Top-seeded player in the Men’s Singles event at the European Under 21 Championships, Eduard IONESCU of Romania, was severely challenged in Stage Two but managed to progress to the knock-out phase. After a shaky start and a 2-4 defeat against Miguel PANTOJA of Spain, IONESCU beat Leon BENKO of Croatia yesterday and today prevailed against Eitay SHUSHAN of Israel. However, PANTOJA’s great win did not come by chance. With two victories already behind him, the Spaniard’s final match against BENKO today, could have determined whether Romania’s star would stay in the tournament or face an early exit. In case of a close match between PANTOJA and BENKO, IONESCU’s advancement would have been in jeopardy. However, Miguel came out in full force, won convincingly, and topped the group with three victories, while IONESCU moved forward from second position. “Yesterday was a very tough day for me. I came here full of confidence, and then I hit the wall. I had three or four days of preparation in Romania, but it did not help me overcome the new conditions in this venue. It is very big, and the ball goes very slow,” explained IONESCU. Still, IONESCU did not diminish PANTOJA’s performance. “He beat me deservedly. He really plays very well here.” His narrow 4-3 win over BENKO and today’s 4-0 victory against SHUSHAN helped Eduard get back on track. “Now I have to regain my confidence and start all over again. Tomorrow we begin a completely new tournament—the knock-out phase. Hopefully I will play at a better level,” said IONESCU. “There have already been a few upsets here, so it will surely be a very interesting weekend.” Speaking of upsets, in Group B, Mateusz ZELEWSKI of Poland faced an early exit. No. 2 seed Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany justified his status and finished first, while Khai Noah LAM beat ZELEWSKI to secure the second qualifying spot for the Round of 16. Flavien COTON of France and Samuel ARPAS of Slovakia progressed to the knock-out stage as per their rankings, as did Iulian CHIRITA of Romania and Isak ALFREDSSON of Sweden. In the lower half of the draw, Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal emerged on top of his group, but Nathan LAM of France failed to justify his seeding. Daniel BERZOSA of Spain finished second in Group E and advanced to Stage Three. Meanwhile, No. 6 seed Balazs LEI of Hungary was eliminated, finishing at the bottom of Group F without a win in Bratislava. Germany’s Wim VERDONSCHOT recorded three victories, with Connor GREEN of England taking second place. In Group G, Andrei ISTRATE of Romania and Alexis KOURAICHI of France advanced as expected. However, the outcome was different in Group H, where No. 8 seed Kas VAN OOST of the Netherlands failed to reach the Round of 16. Darius MOVILEANU of Romania and Tom SCHWEIGER of Germany finished second and third in the group, respectively. Pictures here

The two group stages in the Women’s Singles Event at the European Under 21 Championships have concluded in Bratislava. Three former champions in Women’s Singles—reigning titleholder Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine, 2023 champion and top-seeded player Hana ARAPOVIC of Croatia, and 2022 winner Elena ZAHARIA—successfully advanced through their Stage Two challenges, albeit with varying levels of dominance. However, the player who caught the most attention was French rising star Nina GUO ZHENG, who delivered an impressive performance by defeating top seed Hana ARAPOVIC, Ainhoa CRISTOBAL of Spain, and Josephina NEUMANN of Germany. GUO ZHENG also concluded Stage One unbeaten, with victories over Sara TOKIĆ of Slovenia, Maria GIRLEA of Finland, and Sofie Khanh-Linh ECKEROTH of Denmark. After Nina’s winning streak, it’s hard not to draw a parallel between her and another French star who made headlines in this very tournament back in 2020 in Varaždin—Prithika PAVADE, who also triumphed while still an Under 15 player. “It is flattering… I can only hope that I could follow in her footsteps. Her style, energy, success—it’s something special,” stated GUO ZHENG. Nina admitted that she did not feel under pressure this year. “I played many times against CRISTOBAL at the club level, so I knew what to expect and I was well prepared,” said Nina. “Against Hana, who already won the title here and has so much experience, I had nothing to lose. I was very relaxed; the pressure was on her.” Reflecting on her match against Germany’s Under 15 player Josephina NEUMANN, Nina noted: “We’ve played so many times against each other, and I know that my game does not suit her well. The parts where she particularly struggled, I used against her.” Two years ago at the European Youth Championships in Gliwice, GUO ZHENG clinched gold in the Mixed Doubles event and three silver medals in Teams, Doubles, and Singles—all while competing in the Under 15 category. Last year in Malmö, she represented France in the Under 19 category but did not reach the podium. “In the younger categories, medals are not what’s most important. It’s the journey, where you improve yourself and your game. However, I have to say, playing in the Under 21 category is a whole different experience. Under 19 is still youth, but this is much more serious.” Speaking of parallels with Under 15 players who later won the Under 21 title, another young star is following in her teammate’s footsteps. Koharu ITAGAKI has moved into the knockout stage, aiming to repeat what Annett KAUFMANN accomplished in 2021 in Spa, Belgium—also as a player under 15 years of age. The German player successfully concluded Stage Two in Slovakia with only one defeat across both stages—yesterday against Anna BRZYSKA of Poland. Today, ITAGAKI overcame Elise PUJOL to reach the Round of 16. The knockout stage will be played tomorrow. See the pictures here.

