The draw for all five European Games events was held today in Krakow. There are five events incuding Men’s and Women’s Teams events Singles and Mixed Doubles event. The 2023 European Games featuring table tennis competitions will take place at the Hutnik Arena in Krakow. The tournaments will commence tomorrow with the Singles Preliminary rounds.
First ever Under 13 European Championships presented fantastic enthusiasm and fighting spirit
What leaves the strongest impression from the European Championships is the fantastic enthusiasm and fighting spirit shown by the boys and girls in their team matches. The new system which includes boys and girls together and a new system of points distribution created an unbelievable atmosphere in the venue. Regardless of whether the players played in the final or the playoffs for lower positions or even if they were already losing 3-1 there was no lack of fighting spirit and mind-blowing cheering from the bench for each member of the team.It also brought out the best in the competitors and we all witnessed some very good matches. Both Spanish coaches Francisco BERZOSA and Eduard MAYOROV gave the Championships in Zagreb a perfect score of “10” points. The coaches participating in the tournament expressed their satisfaction overall but each had some ideas for future discussions and improvements. “I am very happy with the system of mixed doubles and boys and girls playing together. It is a great idea to launch this kind of Championships. In all other aspects this tournament was a pure success with very good accommodation and a nice venue. My only remark is that the last matches of the day should start earlier since some teams had youngsters who were 10 or 11 years old ” said Hungarian coach Ferenc PASZY. The European u13 Championships includes mixed teams and mixed doubles categories aiming to cultivate in players the importance of gender equality in sports from a young age. With mixed doubles being an Olympic event in table tennis this emphasis on inclusivity and diversity lays a strong foundation for the future. However some coaches agreed that playing doubles would be a great addition to the event as Romania’s coach Istvan GYORGY stated that the event structure and the system have both good and bad points. “Definitely it is very important to have Championships for players at such a young age. At the World level you cannot be competitive if you do not work and train with sub-cadet categories. What I am missing is the doubles event. Mixed doubles are fine and it is good to have them but I think we should also have regular doubles. Additionally I am not a big fan of the points distribution in the Team’s mixed events. We had only one defeat in two stages and Germany had two but they played in the semis and we played the playoffs for 9th to 12th position ” stated GYORGY. Greek coach Akis TSARSITALIDIS also pointed out the lack of doubles events. “I really support this concept of play and I think that the points distribution in the Team’s event forces teams to come with equally strong boys and girls. However I think we should have regular doubles as well ” said TSARSITALIDIS. England’s Vidal GRAHAM joined his colleagues from Romania and Greece also expressing a desire to see the Doubles events as part of the Championships. “However the combination of boys and girls playing together in a team is a very good idea.” Poland’s coach Alan WOS spoke in favour of the system. “It is great for all players to have the opportunity to play a lot of matches. I hope there will be a chance for the Championships to last one day longer in the future.” Coach Stephane HUCLIEZ of France praised the organization of the Championships especially the team matches which give equal importance to boys and girls. “The point distribution in the team event ensures that every match is important ” stated HUCLIEZ. The host nation’s team coach Natasa SKOCILOVIC was also in Podgorica last year. “From last year’s experience we knew this would be a good tournament. Giving youngsters an opportunity to play so many matches is a great initiative.” Italy’s Emmanuelle DELSANTO pointed out a very interesting aspect: “We have two best boys at the seedings but it was not their matches that launched us into the final. It was the mixed doubles and the points won in the girls’ matches. So in theory I am very