The Women’s Singles quarterfinals at the ROMSTAL European Under 21 Championships produced one of the biggest surprises of the tournament, as top seed and defending champion Anna HURSEY of Wales was knocked out by France’s Alexia NODIN. The 28th seed delivered a superb performance to claim a 4-1 (11-6, 11-5, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5) victory and secure her first medal at the European Under 21 Championships. From the opening exchanges, NODIN’s defensive style caused problems for HURSEY, who struggled to find solutions against the French player’s consistency and variation. “I won the first two games quite comfortably because she was having difficulties with my style of play and couldn’t find solutions to win points,” explained NODIN. The match took an unusual turn when the expedite system was introduced during the third game after long rallies repeatedly extended the duration of play. “I noticed she was becoming less patient and decided to activate the expedite system. As a defender, I am quite used to playing under these conditions because I have experienced it many times, even when I was very young.” The change appeared to suit NODIN perfectly. “When the expedite system started, I was leading 9-5 and managed to win the game. She won the next game because I struggled a little to win points on my own serve, but in the final game I found solutions again. I knew I could win points before the 13th return and I felt more and more confident.” NODIN sensed her opponent’s frustration growing as the match progressed. “I think she became frustrated because she was no longer able to finish the points. In the end, I managed to win 4-1 and I was very happy.” While HURSEY’s exit was the headline result, home favourite Bianca MEI ROSU delighted the local crowd by securing her first European Under 21 Singles medal. The Romanian defeated Poland’s Natalia BOGDANOWICZ 4-0 (11-7, 12-10, 11-4, 11-6). “It was 100 per cent important,” said MEI ROSU when asked about her preparation. “My mentality was very important. This is my first medal at an Under 21 Championships, a big achievement, but my goal is to reach the final and win it.” The Romanian highlighted her comeback in the second game as one of the keys to victory. “My mentality was so good. In the second set I was behind by a few points and managed to come back. That was the most important aspect.” MEI ROSU also benefited from previous experience against her opponent. “I had played against Natalia before and I knew her style. She puts a lot of balls on the table, so I had to play really well.” Another quarterfinal produced a remarkable comeback as Slovenia’s Sara TOKIC overturned a 1-3 deficit to defeat Italy’s third seed Nicole ARLIA 4-3 (8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-3). The Slovenian had never faced ARLIA before and entered the match without knowing what to expect. “It was the first time we played against each other, so I didn’t know much about her game. I just tried my best and I think I did a good job.” Trailing by two games, TOKIC adjusted her tactics and relied on patience and mental strength to complete the turnaround. “I started to play a little softer and focused on putting the ball on the table so she could make mistakes. I think I was mentally very strong in this match and that helped me win.” The victory guarantees TOKIC her first European Under 21 Singles medal and her third medal of the championships. “I’m very surprised. It’s my first medal in singles, so I’m very happy. I’m also happy with the doubles and mixed doubles. To win three medals at this tournament makes me very proud.” The final semifinal place went to Poland’s Zuzanna WIELGOS, who defeated France’s fourth seed Leana HOCHART 4-1 (5-11, 16-14, 11-6, 11-9, 11-4). After surviving a crucial second game, WIELGOS gradually took control of the encounter and booked her place in the last four. NODIN, MEI ROSU, TOKIC and WIELGOS secured places on the medal rostrum and will return tomorrow to compete for a place in the Women’s Singles final. Women’s Singles Quarterfinals Natalia BOGDANOWICZ (Poland) – Bianca MEI ROSU (Romania) 0-4 (7-11, 10-12, 4-11, 6-11) Anna HURSEY (Wales) – Alexia NODIN (France) 1-4 (6-11, 5-11, 6-11, 11-7, 5-11) Sara TOKIC (Slovenia) – Nicole ARLIA (Italy) 4-3 (8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-3) Leana HOCHART (France) – Zuzanna WIELGOS (Poland) 1-4 (11-5, 14-16, 6-11, 9-11, 4-11) PHOTO by: Mihaela-Ionela BOBAR and Simion Sebastian TĂTARU

