Bratislava, 11 May 2025 – The 2025 European Under 21 Championships concluded in spectacular fashion, with new champions crowned and history made across all events. The final day will be especially remembered in Wales, as Anna HURSEY became the first Welsh player in history to win a European table tennis title in a women’s or youth event. HURSEY captured gold in the U21 Women’s Singles, defeating reigning champion Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine in the final. She added a second gold by triumphing in the Women’s Doubles, alongside her German partner Mia GRIESEL, making her the most successful woman at the 2025 Championships. Bronze medals in Women’s Singles went to Ioana SINGEORZAN and Elena ZAHARIA, both of Romania. In the Men’s Singles, Flavien COTON of France produced a sensational comeback to defeat Iulian CHIRITA of Romania in a thrilling seven-game final. Down 0–2 in games and 4–7 in the decider, COTON rallied to win (16-18, 8-11, 11-1, 11-3, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9) and claim his first European U21 title. Bronze medals were awarded to Miguel PANTOJA of Spain and Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany, who, for the second consecutive year, was stopped in the semi-finals. The Men’s Doubles title went to Romania’s Eduard IONESCU and Darius MOVILEANU, who overcame BERTELSMEIER and Portugal’s Tiago ABIODUN in the final (11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6). Croatia’s Leon BENKO and Ivan HENCL, along with Romania’s Iulian CHIRITA and Andrei ISTRATE, reached the semi-finals. In the Women’s Doubles, the newly formed pairing of HURSEY and GRIESEL ended the reign of last year’s champions ZAHARIA and Bianca MEI ROSU to secure the title. Bronze went to top seeds Hana ARAPOVIC (Croatia) and Ioana SINGEORZAN (Romania), and the Polish pair Zuzanna WIELGOS and Anna BRZYSKA. MEI ROSU had a rare opportunity to become the first player to win three consecutive U21 titles, but the story took an ironic turn as she lost to her former partner GRIESEL—whom she had won the title with in 2023. While GRIESEL regained the crown, it was a first-ever European title for HURSEY, following her runner-up finish at the 2022 European Youth Championships with Sophie EARLEY. ZAHARIA, meanwhile, remains tied with Poland’s Milosz REDZIMSKI for the most U21 titles (three), after missing out on a record fourth. The Mixed Doubles final saw MOVILEANU and ZAHARIA secure gold for Romania after a dramatic five-game win over Germany’s Wim VERDONSCHOT and Josephina NEUMANN (9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-13, 11-7). With this victory, Romania confirmed its dominance in the Mixed Doubles event, having now appeared in all six U21 Mixed Doubles finals, winning four titles overall. MOVILEANU secured gold in his third final appearance, while ZAHARIA celebrated her third Mixed Doubles title in five finals, equalling REDZIMSKI’s record. For Germany, the final marked a significant breakthrough, with VERDONSCHOT and NEUMANN delivering the country’s first-ever Mixed Doubles final appearance and medal at the European Under 21 Championships.

The new champion in the Men’s Singles event at the European Under 21 Championships is Flavien COTON of France. In a breathtaking final in Bratislava, he overcame Iulian CHIRITA of Romania to claim the title. Bronze medals were awarded to Miguel PANTOJA of Spain and, for the second consecutive year, to the no. 2 seed Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany, who was again stopped in the semi-finals. COTON went the full distance to defeat CHIRITA, completing an incredible comeback after trailing 0–2 in games and 4–7 in the deciding set (16-18, 8-11, 11-1, 11-3, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9). “Already the opening game was incredible. I lost it 16-18, then he took the second to make it 2-0. After that, I played three amazing games and led 3-2 and 6-3 in the sixth, but I lost it 6-11! Then in the final game it was 7-4 for him, and I turned it to 10-7 for me. I managed it because I was mentally very strong. As I said before, that’s the strongest part of my game,” said COTON. In the semi-finals, the no. 3 seed COTON faced heavy pressure from Miguel PANTOJA. The Spaniard, seeded no. 23, proved his presence in the final four was no coincidence. COTON was once again stretched to seven games (12-14, 11-4, 11-13, 11-8, 11-4, 6-11, 11-4). “He played amazingly. At 1-1 I was up 10-7 and lost the third game. If I had made it 2-1, it would have been a much different match,” said COTON. The final game was another close battle. “I didn’t start well. It was 0-2 for PANTOJA before I managed to raise my level and play better and better. My technical game at the table wasn’t at the highest level, but mentally I was very strong. I stayed focused and kept my good mental shape,” added COTON. Iulian CHIRITA advanced to the final after a tough match against Andre BERTELSMEIER, which he won in six games (11-8, 12-10, 3-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7). “It’s very difficult to play against Andre. He’s improved a lot over the past two years, so I carefully planned my tactics. In the first two games it worked very well, but then BERTELSMEIER changed his approach and made it very hard for me. I tried to stay focused and not get nervous, although I definitely was after losing the two middle games,” said CHIRITA. BERTELSMEIER pushed CHIRITA to the limit, even though the Romanian had the better start in most games. “He never gives up, and neither do I. That’s why the match was so difficult. We have very similar styles—he plays many balls to the table just like I do.”