supportive of this kind of point system. However I am afraid that we might have a situation where some teams do not have the motivation to play all five matches with the same enthusiasm because they have already lost their chance for a good place in the standings. And at the same time we might be in a position where each point will matter for us to move up…” said DELSANTO. “What I liked the most is the fantastic atmosphere that was created in the team event with boys and girls playing together.” Portugal’s Sergio VIERA and Germany’s Richard HOFFMANN were satisfied with the opportunity for players to play a lot of matches. “It is very good for young players but maybe a one-day break would be helpful ” stated HOFFMANN
As the European Games start in Krakow 15 Medals and One Olympic Qualification Spot up for Grabs
The Table Tennis tournament at the 2023 European Games will take place at the Hutnik Arena in Krakow starting on Friday. The Men’s and Women’s Singles Events in the preliminary round will mark the beginning of the eight-day battle for titles in five events including Singles Men’s and Women’s Team Events and Mixed Doubles. The winner of the Mixed Doubles event will qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The top seed in the Men’s category is Germany’s QIU Dang. QIU did not compete in Minsk four years ago but has since made significant progress. In 2020 he won the gold medal in Mixed Doubles at the European Championships in Warsaw. A year later at the European Teams Championships in Cluj he was part of the German team that secured the gold medal. Last year in Munich he became the singles champion at the European Championships. In the same year in Chengdu he was a member of the silver-winning team at the World Championships. Swede Truls MOREGARD is the second seed. Although Truls has yet to win a medal in singles at the European Championships he has a silver medal from the World Championships in Houston 2021 and a bronze medal in the Team Event from Halmstad 2018. Truls also won two bronze medals at the European Team Events in Nantes 2019 and Cluj 2021. Dimitrij OVTCHAROV the winner of the singles event at the European Games in 2015 Baku and the teams event in 2019 Minsk is the third seed. His impressive record includes six medals at the Olympic Games: two silver medals in the Team Events in 2008 Beijing and 2020 Tokyo and four bronze medals in 2012 London (singles and teams) 2016 Rio de Janeiro (teams) and 2020 Tokyo (singles). Ovtcharov has also clinched four silver medals at the World Team Championships from 2010 to 2018 and a bronze medal in doubles in Durban 2023. At the European Championships he has won 10 gold medals including singles victories in Schwechat 2013 and Ekaterinburg 2015 and team gold medals in Belgrade 2007 St. Petersburg 2008 Stuttgart 2009 Ostrava 2010 Sopot 2011 Schwechat 2013 Luxembourg 2017 and Nantes 2019. Additionally he has three silver medals and two bronze medals to his name. Ovtcharov lost to Jonathan GROTH in the Round of 16 in Minsk four years ago. The top 16 players who will start the competition from Round 3 are Darko JORGIC of Slovenia Alexis LEBRUN of France Kristian KARLSSON of Sweden Andrej GACINA of Croatia Felix LEBRUN of France Liam PITCHFORD of England Tomislav PUCAR of Croatia Joao GERALDO of Portugal Alvaro ROBLES of Spain Jonathan GROTH of Denmark Robert GARDOS of Austria Anders LIND of Denmark WANG Yang of Slovakia. There are 49 players in the Men’s Singles event. The winner of the previous edition Timo BOLL will not participate in singles. However silver medalist Jonathan GROTH of Denmark and bronze medalist Tomislav PUCAR of Croatia are listed at positions 13 and 10 respectively. In the Men’s Team event Germany represented by BOLL Patrick FRANZISKA Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and QIU Dang is the top seed. Sweden with KARLSSON MOREGARD Simon BERGLUND and Anton KALLBERG follows as the second seed and France with the FELIX brothers Simon GAUZY and Can AKKUZU is the third seed. HAN Ying the silver medalist in Singles in the previous edition in Minsk and a member of the gold-winning German team in both previous editions of the European Games is the leading name in the singles event. HAN was also a member of the silver medal-winning team at the Olympic Games in Rio 2016 and won a bronze medal in the Team event at