The final of the Under 19 Boys Event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava will feature a clash between Portugal and Romania tomorrow. Bronze medals go to Hungary and Slovakia. In superb style, Portugal secured their place in the ultimate stage by overcoming Hungary in straight matches. Clément LAINE set the tone with a victory over Balázs LEI, followed by Tiago ABIODUN’s win against Dávid SZÁNTÓSI. The only match that went the full distance was the final one between Rafael KONG and Balázs POÓR. “In the first match, LAINE played against LEI. It was a tough match, but our coach told him to play without pressure, and he played really well. The second match, I played against SZÁNTÓSI. I felt really comfortable, and we had a clear tactic with my coach, he’s a very aggressive and fast player, so I had to adapt and play more aggressively as well. In the third encounter, KONG played against POÓR, he had the match under control in the first two games, but then he struggled a bit and it became 2-2. I think KONG got a little nervous, but in the fifth game, he played very calmly and didn’t make many mistakes,” explained Tiago. Further ABIODUN explained: “We went into the match with the mindset that we could win, because we have a really strong team. Beating Czechia gave us a lot of confidence, that was a really tough match. We were leading 2-0, and suddenly it became 2-2 ,we knew they could come back, but we handled the decider and won. We’re going into the final with a good mindset. I believe in us. We’ll focus on playing set by set, point by point.” Slovakia had their chances against Romania. Iulian CHIRITA edged Samuel PALUSEK in five long games, but Samuel ARPAS responded with a win over Dragoș BUJOR to level the match. Damian FLORO had a match point at 2-1 against Robert Alexandru ISTRATE but failed to close it. ISTRATE held his nerve and won the next two games, and then CHIRITA delivered in style by beating ARPAS to send Romania to the final.

In the match for the title in the Under 15 Boys Event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava tomorrow, Italy will face Türkiye. In the semifinals, Germany and Poland lost their encounters. Top-seeded Italy defeated no. 5 seed Germany today in the semifinals. After a tense quarterfinal against Spain, the penultimate stage was a much smoother affair. Danilo FASO and Francesco TREVISAN overcame Jonas RINDERER, Tian Nghia PHONG, and Samuel KUHL in straight matches. “In the first match, TREVISAN played against RINDERER, he won 3-1, so we started really well, 1-0 for us, which is always a good sign. In the next match, I beat PHONG 3-0 it wasn’t a difficult match for me,” explained FASO. Danilo continued: “In the doubles, we struggled a bit. We were leading 2-0, but then it became 2-2. They started playing better, and we changed our style, which wasn’t a good idea. In the fifth game, we reminded ourselves of what worked best against them, went back to our game plan, and won the decider quite easily. We’re excited to be going to the final! We knew we were seeded no. 1 and we want to prove it in the final.” Unlike Italy, Türkiye was stretched to the full distance in their match against Poland. Jan MRUGALA won both of his singles matches against Kenan KAHRAMAN and Görkem ÖÇAL, but the Turkish duo kept their composure to reach the final. “It was a hard match, going 3-2 against Poland. In the last deciding match, I went in with a lot of stress because I knew I had to win, but I made it, and I’m really happy. We have a really good team, we support each other, and that helped me a lot in my last match.” ÖÇAL went into the details: “In the decider, I played against WISNIEWSKI — he was receiving my serves really well because I was playing empty serves. So I had to change that. I started using more long serves, and he had problems with that.We’re going into the final focused. We know that Italy is a really strong team, but we will fight and play our best.”

