Koharu ITAGAKI of Germany captured the gold medal in the Under 15 Girls Singles Event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava, ending the remarkable run of two-time defending champion Hanka KODET of Czechia. The bronze medals went to Lou-Anne BOCQUET and Albane ROCHUT of France. ITAGAKI reached all four finals in Ostrava and secured gold in both the Team and Singles events. Lou-Anne BOCQUET clinched gold in the Under 15 Doubles and Mixed Doubles and silver in Team’s. In the final, the German player faced a tough battle against the home favourite KODET, with the local crowd passionately supporting their player. Despite the pressure, ITAGAKI held her nerve and sealed the win. “I lost to her the past two years. To be honest, I still can’t believe I did it. In the last game, I was leading 8-4 and then 10-7, but she won a few amazing points, and suddenly it was 10-10. I just stayed focused and managed to win. I had to fight for every ball, she never gives up. Throughout the match, I stuck to my tactics, because I knew that if I changed anything, she would take control. I’m really proud of myself. My coach told me before the match: just enjoy it and fight for every ball,” said ITAGAKI. Both semi-finals ended in straight games. ITAGAKI reached her fourth final at the event, having already won gold in the Team event and silver in Mixed Doubles and Girls Doubles, by defeating 12-year-old Albane ROCHUT of France. ROCHUT had already made headlines by reaching the doubles podium alongside 12-year-olds Louis FEGERL (Austria) and Ladimir MAYOROV (Spain). “It wasn’t an easy match. I knew from the start that she’s a very strong player. I spoke with my coach beforehand, she told me to play more to her forehand because her backhand block is really solid, so I avoided playing to that side. Now I’m going to face KODET in the final. She’s a really strong player, she’s won the U15 title twice already. For me, this is my first final. Last year, I lost to her in the semis, and the year before that, in the quarterfinals. But I’ll give it my best and fight for the gold!” said ITAGAKI. To book her place in the final, Hanka KODET overcame Lou-Anne BOCQUET in straight games. “I lost to her 0-3 in the team event, I couldn’t return her serves. So I knew this would be a really difficult match. Still, I stayed confident and focused the entire time. I knew what I had to do and came in well-prepared. It might look like an easy 4-0 win, but it definitely wasn’t. For the final, I’ll approach it like any other match—focused and ready to play my best table tennis. Whether it’s a semifinal or final, I just go out there and try to win,” said KODET. Final Semi final

Leana HOCHART and Nina GUO ZHENG of France secured the gold medal in the Under 19 Girls Doubles Event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava, defeating Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine and Matilde PINTO of Portugal in the final. Bronze medals were awarded to Anna HURSEY of Wales and Mia GRIESEL of Germany, as well as Bianca MEI ROSU of Romania and Sara TOKIC of Slovenia. MATIUNINA, who won the title last year in Malmö alongside Italy’s Nicol ARLIA, was unable to repeat her triumph with her new partner PINTO against the top-seeded French duo. “We knew we were the top seeds, but we didn’t take anything for granted. We approached each match individually and focused on playing our best every time. Veronika is very strong in doubles, so we were a bit nervous at first, but we calmed down as the match went on. Our coach gave us a really good tactical plan, which worked well,” said GUO ZHENG. “I think the first game was the most difficult. We were leading 9-3, then fell behind 9-10, but managed to win 13-11. That gave us confidence for the rest of the match.” HOCHART added: “It was a crazy feeling. This is our first title, and I’m really proud of us.” In the semifinals, HOCHART and GUO ZHENG defeated the experienced pairing of Anna HURSEY and Mia GRIESEL in four games. GUO commented: “We knew it would be a tough match, they’re very strong players and won gold at the European Under 21 Championships earlier this year. But we had a clear tactical approach and stuck to it. We were leading 2-0, they won the third game, and I got a bit nervous, but I managed to recover.” HOCHART reflected: “For me, the most difficult match was actually the quarterfinal against Ulyana MIASHCHANSKAYA and Lizaveta TSIMASHKOVA. We were down 0-2 and 7-10 in the third game, but we came back to win 3-2. It was a really intense match, and I think it gave us the momentum we needed.” In their semifinal, MATIUNINA and PINTO beat Bianca MEI ROSU and Sara TOKIC in straight games. MATIUNINA said: “This is our first tournament together, so we’re very happy to have reached the final. Every match here is tough, so we focused on taking it one point at a time. The first two games were very close, but we stayed calm and closed out the match in the third.” PINTO added: “Our tactic was simple, play our best and enjoy the match. We’re going into the final determined to win. This semifinal was probably our toughest match so far.” Final Semi final