the World Championships last year in Chengdu. HAN has four gold medals at the European Championships three in teams and one in mixed doubles events. In singles she has a bronze medal from 2013 in Schwechat. The second seed is Austria’s Sofia POLCANOVA. POLCANOVA won gold in singles and doubles last year at the Munich European Championships and a bronze medal in Mixed Doubles in the same Championships. Germany’s Nina MITTELHAM is the third seed. She also played as a member of the German team in Minsk. At the European Championships Nina has three gold medals: first place in doubles in 2018 in Alicante first place in mixed doubles in Warsaw 2020 and first place in the German team event in Cluj 2021. Last year in singles Nina won a silver medal. The previous edition of the European Games concluded with the victory of Portugal’s YU Fu who is the seventh seed. HAN finished second and Luxembourg’s NI Xia Lian finished third. NI is the 11th seed in Krakow. The top 16 seeds are: Han POLCANOVA MITTELHAM YANG XIAOXIN of Monaco YUAN Jia Nan of France Bernadette SZOCS of Romania YU Fu Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania Barbora BALAZOVA of Slovakia SHAO Jieni of Portugal Hana MATELOVA of Czechia Ni Xia Lian Linda BERGSTROM of Sweden Natalia BAJOR of Poland Tatiana KUKULKOVA of Slovakia and Margaryta PESOTSKA of Ukraine. In the Team event Germany with Han Shan XIAOUNA Sabine WINTER and MITTELHAM is defending the title. Romania who finished second in Minsk is the second seed in Krakow. The team is composed of Adina DIACONU Andreea DRAGOMAN SAMARA and SZOCS. France with Audrey ZARIF Camille LUTZ Prithika PAVADE and YUAN Jia Nan is the third seed. How to watch the 2023 European Games live The European Games will be available via live stream at: https://europeangames.tv/sports/table-tennis and on TV: Albania: RTV Austria: ORF Azerbaijan: TV Belgium: VRT & RTBF Bulgaria: BNT Croatia: HRT Cyprus: CBC Czechia: CT Estonia: ERR Finland: YLE France: FTV & Chaîne L’Équipe Germany: ARD & ZDF Greece: ERT Hungary: MTVA Iceland: RYV Ireland: RTE Israel: TSC Italy: RAI Kosovo: RTK Lithuania: LRT Netherlands: NOS Norway: NRK Poland: TVP Portugal: RTP Romania: TVR Slovakia: RTVS Slovenia: RTV SLO Spain: RTVE & ENJOY Sweden: SVT Switzerland: SSR Türkiye: TRT Ukraine: PBC United Kingdom: BBC Pan-European: Eurosport Latin America
Come to Olomouc for the Academic European Table Tennis Championship
After a six-year hiatus the Academic European Table Tennis Championship is making its return to Olomouc. In 2017 the Academic European University Championship was held at the sports hall of Palacký University but this year the tournament will take place at Olomouc’s Omega Centre for Sport and Health from July 3rd to July 10th. Table tennis players who are university students from all corners of Europe will once again gather in Olomouc. The participant list comprises eighteen men’s teams and eleven women’s teams from thirteen European countries. This year the largest foreign teams will be from Great Britain and Germany and we can also expect the presence of traditionally strong universities from Poland where university sports particularly table tennis are highly popular. For instance the Wrocław University of Economics will be represented by two renowned Polish players sisters Anna and Katarzyna WEGRZIN. The British universities also boast some intriguing names on their rosters such as WANG Jinghao ZHAO Jiameng and YU Tianyi who are young Chinese table tennis players studying in Bristol and London England. The Czechia will be represented by table tennis players from two universities in Ostrava. Among them Zdena BLAŠKOVÁ who participated in the World Championships in Durban South Africa in May will compete alongside defender Markéta ŠEVČÍKOVÁ and Jana VAŠENDOVÁ all donning their uniforms. The Academic European Table Tennis Championship is celebrating its 10th edition. After the inaugural tournament hosted by Ostrava in 2008 the battle for university medals in table tennis took place in Olomouc in 2017. This year the academic championship returns to the Haná region. The Omega Centre for Sport and Health where the ITTF World Series Table Tennis Tournament – Czechia Open – is held annually will serve as the venue for this year’s tournament. The 10th AME in Olomouc will feature a total of six competitive disciplines. The