In the final of the Under 19 Girls Team Event tomorrow at the European Youth Championships, France will meet Ukraine. After today’s semifinal clashes, Portugal and Spain clinched bronze medals. The penultimate stage went according to the seedings. The reigning champions knew exactly what they had to do. Nina GUO ZHENG, Leana HOCHART, and Jade Quynh-Tien HUYNH completed the semifinals in straight matches against Portugal, represented by Julia LEAL, Matilde PINTO, and Mariana SANTA COMBA. After the opening duel between GUO ZHENG and PINTO concluded in favor of Nina after five games, the path to victory was paved. “We started with GUO ZHENG against PINTO. It was a really difficult match, but in my opinion the most important one. When it was 2-2, we weren’t sure if she would win or not. On the bench, I was really nervous because it’s always more comfortable when you know you’re leading. But when she won 3-2, it gave me even more power going into my match against LEAL. I won that match 3-1. In the first game, I struggled a bit and lost 9-11, but in the next games I changed my serves and tactics, which helped me a lot. My forehand was also a big advantage, I won many points with it. In the last match, HUYNH played against SANTA COMBA and played amazingly. She won 3-1. It was a really good match, and she knew exactly what to play against her. We’re going into the final with a clear head, and we will try our best. We want to enjoy it!” said HOCHART. Ukraine had to play one match more in their semifinal against Spain. Veronika MATIUNINA set the path with a 3-0 win over Maria BERZOSA, but Camila Renata MOSCOSO once again proved her worth in Ostrava by defeating Olha PONKO. The turning point of the match was the third duel between Mariona MUNNE and Daria KOVALOVA. It could have gone either way. KOVALOVA led 2-0 with two close 11-9 wins, but MUNNE recovered to level at 2-2 before the Ukrainian sealed the match 11-8 in the fifth game. The experienced European Under 21 champion MATIUNINA then secured the win. “We were a bit surprised because they changed the position of BERZOSA. She normally plays in the number one spot. The opening match was mine against BERZOSA, and I’m really happy with my performance. I beat her 3-0. I played against her recently, and it was 4-2, a really hard match, so I’m even more pleased with this win. The second match was PONKO against MOSCOSO, unfortunately, she couldn’t find her game and rhythm, but she still fought hard. The third match, KOVALOVA against MUNNE, I think was the most important for us, and I’m really happy with her performance,” said Veronika. MATIUNINA added: “KOVALOVA played really well. She was leading 2-0, and after it became 2-2, we got a bit stressed, but she stayed strong mentally and managed to win.My second match was against MOSCOSO. I was a little nervous, but I found a way to calm myself. I knew she played really well against Romania, but I prepared as best as I could and won. I stayed strong mentally.’ Speaking of the duel for the title MATUININA said: “In the final, we will play against France, which is a really strong team with very good players. I know them because I’ve played against them before. We will discuss tactics and try our best to beat them. We know it will be really difficult because they are the no. 1 seeds here. So, we’ll see.”

In the Under 15 Girls Event, for the first time since 1999, Romania will not appear on the medal rostrum. Italy made their mark in history and secured at least a bronze medal. Manon LOTH, Sofia EPISCOPO, and Gioia Maria PICU overcame Patricia STOICA, Maya Roberta MADAR, and Kariss Yasmin SERBAN. “We played match by match, and we were really focused the whole time. We were really happy to reach the top 16, then the quarterfinals, and now even happier to be in the semifinals. In this match, I tried to put our number one player against their number one in the first match, and it worked. LOTH won 3-1 against STOICA, and that put a lot of pressure on them, I think. After that match, we continued with a calm mindset. We didn’t expect this at all — when we saw the draw for the first time, we knew it would be difficult. But to beat Romania is something incredible. We prepared better, found a good tactic from the beginning, and followed it the whole time. Before the match, I prepared a video and discussed tactics with the team — who should play against whom, and so on. I think that helped a lot, we knew what to do. I even had a paper with tactical notes in my pocket, and I used it,” said Italian coach Hugo BERGER, laughing.“The first two matches were really important for us. If we had gone 0-2 down, it would’ve been really difficult to come back. The next round will be really tough because we play against France, but we believe in ourselves and we’ll try our best to beat them.” In the semifinals, Italy will face France, while Germany will play against Czechia.

The reigning champions in the Under 19 Team’s Event, Team Romania, reached the semifinals after overcoming the top-seeded French team at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava. Once again, Ostrava proved to be an unlucky city for the favorites — France will miss the medal rostrum for the first time since the 2019 edition, which was also held at the Torax Arena. Due to a rejuvenated lineup, Romania was seeded only at position no. 5 despite having won the title last year. With only two out of five players remaining from last year’s squad, the new team has shown that they can continue the legacy. Without Andrei ISTRATE and Darius MOVILEANU, Iulian CHIRITA led the team to the podium once again. He repeated last year’s performance against France, where Romania also stopped them in the semifinals. Romania needed only three matches to secure their spot in the semis. Iulian CHIRITA defeated Flavio MOURIER, Dragos BUJOR prevailed against Nathan PILARD, and in a dramatic five-game battle, Robert Alexandru ISTRATE beat Nathan LAM. “We knew that France has great players, all of them, and that it would be really difficult — they are the first seeds. But we went into the match with a clear head. We beat them in the last two years, so we just focused and played our best. My match against MOURIER was important, especially for me, because at the beginning of the tournament I didn’t feel great and wasn’t playing my best. Against him, I knew I had to be careful with his long serves – but I prepared for that in practice. The tactic during the match remained the same the whole time. I didn’t change anything,” explained CHIRITA. Romania’s first player continued: “BUJOR beat PILARD – it was a really close match, and both played very well. The last match was ISTRATE against Nathan LAM. We’re really proud of him because he’s the youngest player on our team and he did a great job. He was up 2-0, but I think he got nervous and was afraid to win — this is his first European Youth Championships as a junior, but he managed to keep his head and win. In the semifinal we’ll play against Slovakia. We’ve never played against them before, but we know each other well, so we’ll see. We’ll discuss tactics with our coach and try our best.”

