Romania’s Eduard IONESCU and Bernadette SZOCS, Germany’s Benedikt DUDA and Nina MITTELHAM, Sweden’s Kristian KARLSSON and Christina KÄLLBERG, and France’s Alexis LEBRUN and Charlotte LUTZ have secured medals at the European Championships in Ljubljana after advancing to the Mixed Doubles semifinals. See the photos by Jure MARKOVEC here. Two quarterfinals went the full five games, with Romania and France surviving dramatic finishes, while Germany and Sweden progressed in straight games. With bronze medals guaranteed to all four semifinalist pairs, the focus now turns to the battle for the European title. For Bernadette SZOCS, the 3-2 victory alongside Eduard IONESCU over France’s Thibault PORET and Prithika PAVADE was particularly emotional. The Romanian pair recovered from losing the opening game and held their nerve in a tense decider to prevail 9-11, 13-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-9. “I am so happy and excited. I cannot describe how I feel right now. It was a very difficult match. Our opponents were leading, but we stayed positive and kept fighting. I think the key was how well we complement each other,” said SZOCS. The Romanian star, who arrived in Ljubljana with 13 European Championship medals, including three gold, highlighted the understanding she has developed with IONESCU, both at the table and away from competition. “We knew it would be a very difficult match, and we had prepared several tactics. Sometimes I was down, sometimes he was down, but we knew how to keep each other positive. We complement each other very well, and I think it also helps that we are good friends away from the table.” Although this is their first European Championships together, the Romanian combination had already demonstrated its potential on the WTT circuit. “Of course I am happy about the medal. This is our first European Championships playing together, and we have already achieved some amazing results on the WTT circuit. I believed we could win a medal because we play so well together. Now we want to relax a little because it was an unbelievably tough match, and then we will prepare for our next opponents.” Germany’s Benedikt DUDA and Nina MITTELHAM continued their impressive run in Ljubljana with a 3-0 victory over Moldova’s Alexandra CHIRIACOVA and Vladislav URSU (12-10, 11-5, 11-9), securing their place in the Mixed Doubles semifinals and guaranteeing a medal. Although the scoreline suggested a comfortable victory, the opening and third games were closely contested, with the Germans prevailing by just two points on each occasion. “When you are playing for a medal, it doesn’t matter who is on the other side of the table. You have to deliver your best performance. Matches like these are never easy,” said MITTELHAM, a five-time European champion. “I became a little nervous at times. Making two service errors at 10-8 is something that normally doesn’t happen to me. I’m very happy that we managed to get through those difficult moments.” Their success in Ljubljana represents a significant improvement for a partnership that had struggled earlier in the season. At three WTT tournaments together this year, DUDA and MITTELHAM were eliminated in the opening round of the main draw on each occasion. For DUDA, the difference lies in their growing understanding of each other’s game. “We have found our playing style and adapted well to each other. I know what Nina does on receive, and she knows what I generally do on receive. That means we get the kind of balls back that we are used to dealing with in Singles. That’s why it is working so well,” explained DUDA, the Men’s Singles silver medallist at the 2024 European Championships in Linz. After eliminating defending champions and top seeds Álvaro ROBLES and Maria XIAO of Spain in the Round of 16, the German combination now faces Romania’s Eduard IONESCU and Bernadette SZOCS for a place in the final. “If we continue playing like this, we will be really difficult to beat. Tomorrow, we will give everything,” added DUDA. Sweden’s Kristian KARLSSON and Christina KÄLLBERG were equally impressive, defeating Portugal’s Miguel SANTA and João GERALDO 3-0 (13-11, 11-7, 11-2). After edging a closely contested opening game, the Swedish pair grew increasingly dominant, producing an assured performance to secure their place among Europe’s leading four combinations. “I think we played a really good match from start to finish, just like in the Round of 16 yesterday. When we are aggressive and follow up each other as well as we did today, we know we are a very tough match for anyone,” said KARLSSON. For KÄLLBERG, the victory brought a particularly special milestone: her first European Championship medal. However, the Swedish player made it clear that the pair’s ambitions extend beyond reaching the podium. “It feels incredible. To claim a medal here is something I’ve dreamt of and fought for, for a very long time. However, when we’re playing at this level, there’s no reason to celebrate yet, as we have our eyes on the gold,” said KÄLLBERG. France’s Alexis LEBRUN and Charlotte LUTZ completed the semifinal line-up after surviving another five-game thriller against Luxembourg’s Luka MLADENOVIC and NI Xia Lian. The French combination prevailed 3-2 (13-11, 5-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9), with the deciding game remaining on a knife-edge until the final two points. “It was not the best combination at the end, but we managed to win those two points for 11-9 in the fifth. I took some risks on the return, so I’m very happy and proud of us. It was a great match, very difficult and very strange, so I’m very happy to secure this medal,” said LEBRUN. For LUTZ, the result represented her first European Championship medal, achieved after a contest that tested the French pair’s nerves and tactical flexibility. “For me, it’s the first medal ever, so I’m very happy that we managed to win this match in the end. It was a really difficult situation for us, but we found solutions to win the fifth game. It was very stressful, but we made the right choices at

