The newly crowned champion of the Women’s singles at the European Games in Krakow is Bernadette SZOCS of Romania. YANG Xiaoxin of Monaco finds consolation in the silver medal after a breathtaking final tonight in Poland. Elizabeta SAMARA won the bronze medal in the duel against Natalia BAJOR of Poland. In the ultimate hurdle of the event SZOCS made a remarkable comeback from 1-3 down to win the match in a furious style in the decisive game. YANG initially dominated the early stages of the match. “This was a final and I knew I had to fight until the last moment. Even when I was down 1-3 I didn’t allow myself to give up. YANG was my clubmate for four years and she beat me in every match we played. But I felt like this was ‘my’ tournament. I felt great here and I simply felt like I had to win it ” said SZOCS. When asked about her remarkable comeback SZOCS said “I didn’t feel her pimples but at 3-1 I pushed myself to play more aggressively. I told myself not to think that I was in reverse and I played as if it was 0-0.” Bernadette is now looking forward to new challenges. “Now I’m looking forward to the Olympics and I know I can aim for a medal there. This is my first ‘big’ medal and I made it to the gold. My dream has come true. It has boosted my confidence ” said SZOCS. Romania’s coach Viorel FILIMON explained what happened during the match. “Players start with their tactics but when Bernadette started to lose I told her to change her service. The only way to halt YANG was to use the long service to her backhand. She started doing it and immediately slowed down YANG. YANG was not able to play as aggressively as she was at the beginning and Bernie took control. This is a great day for Romania. Even though Samara had a chance to be in the final she still has a medal ” stated FILIMON. For YANG it was hard to find the words after the defeat. “For sure Bernadette played a great match but when I was leading 3-1 I stopped analyzing the match and my focus went away. I was more focused on the result than the tactics itself. I had never lost against her so I am very disappointed.” In the match for the bronze medal Elizabeta SAMARA withstood Natalia NAJOR’s spirited comeback after taking a 3-1 lead ultimately winning the match in the seventh game. “We knew each other very well. We are clubmates and her national coach is my club coach. In our two previous matches in the Polish league Natalia beat me twice. She did n’t give me a chance ” said SAMARA. This time however the scenario was different. The opening game was very close but went in favor of SAMARA. “She had an advantage in the first game and I kept coming back. In the close finish I won it and that was the key moment. I lost the next game but I was able to control the match. Everything was going my way until 3-1 ” stated Elizabeta. BAJOR heated up the atmosphere in the Hutnik Arena by mounting a comeback when the match seemed to be quickly ending. “I simply can’t say what happened to me. I had a lead in the fifth game but I just lost it. In the sixth game I had another chance at 10-9…” In the decisive game SAMARA had a 5-1 lead before BAJOR leveled the score. However this time Romania’s player defended her lead and sealed the match. “We weren’t used to playing matches for the third position so it was a little strange experience. But I am proud that I made it to the medal podium. I proved to myself that I can still play at the highest level and that I still belong in the game.” In the morning hours YANG Xiaoxin of Monaco defeated SAMARA in the semifinals but Elizabeta managed to recover from the defeat. “I didn’t have time to think about it. I rushed to the hotel to eat and take a shower…” Match for the gold medal YANG Xiaoxin of Monaco (4) – Bernadette SZOCS (6) 3-4 (11-4 11-7 7-11 11-8 11-13 9-11 3-11) Match for the bronze medal Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania (8) – Natalia BAJOR of Poland (14) 4-3 (11-9 4-11 13-11 11-7 9-11 9-11 11-7)

Bernadette SZOCS of Romania (6) – Natalia BAJOR of Poland (14) 4-0 (11-6 11-9 11-3 11-5) Bernadette SZOCS’ tactical masterclass left Natalia BAJOR without an answer in the second semifinal of the day. The fact that BAJOR had played and struggled in previous encounters against SZOCS did not work in Natalia’s favor. “I was at the top of my game. I played very aggressive. Simply put my tactics were perfect and my self-confidence was at its highest level. I just felt that I could not lose. Even when I lost a few points it did not disturb me. This was ‘my’ match and I could not lose it ” stated SZOCS.” Women’s Event semifinals Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania (8) – YANG Xiaoxin of Monaco (4) 0-4 (9-11 5-11 9-11 4-11) In the first semi-final YANG Xiaoxin defeated Elizabeta SAMARA improving her European Games record. Four years ago in Minsk YANG was stopped in the penultimate stage in a match against HAN Ying of Germany and then lost the bronze medal match to NI Xia Lian of Luxembourg. In today’s match YANG dominated and left little room for Samara to make a comeback. “I am very happy to be in the final. I played exceptionally well today especially in crucial moments which is always what I strive for. SAMARA has been performing excellently in the Games so I prepared well and was ready for the battle ” stated YANG. In the third game SAMARA had an opportunity to extend the match with a 7-3 lead. “I was a bit surprised by my service fault in the third game. It caught me off guard and I needed some time to recover mentally. However I managed to regain my focus and played exceptionally well until the end. I am fully prepared for the final this evening and I will give it my best ” added YANG. On the ultimate day of play in the Singles event at the 2023 European Games in Krakow the final of the Women’s event will feature YANG Xiaoxin of Monaco against Bernadette SZOCS of Romania (6:30 pm) while Portugal’s Marcos FREITAS will meet Felix LEBRUN of France (7:20 pm). In the match for the bronze medal Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania will face Natalia BAJOR of Poland (4:30 pm). However the match for the bronze medal will not be played as Andrej GACINA of Croatia suffered a back hamstring injury and was forced to withdraw after his defeat against Felix LEBRUN. Consequently Alexis LEBRUN secured the bronze medal. Men’s Event semifinals: Alexis LEBRUN of France (5) – Marcos FREITAS of Portugal (18) 2-4 (9-11 11-7 11-8 10-12 8-11 6-11) In a display of aggressive defense from both sides Marcos FREITAS and Alexis LEBRUN kept the spectators on the edge of their seats. Both players showed power performances but Marcos had greater control over the match. “I am very happy with my performance today. It was a physical match with a lot of long rallies. We have never played before and I can see why he is winning against many good players. He has a lot of variety in his game and executes some incredible shots. I am glad I stayed focused and now I just need to rest a bit and prepare for the final ” said FREITAS. Felix LEBRUN of France (8) – Andrej GACINA of Croatia (7) (11-9 11-4 11-3 13-11) Felix LEBRUN was in safe run against Andrej GACINA. “I am very happy to be in the final. I played really well and now I want to win it ” stated the younger of the LEBRUN brothers. Felix dominated the match stating “I have a playing style that bothers GACINA.” Despite playing his semifinal match just a few minutes after his brother suffered defeat against FREITAS Felix mentioned that he has already learned how to stay calm in situations like this. “Unfortunately my brother lost so I will not play against him in the final. I watched Alexis’ match this morning against Marcos to prepare. There is a bit of pressure because it is a big match in front of me but I will play with confidence just as I have been playing since the beginning of the tournament. I am used to playing after Alexis so I know how to refocus when he finishes. I put myself in my own bubble.”

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.