Iulian CHIRITA of Romania, now teaming up with Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal, successfully defended his title in the Under 19 Boys Doubles Event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava. CHIRITA claimed gold last year alongside Andrei ISTRATE. This time, he reached the top of the podium with a new partner. The silver medals went to Dragos BUJOR and Robert Alexandru ISTRATE of Romania. Bronze medals were awarded to Rafal FORMELA and Alan KULCZYCKI of Poland, as well as to Yoan VELICHKOV of Bulgaria and Julian RZIHAUSCHEK of Austria. “It feels really nice to be champion again. Last year, I won the doubles title with ISTRATE. Now, with Tiago, it’s our first title together, and I’m really happy about it. We played very well throughout the tournament—we only dropped two games in the quarterfinals. This final was great for us; we stayed confident and made fewer mistakes,” said CHIRITA. ABIODUN added: “We had a lot of fun during the match. We’re all close friends, so we just wanted to enjoy it. We played our game and got the win!” Top seeds CHIRITA and ABIODUN reached the final after a straight-games win over FORMELA and KULCZYCKI of Poland. CHIRITA commented: “That was probably our best match of the tournament. We had a great tactical plan from our coaches, and everything worked perfectly. I’m proud and excited to reach the final with Tiago, it’s our first together.” ABIODUN noted: “The first game was the most difficult. We started a bit cold, but winning it made a big difference. If we had lost it, the pressure would’ve been on us. That win gave us control.” In the other semifinal, BUJOR and ISTRATE got the better of VELICHKOV and RZIHAUSCHEK in a competitive match. “We focused from the beginning and aimed to play our best. Our initial goal was just to win a medal, but once we got to the semifinal, we set our sights on gold. During the match, we adjusted our tactics and played as aggressively as we could,” said ISTRATE. BUJOR added: “The first game was both the hardest and the most important. After that, we focused on finding the right tactical approach. Of course, reaching the final brings some pressure, but we truly believed in ourselves and our chances.” BUJOR and ISTRATE previously teamed up at the national championships, where they won the Under 21 doubles title. Final Semi final

Last year’s bronze medallists in the Under 15 Boys Doubles Event, Danilo FASO and Francesco TREVISAN of Italy, climbed two steps higher on the podium at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava. In the final, they overcame Austria’s Louis FEGERL and Spain’s Ladimir MAYOROV. The bronze medals went to Hungary’s Mark GERGELY and Lenard SZABO, as well as Türkiye’s duo Görkem ÖÇAL and Kenan KAHRAMAN. FASO and TREVISAN controlled the final, though their young opponents, MAYOROV, who turned 12 on the day of the match, and FEGERL, aged 12 years and one month, deserve great credit. (They are not the youngest finalists in history, however; Prithika PAVADE was one month younger when she reached the Cadet Mixed Doubles final in 2016.) “We knew they were very good. They played really well throughout the tournament, especially in the semifinals. We won 3-0 – I think the fact that we’ve played together for a long time gave us a big advantage,” explained FASO. TREVISAN added: “It wasn’t an easy match. Each game was really close, and they played at a high level. Last year, we lost in the semifinals, but this year we were better prepared and practiced a lot together. I’m really proud that we won!” In the semifinals, FASO and TREVISAN faced Hungary’s GERGELY and SZABO and finished the match in commanding fashion. “We were up 2-0, but then they started playing better and won the third game. After that, we changed tactics a bit, played closer to the table and more aggressively. The last game was tough; we were 10-9, they leveled to 10-10, and it got stressful. But we stayed focused and closed the match. We had already played against them in the team event, so we knew what to expect,” said FASO. TREVISAN explained why he held up six fingers after the victory: “We really believed we could win and went into the final with that mindset. We knew it wouldn’t be easy, but we were optimistic and ready to play our best. After the win, I showed six fingers – it represents the six members of my family: me, my mom, dad, and my three brothers.” FEGERL and MAYOROV reached the final after a dramatic semifinal win over the second seeds, ÖÇAL and KAHRAMAN of Türkiye. “We’re really happy. We knew it would be a tough match, they were the no. 2 seeds, but we just kept fighting. We were 2-0 up, but they came back to 2-2. I think we got a bit nervous, and they also changed tactics. In the last game, we returned to our game plan, using more short balls to prevent them from spinning, and we controlled every ball,” said FEGERL. MAYOROV added: “Today is my birthday, so this is the best gift I could ask for! This has been my best tournament so far—I played really well and I’m proud of my performance. I really wanted gold, so FEGERL and I gave it everything. We were a little nervous, but I believed in us. We had a real chance, and we fought hard because we knew our opponents were very strong.” Final Semi final