For the first time since 2016, Spain will stand on the medal rostrum in the Under 19 Girls category at the European Youth Championships. And for the first time since 2019, Romania will have no representatives among the medal winners in the same category. That is the outcome of their dramatic quarterfinal clash today in Czechia. Spain previously won bronze in 2016, ending a long drought following back-to-back gold medals in 2004 and 2005 with the team led by Galia DVORAK. Last year, they finished seventh and entered this year’s EYC as the no. 8 seeds. On the other side, Ostrava once again proved to be an unlucky venue for Romania. It was also in 2019, at this very location, that the Romanian team missed the podium. This will now be only the third time in this century that Romania’s junior girls fail to reach the medal podium. The no. 5 seeds and last year’s runners-up were defeated in an unusual and dramatic style. Bianca MEI ROSU gave Romania a good start with a win over Maria BERZOSA, but then Camila Renata MOSCOSO turned the momentum of the match. She defeated Alesia Sofia SFERLEA, and Mariona MUNNE followed up with a win against Andreea JIFCU. Finally, MOSCOSO delivered the decisive blow, beating the reigning Under 19 Singles champion MEI ROSU. “This win is like a dream for us, we still can’t believe it. I played really well in this match, but I was quite nervous for sure. I’m still young, and these wins carry a lot of weight for me, especially against Bianca MEI ROSU. She is an incredible player,” said MOSCOSO. She continued: “It’s not usual for Spain to win a medal, so this is an incredible moment for us. In both matches I felt a lot of pressure, but I believed in myself the whole time. With Bianca, it’s really complicated to win, but I did it and I’m so happy. I’ll never forget this moment. In that match, I just played and stayed focused. I didn’t change anything during the match. I stuck to the tactic we discussed beforehand: playing more short balls and focusing on controlling her serves, which are very high-quality.” MOSCOSO underlined the team’s performance. “I’m so proud of my team — you can’t even imagine how much. It’s a huge relief for us, and now it’s most important to stay focused for the next round and play our best, just like we did against Romania,” said MOSCOSO. In the semifinals, Spain will face Ukraine, who also produced an upset by defeating no. 2 seeds Germany. In the other semifinal, top seeds France will play against Portugal. France overcame Austria, while Portugal halted Hungary’s progress.

In the last round of the third day of play in the Under 19 Boys Event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava, Slovakia became the first team to book their place in the quarterfinals. Seeded no. 6, Samuel PALUSEK, Samuel ARPAS, and Damian FLORO halted the spirited progress of the 28th seeds Switzerland, represented by Noe KEUSCH, Abishek VEPA, and Levi ULRICH, in straight matches. “We started really well at this tournament. We won the group stage – the hardest match was against Portugal, where we were 0-2 down, but we made a comeback and won 3-2. I am really proud of that win. In the Round of 16, we faced Switzerland and won every match 3-0; we didn’t lose a single game. We knew it would be a tough match, because one of their players had beaten me last time. So we couldn’t underestimate them, even though they weren’t among the top seeds. All of us played really well, and we didn’t have any problems during the matches. We hope to play the same way tomorrow. In my match, I knew I had to stay focused, and I tried to win every ball,” said ARPAS. An extraordinary wave of emotions swept through the stands as the Czech junior boys fought for a place in the quarterfinals of the European Championships in Ostrava. They were trailing 0-2 against Slovenia, but an incredible comeback saw them turn the match around and deservedly advance among the top eight. The cadet girls will also be fighting for medals after defeating Austria 3-1. Things looked bleak for the Czech junior team for a long time. Štěpán BRHEL and Martin ŠÍP both lost their opening singles, and Slovenia seemed close to advancing. But then came a remarkable turnaround. Jindřich MORÁVEK, with ice-cold composure, defeated Bor BRODNJAK and sparked a shift in momentum. “I knew that if I could win, we’d still have a chance to qualify. That’s why I tried not to be nervous and just play my game. It was a tough match, but I’m higher on the rankings and it worked out,” he said after the match, still receiving congratulations from teammates on the Czech national team. BRHEL, who had been the team’s key player throughout the group stage, managed to bounce back from his opening loss and beat Miha PODOBNIK in the fourth match. It may not have been the most beautiful table tennis, but the emotions from both players, amplified by the roaring crowd, created a gripping scene. “The first match was mentally tough. I got unnecessarily