The medal winners in the Men’s Singles event at the ROMSTAL European Under 21 Championships were confirmed today as Darius MOVILEANU of Romania, Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany, Wim VERDONSCHOT of Germany and Connor GREEN of England advanced to the semifinals. Playing in front of a home crowd, fourth seed MOVILEANU produced one of his most convincing performances of the tournament, defeating 13th seed Yoan VELICHKOV of Bulgaria 4-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-5, 11-4). The victory secured MOVILEANU’s first semifinal appearance at the European Under 21 Championships. “First of all, I played a really good match. It’s very important for me. It’s my first semifinal in Under 21 and I will give my best,” said MOVILEANU. The Romanian revealed that the performance was even more impressive considering he was not fully fit. “Actually, I didn’t feel so good. I have an injury, but somehow, with the help of my team, I managed to play well despite it.” Asked what made the difference, MOVILEANU pointed to his mental strength and quality in the short game. “My mental game was strong and my service-receive game was very good.” Second seed Andre BERTELSMEIER ended the hopes of another Romanian medal contender, overcoming sixth seed Andrei ISTRATE 4-1 (8-11, 11-2, 11-9, 12-10, 11-9). After dropping the opening game, the German quickly found his rhythm and controlled the match to book his place in the last four. Third seed VERDONSCHOT also secured a medal after defeating Portugal’s 11th seed Tiago ABIODUN 4-1 (16-14, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-5). The German was pleased to see his hard work rewarded. “I am always working hard and I am very happy that I am being rewarded with this good tournament in all three categories,” said VERDONSCHOT. He felt confident from the beginning after identifying weaknesses in his opponent’s return game. “Yes, because I saw that he had problems receiving my serve. I also saw that I could banana flick his serve, so this gave me confidence.” For VERDONSCHOT, maintaining discipline was the key challenge. “The biggest challenge was keeping it cool and playing disciplined until the end.” The closest contest of the round saw England’s Connor GREEN edge Poland’s ninth seed Mateusz ZALEWSKI in a dramatic seven-game battle. GREEN eventually prevailed 4-3 (11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 6-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5) after recovering from 2-3 down to claim the final semifinal spot. Men’s Singles Quarterfinals Darius MOVILEANU (Romania) – Yoan VELICHKOV (Bulgaria) 4-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-5, 11-4) Andrei ISTRATE (Romania) – Andre BERTELSMEIER (Germany) 1-4 (11-8, 2-11, 9-11, 10-12, 9-11) Tiago ABIODUN (Portugal) – Wim VERDONSCHOT (Germany) 1-4 (14-16, 11-9, 5-11, 9-11, 5-11) Connor GREEN (England) – Mateusz ZALEWSKI (Poland) 4-3 (11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 6-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5) PHOTO by: Mihaela-Ionela BOBAR and Simion Sebastian TĂTARU

Two thrilling semifinal encounters determined the finalists in the Women’s Doubles event at the ROMSTAL European Under 21 Championships in Cluj-Napoca. Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine and Bianca MEI ROSU of Romania secured their place in the title match by overcoming Alexandra CHIRIACOVA of Moldova and Sara TOKIC of Slovenia 3-2 (6-11, 11-5, 11-4, 8-11, 12-10) in a dramatic contest that went down to the very last points. After the match, both players highlighted their teamwork and mutual support as the key factors behind their success. “It was important that we fought until the end and supported each other,” said MATIUNINA. “We were leading, lost a game, but managed to win.” MEI ROSU echoed her partner’s thoughts. “I felt like we were really balanced today. We were good as a team and helped each other. That is the best thing about our partnership.” Throughout the match, the pair relied on constant encouragement to overcome difficult moments. “We say short, positive words to each other, like ‘It’s okay, it’s only one point, let’s continue’,” explained MATIUNINA. “This helps us continue with confidence,” added MEI ROSU. The Ukrainian-Romanian combination also believes the partnership has a promising future. “We can also play together next year. It is good that we are in the final. It gives us confidence for the future and maybe for other international events as well,” said MATIUNINA. The second semifinal proved equally dramatic, with Poland’s Anna BRZYSKA and Zuzanna WIELGOS defeating France’s Leana HOCHART and Elise PUJOL 3-2 (7-11, 11-4, 12-10, 6-11, 11-7). “It was a very difficult match,” said BRZYSKA. “We were leading 2-1 and 3-0, but they changed their receive and started playing very well. The decider was really close, so we are very happy to win.” According to the Polish pair, the service and receive battle played a decisive role. “The key moment was having good receive and good service. It was really important not to give our opponents an easy ball.” Although they had never faced the French duo together before, BRZYSKA and WIELGOS were aware of the challenge awaiting them. “We knew both players were very strong. We had played against them in singles, but never in doubles.” When the match became tense, experience helped the Polish pair hold their nerve. “We have had a lot of close matches before. We know we must stay calm, stick to the tactics and play our best.” Women’s Doubles Semifinals Veronika MATIUNINA (Ukraine), Bianca MEI ROSU (Romania) – Alexandra CHIRIACOVA (Moldova), Sara TOKIC (Slovenia) 3-2 (6-11, 11-5, 11-4, 8-11, 12-10) Anna BRZYSKA, Zuzanna WIELGOS (Poland) – Leana HOCHART, Elise PUJOL (France) (7-11, 11-4, 12-10, 6-11, 11-7) PHOTO by: Mihaela-Ionela BOBAR and Simion Sebastian TĂTARU