Newly crowned champions in the Under 15 Girls Doubles Event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava are Alexia NODIN and Lou-Anne BOCQUET of France. In the final, they overcame Koharu ITAGAKI and Josephina NEUMANN of Germany. The bronze medals went to Renata SHYPSHA of Spain and Siri BENJEGÅRD of Sweden, as well as Laurynne CABARDO and Angelina BEBAWY of Sweden. The final was a one-sided affair, with NODIN and BOCQUET dominating the German pair from start to finish. “We are really happy that we won. To be honest, we expected a tougher match. We tried not to make many mistakes and played with confidence. We focused closely on the tactics our coach gave us, and that helped a lot. Actually, there wasn’t a single game that was particularly hard, but the first one was the most important—it gave us momentum,” explained NODIN. In the semi-finals, NODIN and BOCQUET also delivered a commanding performance, defeating CABARDO and BEBAWY in straight games. “We are very happy to reach the final. We didn’t expect this win at all, it was a bit of a surprise for us. Even though we won 3-0, it wasn’t as easy as it looked. We have a really unique playing style, BOCQUET is a left-handed attacker and I am a right-handed defender, which is quite rare in doubles. That gave BOCQUET more time to step in and attack. We also felt really good before the match, so we’re thrilled with the result,” they shared. Unlike the French pairings, the reigning champions from 2023, ITAGAKI and NEUMANN, were taken to the full distance in their semi-final against 2024 runners-up SHYPSHA and BENJEGÅRD. NEUMANN said: “To be honest, we expected to win before the match, but it turned out to be much tougher than we thought. It was a difficult situation for us, we had a problem with the transfer and didn’t have time to practice beforehand. But we managed to stay mentally strong and get through.” ITAGAKI added: “I think the third game was the most difficult. We were ahead but made some easy mistakes and lost it, which put us 1-2 down. Fortunately, we stayed focused and managed to come back and win.” Final Semi final

The top seed in the Under 19 Boys Singles Event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava, Daniel BERZOSA of Spain, suffered an early exit after a six-game defeat to Romania’s Dragos BUJOR, seeded only at No. 14. “It was a crazy match. He led 1-0, then I went up 3-1, but I felt some emotions and pressure and lost the fifth game. Still, I stayed focused and played my game. In the last game, I even had to change my racket because I broke the rubber, but honestly, I didn’t think about it. I just stayed calm, played, and finished the match,” BUJOR said. “Before the match, I truly believed in myself and knew I could beat him. This is my first U19 singles medal, so I’m really happy and proud, especially because I beat the top seed! I’m heading into the semifinal with a clear head and the goal to win.” In the semifinal, BUJOR will meet Hungary’s David SZANTOSI (No. 4 seed), who ended the impressive run of England’s Joseph HUNTER. The Englishman, seeded only at No. 96, had shocked everyone in the Round of 16 by defeating Croatia’s No. 6 seed Leon BENKO in a seven-game thriller. “It was a really tough match. He’s a strong player and got bronze last year, so I knew his level was high. I was up 3-1, then it became 3-3, I think I got a bit nervous. I didn’t really change my tactic; he just started playing better. The final game was the most difficult. We had some really great rallies. I took a timeout just to calm myself down. I have no expectations for the next round. I just want to enjoy it and show my best! I’m really happy with this win,” said HUNTER. Meanwhile, another upset came when Poland’s Marcel BLASZCZYK (No. 9 seed) eliminated Romania’s Iulian CHIRITA, the No. 5 seed. “I knew it would be a tough match. CHIRITA is a very good player and has many EYC medals. But I had a really good tactic. I discussed it with Milosz REDZIMSKI, who knows CHIRITA well, and with my coach. I think this was the best match of my career. The last game was the most difficult due to the pressure. I kept thinking how great it would be to beat him, and that made me a bit stressed. But I did it, and I’m very happy,” BLASZCZYK said. He followed that victory with another dramatic seven-game win in the quarterfinals, overcoming No. 3 seed Balazs LEI of Hungary. “Before the match, both my coach and I were really nervous. This is my first U19 singles medal and I still can’t believe it. We’ve played many times and it’s always close, so I expected a hard match. Honestly, I don’t even know what happened toda, this feels like the luckiest day of my life. First CHIRITA, then LEI, and now I’m in the semifinal. The last game was especially intense—I was leading 8-5, then it was 10-10. I just took a risk, and it worked. I changed my tactics a lot during the match—different serves, different strategies—and that made the difference. Now I go into the semifinal with a clear head, hoping to reach the final.” In the lower half of the draw, Portugal’s Tiago ABOUDIN continues his strong run. In the quarterfinals, he overcame No. 7 seed Nathan LAM of France to book his spot in the semifinals.