first three days of the tournament will be dedicated to team competitions while Saturday and Sunday will showcase individual competitions including men’s singles women’s singles men’s doubles and women’s doubles. Once again Vít Ratajský chairman of the table tennis committee of the Czechia Association of University Sports (CAUS) will lead the organizing committee of the “Olomouc” Academic European Championships. Framework programme of the AME 2023 competitions in Olomouc Wednesday 5 July at 9:30 am: Opening ceremony opening of the team competitions Thursday 6 July Team competitions (continued) Friday 7 July Team competitions (conclusion) Saturday 8 July individual competitions Sunday 9 July Individual competitions (conclusion) closing ceremony For complete information about the 10th Academic European Table Tennis Championships in Olomouc visit: https://tabletennis2023.eusa.eu/ Here is an overview of the hosting countries for the AME in table tennis: 2007 – Ostrava 2008 – Latina (Italy) 2009 – Niš (Serbia) 2010 – Kazan (Russia) 2011 – Madeira (Portugal) 2013 – Zonguldak (Türkiye) 2015 – Geneva (Switzerland) 2017 – Olomouc 2019 – Camerino (Italy) 2023 – Olomouc
Diane SCHÖLER has passed away at the age of 90
Diane SCHÖLER the Oldest Living Table Tennis World Champion has passed away at the age of 90. The ETTU sends its most sincere condolences to her family and loved ones. Diane SCHÖLER passed away on June 19. Known as “Lady Table Tennis ” she won 20 medals at World Championships between 1951 and 1971 including gold medals in the doubles event in 1951 and 1954 alongside her twin sister Rosalind CORNETT. She held the distinction of being the oldest living table tennis world champion. “Hans Wilhelm GÄB Honorary President of the German Table Tennis Association a close friend and companion of the Schöler family describes Diane as someone who fought alongside her sister Rosalind as an athlete and world champion with self-control and composure even in defeat. He says that she approached her serious illness with the same attitude. Eberhard her husband and their children Cindy and Christian were by her side when she lost her final battle ” says GÄB. “She will be remembered as a graceful and elegant master of our sport and as a personality who brought honor to our cause in the DTTB uniform.” DTTB President Claudia HERWEG also had a special connection with Diane Schöler. “Diane led my first youth training camp in the West German Table Tennis Association and from then on for decades I always considered her as a role model as a woman as a person and as a lover of table tennis. My condolences go out to her husband Eberhard and her children Cindy and Christian!” Diane and Rosalind ROWE the twins’ maiden name were considered pioneers for women in sports and represented the younger generation with progressive views and the courage to express their opinions. Their success in the doubles event alone reaching the finals five times in a row between 1951 and 1955 is a record that still stands today. Diane WEBB the archivist of the English Table Tennis Association recalls the early days of the twins: “Two excited 14-year-old twins woke up on Christmas morning in 1947 hoping to receive bicycles as gifts and were somewhat disappointed when they received table tennis rackets ‘only.’ The disappointment didn’t last long because soon the two teenagers Ros the right-hander and Di the left-hander were hitting a ball back and forth across the dining table ” says WEBB. “On that Christmas morning it would have been unimaginable that less than three years later they would become world champions for the first time and on April 14 1954 on their 21st birthday the day they reached adulthood they would win their second title.” And they achieved this in 1954 at the Wembley Arena where the “ROWE twins ” as they were called everywhere had a true home advantage. After all they were born in the Marylebone neighborhood of London just a half-hour drive from Wembley. The twins had captured the hearts of the spectators who enthusiastically supported them in the only all-English final in the history of the Women’s Doubles event at the Table Tennis World Championships against Kathy BEST and Ann Haydon-jones in a thrilling match that ended 19-21 21-10 21-19 and 22-20. The “Wembley fairy tale” was born as historians describe their triumph in 1954.