frustrated and didn’t play my game. But after Jindra MORÁVEK’S win, I felt recharged. After the second set, I calmed down and knew I wouldn’t let the match slip. At 0-2, Matyáš KOLEČKÁŘ told me it’s still 0-0 and that I should win 3-0. So I did. Without MATYÁŠ, who knows how it would have ended,” he said with a smile, confirming the great atmosphere within the Czech team. The comeback was completed by Martin ŠÍP, who defeated Brin Vovko PETROVSKY without dropping a set. Cheered on by dozens of fans, he ran around the court with his arm raised, firing up the crowd. Italy pushed top-seeded France to the limit in a high-quality encounter. Giacomo ALLEGRANZA claimed impressive victories over both Nathan PILARD and Nathan LAM, keeping Italian hopes alive. However, the French team showed composure and resilience – Flavio MOURIER defeated Matteo FANTONI, and in the decisive fifth match, PILARD overcame Giacomo IZZO to seal a narrow 3-2 win. The Spanish boys followed in the footsteps of their female counterparts and also secured a spot in tomorrow’s quarterfinals. No. 4 seeds Daniel BERZOSA, Luca KHIDASHELI, and Francesc CARRERA prevailed against 21st-seeded Norway, whose team included Khai Noah LAM, Martin FROSETH, and Michael FARNES. Poland needed only three matches to overcome Sweden, despite the close proximity in seeding suggesting a tighter contest. The Polish trio, Rafal FORMELA, Marcel BLASZCZYK, and Alan KULCZYCKI, seeded 8th, defeated Sweden’s Noa DAHLSTROM, Adam WALLIN, and Elias SJOGREN, who were seeded 10th. BLASZCZYK said: “In this match we were really focused. I think this was our best performance so far. Everyone in my team was ready, and we felt really good. When we saw the draw for the first time, we knew it would be a really hard match, because we had lost to them last year in the group stage in Malmö. I played against Adam WALLIN and won 3-0. I played really well, didn’t change anything, and just followed the tactics we had discussed with my coach. KULCZYCKI also played really well, at first he was a bit nervous and didn’t know how to play against SJOGREN. He lost the first game, but then he became more confident and won 3-1. In the next round, we will fight for every ball just like we did today.”

Watching 11-year-old Ladimir MAYOROV lead Spain to victory in the Round of 16 of the Under 15 Event at the European Youth Championships was a unique experience. Spain reached the quarterfinals after the team, seeded no. 9, defeated no. 4 seeds England 3-1. See photos here. MAYOROV overcame both Abraham SELLADO and Kacper PIWOWAR, while also partnering with Tianxiang ZOU to prevail in the doubles. SELLADO scored England’s sole point with a win over Alexander MALOV. However, it was not just the victory that captured attention in the Torax Arena in Ostrava — it was the style, the maturity, and the strategic intelligence that the 11-year-old boy displayed, thinking three steps ahead like a seasoned professional. His father and coach, Eduard MAYOROV, explained: “Ladimir has the mindset of a semi-professional and much older player. He trains every day for 3 to 4 hours – because he wants to. I don’t think it’s necessary, but he’s doing it because he enjoys the game. He enjoys thinking about tactics, about combinations. Twice a week, he is also in the high-performance center where he trains with me and his mother, Svetlana BAKHTINA, a former member of the national team.” In the quarterfinals, Spain will meet the top-seeded Italy. Danilo FASO and Francesco TREVISAN justified their ranking with a solid win over Hungary’s Mark GERGELY and Lenard SZABO. “In the first match, FASO Danilo played against GERGELY, which was a really good match – we believed in him because we knew FASO knows how to play against Mark. The next match I played against Lenard SZABO, which I lost 2-3; he was leading 2-0, but then I won two games and it was 2-2. In the fifth game, I was up 8:6 but lost 8:11. In the following matches — the doubles and my last singles – I was much calmer and more focused, and that helped me a lot to win. In doubles with FASO, we won 3-1, and in my last match against GERGELY, I played really well and won 3-1,” explained TREVISAN. Denmark, seeded no. 17, reached the top 16 and have now gone one step further. On their way to the quarterfinals, Malik SEVERINSEN and Emil HASSELBALCH overcame Portugal. “I can say that we slightly changed our lineup because we knew MALIK would need some breaks if we were to continue playing more matches – and we hit the right combination in the lineup. We led 2-0 early, which was a big advantage for us. The most difficult match was definitely the second one – Emil HASSELBALCH struggled a bit when he was leading, but fortunately, he played very smart and calm. In that match, he changed tactics — started to use more spin and a lot of short shots. Portugal really had problems with that, especially the short balls — we had identified that as a weakness from the