The Women’s Doubles quarterfinal line-up at the European Championships in Ljubljana is complete following eight Round of 16 encounters, with top seeds Bernadette SZOCS and Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania advancing alongside strong performances from Germany, France and Poland. Serbia’s Sabina ŠURJAN and Izabela LUPULESKU produced the most dramatic comeback of the day, recovering from two games down to keep their medal hopes alive. See the photos by Jure MARKOVEC here. Top seeds Bernadette SZOCS and Elizabeta SAMARA continued their campaign with a straight-games victory over Croatia’s Lea RAKOVAC and Hana ARAPOVIC (11-9, 11-8, 11-6). Although the Croatian pair remained competitive throughout the opening stages of each game, the experienced Romanian combination showed greater consistency and composure at the decisive moments. “We both played very well. We complemented each other perfectly, and I think that was the key to winning the match. We are very positive about the next round because we played really well together,” said SZOCS. The Romanian player highlighted communication and anticipation as the decisive factors. “The most important thing was communication. We knew where the ball was going and where we needed to move. We also avoided making easy mistakes. Our opponents played amazingly well at the beginning of the games, but they tended to make mistakes towards the end. We knew it would be a difficult match, so we stayed focused from the very beginning. I think our shots had more quality, and our ball placement prevented them from playing their own game,” explained SAMARA. France’s Prithika PAVADE and Charlotte LUTZ, seeded 11th, delivered one of the standout performances of the day, defeating fourth seeds Andreea DRAGOMAN and Adina DIACONU of Romania in straight games (14-12, 11-5, 11-7). The opening game proved crucial, with the French pair prevailing 14-12. From that moment, PAVADE and LUTZ took control, maintaining their attacking rhythm and putting their opponents under pressure. “It was definitely not an easy match. The first game was really tight, and we managed to win it. After that, I think we dominated, but we had to stay focused on every point because we felt they could come back at any moment,” said PAVADE. The French combination have set their sights on reaching at least the semifinals, although LUTZ stressed the importance of approaching each match without unnecessary pressure. “We have very big goals in this tournament. We really want to reach the semifinal and even further if possible. But we will prepare for the next match as usual, treating it like a normal match so we don’t put too much pressure on ourselves. Whoever we face, it will be tough. We will prepare as well as possible and give 100 percent,” said LUTZ. Second seeds Annett KAUFMANN and Nina MITTELHAM of Germany also secured their place in the last eight, overcoming Sweden’s Christina KÄLLBERG and Filippa BERGAND 3-1 (11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5). The German pair established a two-game advantage before the Swedes responded by taking the third. However, KAUFMANN and MITTELHAM quickly regained control, dominating the fourth game to close out the contest. Germany’s HAN Ying and Sabine WINTER secured their place in the Women’s Doubles quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory over Luxembourg’s NI Xia Lian and Sarah DE NUTTE, the 2021 World Championships bronze medallists. “We knew beforehand that this would be a very difficult match, and we had a lot of respect for our opponents. We had to step outside our comfort zone, try something different and change our tactics. Ying attacked more, which was necessary, and she did it very well and with great courage,” said WINTER. The German praised the understanding she has already developed with HAN, despite the pair only beginning their European Championships campaign together the previous day. “Even when I have to stretch to reach a ball and can only manage to put it back on the table, I know Ying will be there for the next shot. She is incredibly reliable,” explained WINTER. Looking ahead to their quarterfinal against Romania’s top seeds Elizabeta SAMARA and Bernadette SZOCS, HAN acknowledged the challenge. “The two Romanians are a very strong and well-established doubles pair. We have a chance if we fight really hard,” said HAN. WINTER was equally determined. “We are an awkward pair to play against, and it won’t be easy for them either. We will fight for every ball again and make sure we win those difficult points.” The most dramatic encounter of the day saw Serbia’s Sabina ŠURJAN and Izabela LUPULESKU recover from two games down to defeat Italy’s Gaia MONFARDINI and Nicole ARLIA 3-2 (7-11, 8-11, 12-10, 14-12, 11-2). The Serbian duo, bronze medallists at the 2024 European Championships in Linz, struggled in the opening stages as the Italians established a commanding advantage. However, ŠURJAN