The semifinal line-up in the Under 19 Boys Teams event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar is complete. France will face Poland, while Spain will take on Romania, with all four teams now guaranteed at least a bronze medal. Top seeds France secured their place in the semifinals after edging sixth seeds Italy 3-2 in a dramatic quarterfinal. Nathan LAM gave France the opening point with a straight-games victory over Francesco TREVISAN, winning 11-9, 11-9, 11-7. Italy responded through Danilo FASO, who produced a commanding straight-games victory over Nathan PILARD to level the tie. Antoine NOIRAULT restored France’s advantage with another assured performance, defeating Giacomo IZZO in straight games, 11-8, 11-9, 11-7. FASO then kept Italy’s hopes alive in a five-game battle against LAM. The French player won the opening game, but FASO took the next two before LAM forced a decider with an 11-4 victory in the fourth. The Italian held his nerve in the fifth, prevailing 11-8 to level the tie at 2-2. PILARD delivered when it mattered most, defeating TREVISAN in straight games, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7, to send France into the last four. Second seeds Poland booked their place in the semifinals with a 3-0 victory over fifth seeds Sweden. Samuel MICHNA gave Poland the opening point after a dramatic five-game battle against Adam WALLIN. MICHNA dominated the opening game 11-2, but WALLIN responded by edging the second 15-13 and taking the third 11-7 to move ahead. The Polish player recovered strongly, winning the final two games 11-6, 11-6 to complete the comeback. Marcel BLASZCZYK doubled Poland’s advantage with a commanding straight-games victory over William BERGENBLOCK, winning 11-6, 11-5, 11-5. Mateusz SAKOWICZ then sealed Poland’s place in the semifinals after another five-game encounter. Noa DAHLSTROM took the opening game 11-6, but SAKOWICZ responded by winning the next two 11-5, 11-4. DAHLSTROM forced a decider with an 11-9 victory in the fourth before SAKOWICZ held his nerve to take the fifth 11-9 and complete Poland’s 3-0 success. Ninth seeds Romania continued their impressive run by defeating 11th seeds Austria 3-1 to reach the semifinals. Julian RZIHAUSCHEK gave Austria the opening point with a straight-games victory over Robert PODAR. The Austrian edged a dramatic second game 16-14 before closing out the match 11-6 in the third. Romania responded immediately through Robert ISTRATE, who defeated Petr HODINA in straight games. After taking the opening two games comfortably, ISTRATE held his nerve in a tight third game, winning it 13-11 to level the tie. Andrei TIBIRNA then put Romania ahead with a commanding straight-games victory over Tobias HOLD. ISTRATE sealed Romania’s place in the semifinals with another outstanding performance against RZIHAUSCHEK. After dropping the second game, the Romanian regained control, winning the third and fourth 11-6, 11-8 to complete Romania’s 3-1 victory and secure a place on the medal rostrum. Fourth seeds Spain completed the semifinal line-up after edging third seeds Slovakia 3-2 in another thrilling quarterfinal. Luca KHIDASHELI gave Spain the opening point with a four-game victory over Damian FLORO. The Spaniard controlled the first and third games before holding his nerve in a tense fourth, winning 16-14. Samuel ARPAS levelled the tie for Slovakia by defeating Francesc CARRERA in four games. After dropping the second game, ARPAS regained control to close out the match 11-7, 11-3. Slovakia then moved ahead as Pavol KOKAVEC produced a commanding straight-games victory over Dario SALCEDO, leaving his team just one point away from the semifinals. KHIDASHELI responded for Spain, defeating ARPAS in straight games to level the tie at 2-2 and force a deciding fifth match. The final singles delivered another thriller. CARRERA recovered from losing the opening game to edge FLORO in five games. After FLORO won the third 12-10 to move within one game of victory, the Spaniard fought back to take the fourth 11-9 before sealing the decider 13-11, completing Spain’s dramatic comeback and booking a place in the semifinals. Francesc CARRERA said: “When the match ended, the first thing that went through my mind was that we had achieved a dream. It was something I had imagined for a long time, and finally we had made it happen. As you grow up, you see your teammates winning medals and you hear people saying, ‘I hope I can do that one day.’ You want to experience that feeling too. When you start seeing the people around you achieve it, your own desire becomes even stronger. Last year, we watched our female teammates win a medal, and that gave us even more motivation to try to do the same. To achieve it in my final year, with five friends and the best group I could possibly have come here with, makes it even more special. It does not matter who is playing. Everyone has an important role, and everyone gives one hundred per cent at all times, whether they are on the table, on the bench or helping the team in another way. We need every single person, and we are like brothers. Together with our coach, we have created the best possible group. He is like a father to us. He is with us every day and gives everything for this team.”