Anna HURSEY of Wales clinched gold in the Women’s Singles event at the European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava by defeating the reigning champion Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine. The bronze medallists are Ioana SINGEORZAN and Elena ZAHARIA, both of Romania. Nineteen-year-old HURSEY overcame MATIUNINA in five games (11-8, 11-6, 10-12, 12-10, 11-9) in superb fashion. “I think it was a very close and tough final. I played quite well. Maybe I made a few mistakes I shouldn’t have, but I’m happy I got through it. Stylistically it was difficult for me, since MATIUNINA has much more experience, but in the end, I found a way,” said HURSEY. “It’s great that I won it for Wales, because normally we don’t have so many strong results. I’m happy I could win this for Wales.” In the semi-final earlier today, HURSEY showed no mercy against Ioana SINGEORZAN of Romania, winning in straight games (11-7, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5). “We’ve played a few times before. Two years ago at the European Under 21, also in the semi-final, she beat me in a really close match. I also lost once to her at a WTT Feeder event, so this was my first win against her,” HURSEY explained. “I’ve been playing really well recently and I’m happy I won this one. We analyzed her game in detail, but more than anything, my level of play right now is really high.” In a rematch of last year’s final, the 2022 champion and 2023 runner-up Elena ZAHARIA stretched reigning champion Veronika MATIUNINA to a full seven games, but once again the Ukrainian player prevailed (11-8, 11-6, 3-11, 9-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8). “The most important thing for me was to stay calm no matter what was happening, because Elena is a very dangerous player,” said MATIUNINA. “Our matches are always close. I knew it would be a long match, and even if I built a big lead, it wouldn’t be enough. ZAHARIA is very smart and always finds a way to adapt and change her tactics to win.” That’s exactly what happened in the semi-final. “Elena was down 0-2. I was leading without much difficulty in the opening stages. Then suddenly, I had no answers. She came back and leveled. At 2-2, it was really important for me to win the fifth game,” MATIUNINA continued. “Unfortunately, I faced another setback in the decider. ZAHARIA took an early lead, and my coach Krisztina TOTH called for a time-out. That was a crucial moment. We managed to break the momentum and turn the game around completely.”

Eduard IONESCU and Darius MOVILEANU of Romania overcame Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany and Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal in the final of the European Under 21 Championships to claim the title in the Men’s Doubles event. The semi-finalists were Croatia’s Leon BENKO and Ivan HENCL, and Romania’s Iulian CHIRITA and Andrei ISTRATE—bronze medallists from 2024. Last year’s runners-up, IONESCU and MOVILEANU, dropped only one game in the final against the Portuguese-German combination, securing a 3-1 victory (11-6, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6). “It was a close and tough final, just like all the matches here,” said IONESCU. “Last year we were runners-up and came to Bratislava with the mindset that this time we had to win. It was very hard from the beginning. We faced serious challenges in the quarterfinals against Daniel BERZOSA and Miguel PANTOJA of Spain, and again in the semis against Leon BENKO and Ivan HENCL… but those matches gave us confidence and prepared us for what awaited us in the final.” IONSCU also praised the performance of BERTELSMEIER and ABIODUN, who had beaten their Romanian teammates CHIRITA and ISTRATE in the semi-finals. “They beat our teammates, which says a lot about their level. I’m really happy to have clinched the title in the end and to say goodbye to my Under 21 career in golden style.” Darius MOVILEANU added: “We prepared our tactics with our teammates and coach. We played almost perfectly—more precisely, Edi played unbelievably well. I was under a bit of stress, because I played about 15 matches here. It’s not easy to play the final after such a schedule, especially against those two guys—they’re an exceptionally strong pair. But so are we.” MOVILEANU reflected on the overall challenge of the tournament: “We were challenged throughout. The match against the Spanish pair was especially tough. We were 2-0 up, and they came back to level—it was incredibly close.”