and LUPULESKU refused to surrender, edging two extremely tight games before dominating the decider. “I think we started playing in a very nervous and almost panicky way. We are defending our medal from Linz, and I personally felt a lot of pressure. But after going 0-2 down, we managed to calm ourselves, started taking it point by point and began playing much smarter. I think that was the key to turning the match around,” explained ŠURJAN. LUPULESKU highlighted the strong emotional connection between the two players and the importance of supporting each other during difficult moments. “I draw a lot of energy from Sabina. If she is nervous, I become nervous too. If she is calm, I become even calmer. In our partnership, Sabina is usually the one who finishes the points, while I create opportunities and set things up for her. When things aren’t going well for her, I try to take more responsibility and help her regain her confidence,” said LUPULESKU. The Serbian player admitted that the pair had not produced their best performance but was delighted with their fighting spirit. “As my father always says, the quality of great players is that they find a way to win even when they aren’t playing well. That’s the attitude

Defending champions Alexis and Félix LEBRUN of France continued their title defence at the European Championships in Ljubljana, while Serbia’s Uroš NINKOVIC and Zsolt PETO celebrated a remarkable breakthrough as the Men’s Doubles quarterfinal line-up was completed. Germany’s Benedikt DUDA and Dang QIU produced an extraordinary comeback, Moldova’s Vladislav URSU and Andrei PUTUNTICA survived a five-game battle, and Belgium’s Adrien RASSENFOSSE and Martin ALLEGRO also came through a dramatic encounter. See the photos by Jure MARKOVEC here. The LEBRUN brothers faced a challenging test against Slovenia’s Darko JORGIC and Deni KOZUL, with the home favourites pushing them all the way in the opening game. The French pair eventually prevailed 15-13 before taking the next two games 11-9 and 11-8 to complete a 3-0 victory. Despite the straight-games scoreline, the match was far from comfortable for the defending champions. “It’s always difficult to play against Darko and Kozul. It was a tough match. We won the first game by a very narrow margin, and the second was also close. It could have been much more difficult, so we are very happy to win 3-0,” said Alexis LEBRUN. The victory keeps the French brothers on course to defend the European title they won in Linz two years ago. “We are still on the road. We are in the quarterfinals, so we are happy about that. We have just beaten a very strong pair, which gives us confidence for the rest of the tournament. We will see what happens next,” said Felix LEBRUN. With both brothers competing in singles and doubles, managing their demanding schedule is another challenge. “I’m very happy to finish early today! I hope I won’t have to play the last match of the evening session every time. Of course, competing in three draws is not easy, but for the moment I feel good,” said Alexis. Felix added: “It’s a tough schedule, of course, but we are starting to get used to it. The last time I had a similar situation, travelling from Asia to Europe, I played really well. I hope it will be the same this week.” One of the most emotional victories of the day belonged to Serbia’s Zsolt PETO and 18-year-old Uroš NINKOVIC, who defeated Slovakia’s Jakub ZELINKA and Lubomir PISTEJ in a five-game thriller. The Serbian pair, competing together for the first time, took the opening game 11-8 before the Slovaks levelled. PETO and NINKOVIC regained the advantage by taking the third 12-10, but their opponents forced a decider. The fifth game was another tense battle, with the Serbians eventually prevailing 13-11 to secure their place among Europe’s top eight pairs. For NINKOVIC, who turns 19 in approximately ten days, the achievement was almost impossible to comprehend. “This is an enormous achievement for me. Honestly, I never imagined I could reach the last eight in Europe in any category, let alone at senior level. I haven’t even achieved that in juniors this year! It’s really something special, and I still can’t quite believe what we’ve accomplished,” said NINKOVIC. The young Serbian admitted that the closing stages tested his nerves. “We were leading 1-0, then 2-1, and we also had the lead in the fifth game. At 11-10, I was definitely nervous, but fortunately I had my more experienced partner beside me to take responsibility when it mattered most.” For the experienced PETO, the unexpected success has made their first tournament together particularly memorable. “It’s an unbelievable story because this is actually the first time we’ve played together. At the beginning, I thought we would just enjoy ourselves, play some doubles and see how far we could go. But here we are, one victory away from a medal!” said PETO. The Serbian player, who revealed that he had been ill at the beginning of the Championships, hopes their remarkable run is not over. “I was actually ill at the start of the Championships, and quite a few people have already joked that I play better when I’m sick than when I’m healthy! We’ve had some incredible moments throughout the tournament. I wouldn’t say we’ve won because of luck, but perhaps luck has finally started to follow us a little. I hope this isn’t where our journey stops. We want to keep going tomorrow. We want a medal,” said PETO. Germany’s Benedikt DUDA and Dang QIU staged another remarkable