Prishtina Open 2023 Exceeded the Expectations
On June 18 2023 the “Prishtina Open 2023” tournament was held at the Palace of Youth and Sports in Prishtina. This senior tournament attracted a significant number of participants including athletes from Kosovo as well as international representatives from prominent countries such as England Bulgaria Egypt France Germany Iran North Macedonia Poland Romania Albania Montenegro and Türkiye . President of Priping Table Tennis Club and the organizer of the tournament Kastriot ORANA expressed his satisfaction with the first edition of Prishtina Open 2023: “We are thrilled with the overwhelming success of the tournament which surpassed our expectations. The level of participation sportsmanship and the quality of matches were exceptional. We extend our gratitude to everyone involved in making this event a resounding success. The positive feedback from participants reaffirms Prishtina’s standing as a premier table tennis destination. We look forward to welcoming more players and visitors in the future.” In the women’s division the first semifinal witnessed a rematch between Lene OSMANI from Kosovo and Samanda AGOLLI from Albania replicating the previous day’s final (U19). Once again Lene OSMANI emerged triumphant with a flawless 3-0 victory. In the other semifinal Shega HASHANI who had defeated Liridona REXHA of Albania in the round of 16 secured a convincing 3-0 win against Alma MEHMET. The final showcased a captivating showdown between two exceptional players. Shega initially claimed the first set but Lena demonstrated her exceptional form once again securing a 3-1 victory and capturing her second championship title in this prestigious international tournament. In the battle for third place Alma MEHMETI defeated Samanta AGOLLI with a commanding 3-0 scoreline. The men’s division witnessed a series of fiercely contested matches starting from the group stage all the way to the grand final where the eventual winner remained uncertain until the very end. In the first semifinal Christopher DORAN from England and Zihni BATUHAN Sahin from Türkiye clashed in what could be deemed a virtual final before the actual final. Doran initially gained a two-set advantage and consistently held the lead in the subsequent three sets. However under the guidance of coach Besart DOMANIKU Sahin managed to mount a comeback and secured a narrow 3-2 victory. The second semifinal featured Fatih KARABAKHAKU who had previously defeated Nahom ASGEDOM from England in the round of 16 facing off against Romanian player Bogdan POSTUDOR. The Romanian exhibited experience and composure ultimately prevailing against the resilient KARABAKHAKU. Despite displaying skill and maturity Fatih’s efforts were overshadowed by POSTUDOR’S expertise. The highly anticipated final attended by numerous spectators including Prishtina’s mayor Përparim RAMA pitted Türkiye’s player Zihni BATUHAN Sahin against Romanian competitor Bogdan POSTUDOR. The match showcased a display of powerful and rapid shots from both players. Sahin a left-handed player from Türkiye secured the first two sets while Postudor claimed the third set. The fourth set marked the deciding factor culminating in Sahin’s victory and earning him the title of champion. The tournament’s organization reached exceptional standards leaving a lasting impression on the majority of participants who will undoubtedly consider visiting Kosovo in the forthcoming years.
ETTU launches the European Virtual Table Tennis Challenge
ETTU is pleased to announce the launch of the European Virtual Table Tennis Challenge to be organised in fall 2023 in collaboration with the French Table Tennis Federation (FFTT). This exciting new competition will be played on cutting-edge virtual reality headsets using the award winning Eleven Table Tennis game. The inaugural edition of the event will mark a significant milestone in the evolution of table tennis and sports entertainment. The growing popularity of Eleven Table Tennis worldwide attributed to the convenience of playing from the comfort of home and the realistic nature of the game has inspired ETTU to adopt this digital transformation. FFTT successfully organized the inaugural French Virtual Table Tennis Championship in December 2022 and ETTU will look to their expertise to elevate the growth of this form of table tennis to new heights. All the virtual table tennis players in Europe are expected to gather to showcase their skills and level during the event. As they compete for the title their performances will transcend physical and geographical boundaries creating a vibrant community of table tennis fans. Up to 1000 players will be allowed to compete in this first edition of the event. “We are absolutely thrilled to jointly announce the European Virtual Table Tennis Challenge in partnership with the FFTT ” expressed Pedro MOURA Acting President of ETTU alongside Gilles ERB FFTT President. “This event represents an exciting opportunity to embrace the digital era and unite table tennis enthusiasts across Europe. We are eager to see how Table Tennis is adaptable to the new challenges of tomorrow’s world.” Award winning Eleven Table Tennis continues to grow with players worldwide as it is a jaw-droppingly realistic way to play table tennis from anywhere in the world. “Partnering with prestigious organizations like ETTU to create large scale tournaments for players has been on our roadmap and we are excited to hit this milestone ” says Roman REKHLER CTO of For Fun Labs and creator of Eleven Table Tennis. ETTU will release further details regarding the European Virtual Table Tennis Challenge including entry information event format and the schedule in the coming weeks. Fans and table tennis lovers are encouraged to stay updated by visiting the ETTU website and following official social media channels for announcements and developments.