Koharu ITAGAKI of Germany was the only player in the opening round of Stage Two at the European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava to defeat a player seeded in the top 8. Only 15 years old, ITAGAKI displayed remarkable maturity and dominance over the past two days in Bratislava. She has not lost a single game in her four singles matches and has also performed strongly in doubles — losing only one game with Josephina NEUMANN and remaining unbeaten in Mixed Doubles with Tom SCHWEIGER. Today, she outclassed no. 7 seed Matilde PINTO with a commanding 4-0 win (11-4, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7). “I did not expect to win in straight games, but I seized the opportunity as it came. I was very focused and maintained control throughout the match,” said ITAGAKI. “I played against PINTO once before; it was my first WTT tournament, maybe three years ago. I lost it then, but I managed to find the right tactics today.” Despite her young age, ITAGAKI shows no signs of suffering from pressure. “This is my first Under 21 Championships. I feel good here. Yesterday I won all my matches, which boosted my confidence. It also helped me adjust to the conditions — the hall and the ball felt a bit different, but I had plenty of time to adapt,” she added. Koharu has already claimed two team titles at the European Youth Championships, one title in Doubles, and has twice finished second at the Europe Youth Top 10. In other matches from the opening round of Stage Two, top-seeded Hana ARAPOVIC of Croatia beat Josephina NEUMANN of Germany 4-0 (12-10, 11-3, 11-7, 11-9), while defending champion Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine overcame Veronika POLAKOVA of Czechia in straight games (11-6, 11-9, 11-8, 11-3). Anna HURSEY (Wales), Elena ZAHARIA (Romania), Ioana SINGEORZAN (Romania), Nicole ARLIA (Italy), and Zuzanna WIELGOS (Poland) also won their opening Stage Two matches.

The second stage of the Men’s Singles Event at the European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava commenced with a major upset. On his first appearance at the table, since the top-seeded players were exempt from Stage 1, top seed Eduardo IONESCU of Romania lost to Spain’s Miguel PANTOJA 2-4 (7-11, 11-2, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 10-12). Seeded at position no. 23, PANTOJA immediately managed to put the match under his control. “In the opening four games I felt very confident. With my deep service game and short balls on his serve, I was the one setting the rhythm. I was playing to the middle of the table and was killing his balls. I felt good and confident. After 3-1, IONESCU changed his service. He put more pressure with longer balls and I had to adjust. Luckily, I managed to withstand his comeback and win,” explained PANTOJA. Yesterday, PANTOJA advanced from his group with two wins and one defeat. He beat Ignas SISANOVAS of Lithuania 3-1, Sweden’s Olle STAHL 3-0, and lost to Bulgaria’s Yoan VELICHKOV by a narrow margin of 2-3. “I did not face any troubles in the two matches I won, but against VELICHKOV I struggled a lot. He is a left-hander and his service is very good, so it was not easy to receive,” said PANTOJA. IONESCU is currently ranked no. 14 in Europe. His best result so far was a win over Filip ZELJKO of Croatia (ranked no. 44). “I was Spanish Under 19 champion and I also reached the Round of 16 at the European Youth Championships, so I consider this win as my best result so far.” Also, no. 8 seed Kas VAN OOST had a rough start in Stage 2. In the opening round of the group stage, the Dutch player suffered a 1-4 defeat at the hands of Germany’s Tom SCHWEIGER, seeded no. 22 (12-10, 8-11, 4-11, 8-11, 9-11). “We often train together so we know each other well. I am comfortable with his game. He is very active and I managed to take control of the match quickly. I lost the opening game, but I felt well and was in good rhythm,” said SCHWEIGER. Yesterday, SCHWEIGER dropped only one game in his opening match against Nazar TRETIAK of Ukraine. Dane Johan Engberg HAVSTEEN and Khai Noah LAM lost to him in straight games. “It was a good start, a little bit of a long day since I played a match at 9 PM yesterday, but eventually it was good. I am still fresh and well adjusted to this venue.” SCHWEIGER won bronze in doubles at the European Youth Championships and was a member of the German teams that reached the podium at both the European and World Youth Championships. In Group F, Hugo DESCHAMPS of France, seeded no. 17, overcame no. 6 seed Lei BALASZ of Hungary in a full seven-game battle (16-14, 12-10, 6-11, 12-10, 2-11, 8-11, 9-11). The other five top seeds, Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany, Flavien COTON of France, Iulian CHIRITA of Romania, Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal, and Andrei ISTRATE of Romania, all prevailed in their opening group matches in Bratislava. You can see pictures by T. Sereda here.