The men’s doubles final at the ROMSTAL European Under 21 Championships is set after two convincing semifinal performances, with Germany’s Andre BERTELSMEIER and Wim VERDONSCHOT set to face the Italian-Turkish combination of Danilo FASO and Görkem ÖÇAL. BERTELSMEIER and VERDONSCHOT booked their place in the gold medal match with a commanding 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-9) victory over Belgium’s Tom CLOSSET and Czechia’s Stepan BRHEL. The German pair controlled the match throughout, using strong service and receive play to dictate the rallies. “It was an amazing match. We dominated from start to finish. We had a good service-receive game and we could maintain control during the match,” said BERTELSMEIER. Although they had never faced their adversaries as a doubles pair before, both Germans were familiar with them from singles competition. “We know them both from singles. We had not played against them in doubles, but we could imagine what it would be like,” he explained. The top seeds also highlighted the importance of adapting during the encounter. “Of course, we made some small tactical adjustments, playing a short ball or a long one to see how they reacted.” Communication continues to be one of their strengths. “We did pretty good. We are communicating a lot and we have good harmony.” In the second semifinal, FASO and ÖÇAL produced another impressive display to defeat Connor GREEN of England and Mael VAN DESSEL of Luxembourg 3-0 (11-7, 12-10, 11-9). The pair were particularly pleased with the manner of the victory after overcoming a difficult opening-round challenge earlier in the competition. “We are very satisfied. We won 3-0 against very good players. Our first match against the Romanians was very hard,” said FASO. For ÖÇAL, the semifinal was a first encounter with the Anglo-Luxembourg pairing. The turning point came in the tightly contested second game, where the Italian-Turkish duo edged through 12-10. “The second game was very difficult. At 1-1 it would have been a completely different story than leading 2-0. That was the decisive set,” FASO noted. Despite holding a comfortable advantage in the third game, they still had to withstand a late comeback attempt. “In the last set we led 9-4, but they played really well afterwards. After the timeout we were happy to win an important point,” added ÖÇAL. The final will now pit the dominant German partnership against one of the tournament’s surprise stories, with both pairs aiming to finish their impressive campaigns with the European Under 21 title. Men’s Doubles Semifinals PHOTO by: Mihaela-Ionela BOBAR and Simion Sebastian TĂTARU

Poland’s Natalia BOGDANOWICZ produced one of the standout results of the Women’s Singles Round of 16 at the ROMSTAL European Under 21 Championships, defeating Germany’s Koharu ITAGAKI 4-3 (11-6, 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 6-11, 7-11, 11-7). The victory was particularly significant for the Polish player. In their previous meetings, ITAGAKI had emerged victorious on both occasions, and BOGDANOWICZ had never managed to take a single game from the German. This time, however, the No. 32 seed arrived with a clear plan. BOGDANOWICZ made a strong start, winning the opening three games to put herself on the verge of a place in the quarterfinals. ITAGAKI, the No. 20 seed, responded impressively. The German adjusted her game and claimed the next three games to force a deciding seventh set after trailing 0-3. With the momentum seemingly shifting, BOGDANOWICZ found a way to regain control in the decisive game, holding her nerve to close out a memorable victory and book her place among the last eight. “I am very happy with this win. I had played Koharu several times before and had never managed to win even a single game against her,” said BOGDANOWICZ. “Before the match, I had a clear idea of what I needed to do to give myself a chance. It worked well in the first three games. After that, I lost some control of the match, she adapted better and I moved further away from my tactical plan, which made things more difficult for me.” “In the seventh game, belief in my own abilities was very important. I was able to make the key decisions at the right moments and that ultimately led me to victory.”