Germany, Poland, Sweden and France secured their places in the semifinals of the Under 15 Boys Teams event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar. Monday afternoon’s semifinals will see France face Poland, while Germany take on Sweden. Third seeds Germany ended the run of top seeds Spain one step short of the medal rostrum, claiming a 3-1 victory. Tien Nghia PHONG gave Germany the opening point after a dramatic five-game battle against Alexander MALOV. PHONG won the opening two games before MALOV fought back by taking the next two, 12-10 and 15-13. The German regained control in the decider, cruising to an 11-4 victory. Spain responded through Ladimir MAYOROV, who defeated Lukas WANG in straight games, edging a tight second game 13-11 to level the tie. Germany moved back in front with a superb doubles performance as WANG and PHONG defeated MAYOROV and Marcos GOMEZ in straight games. PHONG then sealed Germany’s place in the last four by defeating MAYOROV in another five-game thriller. After the players shared the opening four games, PHONG held his nerve to win the decider 11-7, ending Spain’s title challenge. Fourth seeds Poland progressed with an impressive 3-0 victory over ninth seeds Romania. Jakub TURECKI put Poland ahead by defeating David TORO in four games. After narrowly dropping the opener 12-10, TURECKI responded strongly, taking the next three games 11-6, 11-9, 11-7. Hubert KWIECINSKI wider the gap with a dominant straight-games victory over Tudor SAFTOIU. The Polish pair then wrapped up the tie in emphatic fashion as TURECKI and KWIECINSKI defeated Mihai IORDAN and SAFTOIU in straight games to book their place in the semifinals. Sixth seeds Sweden produced one of the biggest upsets of the day, edging second seeds Türkiye 3-2 to secure a place on the medal rostrum. Görkem OCAL gave Türkiye the perfect start with a straight-games victory over Joel ISAKSSON, but Emil ELLERMANN levelled the tie by defeating Emre BUCAK in four games. Sweden moved ahead in the doubles as ELLERMANN and Erik KOGERFELT overcame OCAL and Kaan TUNA in four games, winning two tight opening games before closing out the match emphatically. OCAL kept Türkiye alive with a four-game victory over ELLERMANN, forcing a deciding fifth match. ISAKSSON then held his nerve against BUCAK. After the players split the opening two games, the Swede took control of the match, winning the final two games 11-5, 11-4 to complete Sweden’s memorable victory. ELLERMANN highlighted the importance of targeting the tie strategically. “Before the tie, I felt we needed to beat Türkiye’s second player because Görkem is one of the best players in the world and extremely difficult to beat. That also made the doubles especially important. Erik and I had a clear tactical plan. We wanted to limit Görkem’s opportunities to attack strongly and direct more of the play towards his partner. Whenever Görkem was unable to take the initiative, we tried to attack first ourselves.” KOGERFELT explained the doubles tactics that proved decisive. “My aim was to keep the return short and create a forehand opportunity for Emil to finish the point. On the important points, we also used a lot of backspin. That made it difficult for them to attack consistently, and they missed several balls under pressure.” ISAKSSON admitted the deciding singles was mentally demanding. “I knew the deciding match would be very difficult because Emre had played very well against Emil. I tried not to think only about myself. I was thinking about the team and how much I wanted to win that final point for everyone.” France completed the semifinal line-up after edging Czechia 3-2 in another thrilling quarterfinal. Ondrej MORAVEK gave Czechia the opening point by defeating Nolan JOHNSTON in five games, before Noah TESSIER levelled the tie with a four-game victory over Oliver OLEJNIK. Czechia regained the advantage in the doubles as MORAVEK and OLEJNIK defeated Quentin SANDONA and TESSIER in five games after recovering from 1-2 down. TESSIER once again rescued France, coming back twice against MORAVEK before dominating the deciding game 11-6 to force a winner-takes-all fifth match. JOHNSTON then completed France’s comeback. In another five-game battle, he overcame OLEJNIK 11-8 in the decider to send the French team into the semifinals.