comeback, recovering from two games down to defeat Russia’s Evgenii TIKHONOV and Vladimir SIDORENKO 3-2 (8-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-0). TIKHONOV and SIDORENKO made an excellent start, taking the opening two games and moving within one game of the quarterfinals. However, DUDA and QIU responded with greater consistency, narrowing the deficit before levelling the contest. The deciding game was completely one-sided, with the German pair winning 11-0 to complete an extraordinary turnaround. Moldova’s Vladislav URSU and Andrei PUTUNTICA also needed five games to secure their quarterfinal place, overcoming Germany’s Wim VERDONSCHOT and Andre BERTELSMEIER 3-2 (8-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-6, 11-4). The German combination twice took the lead, winning the opening game and then edging a closely contested third 12-10. However, the Moldovan pair responded strongly on both occasions. After dominating the fourth game, URSU and PUTUNTICA carried their momentum into the decider. “The match was very evenly balanced throughout. We were always close, at 5-5 or 6-6. I think the turning point came in the fifth game when we were leading 5-4. I played a slightly unusual backhand shot towards the middle to make it 6-4. I felt that point gave us a lot of confidence. Otherwise, the whole match was extremely close,” explained PUTUNTICA. The Moldovan duo, both left-handed, arrived in Ljubljana without particularly high expectations in Doubles, but their impressive run has continued into the last eight. “We came here as two left-handed players without particularly high expectations. We had played together before and performed well, but against stronger opponents it was always difficult. So far, things have been going well. This was actually the first time we lost two games, as we had won

The Men’s Singles group stage at the 2026 European Championships in Ljubljana produced plenty of surprises, with several lower-seeded players overturning expectations and established names forced to fight for their places in the main draw. The Netherlands’ Ivan KAHN, Norway’s Martin FRØSETH and Finland’s Alex NAUMI were among those who upset the form book, while Germany’s Wim VERDONSCHOT survived one of the most dramatic encounters of the opening three days. One of the biggest surprises came in Group 1, where KAHN, seeded 97th, defeated Luxembourg’s Luka MLADENOVIC, the 33rd seed, in a thrilling five-game contest. The Dutch player raced into a two-game lead before MLADENOVIC fought back to level, but KAHN held his nerve in the decider to win 3-2 (11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 6-11, 11-8). KAHN followed that victory with a 3-1 success against Belgium’s Laurens DEVOS, completing an unbeaten campaign and securing an unexpected place in the main draw. Norway’s Martin FRØSETH, seeded 95th, delivered another major upset in Group 3. Facing Spain’s Juan PEREZ, the 35th seed, the Norwegian produced an impressive straight-games victory (11-9, 11-9, 11-5). FRØSETH then defeated Hungary’s David SZANTOSI 3-0 to finish top of the group without dropping a game. Finland’s Alex NAUMI also made his mark, overcoming Romania’s Darius MOVILEANU in a dramatic five-game encounter. Twice behind in games, NAUMI refused to surrender, eventually prevailing 3-2. The Finnish player followed that victory with a straight-games success over Heorhi KUNATS to secure first place in Group 9. Another compelling contest unfolded in Group 6, where Germany’s Wim VERDONSCHOT found himself on the brink of defeat against Denmark’s Martin ANDERSEN. VERDONSCHOT trailed 0-1 and 1-2 in games before falling 4-7 behind in the decider. However, he recovered to snatch a remarkable 3-2 victory (10-12, 11-3, 11-13, 11-9, 12-10). “To be honest, I did not expect such a hard battle. But I knew it was going to be tough because I knew him from the Bundesliga 2, where we had some pretty close matches as well. And the conditions here are completely different from those at China Smash. “It’s really, really tough for me to play here, but he played very well too. So, yeah, I’m happy to have a bit more time now to adapt and get a better feel for the conditions and the competition,” said VERDONSCHOT. The German followed his hard-fought victory with a commanding straight-games win against Lithuania’s Ervinas UZIALO, finishing unbeaten in Group 6. Austria’s Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK also produced a notable result, defeating Portugal’s experienced Joao MONTEIRO 3-1 (11-3, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9). The Austrian backed up that performance with a convincing 3-0 victory over Cyprus’ Christos THEOFANOUS to secure first place in Group 17. Türkiye’s Görkem ÖÇAL added another surprise by defeating Portugal’s Tiago ABIODUN in straight games (11-5, 11-7, 11-7). However, his toughest challenge came against Iceland’s Ingi RODRIGUEZ, who took the opening two games before ÖÇAL mounted a remarkable recovery to win 3-2 (5-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-6). The two victories sent the Turkish player through as winner of Group 21. Croatia’s Filip ZELJKO also had to fight back from two games down, overcoming Serbia’s Zsolt PETO 3-2 (7-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7). ZELJKO had already defeated Cyprus’ Sharpel ELIA in straight games and finished unbeaten at the top of Group 16. Another Serbian player, Dimitrije LEVAJAC, enjoyed a successful campaign, winning all three matches in Group 