In the Under 19 Girls Singles Event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava, top seed Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine showed no mercy in her quarterfinal clash against Portugal’s Julia LEAL. Last year’s runner-up from Malmö needed just four games to secure her place in the semifinals. Despite the defeat, LEAL’s performance was remarkable, she reached the quarterfinals as the No. 35 seed, significantly exceeding expectations. Tomorrow’s semifinal will feature a thrilling showdown between two Malmö finalists: MATIUNINA and reigning champion Bianca MEI ROSU of Romania, the No. 4 seed. Unlike MATIUNINA’s straight-game win, MEI ROSU needed six games to overcome No. 5 seed Nina GUO ZHENG of France. “I knew from the beginning it would be a tough match because I played against her last year in the Round of 32. She is a really strong opponent. I lost the first game, but I managed to come back and win. I also had to change my tactics because she knew what to expect from me. I tried to play more into the middle and to her forehand. The last game was the most difficult and important—it was so close, but I managed to win it. I’m really happy! In the semifinal, I’ll face MATIUNINA. I played her last year in the final and won 4-0, so I’ll try to repeat that,” said MEI ROSU. In one of the most dramatic matches of the day, No. 2 seed Mia GRIESEL of Germany nearly pulled off another miraculous comeback. After recovering from a 0-3 deficit to win 4-3 against Czechia’s Veronika POLÁKOVÁ in the Round of 16, GRIESEL found herself in the same situation against No. 8 seed Anna HURSEY of Wales in the quarterfinals. Despite fighting back from 0-3 to level the score, GRIESEL couldn’t complete the comeback this time. HURSEY held her nerve in the decisive game and advanced to the semifinals. “In the first three games, I played really well, then she started to come back and I got nervous. Maybe I was thinking a bit about her last match when she also came back from 0-3. I think she also changed her tactics, and that made me even more nervous. Honestly, I don’t really know what happened. In the last game, I calmed down and just tried to play my game. We’ve played a lot against each other—I’ve known her since she was young—so I knew what to expect. I’m really happy to win. It was a very tough match,” said HURSEY. France’s Leana HOCHART, the No. 3 seed, also secured her spot in the semifinals with a solid performance against No. 11 seed Matilde PINTO of Portugal.

Top seed in the Under 15 Boys Singles Event, Danilo FASO of Italy, secured a medal at the European Youth Championships following a superb performance in the quarterfinal. Tomorrow, he will face No. 14 seed Jonas RINDERER of Germany in the semifinal. In the quarters, FASO ended the impressive run of Poland’s Piotr LACKI, who was seeded only at No. 41. No. 2 seed Görkem ÖÇAL of Türkiye also lived up to expectations, overcoming No. 32 seed Samuel KUHL of Germany. “I played amazing and I am really happy to reach the semifinal. Last year, I lost in the Round of 16. To be honest, I didn’t have any tactic because I had never played against him before, it was our first encounter. I think the most difficult game was the first one, because I was losing and started to get nervous, but fortunately I managed to win 4-0. In the semifinal, I will fight and I hope to win,” said ÖÇAL. For a place in the final, ÖÇAL will meet Italian Francesco TREVISAN, seeded No. 4. TREVISAN prevailed over Spain’s Ladimir MAYOROV (No. 19 seed) just a day before MAYOROV’s 12th birthday. Despite the quarterfinal exit, the young Spaniard left his mark in Ostrava. “I was very focused because I had lost to him 2-3 in the team event, and I wanted a bit of revenge,” said TREVISAN with a laugh. “I started really well. The second game was the most important, it was close, and I won 20-18. I knew what to play against him because I had watched our previous match and learned from my mistakes. That was the key. I’m really happy to win this match and reach the semifinals. I’ll now play against ÖÇAL, who is a good player and a really good friend of mine. I think it will be a good match. We’ve played each other many times.” The lowest-ranked player to reach the semifinals is RINDERER, who advanced after a thrilling battle against Kenan KAHRAMAN of Türkiye.