The quarterfinal line-up in the Under 19 Girls Teams event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar is now complete. France will face Spain, Bulgaria will take on Germany, Portugal will meet Austria, and Poland will play Romania. Top seeds France advanced to the quarterfinals with a commanding 3-0 victory over 13th seeds Slovakia. Jade HUYNH gave France the opening point with a straight-games victory over Nina DAROVCOVA, maintaining control throughout to win 11-9, 11-7, 11-9. Leana HOCHART then doubled France’s advantage with an emphatic performance against Sara HABAROVA, before Nina GUO ZHENG completed the clean sweep in equally dominant fashion, defeating Emma MOLNAROVA 11-3, 11-4, 11-5 to send the top seeds safely into the last eight. Sixth seeds Germany progressed to the quarterfinals after defeating 12th seeds Croatia 3-1. Lisa-Sophie WANG gave Germany the perfect start with a dominant straight-games victory over Lana BENKO, while Koharu ITAGAKI doubled the advantage by overcoming Leeloo HAN VUKELJA in straight games. The Croatian offered her strongest resistance in the third game, but ITAGAKI held her nerve to close it out 13-11. Croatia stayed in contention through Franka MISKIC, who defeated Elisa NGUYEN in four games. WANG then returned to secure Germany’s place in the last eight with another assured straight-games victory, defeating HAN VUKELJA 11-5, 11-5, 11-9. Third seeds Poland advanced to the quarterfinals with a 3-0 victory over 22nd seeds Denmark. Katarzyna RAJKOWSKA gave Poland the opening point with a straight-games victory over Stella ROSENMEIER, edging two tight games 12-10 after taking the opener comfortably. Natalia BOGDANOWICZ then came through the closest contest of the tie against Maja HANSEN. After the players shared the opening four games, BOGDANOWICZ took control of the decider to prevail 11-6. Karolina HOLDA completed the sweep with a four-game victory over Fiona OVERGAARD. After losing the opening game, HOLDA responded strongly to secure Poland’s place in the quarterfinals. Second seeds Romania progressed with a 3-1 victory over ninth seeds Hungary. Alesia Sofia SFERLEA gave Romania the perfect start by defeating Judit NAGY in straight games. After edging a competitive opening game 12-10, SFERLEA took control to complete an impressive victory. Bianca MEI ROSU doubled Romania’s advantage with another commanding display, overcoming Johanna PETERY in straight games. The Romanian held her nerve to win a tight second game 14-12 before comfortably taking the third. Hungary reduced the deficit through Nora DOHOCZKI, who defeated Patricia STOICA in four games to keep her team in contention. MEI ROSU then returned to seal Romania’s place in the last eight in emphatic fashion, allowing Judit NAGY just 13 points in a dominant straight-games victory. Seventh seeds Austria progressed to the quarterfinals after defeating 16th seeds Türkiye 3-1. Nina SKERBINZ gave Austria the perfect start with a straight-games victory over Aybuke SIMSEK. After comfortably winning the opening two games, SKERBINZ held her nerve in a thrilling third game, edging it 15-13. Mariia LYTVYN doubled Austria’s advantage in another hard-fought contest. She recovered after dropping the second game on deuce to Busra DEMIR, winning the next two convincingly to secure a four-game victory. Türkiye reduced the deficit through Asude Tuba SIMSEK, who produced a straight-games win over Elina FUCHS, keeping her team in contention. SKERBINZ returned to finish the job, allowing DEMIR just 15 points in another dominant straight-games victory to seal Austria’s place in the quarterfinals. Fifteenth seeds Bulgaria produced one of the biggest upsets of the Round of 16, defeating 10th seeds Ukraine 3-1 to reach the quarterfinals. Anita PETKOVA gave Bulgaria the opening point after edging Daria KOVALOVA in a dramatic five-game battle. Nina NIKOLOVA then doubled Bulgaria’s advantage with another five-game victory, this time over Olha PONKO. The Bulgarian won the opening two games, saw PONKO force a decider, and then regained control to prevail 11-8. Ukraine stayed in contention through Veronika VASYLENKO, who recovered from two games down to defeat Sidelya MUTLU 13-11 in the deciding game. NIKOLOVA returned to finish the tie, overcoming KOVALOVA in straight games. After edging the opener 13-11, she took firm control of the next two to secure Bulgaria’s place in the last eight. PETKOVA was delighted with both her team’s performance and their composure under pressure. “We’re very happy with the way we played as a team. It was a very emotional match because the first three singles all went to five games. I think our victory came down to both our mentality and our tactics. We managed the important points better and stayed calm in the decisive moments. Winning the opening match was very important because it gave the whole team confidence and belief that we could win the tie. Then Nina also came through another five-game battle, which gave us even more momentum. By the time we went into the fourth match, we felt much more confident and comfortable with the situation, and that helped us finish the job.” Fifth seeds Spain booked their place in the quarterfinals after edging eighth seeds Belgium 3-2 in a dramatic encounter. Maria BERZOSA gave Spain the perfect start with a commanding straight-games victory over Kathe DE MEYER, but Belgium responded through Lilou MASSART, who defeated Camila MOSCOSO in four games to level the tie. Renata SHYPSHA restored Spain’s advantage with a convincing straight-games victory over Lessia LEWYCKYJ, putting the Spaniards one point away from qualification. Belgium refused to surrender as MASSART produced another outstanding performance, and beat BERZOSA in five games. MOSCOSO held her nerve in the winner-takes-all contest. After dropping the opening game to DE MEYER, she responded strongly to claim the next three games 11-8, 11-7, 11-5, securing Spain’s place in the last eight. Fourth seeds Portugal completed the quarterfinal line-up by overcoming 17th seeds Czechia 3-2. Veronika POLAKOVA gave Czechia the perfect start with a commanding straight-games victory over Mariana SANTA COMBA, but Julia LEAL responded for Portugal by edging Hanka KODET in five games. LEAL won the opening two games, saw KODET force a decider, and then regained control to prevail 11-6. Beatriz PINTO put Portugal ahead with