The newly formed pairing of Anna HURSEY of Wales and Mia GRIESEL of Germany end reign of last year’s champions—experienced teammates and clubmates Elena ZAHARIA and Bianca MEI ROSU of Romania—to claim the title in the Women’s Doubles Event at the European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava. Bronze medals went to the top-seeded duo Hana ARAPOVIC of Croatia and Ioana SINGEORZAN of Romania, as well as to the Polish team of Zuzanna WIELGOS and Anna BRZYSKA. The defending champions were unable to find control, while HURSEY and GRIESEL—who had only played together once before, in Metz—maintained their rhythm and secured the title with a straight-games victory (11-7, 11-9, 11-4). “Like I said yesterday, our communication is our main strength. We had a clear plan from the beginning. We talked about what we wanted, which balls suited us best, so the other one would know how to play to get the most out of our doubles game. We tried to make it as comfortable as possible. We weren’t nervous at all, and we played very safe—we didn’t make easy mistakes,” explained GRIESEL. Mia added that she had prior experience partnering with MEI ROSU: “I’ve played doubles with Bianca a few times, so I know what she likes and what she doesn’t. Unfortunately, it works the other way around too—but we were definitely good enough.” Anna HURSEY highlighted the same key to their success: “For me as well, communication is the best part of this partnership. Mia’s previous experience of playing with Bianca helped a lot. We knew what to play and how. We were really good. Since we’re a new pairing, there was no pressure on us to win—we just played freely.” FACTS AND NUMBERS Bianca MEI ROSU had a unique opportunity to become the first player to win three consecutive U21 titles, but it was not to be. Partnered this year with Elena ZAHARIA, she lost to her former partner Mia GRIESEL, with whom she had won the title in 2023. GRIESEL, now playing alongside HURSEY, regained the title, while for Anna HURSEY, this marked her first-ever European title—a particularly special moment after losing the doubles final at the 2022 European Youth Championships in Belgrade alongside Sophie EARLEY. As for ZAHARIA, there will be no fourth U21 title this time. She remains tied in the all-time record books with Poland’s Milosz REDZIMSKI, each with three U21 gold medals.

The winners of the Mixed Doubles Event at the European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava are Darius MOVILEANU and Elena ZAHARIA of Romania. In the final, they overcame Wim VERDONSCHOT and Josephina NEUMANN of Germany in a thrilling five-game match (9-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-13, 11-7). The final was filled with drama and momentum shifts—nothing unfamiliar for the Romanian pair in this tournament. MOVILEANU and ZAHARIA were 0-2 down twice earlier in the event: once against Borna PETEK of Croatia and Natalia BOGDANOWICZ of Poland, and again against Andre BERTELSMEIER and Mia GRIESEL of Germany. Even in the opening match, they trailed 0-1 against Julian RZIHAUSCHEK and Nina SKERBINZ of Austria, yet they managed to prevail each time. “It was very hard for me. I played after my defeat in the singles event—after a 3-4 loss. It was very difficult for me to regain my strength and mental focus… I fought hard to recover, and I’m happy we managed to avenge our defeat in last year’s final,” said MOVILEANU. The psychological pressure was high, but the Romanian pair had the advantage of already having handled tense situations earlier in the Championships. “For sure, the previous wins were helpful. We were leading 2-1 and 10-6, and they came back to level at 2-2, but we stayed calm and positive.” ZAHARIA added: “I think we like playing under pressure. We won three matches here 3-2. This final was very difficult. Our opponents were very strong—they brought out the best in us. They saved four match points to level the score, but we didn’t give up.” In the semi finals last year’s runners-up, Darius MOVILEANU and Elena ZAHARIA, overcame Daniel BERZOSA of Spain and Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine in convincing style (11-2, 11-5, 11-4), controlling the match from beginning to end. “Despite what the result might suggest, it was a tough match because they are very strong pairings. BERZOSA and MATIUNINA are the defending European Under 19 champions in Mixed Doubles. We were aware of how good they are and we kept our focus clear from the beginning. We complement each other’s games very well and we are a strong pairing, so we managed to dominate,” explained ZAHARIA who won the crown at Under 21 Championships in 2022. MOVILEANU, who was also crowned singles champion at the Under 19 event in Malmö last year, commented on their semi-final performance: “We did not expect to win 3-0, but we proved that if we just play our game and stay focused, the win comes much easier.” In the other semi-final, Wim VERDONSCHOT and Josephina NEUMANN stunned No. 2 seeds Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal and Hana ARAPOVIC of Croatia (11-7, 11-6, 11-4). Hana, who clinched gold in Mixed Doubles at last year’s Under 21 Championships in Skopje with Ivor BAN, could not overcome the dominance of the German duo in today’s match. “From the first stroke in the opening game, we attacked. It didn’t matter that we had never played against this pairing—or even together before. That makes this result even more special for us,” said VERDONSCHOT. NEUMANN, still competing in the Under 15 category, added: “We play very well together. Our playing styles are compatible,” said NEUMANN. “I played very safely today. I didn’t make easy mistakes and blocked well.” Romania Extends Legacy – Historic Win for MOVILEANU and ZAHARIA With this victory, Romania confirmed its dominance in the Mixed Doubles category, having now appeared in all six European Under 21 Championships finals. The Romanian teams won the first three editions, lost the next two, and regained the title this year in Bratislava. For MOVILEANU, this was his third final appearance in Mixed Doubles—and the first one he has won. ZAHARIA extended her impressive record by reaching her fifth final, winning three titles, which now equals the all-time record set by Poland’s Milosz REDZIMSKI. The pair had also reached the final together last year, where they had to settle for silver—making this year’s triumph a personal redemption. For Germany, this final marked a historic milestone. The pairing of VERDONSCHOT and NEUMANN brought the nation to its first-ever Mixed Doubles final at the European Under 21 Championships, earning a well-deserved silver medal.