28. His most demanding encounter came against Czechia’s Stepan BRHEL, who recovered from 0-2 to force a deciding game. LEVAJAC eventually prevailed 3-2 (15-13, 11-5, 7-11, 8-11, 11-6), before completing his unbeaten run with victories over Austria’s Zhenlong LIU and San Marino’s Lorenzo RAGNI. In Group 15, Spain’s Diego LILLO secured first place following a 3-1 victory over Serbia’s Uros NINKOVIC. The Serbian had previously recovered from 1-2 down to defeat Austria’s Andreas LEVENKO 3-2 (11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9), but LILLO proved too strong in their direct encounter. Italy’s John OYEBODE also survived a five-game battle, defeating Greece’s Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS 3-2 (11-5, 11-4, 9-11, 11-13, 11-7). OYEBODE had established a two-game advantage before being forced into a decider, but regained control to secure the victory. He then overcame Latvia’s Arturs RUDNIKOVS 3-1 to win Group 22. Germany’s Kay STUMPER emerged unbeaten from Group 26 after another dramatic contest. Poland’s Mateusz ZALEWSKI twice took the lead, but STUMPER fought back to win 3-2 (9-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7). The German also defeated Italy’s Francesco TREVISAN and Kosovo’s Kreshnik MAHMUTI in straight games. Evgeny TIKHONOV produced one of the strongest comebacks in Group 27, recovering from two games down against Spain’s Daniel BERZOSA. After losing the opening games 9-11, 9-11, TIKHONOV responded with three convincing games, winning 3-2 (9-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-6). Further victories over San Marino’s Federico GIARDI and North Macedonia’s Kristijan STANOJKOVSKI completed his unbeaten campaign. Hungary’s Adam SZUDI also survived a five-game test, defeating Czechia’s Ondrej KVETON 3-2 (11-8, 5-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-7) to finish top of Group 20. Among the more established names, England’s Liam PITCHFORD advanced without dropping a game, defeating Italy’s Danilo FASO and Finland’s Aleksi RASANEN in straight games to win Group 19. Greece’s Panagiotis GIONIS was equally convincing, recording 3-0 victories over Luxembourg’s Mael VAN DESSEL and Israel’s Itay AVIVI to finish unbeaten in Group 14. Austria’s Robert GARDOS also completed a flawless group campaign, defeating Finland’s Lassi LEHTOLA and Estonia’s Madis MOOS in straight games. Portugal’s Tiago APOLONIA faced a more difficult path, needing five games to overcome Slovenia’s Peter HRIBAR. The experienced Portuguese player prevailed 3-2 (11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4) to secure first place in Group 5. Romania’s Ovidiu IONESCU, Slovakia’s Yang WANG and Sweden’s Elias RANEFUR all progressed unbeaten, while Norway’s Borgar HAUG completed Group 8 without conceding a game. Hungary’s Csaba ANDRAS and England’s Connor GREEN also finished their respective groups with two victories, as did Finland’s Benedek OLAH. Poland’s Maciej KUBIK secured three victories in Group 23, including a five-game success over Spain’s Miguel PANTOJA, while Romania’s Andrei ISTRATE completed an unbeaten campaign in Group 25. France’s

Serbia’s Reka BEZEG completed one of the most remarkable turnarounds of the Women’s Singles group stage at the 2026 European Championships in Ljubljana, securing her place in the main draw despite losing her opening match. Tuesday’s decisive round also saw several lower-seeded players overturn expectations, with Norway’s Martine TOFTAKER, Lithuania’s Kornelija RILISKYTE, Czechia’s Karin GROFOVA and Russia’s Mariia TAILAKOVA all overcoming higher-seeded opponents. Meanwhile, home favourites Sara TOKIC and Ana TOFANT gave the Slovenian supporters plenty to celebrate. BEZEG, seeded 114th, faced an uphill battle after losing her opening match 3-1 to Bulgaria’s Tsvetelina GEORGIEVA, the 73rd seed. However, she responded with a stunning straight-games victory over Wales’ Charlotte CAREY, seeded 55th, to keep her qualification hopes alive. Her fate rested on Tuesday’s final group encounter, when CAREY recovered from two games down to defeat GEORGIEVA 3-2 (9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-5). With all three players finishing on one victory and one defeat, BEZEG emerged on top of Group 23 on the game-ratio tie-break, ahead of GEORGIEVA and CAREY. Another significant upset came in Group 5, where Norway’s Martine TOFTAKER, seeded 89th, defeated Poland’s 37th seed Zuzanna WIELGOS 3-1 (11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6). TOFTAKER had already beaten Sweden’s Nomin BAASAN in straight games, and her victory over the higher-ranked Polish player completed an unbeaten group campaign. Another surprise came in Group 15, where Ukraine’s Anastasiya DYMYTRENKO, seeded 80th, overturned expectations to finish ahead of Romania’s Bianca MEI-ROSU, the 47th seed. DYMYTRENKO had already defeated Sweden’s Siri BENJEGÅRD 3-1 before taking the opening game 11-9 against the Romanian favourite. The encounter ended prematurely, but the result was enough to send the Ukrainian into the main draw as group winner, adding another unexpected name to the list of qualifiers in Ljubljana. Lithuania’s Kornelija RILISKYTE, seeded 82nd, also produced an impressive result against Belgium’s Lilou MASSART, the 45th seed. RILISKYTE recovered from 1-2 down to win a dramatic five-game contest 3-2 (11-8, 12-14, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9). The Lithuanian had previously defeated Israel’s Elinor DAVIDOV 3-1 and finished top