The quarterfinal line-up in the Under 15 Girls Teams event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar is complete after an exciting Round of 16 featuring several major upsets. Top seeds Czechia, France, Germany, Lithuania and Romania progressed, while Sweden, Portugal and Switzerland all eliminated higher-seeded adversaries. In Monday’s quarterfinals, Czechia will face Sweden, Romania will take on France, Portugal will meet Germany, and Lithuania will play Switzerland. Top seeds Czechia booked their place in the quarterfinals with a commanding 3-0 victory over 33rd seeds Moldova. Laura MARSICKOVA faced the toughest challenge in the opening singles, edging Andreea DELEV in two deuce games before closing out the match 12-10, 13-11, 11-3. Adela BRHELOVA quickly doubled the advantage with a dominant straight-games victory over Camelia LIPOVAN, conceding just 10 points. MARSICKOVA and BRHELOVA then completed the clean sweep in emphatic fashion with a straight-games doubles success. Czech coach Jakub MERTA was delighted with his team’s display. “We keep improving with every match, and this was our best performance of the tournament. Everything worked perfectly, the girls, the team spirit and the support from the bench. It was a very clear victory. The quarterfinals will certainly be much tougher, but we are the top seeds and I believe we are capable of dealing with that challenge as well.” Fifth seeds France also progressed comfortably, defeating Belgium 3-0. Albane ROCHUT gave France the perfect start with a straight-games victory over Amandine RIFFLART, before Chloé HUANG doubled the lead by overcoming Temperance TANG in the closest match of the tie, edging the opening two games 12-10. ROCHUT and Eva LAM completed the sweep with a dominant doubles victory. Lithuania advanced to the last eight with a convincing 3-0 victory over Hungary. Emilia PSCOLOVSKA opened with a four-game win over Borbala VASS, sealing the fourth game 12-10. Kaja TVOROGAL followed with a straight-games success against Zsófia FEGYVER, including a tight 14-12 second game, before PSCOLOVSKA and TVOROGAL completed the victory in four-game doubles. Third seeds Germany progressed with a 3-0 victory over 13th seeds Italy. Amelie Guzi JIA defeated Alice BORSANI in four games before Anna WALTER survived the closest contest of the tie, recovering after Claudia BERTOLINI forced a deciding game to prevail 11-9. WALTER and JIA then dominated the doubles against Matilde BUZZONI and BERTOLINI to complete the clean sweep. Seventeenth seeds Switzerland produced one of the biggest surprises of the day by eliminating ninth seeds Spain 3-0. Enya HU gave Switzerland the lead with a straight-games victory over Eloisa BARREDA, before Ilvi ULRICH survived a spirited comeback from Mireia PARAU, winning the deciding game 11-5. HU and Michelle WU then sealed the upset in a dramatic five-game doubles match, edging Esther HASEK and BARREDA 12-10 in the decider. Fourth seeds Sweden knocked out second seeds Poland with a 3-1 victory. Siri BENJEGARD opened with a dominant straight-games win over Lucja KOBOSZ, but Aleksandra NAWROCKA levelled the tie after edging Nike LUNDQVIST 16-14 in the deciding game. Sweden regained control in the doubles as BENJEGARD and LUNDQVIST defeated KOBOSZ and NAWROCKA in straight games. BENJEGARD then completed the upset with another composed display, overcoming NAWROCKA in four games, winning three of them by the narrowest of margins. Tenth seeds Portugal also upset the seedings, edging eighth seeds Croatia 3-2. Maria RUIVO put the hosts ahead with a four-game victory over Sara RIVETTI, but Karla IVCIC responded by defeating Irina SILVA. Portugal regained the advantage in the doubles as RUIVO and SILVA recovered from losing the opening game to beat RIVETTI and IVCIC. IVCIC forced a deciding match by overcoming RUIVO, but SILVA held her nerve against RIVETTI. After trailing 5-0 in the deciding game, the Portuguese player produced a stunning comeback to win 11-6 and send the home crowd into celebration. RUIVO admitted Croatia had surprised them with the strength of Karla IVCIC. “We didn’t know the Croatian team that well. We watched a few videos, but we didn’t expect Karla to win both of her singles. The doubles turned out to be the key moment. We’ve been playing really well together throughout the tournament and winning that match gave us the confidence we needed going into the remaining singles.” SILVA revealed what was going through her mind during the dramatic deciding match. “When I was 5-0 down in the fifth game, my coach kept encouraging me. He told me he was proud of me whatever the result, that he believed in me and that I should just give everything, even if I made mistakes. I told myself, ‘I don’t care anymore, just put the ball on the table and fight for every point.’ After we changed ends, I felt that side of the table had been lucky for us. I started playing much better, came back to lead 9-5 and eventually won 11-6. It was an incredible feeling to secure the victory for Portugal.” Sixth seeds Romania completed the quarterfinal line-up after edging seventh seeds Türkiye 3-2. Bianca TOMA gave Romania the perfect start with a five-game victory over Ela Su YONTER, before Kariss SERBAN doubled the advantage by defeating Ceren KAHRAMAN in four games. Türkiye responded by winning both the doubles and YONTER’s second singles to level the tie. The deciding match also went the distance, but TOMA held her nerve, pulling away in the fifth game to defeat KAHRAMAN 11-6 and send Romania into the last eight.