France – leading nation at the medal standings in Zagreb
After five days of exciting clashes thrilling duels and a schedule packed with matches the curtain has closed in Zagreb. The leading nation in the medal standings is France with two gold medals. Türkiye emerged successfully in the Mixed Team’s event with Danilo FASO of Italy and Alexia NODIN of France as the singles champions while Titouan MOREL-GONZALES and Eva LAM of France triumphed in the mixed doubles event. European U13 Championships 2023 Medals table Gold Silver Bronze Total 1 France 2 0 0 2 2 Italy 1 2 0 3 3 Türkiye 1 0 1 2 4 Poland 0 1 1 2 5 Czechia 0 1 0 1 6 Germany 0 0 3 3 7 Hungary 0 0 2 2 8 Spain 0 0 1 1
Gold for Danilo FASO in Zagreb
The inaugural European Under-13 Championship in Zagreb concluded with Danilo FASO from Italy justifying his status and clinching the gold medal in the Boys Singles event. In an all-Italian final he overcame the second-seeded Francesco TREVISAN. “Before the competition began I hoped to reach the semifinals. That was my goal. However I knew I was capable of more. I am happy that I also performed well dropping only one game on the way to the gold. My match against Morel-Gonzales was the toughest but we prepared a good strategy ” highlighted FASO. The top-seeded Danilo FASO has already won three titles in the WTT Contenders this year. He triumphed in the U15 event in Vila Real and the Under 13 event in Varazdin in Linz. FASO also reached the semifinals of the Under 15 event in Linz. His teammate Francesco TREVISAN had clinched the title at the WTT Contender in the Under 13 event in Wladyslawowo and he was a finalist in Linz and Berlin. “Danilo and Francesco entered this European Championship as the first and second seeds but the rankings heavily depend on tournament activity. Being ranked number one or two does not necessarily mean being the strongest player especially at this age. Many players do not participate in WTT tournaments but join the European Championship. I had confidence in the abilities of my players but I was uncertain about the level of competition and the possibility of surprises. We recently competed in a tournament in Havirov where the competition was quite strong. For example I first saw that left-handed player from Türkiye there and he is a very dangerous player. This is definitely a fantastic result and I am overjoyed. It is a dream come true ” stated coach DELSANTE. In the final the Italian coaches enjoyed the match from the sidelines as Faso and Trevisan battled for the championship. “This is my first singles final in the European Championships and it was definitely the easiest final. I hope every final will be like this ” joked DELSANTE continuing “I am glad that we managed to stay mentally strong. We have been here for five or six days and each day has been challenging and competitive. In this format every match is important and the boys have been truly excellent. Faso’s toughest match was the one to reach the quarterfinals against Morel-Gonzales while Trevisan faced a tough challenge against MRUGALA.” “Last year in Podgorica FASO lost in the quarterfinals in a fifth game with a score of 11-9. Danilo does not like to lose. Well nobody likes to lose but he is special in that regard. While we watched the final I told him to remember the podium and let it be his motivation in the future. Especially because he will have a new opportunity in Zagreb next year ” shared an interesting anecdote from coach DELSANTE. It seems Faso remembered that podium well as he ascended to the top step of the victory podium in Zagreb. In the semifinals Danilo FASO defeated Kenan KAHRAMAN from Türkiye in straight games. Kenan was the finalist in the Under 15 events in Antalya and the Under 13 event in Havirov. He also reached the semifinals of the Under 13 event in Antalya. In the other semifinal match Francesco TREVISAN overcame Jan MRUGALA from Poland. “It was a very intense semifinal. Francesco had played against him two months ago in Poland where they also faced each other in the semifinals. It was a tough match but as before Faso emerged victorious. Jan is a strong player growing stronger and more powerful whereas Francesco does not possess that kind of power yet. Therefore he cannot rely on strength alone but must focus on technique playing with his mind and heart ” emphasized Italian coach Emmanuele DELSANTE. DELSANTE did not watch the other semifinal only briefly following the score as he wanted to remain focused on their own match. Jan MRUGALA won the WTT Contender Under 13 event in Metz and he was a semifinalist in Wladyslawowo. Final Boys Danilo FASO of Italy – Francesco TREVISAN of Italy 3-0 (11-3 11-8 11-2) Semi Final Danilo FASO of Italy – Kenan KAHRAMAN of Turkiye 3-0 (12-10 11-6 11-8) Francesco TREVISAN of Italy – Jan MRUGALA of Poland 3-1 (13-11 11-7 10-12 11-5)