of Group 13 with two victories. Czechia’s Karin GROFOVA, seeded 74th, joined the list of unexpected group winners after defeating Luxembourg’s 54th seed Enisa SADIKOVIC. GROFOVA trailed 1-2 before taking control of the final two games to win 3-2 (11-6, 12-14, 7-11, 11-6, 11-1). Her dominant performance in the decider, in which she conceded just one point, secured first place in Group 22. Russia’s Mariia TAILAKOVA, the 69th seed, also overcame a higher-seeded opponent, defeating Greece’s Aikaterini TOLIOU, seeded 56th, in straight games (11-2, 11-6, 11-9). Having previously beaten Georgia’s Ana NIKOIANI, TAILAKOVA finished Group 24 unbeaten. One of the most dramatic comebacks of Tuesday’s final round belonged to Sweden’s Filippa BERGAND. The 42nd seed found herself two games down against Hungary’s Nora DOHOCZKI, but refused to surrender. After losing the opening games 9-11, 9-11, BERGAND fought back to take the next two 11-4 and 11-7 before edging a tense decider 12-10. The victory secured first place in Group 10 and completed her unbeaten campaign. For the Slovenian supporters at Arena Stožice, there was plenty to celebrate as Sara TOKIC and Ana TOFANT both progressed to the main draw. TOKIC, seeded 48th, continued her impressive form with a straight-games victory over Czechia’s Hanka KODET (11-4, 11-5, 11-9), following her opening 3-0 win against England’s Ella PASHLEY. The Slovenian completed Group 16 without dropping a game, an achievement made even more satisfying by her recovery from disappointment in Mixed Doubles. Her compatriot TOFANT, seeded 58th, also completed an unbeaten campaign. Following her 3-1 victory over the Netherlands’ Emine ERNST, she defeated Spain’s Elvira RAD 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-4) to secure first place in Group 26. Italy’s Nicole ARLIA, seeded 34th, followed Monday’s dramatic five-game comeback against Russia’s Valeriia KOTSIUR with a more commanding performance against Norway’s Christine KALVATN. ARLIA won 3-0 (11-6, 13-11, 11-3) to finish unbeaten in Group 2 and secure her place in the main draw. Russia’s Elizabet ABRAAMIAN, seeded 35th, also had to work hard to secure her place in the main draw. After taking a two-game lead against Ulyana MIASHCHANSKAYA, ABRAAMIAN was pushed to a decider before prevailing 3-2 (11-8, 11-3, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6) to finish top of Group 3. Romania’s Adina DIACONU and Ioana SINGEORZAN both completed unbeaten campaigns. DIACONU, seeded 38th, defeated Austria’s Elina FUCHS 3-0 to win Group 6 without dropping a game, while SINGEORZAN, the 44th seed, overcame Finland’s Marina DONNER 3-1 (11-5, 11-8, 10-12, 11-4) to claim Group 12. Germany’s Franziska SCHREINER, seeded 39th, was another player to progress without conceding a game. She defeated Finland’s Maria GIRLEA 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-3), following her dominant opening victory against Latvia’s Aleksandra JERSOVA. Luxembourg’s experienced NI Xia Lian, the 40th seed, continued her successful campaign with a 3-0 victory over Jersey’s Hannah SILCOCK (12-10, 11-5, 12-10), securing first place in Group 8. Poland’s Katarzyna WEGRZYN, seeded 36th, defeated England’s Tianer YU 3-1 to win Group 4, while Austria’s Nina SKERBINZ, the 43rd seed, overcame Hungary’s Rebeka NAGY 3-1 to finish unbeaten in Group 11. Spain celebrated victories from Sofia-Xuan ZHANG and Maria BERZOSA. ZHANG, seeded 41st, finished top of Group 9 after defeating Portugal’s Mariana SANTA and Slovakia’s Dominika WILTSCHKOVA, while BERZOSA, the 51st seed, secured Group 19 with a 3-1 victory over Wales’ Danielle KELLY. Portugal’s Matilde PINTO, seeded 46th, was particularly convincing, winning both Group 14 matches in straight games, including a 3-0 victory over Lizaveta TSIMASHKOVA. France’s Nina GUO ZHENG, seeded 71st, also progressed without dropping a game, defeating Czechia’s Veronika POLAKOVA and Greece’s Ioanna GERASIMATOU to win Group 27. Her compatriot Alexia NODIN, the 57th seed, finished first in Group 25, having conceded just two points in her 3-0 victory over Kosovo’s Shega HASHANI. NODIN also received a walkover against Denmark’s Emma VENDELBO. Türkiye’s Ece HARAC, seeded 49th, secured Group 17 with a 3-1 victory over Estonia’s Airi AVAMERI, while Ukraine’s Solomiya YAREMCHUK, the 50th seed, defeated Lithuania’s Lukrecija JUCHNAITE 3-0 to claim Group 18. The Netherlands’ Shuohan MEN, seeded 52nd, completed an unbeaten

Serbia’s Reka BEZEG produced one of the biggest surprises of the Women’s Singles group stage at the European Championships in Ljubljana on Monday, defeating Wales’ Charlotte CAREY in straight games. The second day of competition also brought a dramatic comeback from Italy’s Nicole ARLIA and victories for Slovenian players Sara TOKIC and Ana TOFANT in front of the home crowd. BEZEG, seeded 114th and ranked 273rd in Europe, faced a difficult task against CAREY, the 55th seed and world No. 69 in the European ranking. However, the Serbian player delivered an impressive performance to claim a 3-0 victory and keep her hopes of reaching the main draw alive. The result was even more remarkable considering BEZEG’s disappointment on the opening day, when she lost 3-1 to Bulgaria’s Tsvetelina GEORGIEVA despite making a promising start. “Yesterday, against GEORGIEVA, I was leading 1-0 in games and 7-3 in the second, but unfortunately I ended up losing the match. Having lost my opening group match 3-1, I was in a more difficult position today and felt even more