The quarterfinal line-up is set in the Under 15 Boys Teams event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar. Top seeds Spain will face third seeds Germany, eighth seeds France meet fifth seeds Czechia, ninth seeds Romania take on fourth seeds Poland, while Sweden will play Türkiye for the remaining semifinal place. Top seeds Spain progressed with a 3-1 victory over 15th seeds Italy. Ladimir MAYOROV gave Spain the opening point with a four-game victory over Tommaso SIMI, controlling the first two games before holding his nerve to close out the fourth 12-10. Italy responded through Pietro CAMPAGNA, who produced a commanding straight-games victory over Alexander MALOV, edging the third game 12-10 to level the tie. Spain regained the advantage in the doubles as Marcos GOMEZ and MAYOROV defeated CAMPAGNA and SIMI in straight games, winning each game 11-7. MAYOROV then returned to complete the job, beating CAMPAGNA in straight games to send Spain into the last eight. Eighth seeds France also enjoyed a comfortable passage, sweeping 23rd seeds Israel 3-0. The opening singles proved the closest contest of the tie as Nolan JOHNSTON recovered from losing the first game to defeat Nir ENGLER in four. Noah TESSIER then comfortably overcame Maor NICHANEVICH before TESSIER and Quentin SANDONA dominated the doubles, allowing their Israeli opponents just 15 points to book a quarterfinal meeting with Czechia. Fifth seeds Czechia advanced with a convincing 3-0 victory over 11th seeds Ukraine. Ondrej MORAVEK edged Mark VORONOI in three competitive games before Oliver OLEJNIK defeated David DROBOV in straight games after surviving a tight opening game 13-11. MORAVEK and OLEJNIK then completed the sweep with a straight-games doubles victory over Ivan BUR and VORONOI. Third seeds Germany also progressed in straight matches, defeating 18th seeds Slovakia 3-0. Lukas WANG overcame Filip NAGY in four games before Tien Nghia PHONG produced a dominant straight-games victory over Rastislav SVEC, conceding only 18 points. Slovakia offered much stronger resistance in the doubles, but WANG and PHONG prevailed 11-6 in the deciding game to complete the sweep. Ninth seeds Romania produced one of the biggest upsets of the Round of 16, eliminating seventh seeds Austria 3-1. Louis FEGERL gave Austria the lead with a straight-games victory over Tudor SAFTOIU, but David TORO responded by defeating Sung Bing CHEN in four games. The turning point came in the doubles. FEGERL and CHEN raced into a two-game lead before TORO and SAFTOIU staged a superb comeback, conceding just seven points across the next two games before taking the decider 11-8. TORO then completed Romania’s comeback with an emphatic straight-games victory over FEGERL. Fourth seeds Poland also had to recover from behind before defeating 21st seeds Bulgaria 3-2. Miroslav SCHMIDT gave Bulgaria the opening point by edging Jakub TURECKI in five games. Hubert KWIECINSKI restored parity with a four-game win over Stefan BONCHEV, but Bulgaria moved back in front after SCHMIDT and BONCHEV claimed the doubles. KWIECINSKI forced a deciding match with a straight-games victory over SCHMIDT before TURECKI completed Poland’s comeback, recovering twice against BONCHEV to prevail 11-6 in the deciding game. Sweden booked their quarterfinal place after edging Azerbaijan 3-2. Onur GULUZADE defeated Joel ISAKSSON in five games to put Azerbaijan ahead, but Emil ELLERMANN levelled the tie with a dominant straight-games victory over Ruslan KARIMOV. ELLERMANN and Erik KOGERFELT then gave Sweden the lead with a four-game doubles victory. GULUZADE forced a deciding match by overcoming ELLERMANN, but ISAKSSON secured Sweden’s place in the quarterfinals with a commanding straight-games victory over KARIMOV. Sweden’s coach Sebastian LUNDHAL praised his team’s collective effort. “I think it was a very good performance. We worked together as a team and that made the difference. The doubles were definitely crucial. We also know we can challenge the number one players from other teams. We came close in both of those matches, but our doubles are very strong. We don’t rely on one outstanding player. Instead, we have three players at a similar level and teamwork is our biggest strength.” ELLERMANN was pleased with both his own display and the team’s approach. “I think it was a good performance. I won my first match quite comfortably, but in the second I started well before my opponent found his rhythm after a very close second game. From then on he played at a really high level and it became much more difficult. As a team, everyone gave their best. We fought for every point, especially in the key moments, and stayed together throughout the match. We feel comfortable here, we’re playing well, and it doesn’t matter who we face next. We’ll just play our game.” Türkiye completed the quarterfinal line-up after fighting back to defeat England 3-2. Görkem OCAL opened with a dominant straight-games victory over Dimitar DIMITROV, but Pablo RAMIREZ RIOJA edged Emre BUCAK in five games to level the tie. England moved ahead by winning a dramatic doubles contest, with Oscar NIKOLLI and RAMIREZ RIOJA overcoming OCAL and Ali Enes SEREN 14-12 in the deciding game after the Turkish pair had forced a fifth. OCAL once again proved decisive, producing another commanding straight-games victory over RAMIREZ RIOJA before BUCAK defeated DIMITROV in straight games to complete Türkiye’s comeback and secure a place in the quarterfinals.