Alexia NODIN of France won the title in Girls Singles
Alexia NODIN from France emerged as the champion in the Girls Singles Event at the Under 13 European Championships. In the final she defeated the second-seeded Hanka KODETOVA from Czechia. Seeded number 11 Alexia NODIN of France reached the final with a flawless record winning all her matches by a score of 3-0. Not only did she defeat the second-seeded player but she also emerged victorious against the top seed in the event. NODIN played a total of 15 matches winning all of them. The game score was 45-3 with a point tally of 510-245. The only points she lost were in her matches against KODETOVA. The final was a different match compared to the team phase of the competition where Alexia had secured a 3-1 victory. This time she was pushed to a full five-game encounter. “Yes it was a different match than two days ago. Alexia had the lead in the first and third games but lost both after reaching 10-10. However she remained calm for most of the match which was not easy and she was very focused in the fifth set. I am truly happy for her ” said coach GUILLAUME. Prior to the European Championship Alexia had hoped to secure a medal. “Yes I wanted to stand on the winner’s podium but I also aimed to deliver my best performance in Zagreb. I was under immense stress before the final but after it ended I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I feel great now ” expressed the victorious NODIN. This year NODIN reached the semifinals of the Under 13 event in Spa and the quarterfinals in Metz. Hanka KODETOVA reached the final of the Under 15 event in Linz where she also claimed the Under 13 title. She reached the quarterfinals of the Under 15 events in Tunis and Berlin as well. Alexia defied the odds and overcame the number one seed Josephina NEUMANN from Germany in the penultimate stage of the event. NEUMANN struggled to find a response to NODIN’s defensive style of play. “It was an excellent semifinal for Alexia. Josephina has a powerful shot and we knew that controlling the first two shots was crucial followed by seeking opportunities for an attack. Of course we had to avoid rushing the attack because Josephina is very dangerous with fast balls. I didn’t have any specific expectations regarding the results; as always my only desire was for Alexia to play her best table tennis. We knew her weaknesses in the game and we tried to exploit them which worked this time ” emphasized French coach Simonin GUILLAUME. Before securing the bronze in Zagreb Josephina NEUMANN had already achieved good results this year. The German player reached the final of the WTT Contender in Cairo in the Under 17 event played in the quarterfinals of the U15 events at Contenders in Vila Nova de Gaia Podgorica and Tunis and even reached the Round of 16 twice this year in U19 events in Cairo and Linz. She had not lost a game until the semifinals of the Under 13 Championships. In the semifinals Hanka KODETOVA easily prevailed against Lizett FAZEKAS. “I am very happy with Hanka’s performance. Lizett is the youngest player here in the event so we expected this win. What we did not expect was the seventh position at the end of the Team’s event ” said Czechia’s coach Alena VACHOVCOVA. Only 10 years old Hungarian player was previously severely challnged in the quarters against Romania’s Patricia STOICA but after five games no. three seed prevailed. Lizett won two titles in Under 11 events at the Contenders in Linz and Berlin this year. She is finalists from Spa and also reached the semifinal of the Under 13 event in Spa Berlin and Havirov. Girls final Hanka KODETOVA of Czechia – Alexia NODIN of France 2-3 (14-12 5-11 13-11 9-11 6-11) Semi Final Josephina NEUMANN of Germany -Alexia NODIN of France 0-3 (9-11 11-13 7-11) Hanka KODETOVA of Czechia – Lizett FAZEKAS of Hungary 3-0 (11-7 11-6 11-8).