start. In the next round, we can play more freely and with calmness. We’ve played a lot of youth series, so we actually expected to make it to the Round of 16,” explained coach Claus ARNSBAEK. In the Under 15 Girls Event at the European Youth Championships, Czechia found their winning rhythm in the Round of 16, played at the end of the third day of competition in Ostrava. Hanka KODET, Adela BRHELOVA, and Simona HOLUBOVA overcame Austria’s Mariia LYTVYN, Sophia PICHLER, and Vanessa TANG. “For sure, it is a big relief that we won against Austria. We knew it would be a tough match, but we stayed focused and tried to play our best the whole time. We struggled a lot in the group stage, so we are really happy that we made it to the Round of 16 – and I think we were a bit lucky. The most important match was the doubles, because that match is always the most decisive. In this match, we chose the tactic to play more short balls. In my singles match against Mariia LYTVYN, I felt really good because I had beaten her the last time we played – so maybe she had that in her head and was more nervous than me. But I didn’t focus on that win, because every match is different. I went into the match with a clear head. To be honest, it wasn’t a simple match, the last two points really helped me,” explained KODET. Romania’s Patricia STOICA and Maya Roberta MADAR were fully in control as they defeated Belgium’s Juliette DEDECKER and Temperance TANG in convincing fashion. France caused an upset by beating Sweden in straight matches. Lou-Anne BOCQUET, Eva LAM, and Albane ROCHUT exceeded expectations and outplayed Siri BENJEGÅRD and Angelina BEBAWY.

The knockout stage of the Under 19 Girls Team Event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava heated up the atmosphere in the RT Torax Arena. The beginning of the Round of 16 brought the surprising absence of the Czech team, seeded no. 7, which caused disappointment among home supporters but opened the door for no. 30 seed Greece to feel the heat of the action. See photos here. However, Greece failed to prolong their stay among the top 16 teams and lost to Hungary in straight matches. The top-seeded team and reigning champions, France, showed no mercy against Bulgaria. Nina GUO ZHENG, Lena HOCHART, and Jade Quynh-Tien NUYNH won in straight matches. No. 2 seeds Germany followed suit – Lorena MORSCH, Mia GRIESEL, and Eireen KALAITZIDOU defeated Türkiye. Austria dropped one point against Italy. The team composed of Nina SKERBINZ, Elina FUCHS, and Julia DÜR overcame Irene MORETTI, Candela SANCHI, and Francesca SEU 3-1. “Our goal was to remain in the top division, but here we are in the top eight! I am very happy that we achieved it with a very young team. All the players are in their first Under 19 year, and it gives us great hope for the future,” said coach Ivana MALOBABIC, who is also a Croatian Olympian from Paris 2024. Austria is seeded at position 13, while Italy is just two places below at no. 15. “We were aware that in the Round of 16 there was no chance of an easy adversary. The Italian players are very aggressive, two of them play with materials, which makes it very difficult to find the game to beat them. We had to make very detailed tactics to manage it. Our no. 1, Nina, secured two wins and proved herself as a leader. She did exactly what we planned: being aggressive and focused, showing discipline. However, Elina FUCHS brought the crucial win to the team with a 3-2 victory over Candela SANCHI. She was 1-2 down and on the ropes, but she managed to recover. There wasn’t a single easy point in that match. I also have to say that our third player, Julia DÜR, gave a very brave performance. She faced a player with very strong spin.” Spain prevailed against Croatia, with Maria BERZOSA justifying her status by winning both of her matches against Neva GOJKOVIC and Victoria PUSTAJ. Mariona MUNNE added a point with a victory over Leeloo HAN VUKELJA. “When we saw the draw, we knew it would be a difficult match. All of us were under a lot of pressure. In the first match, Camila Renata MOSCOSO lost 1-3 — she was really nervous, and that’s why I think she lost. In the second match, I played against Neva GOJKOVIC. It was a really hard duel for me because she plays with a defensive style. The first game was 17-15 for me, so it gave me more power, and I won 3-1. I think this match was the most important for us, because if we went 0-2 down, it would’ve been really hard to make a comeback.” Maria BERZOSA continued: In the third match, Mariona MUNNE played against HAN VUKELJA and won 3-0. In my last match, I won 3-0 against PUSTAJ, but in the third game I was up 10-7, then it became 10-10. I stayed calm and focused. I think the most important point was when I played a really good counter-spin on match point. In the next round, we will play against Romania, which is a really strong team, but we will try our best for sure!” Last year’s runners-up, Romania, overcame Belgium.