The quarterfinal line-up is complete in the Under 19 Boys Teams event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar. Top seeds France will face sixth seeds Italy, second seeds Poland meet fifth seeds Sweden, third seeds Slovakia take on Spain, while Austria and Romania will battle for the remaining semifinal place. Top seeds France justified their status with a commanding 3-0 victory over 12th seeds Switzerland. Nathan LAM set the tone by defeating Noe KEUSCH in straight games, allowing his opponent just 14 points. Nathan PILARD then doubled the advantage with another dominant display, overcoming Lowis VOGLER 11-7, 11-5, 11-3. The closest contest came in the third singles, where Antoine NOIRAULT had to save game points before edging Severin SCHERER 13-11 in the opener. After surviving that early scare, NOIRAULT took full control, winning the next two games 11-7, 11-7 to complete France’s convincing victory. Fifth seeds Sweden also advanced with a 3-0 win over 18th seeds Bulgaria. Noa DAHLSTROM opened with a four-game victory over Stefan DIMITROV before Adam WALLIN defeated Yoan VELICHKOV in three closely contested games. William BERGENBLOCK wrapped up the tie with a dominant straight-games success over Daniel DIMITROV, conceding just 12 points. BERGENBLOCK praised the collective effort: “Everyone gave their best and played very well. We fought for every point, especially in the crucial moments, and we did it together as a team. We focused on playing our own game and stayed united throughout the match.” Looking ahead to the quarterfinal against Poland, he remained composed. “We’ll just play our game and see how it goes.” Second seeds Poland were pushed to the limit before defeating 19th seeds Denmark 3-0, with every singles match going the full five games. Samuel MICHNA recovered twice from behind to overcome Dominykas SAMUOLIS before Marcel BLASZCZYK produced an even more remarkable comeback, rallying from 0-2 down against Johan HAVSTEEN and edging the deciding game 14-12. Mateusz SAKOWICZ completed the sweep in similar fashion, recovering twice against Adam NOTTELMANN before dominating the deciding game . BLASZCZYK credited Poland’s mentality for the victory. “It was a very close match and we knew Denmark had very strong players. The biggest difference was our mentality. Everyone came under pressure during their matches, but we stayed focused, trusted our tactics and kept believing. In the end we managed to win, so we’re very happy.” He also explained how Poland approached the physical challenge posed by their opponents. “Their height definitely made a difference. When you’re a bit smaller it’s easier to move around the table, while taller players have to move their whole body and have less space close to the table. Our plan was to push the ball deep and, when they stayed close to the table, block deep to the forehand. We felt that was the best way to put them under pressure.” Third seeds Slovakia defeated 14th seeds Belgium 3-1 to secure their place in the last eight. Samuel ARPAS gave Slovakia the perfect start with a straight-games victory over Charles JANSSENS, but Belgium responded as Per GEVERS edged Damian FLORO in five games. Pavol KOKAVEC restored Slovakia’s advantage with a convincing win over Maxime DEGIVE, before ARPAS returned to defeat GEVERS in another five-game battle, recovering after letting a two-game lead slip to take the decider 11-6. Sixth seeds Italy overcame eighth seeds Czechia 3-1. Francesco TREVISAN opened with a four-game victory over Jindrich MORAVEK, while Danilo FASO recovered from losing the first game to defeat Jan SKALDA in four. Jakub KABELKA kept Czechia alive by beating Jacopo CIPRIANO, but FASO completed the job in dramatic fashion. After trailing MORAVEK by two games, he fought back to win the next three, dominating the decider 11-5. Spain progressed with a 3-1 victory over Hungary. Francesc CARRERA recovered after losing the opening game to Balazs LEI, while Botond VARGA levelled the tie by defeating Luca KHIDASHELI. Dario SALCEDO restored Spain’s lead with a dominant straight-games