Connor GREEN of England produced the biggest shock of the ROMSTAL European Under 21 Championships so far, defeating top seed and home favourite Iulian CHIRITA of Romania 4-2 (11-9, 6-11, 9-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-8) to secure a place in the Men’s Singles quarterfinals. The result was all the more remarkable considering GREEN had only narrowly survived Stage 2, advancing from his group on countback after a difficult start to the tournament. Less than a day later, he eliminated last year’s finalist and one of the leading contenders for the title. GREEN made an aggressive start to the encounter, taking the opening game 11-9 after successfully implementing his tactical plan. “I think I started the match really well. The plan was to use my backhand serve a lot and try to create opportunities on the third ball. It worked well at the beginning and gave me confidence,” said GREEN. CHIRITA responded strongly, claiming the next two games 11-6 and 11-9 to move ahead, but the English player refused to let the match slip away. GREEN levelled the contest at 2-2 before edging a dramatic fifth game 12-10 to regain the advantage. The sixth game proved decisive. GREEN built an early lead before CHIRITA fought his way back into contention. At the crucial moments, however, the Englishman held his nerve to close out the game 11-8 and complete one of the biggest victories of his career. “The match was very difficult. Some of the games were really close and went back and forth. In the sixth game I got a big lead, then he started coming back, but I managed to stay focused and play well on the important points,” GREEN explained. For the Englishman, the victory completed a remarkable turnaround in Cluj-Napoca. After nearly seeing his campaign end in the group stage, he now finds himself among the final eight day after he won a historic first medal for England with Mael VAN DESSEL of Luxembourg at the Doubles event at the European Under 21 Championships. “In the groups I only got through on countback. At one point I thought I was out of the tournament. Then I stayed in and now I’ve achieved one of the biggest wins…” GREEN also ranked the victory among the finest moments of his career. “I’ve had some good wins before, but I think Iulian is definitely one of the best players I’ve ever beaten. He plays at a really high level, so I’m super happy and proud that I could beat him today.” The victory over CHIRITA adds another significant chapter to GREEN’s rapidly growing career. The 19-year-old from Nottingham became the first English junior to reach a WTT Youth Contender final when he claimed silver in Tunis in 2025, won bronze at the Europe Youth Top 10 later that year, and made history alongside Tin-Tin HO by becoming part of England’s first-ever WTT Mixed Doubles title-winning pair at WTT Feeder Düsseldorf in 2026. However, defeating the top seed and home favourite at the ROMSTAL European Under 21 Championships ranks among the finest victories of his career to date. PHOTO by: Mihaela-Ionela BOBAR and Simion Sebastian TĂTARU

The penultimate day of the ROMSTAL European Under 21 Championships in Cluj-Napoca began with the Mixed Doubles semifinals, where the top-seeded pair of Iulian CHIRITA (Romania) and Anna HURSEY (Wales) secured their place in the final alongside Germany’s Wim VERDONSCHOT and Josephina NEUMANN no. 9 seeds. See the pictures here. CHIRITA and HURSEY produced a confident performance against Slovenia’s Brin VOVK and Sara TOKIC, the No. 17 seeds, winning 3-0 (11-3, 11-8, 11-5). Despite the convincing scoreline, the top seeds knew they were facing a pair that had exceeded expectations throughout the tournament and reached the semifinals with a series of strong performances. “It was the first time we played against them. They had a very good tournament and defeated some strong opponents, so we knew it was going to be a difficult match,” said CHIRITA. HURSEY was pleased with the way the pair handled the challenge. “We are satisfied. We played really well. It was a tough match.” As the match progressed, the pair made several tactical adjustments to maintain control. “We changed a little bit in the second and third games and became more aggressive. We will try to make some adjustments again for the final,” CHIRITA explained. The second semifinal saw Germany’s Wim VERDONSCHOT and Josephina NEUMANN defeat Romania’s Andrei ISTRATE and Italy’s Nicole ARLIA 3-1 (11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10). The German pair returned to the final after finishing runners-up at last year’s championships, where they lost the title match to Romania’s Darius MOVILEANU and Elena ZAHARIA. NEUMANN was delighted to secure another opportunity to compete for gold. “I am happy that we reached the final again. We will give our best in the final.” Although the German pair had never faced ISTRATE and ARLIA together in mixed doubles, they were familiar with them from other events. “We never played mixed doubles against them before, but we have met them in singles and doubles.” According to NEUMANN, one of the biggest challenges was dealing with the quality of the receive game. “It was difficult to play good receive.” In the crucial moments, teamwork helped them stay composed. “We are a good team and we support each other. If one of us makes a mistake, the other can help and calm things down.” Semifinal Wim VERDONSCHOT, Josephina NEUMANN (Germany) – Andrei ISTRATE (Romania), Nicole ARLIA (Italy) 3-1 (11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10) Iulian CHIRITA (Romania), Anna HURSEY (Wales) – Brin VOVK, Sara TOKIC (Slovenia) (11-3, 11-8, 11-5) PHOTO by: Mihaela-Ionela BOBAR and Simion Sebastian TĂTARU