The Singles Events at the European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava have reached the penultimate stage. The biggest upset in the Men’s Singles was created by Miguel PANTOJA of Spain, who reached the semi-final, while in the Women’s event, defending champion Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine survived a tough clash against the top seed. In the quarter-finals, Miguel PANTOJA, seeded no. 23, defeated no. 7 seed Andrei ISTRATE of Romania 4-1 (11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5). No. 3 seed Flavien COTON of France prevailed against Daniel BERZOSA of Spain in a tight five-game match (5-11, 11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 10-12). Top seed Eduard IONESCU of Romania was also eliminated, losing to his teammate, no. 4 seed Iulian CHIRITA, in straight games (11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4). Last year’s bronze medallist, Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany, who had survived a tough Round of 16 battle against Alexis KOURAICHI of France, will be the highest-ranked seed in the semi-finals. The no. 2 seed edged past Darius MOVILEANU of Romania in a dramatic full-distance clash (12-10, 12-14, 11-7, 8-11, 3-11, 13-11, 8-11). In the Women’s Singles event, 2022 champion and last year’s runner-up Elena ZAHARIA of Romania overcame Anna BRZYSKA of Poland 4-1 (11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-8). In the semi-finals, she will meet the reigning champion and no. 2 seed Veronika MATIUNINA. The Ukrainian recovered from a 1-3 deficit to defeat 2023 champion and last year’s bronze medallist Hana ARAPOVIC of Croatia in a seven-game battle (10-12, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 8-11). The match between French Under 15 player Nina GUO ZHENG, seeded no. 26, and fifth seed Ioana SINGEORZAN of Romania also went the distance. SINGEORZAN emerged victorious 4-3 (11-4, 8-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 3-11, 14-12). She will face Wales’ no. 3 seed Anna HURSEY, who justified her status by defeating Italy’s no. 6 seed Nicole ARLIA 4-1 (9-11, 11-7, 10-12, 9-11, 5-11).

In the Women’s Doubles event at the European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava, Romania’s Elena ZAHARIA and Bianca MEI ROSU will face Anna HURSEY of Wales and Mia GRIESEL of Germany for a place on the highest step of the medal rostrum. In the semi-final, the newly formed pairing of HURSEY and GRIESEL defeated the top-seeded duo Hana ARAPOVIC of Croatia and Ioana SINGEORZAN of Romania in straight games (14-12, 11-9, 12-10). “We only played one tournament together, in Metz this year,” said HURSEY. “Our doubles partnership is quite new, but we communicate very well. We trust each other because we’ve known each other for a really long time. I think when it comes to tactics and similar stuff, it comes very easily.” GRIESEL also emphasized the importance of communication: “We really trust each other. Sometimes, when one of us does something really stupid or makes an easy mistake, the other one doesn’t get upset. We can be relaxed, and we know we can count on support from each other. In this match, sometimes our service wasn’t the best, or maybe the receive didn’t go as planned, but overall we played well and kept our level from the first to the last ball.” Defending champions ZAHARIA and MEI ROSU overcame Poland’s Zuzanna WIELGOS and Anna BRZYSKA 3-1 (9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-6). “It was a pleasure to play once again with my teammate and clubmate from Constanța, Elena. We enjoy it to the fullest. Our goal is always clear—we’re aiming for the title, just like last year,” said MEI ROSU. ZAHARIA reflected on the tough challenge presented by the Polish team: “They are a very tough pairing to beat. BRZYSKA is very dangerous, but WIELGOS should not be underestimated either. They are both strong players, and we expected to fight for every point. Still, we really enjoyed playing together. Since we are in the same club and practice together, our communication is very strong.”