victory over Mark GERGELY, before KHIDASHELI returned to overcome LEI in four games and seal Spain’s place in the quarterfinals. Austria recovered from an early setback to eliminate hosts Portugal 3-1. Tiago ABIODUN gave Portugal the lead by defeating Julian RZIHAUSCHEK, but Petr HODINA levelled the tie with a four-game victory over Guilherme CARDOSO. Tobias HOLD then put Austria ahead by overcoming Lourenço SARDINHA, before RZIHAUSCHEK secured qualification with a straight-games victory over CARDOSO, surviving a thrilling opening game 16-14. Romania completed the quarterfinal line-up with a 3-1 victory over England. Robert ISTRATE opened by defeating Abraham SELLADO in four games before Robert PODAR edged Max RADIVEN in a five-game battle to double Romania’s lead. Isaac KINGHAM kept England alive by beating Andrei TIBIRNA, but ISTRATE returned to finish the tie. After narrowly losing the second game 13-11 to RADIVEN, he responded by taking the next two games 11-9 and 11-8, sending Romania into the last eight.

The first eight places in the knockout stage of the Under 15 Girls Teams event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar have been decided. Czechia, Spain, France and hosts Portugal topped their respective groups, while Croatia, Türkiye, Germany and Sweden joined them by finishing runners-up after a dramatic conclusion to the opening phase of the competition. op seeds Czechia completed a perfect Group A campaign, while Croatia claimed the second qualification place after edging Hungary in a dramatic final-round encounter. Czechia finished unbeaten with three victories from three matches. Croatia, Hungary and Belgium all ended on four points, with Croatia taking second place, Hungary third and Belgium fourth. Czechia wrapped up first place with a convincing 3-0 victory over Belgium. Laura MARSICKOVA survived a hard-fought five-game battle against Temperance TANG, prevailing 12-10 in the deciding game after twice trailing in the match. Adela BRHELOVA then comfortably defeated Amandine RIFFLART in straight games before BRHELOVA and MARSICKOVA completed the clean sweep with a four-game doubles victory. The battle for second place went all the way, with Croatia overcoming Hungary 3-2. Karla IVCIC gave Croatia the lead by defeating Borbala VASS in five games, but Zsófia FEGYVER levelled the tie after edging Lucija NOVAK in another deciding game. IVCIC and Sara RIVETTI restored Croatia’s advantage with a four-game doubles victory over FEGYVER and Izabell IVANICS. FEGYVER once again brought Hungary level by beating IVCIC in straight games, forcing a decisive fifth match, where NOVAK defeated VASS in straight games to send Croatia into the knockout stage. Czech coach Jakub MERTA was delighted with his team’s consistency throughout the group stage. “We were the highest-seeded team in the group, but we knew the group stage would be difficult. The opening match against Hungary was a very important step because it gave the team confidence. Our biggest strength was the balance across the whole squad. We didn’t lose a single singles match, which shows the players were in excellent form. I’m very satisfied with their performance.” Group B produced one of the closest finishes of the day. Spain edged Türkiye 3-2 in the decisive final-round encounter to finish first, while both teams progressed to the knockout stage. Poland and Italy both ended with one victory, but Poland claimed third place on countback. The decisive clash lived up to expectations. Ela Su YONTER gave Türkiye the perfect start with a commanding straight-games victory over Mireia PARAU, before Eloisa BARREDA levelled the tie by defeating Ceren KAHRAMAN in straight games. Türkiye regained the advantage in a dramatic doubles contest as YONTER and KAHRAMAN edged BARREDA and Esther HASEK in five games, recovering after letting a match point slip in the fourth game. Spain responded through BARREDA, who defeated YONTER in another five-game battle to force the decider. In the final match, PARAU held her nerve to overcome KAHRAMAN in five games and secure first place for Spain. Poland finished the group stage with a 3-2 victory over Italy. Matilde BUZZONI and Claudia BERTOLINI each won five-game battles to give Italy a 2-0 lead, defeating Aleksandra NAWROCKA and Lucja KOBOSZ respectively. Poland then mounted an impressive comeback. NAWROCKA and KOBOSZ reduced the deficit with a straight-games doubles victory before NAWROCKA defeated BERTOLINI in four games to level the tie. KOBOSZ completed the turnaround with a convincing straight-games victory over BUZZONI, but despite the win Poland narrowly missed out on qualification. France completed a perfect Group C campaign, while Germany secured the second qualification place after defeating Ukraine in the final