The Mixed Doubles competition at the ROMSTAL European Under 21 Championships reached the medal stage on Friday, with four pairs securing their places in the semi-finals and guaranteeing themselves a place on the podium. Top seeds Iulian CHIRITA of Romania and Anna HURSEY of Wales continued their impressive run, overcoming Mateusz ZALEWSKI and Anna BRZYSKA of Poland 3-1 (11-5, 11-5, 13-15, 11-8). Despite dropping the third game, the favourites remained in control throughout the contest and booked their place among the last four. The closest encounter of the round saw Andrei ISTRATE of Romania and Nicole ARLIA of Italy edge past Yoan VELICHKOV of Bulgaria and Lilou MASSART of Belgium 3-2 (11-6, 9-11, 10-12, 11-4, 11-5). After surrendering a 1-0 lead, the pair regrouped strongly to dominate the final two games. The partnership is not a new one. ARLIA revealed that the duo had already enjoyed success together in previous years. “We already played together, not recently, but we kept in touch. We won a lot of medals together over the years,” said ARLIA. For ISTRATE, the key moment came when he managed to settle his nerves. “It was a good journey so far, but this quarter-final was very close. The turning point was when I started to relax,” said ISTRATE. The Romanian-Italian combination also believes there is still room for improvement. “Maybe our mental side,” admitted ISTRATE. “When we are both playing well, we play really well together,” added ARLIA. Brin VOVK and Sara TOKIC secured Slovenia’s medal in the event after defeating Clément LAINE of Portugal and Matilde PINTO of Portugal 3-2 (12-10, 11-5, 6-11, 8-11, 11-8). The Slovenian pair had played together only once before, at a senior WTT Feeder event, but they showed excellent understanding under pressure. “This is our best result together and our first medal,” said TOKIC. VOVK highlighted communication as one of their strengths. “We talk a lot during the match and our coach helps us as well,” he explained. After seeing their opponents recover from 0-2 down to level the match, the Slovenians held their nerve in the deciding game. “We were very focused. After leading 2-0 they came back to equalise, but mentally we stayed strong in the last game and that brought us the win,” said VOVK. Germany’s Wim VERDONSCHOT and Josephina NEUMANN defeated Connor GREEN of England and Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine to complete the semi-final line-up.

History was made in the Men’s Doubles event at the ROMSTAL European Under 21 Championships as Connor GREEN of England and Mael VAN DESSEL of Luxembourg secured a medal and guaranteed both nations their first-ever podium finish in the discipline at the competition. The Anglo-Luxembourgish pairing defeated Dutch duo Gabrielius CAMARA and Ivan KAHN in straight games (11-7, 11-8, 12-10) in a quarter-final that carried extra significance. Both pairs were aiming to secure a historic first Men’s Doubles medal for their respective countries, but it was GREEN and VAN DESSEL who rose to the occasion. “We played together before, at the previous Under 21 Championships,” explained VAN DESSEL. “Last year we reached the quarter-finals, so this is already our best result.” The partnership has continued to grow throughout the tournament. “We combine very well and complement each other as a team,” said GREEN. “The more we play together, the more we understand each other.” Asked about the historic achievement, both players struggled to hide their satisfaction. “Very happy. I’m happy to play with him,” smiled VAN DESSEL, with GREEN quickly adding: “Me too.” Germany’s Andre BERTELSMEIER and Wim VERDONSCHOT also booked their place in the semi-finals with an impressive 3-0 victory (11-5, 11-7, 11-5) over Romanian pair Robert ISTRATE and Darius MOVILEANU. The Germans arrived in Cluj-Napoca as one of the most established partnerships in the field and the top seeds. “We have played together many times before. We are German champions in doubles and have played together for several years,” said BERTELSMEIER. “We have won the national title twice in a row.” VERDONSCHOT was pleased with how the tournament has unfolded so far. “The Greeks were our first opponents. We felt confident, played well, found a good rhythm and continued to play well today,” he said. Communication remains simple for the experienced duo. Danilo FASO of Italy and Görkem ÖÇAL of Türkiye continued their remarkable run by defeating Slovak pair Damian FLORO and Samuel PALUSEK 3-2 (11-5, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4), while Tom CLOSSET of Belgium and Stepan BRHEL of Czechia recovered from two games down to overcome Daniel BERZOSA of Spain and Samuel ARPAS of Slovakia 3-2 (5-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8). PHOTO by: Mihaela-Ionela BOBAR and Simion Sebastian TĂTARU