The opening day of the European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava brought tough encounters and fierce competition, but once again, table tennis demonstrated its enduring spirit of fair play. There were numerous examples throughout the day that highlighted this, but two moments stood out. In Round 2 of Group Stage 1, Rafael KONG of Portugal and Samuel PALUSEK of Slovakia played a match that could have gone either way as it entered the fourth game. With PALUSEK leading 2–1 in games and the score tied in the fourth, an edge ball was awarded to KONG. However, the Portuguese player stepped forward and admitted it was a side ball, conceding the point to his Slovakian opponent. Eventually, KONG lost both the game and the match—but his gesture of honesty stood out as a model of integrity. An even closer moment of sportsmanship came during the match between Gabrielius CAMARA of the Netherlands and Nathan LAM of France. CAMARA started strong, winning the opening game, but LAM responded by taking the next two. The Dutch player regained momentum, leveling the match and building a lead in the deciding fifth game. At 7–4, CAMARA lost a point he arguably should have won. In the very next rally, he stepped forward and informed the umpire that the ball had touched his chin during his service—a detail no one else had seen. He lost that point and the next six in a row, ultimately falling 2–3. Still, CAMARA’s self-declaration was a powerful display of sportsmanship over self-interest. See the pictures by T. SEREDA here. Follow the results here.

Only 16 years old, Damian FLORO made a strong start on home soil at the 2025 European Under 21 Championships in Bratislava. Playing at Tipos Arena, the Slovakian, seeded 53rd, defied expectations by defeating croatia’s Ivan HENCL, the 29th seed. “I felt a little pressure before the start because it’s not easy playing at home. It also takes time to adjust to the venue and its conditions. However, once the game started, I felt the ball well, found my rhythm, and that boosted my confidence,” said FLORO. FLORO previously made his mark by finishing second at the Europe Youth Top 10 two years ago in the Under 15 category in Bucharest. Last year, he was part of the Slovakian Under 19 team that secured bronze at the European Youth Championships in Sweden after a semi-final loss to Germany. In the quarterfinals, Slovakia beat Croatia, with FLORO winning his match against HENCL. “That win was very important to me today. Despite the ranking difference, I felt confident,” added FLORO. When asked about his ambitions for the tournament, FLORO was optimistic: “Now I think I have a good chance to get through the group stage, and hopefully the next round too. I know reaching the knockout phase is very ambitious—but why not?” he said with a smile. The opening stage of the tournament features 48 players divided into 12 groups (Groups 1–12). The top two players from each group will advance to Stage 2, producing 24 qualifiers. Tomorrow, the eight top-seeded players will join them in the main draw. Top seeds in the men’s event: Eduard ONESCU (Romania), Andre BERTELSMEIER (Germany), Flavien COTON (France), Iulian CHIRITA (Romania), Tiago ABIODUN (Portugal), Balazs LEI (Hungary), Andrei ISTRATE (Romania), Kas VAN OOST (Netherlands). See the pictures by T. SEREDA here. Follow the results here.

The 2025 European Under 21 Championships opened in Bratislava, Slovakia, with early surprises setting the tone for what promises to be a competitive tournament. Even in the morning hours of Day 1, several unexpected results gave a glimpse of the excitement likely to follow in the coming days. The first notable upset came in Group 3, where Poland’s Anna BRZYSKA, seeded 11th, was defeated by Denmark’s Emma Vendelbo CLEMENT, ranked 34th. CLEMENT secured the victory in four games (5–11, 11–6, 12–10, 11–5). Emma Vendelbo CLEMENT expressed her delight after the match, calling it the best win of her career. “I played against BRZYSKA once before and lost by the same margin. It was a close match, so when I saw the draw, I thought I had a chance. I looked at it as an opportunity to avenge my previous defeat,” said CLEMENT. Tactically, CLEMENT outplayed BRZYSKA, who has won gold and silver in doubles at previous European Youth Championships, by successfully neutralizing her opponent’s speed-based attacks. “She is so dangerous with her forehand, so I focused on attacking immediately after my serve. On the return, I stayed patient and made her wait, forcing her to think about what I might do,” added CLEMENT. Another surprise came from Sweden’s Leah TVEIT MUSKANTOR, seeded 39th, who overcame Portugal’s Ines MATOS, ranked 13th. In Group 1, Germany’s Mia GRIESEL defeated England’s Mari BALDWIN in straight games. In Group 2, Spain’s Maria BERZOSA needed four games to overcome Poland’s Katarzyna RAJKOWSKA. Meanwhile, Romania’s Bianca MEI ROSU justified her status with a win over Spain’s Ainhoa CRISTOBAL. The opening stage features 48 players divided into 12 groups (Groups 1–12). The top two players from each group will advance to Stage 2, making a total of 24 qualifiers. From tomorrow, the eight top-seeded players will join the 24 Stage 1 qualifiers in the main draw. Top seeds in the women’s event: Hana ARAPOVIC (Croatia), Veronika MATIUNINA (Ukraine), Anna HURSEY (Wales), Elena ZAHARIA (Romania), Ioana SINGEORZAN (Romania), Nicole ARLIA (Italy), Matilde PINTO (Portugal), and Zuzanna WIELGOS (Poland). See the pictures by T. SEREDA here. Follow the results here. See the matches at table 1 Matches at table 2