pressure. Nevertheless, I managed to stay calm and focused, stick to my game and give everything I had. “I think that approach was exactly what helped me achieve a 3-0 victory against Charlotte. My qualification for the next stage will depend on tomorrow’s match between the other two players in the group, so all I can do now is wait for the result and hope for the best,” said BEZEG. While BEZEG celebrated an unexpected victory, Italy’s Nicole ARLIA experienced a very different kind of battle against Valeriia KOTSIUR (of Russia. The Italian, seeded 34th, recovered from 1-2 down in games and 1-5 in the decider to secure a thrilling 3-2 victory (11-9, 13-15, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9). Afterwards, ARLIA gave a remarkably candid account of the tactical difficulties she had faced and the crucial advice she received from her coach in the closing moments. “I knew it was going to be a very difficult match, so I started extremely focused. I was leading in the first game, and the second was incredibly close, with lots of nets and edges. At 1-1, I told myself that we were starting again from zero. “I continued trying to play my game, but then she changed her tactics and I didn’t know how to respond. For a game and a half, I was completely lost. I kept asking myself what I should do. Then I decided I had to try something different, and I think that was the key to turning the match around. “In the deciding game, I was 5-1 down, but I kept fighting. Point by point, I managed to come back. At 9-9, I had the serve and turned to my coach, telling him I didn’t know what to do. He told me how to serve, and I won the point. Then I asked him again, and he gave me the same advice. “I am really happy because I managed to change my game and find a way to win. Coming back like that was an amazing feeling, and it gives me a lot of confidence for the matches ahead,” said ARLIA. For the Slovenian supporters at Arena Stožice, there was plenty to celebrate as Sara TOKIC and Ana TOFANT both recorded victories. TOKIC, seeded 48th, defeated England’s Ella PASHLEY 3-0, but the Slovenian admitted that the score did not tell the full story. After her disappointment in Mixed Doubles, she had needed time to reset mentally before returning to the table. “After losing in mixed doubles, I quickly accepted that there was nothing I could do to change the result and that I had to move on. I told myself to focus on the doubles with Ana and my singles matches. I took the night to process the defeat and reflect on everything. When I came to the arena this morning, I felt like a completely different person. “I’m happy with how I played today. It may have looked like a straightforward win, but it was much tougher than it seemed. I still feel some pressure, and sometimes I lose my focus, but I manage to regain it when it matters most. I think that made me a little stronger today,” said TOKIC. Her compatriot TOFANT also made a successful start, overcoming the Netherlands’ Emine ERNST 3-1 (11-4, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6). Romania enjoyed a particularly strong session, with four players opening their campaigns with victories. Elena ZAHARIA defeated Sweden’s Angelina BEBAWY 3-1, while Adina DIACONU was convincing against Slovenia’s Katarina STRAZAR, winning 3-0. Ioana SINGEORZAN overcame Hungary’s Judit NAGY in straight games, and Bianca MEI-ROSU also recorded a 3-0 victory against Sweden’s Siri BENJEGÅRD. Poland’s Katarzyna WEGRZYN and Zuzanna WIELGOS both made winning starts. WEGRZYN defeated Latvia’s Sabina MUSAJEVA 3-0, while WIELGOS recovered from losing the opening game to beat Sweden’s Nomin BAASAN 3-1. Spain’s Maria BERZOSA also made a confident start to her Women’s Singles campaign, recording a straight-games victory in her opening group-stage match. “I was a little nervous at the beginning because I was expected to win both the match and my group. The first game was close, but once I took a 1-0 lead, I started playing better and managed to win 3-0,” said BERZOSA. Looking ahead to her next group match, the Spaniard remained optimistic but cautious. “I will face the second-ranked player in my group tomorrow. The opponent I beat today had already defeated her, so on paper it should be manageable, but we will see.” BERZOSA also spoke about competing alongside her brother in Mixed Doubles. “It is very exciting, although I get more nervous playing with him than with other partners. We have already played a couple of tournaments together, so we understand each other much better now. Yesterday’s match gave us a lot of confidence, and hopefully we can carry that into the main draw.” Germany’s Franziska SCHREINER was equally impressive, conceding just eight points in the final two games of her 3-0 victory over

