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.

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.