert GARDOS once again proved that he is capable of overcoming almost any difficult situation. Although he lost to Darko JORGIC he made JORGIC work hard for the victory. “I lost both games in which I had a 10-6 lead. You can never count GARDOS out when you play against him. I won the opening game easily before Robert increased the pressure. In the third and fourth games he made a comeback and won the games in which I had game points. I could feel that he really wanted to win this and he played very strongly. He has been in such big matches so many times and his vast experience is hard to deny. That’s why I had to force myself to calm down and be more cautious in the finishing stages ” said JORGIC. YU Fu of Portugal (7) – Prithika PAVADE of France (17) (4-2 11-6 8-11 11-4 7-11 11-6 12-10) YU Fu faced off against Prithika PAVADE in the Championship League and lost their encounter. However this time in Krakow Portugal’s star took control of the match. “PAVADE is very dangerous in the first two balls after the service and her service game was very good. However in dangerous situations I opted for longer rallies to solve the problem ” explained YU. Anders LIND of Denmark (seed no. 15) – Felix LEBRUN of France (8) 2-4 (11-13 10-12 11-6 7-11 14-12 5-11) The duel between Felix LEBRUN and Anders LIND was a closely contested match that ended in favor of the French player after a shaky start. “We both struggled with receiving the service in the opening games of the match. That’s why the first two games ended with a narrow margin. I managed to improve in the later stages of the match. The good thing is that we both had problems with receiving so I wasn’t worried that much ” said LEBRUN. “I had never played against LIND before but I watched him at the World Championships and I also studied some of his recorded matches so I expected a tough duel.” Hana MATELOVA of Czechia (11) – Bernadette SZOCS of Romania (6) 2-4 (9-11 10-12 11-8 12-10 3-11 13-15) Hana MATELOVA managed to put Bernadette SZOCS under pressure but the Romanian player remained calm and ended the close match in her favor. Her ability to change tactics and vary her game pushed her forward to the quarterfinals. “It was a very close duel but I did not lose my head in difficult situations. I remained calm despite the great pressure Hana put me under. That made the difference in the decisive moments of the match. When

Christian IBENFELDT will be a busy man during the European Veterans Championships in Sandefjord this week. As host of the tournament he will hold receptions and meetings from morning to night and welcome international leaders such as the ITTF President Petra SORLING and the Acting ETTU President Pedro Miguel MOURA. The Norwegian Table Tennis President is eager to show European table tennis players leaders and fans the best Norwegian TTA has to offer. He has worked very hard to bring about a tournament of high quality with corresponding social events. Saying that the Norwegian TT President is still a very good table tennis player so good in fact that he is the favourite to win the men’s doubles 45 years with Turkish friend Murat ERIS. Earlier this year at the Veterans World Championships in Oman the pair made it to the finals. IBENFELDT also has a silver medal from the European Veterans Championships in the Swedish town of Helsingborg in 2017 with former teammate Eric DURAND from France. Nothing would be sweeter for the hard-working left-handed player than to conclude with a gold medal when he finally has the chance to play a championship on home ground. IBENFELDT started his career in his hometown of Bergen which was the stronghold of Norwegian table tennis for decades. After many podium finishes in the National Youth Championship he made it to the national team and moved to Montpellier France to take the next step of his table tennis career. In Montpellier he teamd up with the aforementioned DURAND and also the father to the now famous LEBRUN-brothers. Back in Norway he got more involved in the administrative side of table tennis and in 2017 he was elected President of the Norwegian Table Tennis Association a position he has been reelected to twice without opposition. The President still plays and became National Champion in doubles just a few years ago. This season with his Norwegian club Laksevåg he won the Stiga League (first tier) in Norway for the ninth time.

The top seed in the Round of 32 in the Men’s Singles event QIU Dang of Germany was in the fast lane in his opening encounter at the European Games in Krakow. QIU prevailed against Paul DRINKHALL of England in straight games (9 7 8 9). “The opener is always difficult no matter who it is against. Paul is a familiar opponent for everyone. He can play at a beastly level although he didn’t reach that today. I was able to impose my game on him and I am very happy with the result. It was important that I won the fourth game and saved some energy. I didn’t come into this match 100 percent fresh. The long bus rides to the hall took a toll on my energy and I have the added burden of singles and mixed events. But I have to live with that ” said QIU. In the clash between the young star Alexis LEBRUN and experienced Greek Panagiotis GIONIS the French player prevailed 4-2 (5 -8 6 -9 4 8). “I enjoy playing against players with a defensive style but GIONIS put me to a severe test. It was a difficult match. I had to vary the pace of the game and make tactical adjustments to find the right approach ” explained LEBRUN. In the Round of 16 LEBRUN will play against Dane Jonathan GROTH who overcame Lubomir JANCARIK of Czechia (10 -7 8 9 4). “We played against each other last time in Oman and he was injured then. I will have to study his game again ” said LEBRUN.c Another young star emerged successfully in the Round of 32. Romania’s Eduard IONESCU overcame Alvaro ROBLES of Spain (8 16 -10 7 10). “Finally! I made it this time. In Durban at the World Championships I was up 3-1 against Simon GAUZY and ended up losing 3-4. This time I managed to maintain my advantage. It also helped that my teammate Ovidiu is his doubles partner so I have many valuable matches to study ” said IONESCU. Eduard already played in the Preliminary round and defeated Serbia’s Szolt PETE. “It gave me self-confidence both the win itself and the opportunity to get a feel for the venue and the ball here. I adapted to the conditions which gave me an advantage ” said IONESCU who is the European champion in youth categories. “This is my best result in seniors. I am so happy.” In the Round of 32 Andrej GACINA beat Deni KOZUL of Slovenia in six games (-9 7 -9 7 2 9). “Since this is the opening match of the tournament for me I am satisfied. We both struggled with each other’s services but after 2-2 I changed the pace. I played a bit slower kept my patience to see where the service would go and it paid off ” said GACINA. Marcos FREITAS of Portugal overcame Tomislav PUCAR of Croatia (9 7 7 -7 -9 1). “Tomislav did not start well. I felt that he was not very confident with his game and I took advantage of it. His service game improved and the match became much closer. After he won the fourth and fifth games I talked with my coach and decided to play more aggressively. I took the sixth game in a furious style and I am proud of myself for elevating my game to the next level when it was most needed ” explained FREITAS.