The second day of the 2026 European Championships in Ljubljana brought a series of surprises in the Men’s Singles group stage, with the arrival of the highest-ranked players in each group producing dramatic five-game battles, unexpected defeats and several outstanding performances from lower-ranked opponents. The biggest headlines came from the Netherlands’ Ivan KAHN, Hungary’s David SZANTOSI and Serbia’s Uroš NINKOVIĆ, who all defeated opponents ranked considerably higher on the ETTU ranking list. KAHN, ranked No. 151, produced one of the most impressive results of the morning by overcoming Luxembourg’s Luka MLADENOVIC, ranked No. 36, in five games (11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 6-11, 11-8). The Dutch player made a flying start and established a two-game lead before MLADENOVIC fought back to force a decider. KAHN, however, recovered his composure at the crucial moment to complete the biggest victory of his career. “It’s unbelievable for me. I think, for sure, it’s my best win in my life. I’m really happy. I played very well,” said KAHN. His success was no accident. The Dutchman had carefully studied his opponent’s unusual playing style and prepared a tactical plan with his coach. “I discussed with my coach last night how to make a plan. I wanted to be very aggressive on his anti-spin because I knew that if I played a lot of spin into his anti, I would play the balls to the tribunes when I tried to control.” Despite leading 2-0 in games and 5-2 in the third, KAHN saw his advantage disappear as MLADENOVIC found his rhythm. “It almost went away after 2-0, 5-2. He found more of his rhythm. I started making some mistakes, but I’m very happy that in the fifth set I could get it back and get the win.” With victories over Belgium’s Laurens DEVOS and MLADENOVIC, KAHN confirmed his place in the main draw, although celebrations will have to wait. “I’m through to the main draw, so I cannot celebrate too much. Now I will watch my teammates, and I will call my parents.” Another major surprise came from Hungary’s David SZANTOSI, ranked No. 152, who defeated Spain’s Juan PEREZ, No. 38, in four games (11-6, 4-11, 11-8, 11-9). SZANTOSI responded strongly after losing the second game and held his nerve in two closely contested games to secure an outstanding victory. Serbia’s Uroš NINKOVIĆ also had reason to celebrate after defeating Austria’s Andreas LEVENKO, ranked No. 51, in a thrilling five-game contest. NINKOVIĆ, No. 208 on the ETTU list, recovered from a 1-2 deficit to prevail 11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9. For the Serbian player, the result carried special significance, even though his opening defeat to Spain’s Diego LILLO meant that the victory would not be enough to take him into the next stage. “This is my first victory at the European Championships, so it means a lot to me and I am very happy about it. Of course, there is some disappointment because it is not enough for me to progress to the next stage, as I lost my opening match 3-1,” said NINKOVIĆ. “But looking at everything, the player I defeated today is probably the biggest name I have ever beaten in my career.” The Serbian added that his performances over the opening two days had strengthened his confidence. “I am satisfied with my performance, both yesterday and today. I think I am in good form and playing well. It is a wonderful feeling to represent Serbia at such a major championship, to achieve a victory and experience everything that comes with it.” While several leading players suffered unexpected defeats, Portugal’s experienced Tiago APOLONIA survived a difficult examination against Slovenia’s Peter HRIBAR. APOLONIA, ranked No. 40, was pushed all the way by the home player, ranked No. 162, before winning 3-2 (11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4). HRIBAR’s consistency and awkward service created problems for the Portuguese player, who eventually found the solution by adopting a more aggressive approach in the deciding game. “Honestly, I didn’t know Peter so well, but I saw his game yesterday, and he played very well. He didn’t make any easy mistakes. He has an uncomfortable service, in my opinion,” explained APOLONIA. “After losing the fourth set, I said to myself, I need to be a bit more aggressive; otherwise, he will not make easy mistakes, and the game will be very difficult. I think this was the key: I was a bit more aggressive in the fifth set.” For a player accustomed to competing at the highest level, the challenge of negotiating the group stage represents an unfamiliar experience. “My main goal right now is to pass the group stage. It’s, of course, not a common situation for me. I don’t remember the last time I needed to play qualifications. This is a difficult game, and now I need to focus again on tomorrow’s game.” Several other established names made successful starts to their campaigns. Slovakia’s Yang WANG defeated Greece’s Georgios STAMATOUROS 3-0, while Germany’s Wim VERDONSCHOT overcame Lithuania’s Ervinas UZIALO without dropping a game. Sweden’s Elias RANEFUR beat the Netherlands’ Milo DE BOER 3-1, Norway’s Borgar HAUG defeated Slovakia’s Adam KLAJBER 3-0, and Romania’s Darius MOVILEANU recorded a straight-games victory over Heorhi KUNATS of Belarus. Austria’s Robert GARDOS also opened with a 3-0 success against Estonia’s Madis MOOS, while Croatia’s Ivor BAN defeated Switzerland’s Elias HARDMEIER 3-1. Hungary’s Csaba ANDRAS, England’s Connor GREEN and Greece’s Panagiotis GIONIS were among those recording convincing straight-games victories. GIONIS proved particularly dominant against Israel’s Itay AVIVI, conceding only 13 points across three games. England’s Liam PITCHFORD defeated Finland’s Aleksi RASANEN 3-0, while Portugal’s Joao MONTEIRO and Tiago ABIODUN also began with straight-games victories. Finland’s Benedek OLAH and Italy’s John OYEBODE added further successes, while Croatia’s Filip ZELJKO was pushed to five games by Serbia’s Zsolt PETO. Hungary’s Adam SZUDI also faced a demanding opening match, recovering from a 1-2 deficit to beat Czechia’s Ondrej KVETON 3-2 (11-8, 5-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-7). Among the players who had already impressed on the opening day, Switzerland’s