In tomorrow’s final of the Men’s Doubles event at the European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava, Eduard IONESCU and Darius MOVILEANU of Romania will face Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany and Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal. In the penultimate stage, last year’s runners-up IONESCU and MOVILEANU defeated Croatia’s Leon BENKO and Ivan HENCL 3-1 (11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 11-2). “We started very confidently and took the opening game easily. However, the Croatian pair changed their tactics. They raised the level of their play and became more aggressive on the backhand, which worked well for them. We lost the second game, but our confidence remained high. We also adjusted our game, looking for solutions to neutralize their backhands — and we succeeded,” explained IONESCU. The anticipated all-Romanian final will not happen. Bronze medallists from 2024, Iulian CHIRITA and Andrei ISTRATE, lost to BERTELSMEIER and ABIODUN in straight games (6-11, 6-11, 6-11). “It will be a great challenge for us. Unfortunately, Iulian and Andrei lost to them, but we will prepare well and hopefully beat them,” said MOVILEANU. For the Portugal-Germany duo, Bratislava marked their debut tournament as a pair. “This was our first tournament together, and it’s really amazing how quickly we adapted to each other,” said ABIODUN. BERTELSMEIER added: “We played well and very consistently. As the tournament progressed, we got to know each other better. We found a way to play effectively together — to put pressure on the opponents and create spectacular shots.”

In all Doubles events at the European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava, the medal winners are already known, and in tomorrow’s matches, tonight’s winners will decide the colour of the medals. Defending champions in the Women’s Doubles event, Romania’s Elena ZAHARIA and Bianca MEI ROSU, successfully advanced to the semifinals where they will face Poland’s Zuzanna WIELGOS and Anna BRZYSKA. Top seeds Hana ARAPOVIC of Croatia and Ioana SINGEORZAN of Romania secured their place on the podium and tomorrow they will play against Anna HURSEY of Wales and Mia GRIESEL of Germany for a place in the final. Last year’s finalists, Sara TOKIĆ of Slovenia—this time partnering with Alexandra CHIRIACOVA of Moldova—were stopped in the quarterfinals by ARAPOVIC and SINGEORZAN. In the Men’s Doubles event, each of the four quarterfinals went the full distance. In fierce battles for the title of new champions—since Poland’s Maciej KUBIK and Milosz REDZIMSKI are not in Bratislava this year—last year’s runners-up, Eduard IONESCU and Darius MOVILEANU of Romania, overcame Daniel BERZOSA and Miguel PANTOJA of Spain. Bronze medallists from 2024, Iulian CHIRITA and Andrei ISTRATE of Romania, overcame Connor GREEN of England and Mael VAN DESSEL of Luxembourg. Croatia’s Leon BENKO and Ivan HENCL defeated Norway’s Khai Noah LAM and Lithuania’s Ignas SISANOVAS. Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany and Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal recovered from a 0–2 deficit to overcome Balazs LEI of Hungary and Samuel ARPAS of Slovakia. In the Mixed Doubles quarterfinals, Wim VERDONSCHOT and Josephina NEUMANN of Germany defeated Miguel PANTOJA and Elvira Fiona RAD of Spain 3-1, while Daniel BERZOSA of Spain and Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine overcame Tom SCHWEIGER and Koharu ITAGAKI of Germany by the same margin. The other two quarterfinals went the full distance. Last year’s runners-up, Darius MOVILEANU and Elena ZAHARIA of Romania, overcame Andre BERTELSMEIER and Mia GRIESEL of Germany. No. 2 seeds Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal and Hana ARAPOVIC of Croatia defeated Andrei ISTRATE and Bianca MEI ROSU of Romania. Hana clinched gold in Mixed Doubles last year, partnering Ivor BAN.