At the European Youth Championships in Ostrava, the teams that progressed directly to the Round of 16 from the top two spots in the Under 19 Girls’ Teams Event are: France and Spain (Group A), Germany and Austria (Group B), Portugal and Ukraine (Group C), Romania and Hungary (Group D). In Group B, Austria lost the final group-stage duel against Germany, but the defeat did not diminish the overall quality of their performance in Ostrava. Dorotheea ALEXANDRU, Gabriela KEZAI, and Nina SKERBINZ secured second place behind Germany. Mia GRIESEL played in all three of Germany’s group-stage matches, all of which ended with a 3-0 scoreline. Lisa-Sophie WANG, Eireen KALAITZIDOU, Lorena MORSCH, and Elisa NGUYEN also contributed strongly. “All of us played really well in this match. I faced KEZAI, and she had a lot of problems with my serves, so I had a big advantage there. We didn’t play many long rallies, I tried to change tactics and do things differently, and it worked,” said GRIESEL. “In the third match, NGUYEN played against Nina SKERBINZ. It was a really close one, NGUYEN was down 1-2, then leveled to 2-2, and even trailed 6-10 in the final game, but managed to win 12-10. I think she was mentally stronger in that moment. Nina made an error at 7-10, and maybe that was the turning point when pressure got to her, but that’s just my opinion.” GRIESEL was satisfied with Germany’s overall performance. “We had a good seeding here, as the second seed, so of course we had expectations to fight for a medal. But it’s always tricky at the beginning, new tournament, new hall. I was especially happy with our win over Czechia. Playing them at home, with so many fans and so much noise, made things uncomfortable. It’s not easy when the entire venue is against you, but we made it, and I’m really proud. Czechia has very good players. We had a training camp with them before EYC, so we had an idea of how they played and were able to prepare accordingly. For example, we chose our defensive player Lisa-Sophie WANG to play against them because we knew they struggle against defense.” In Group C, Ukraine’s 2-3 loss in the second round did not prevent them from progressing directly to the Round of 16. Daria KOVALOVA, Veronika MATIUNINA, and Olha PONKO slipped to second place, while Portugal climbed to the top of Group . Ukraine beat Croatia in their final group-stage match, while Matilde PINTO, Julia LEAL, and Mariana SANTA COMBA secured a win against Bulgaria for Portugal. In the Under 15 Girls’ Teams Event, the top two teams in each group are: Germany and Hungary (Group A), France and Spain (Group B), Austria and Italy (Group C), Romania and Poland (Group D). Germany defeated Moldova 3-0 in the final group match to secure first place in Group A. Hungary defeated Croatia 3-1, dropping only the doubles point. Last year’s bronze medalists, the Czech Republic, will have to continue their campaign via the play-offs. Hanka KODET and her teammates managed only one win in the group, against Belgium. France, seeded third in Group B, emerged as group winners, though their success came as no surprise. Eva LAM stood out with four singles victories and two doubles wins. “I started with a really good match against Eloisa BARREDA and won 3:0. In the second match, Lou-Anne BOCQUET led 2-1 but lost 2-3. I’m not really sure what happened there. In the doubles, I didn’t play so well, but my partner Albane ROCHUT was amazing. In my singles match against Renata SHYPSHA, we had great rallies. I started strong and won the first two games easily. In the third, she changed the rhyth, slowed things down, and it worked for her. But I adapted and won the last game 11:4. I’m really proud of my performance against Czechia, especially against Hanka KODET. I was down 0-2 but came back to win 3-2. That was a really tough match, but I changed my service and the playing rhythm during the match, and I think she struggled with that, it helped me win,” explained LAM. In Group C, Austria defeated Italy to claim the top position. However, Italy still progressed as the second-placed team, despite being seeded only fourth in the group.