round. The French team finished unbeaten with three victories from three matches. Germany claimed second place, while Israel finished third ahead of Ukraine. Germany confirmed qualification with a convincing 3-0 victory over Ukraine. Anna WALTER opened the tie with a straight-games win over Sofiia BOIKO, before Amelie Guzi JIA defeated Veronika PRYSHCHEPA in four games to double Germany’s advantage. Lotta ROTHFUSS and Chenhao CHEN then completed the clean sweep with a straight-games doubles victory over Mariia DROBOVA and Yuliia SLIESARENKO. France rounded off the group stage with a 3-1 victory over Israel. Chloé HUANG gave France the lead before Ofek NAHUSHI levelled the tie with a five-game victory over Lisa ZHAO. Zhao and Albane ROCHUT restored France’s advantage by defeating Gali BEZALEL and NAHUSHI in the doubles, before ZHAO returned to seal the victory with a commanding singles success over BEZALEL. Germany coach Jie SCHÖPP admitted France had justified their status as favourites. “The defeat against France didn’t come as a big surprise because we knew they were the favourites. What was really disappointing was that we lost the doubles match.” Hosts Portugal completed a defeat-free Group D campaign, while Sweden secured the second qualification place after defeating Greece in the final round. Sweden confirmed their place in the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory over Greece. Siri BENJEGARD gave the Swedish team the perfect start with a commanding straight-games victory over Anastasia MICHALAROU, before Nike LUNDQVIST doubled the advantage by defeating Elpida TASIOU in four games. Greece kept the tie alive through the doubles, as MICHALAROU and TASIOU overcame Alicia ENBOM and LUNDQVIST, but BENJEGARD returned to the table to seal Sweden’s qualification with another convincing straight-games victory. Portugal secured first place with a 3-1 victory over Romania in the decisive clash for the top of the group. Maria RUIVO put the hosts ahead by defeating Maya MADAR in four games, but Kariss SERBAN responded for Romania with a four-game victory over Irina SILVA. Portugal regained control in the doubles as RUIVO and SILVA defeated SERBAN and Nadalia IONASCU in four games before RUIVO produced another outstanding performance, overcoming SERBAN in straight games to complete Portugal’s perfect group campaign. Pedro OLIVEIRA: “It was a very emotional match because we knew it would decide whether we finished first in the group or had to go through the play-off. We were very strong in the service and receive phase and tried to attack every point aggressively. We knew our opponents were technically very strong, so that

The knockout stage picture in the Under 19 Girls Teams event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar is now complete. France, Romania, Germany and Portugal all finished their group campaigns with perfect records to claim top spot, while Austria, Ukraine, Poland and Spain secured the remaining places in the main draw after a dramatic conclusion to the group stage. The race for the knockout stage intensified in the Under 19 Girls Teams event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar, with France, Romania and Germany all completing flawless group campaigns. Austria, Ukraine and Poland joined them in the main draw after securing second place in their respective groups. France topped Group A with three victories from three matches, while Austria claimed the second qualification place after defeating Croatia in the decisive final-round encounter. Croatia finished third, with Serbia fourth. Austria booked their place in the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory over Croatia. Lana BENKO gave Croatia the ideal start by edging Nina SKERBINZ in a dramatic five-game contest. Mariia LYTVYN quickly restored parity with a four-game victory over Franka MISKIC, before Elina FUCHS put Austria ahead by defeating Neva GOJKOVIC, also in four games. SKERBINZ then returned to the table and produced a commanding straight-games victory over MISKIC to seal Austria’s qualification. France rounded off the group stage with another convincing performance, sweeping Serbia 3-0. Nina GUO ZHENG recovered after dropping the opening game to defeat Teodora GOJKOV in four games, before Jade HUYNH comfortably overcame Jelena BAJIC in straight games. Alexia NODIN then completed the clean sweep with a dominant straight-games victory over Maja VANJO. Romania also completed a perfect Group B campaign, while last year’s runners-up Ukraine claimed the second qualification place after defeating Belgium in the decisive final-round encounter. The second seeds wrapped up first place with a convincing 3-0 victory over Türkiye. Bianca MEI ROSU gave Romania the perfect start with a four-game victory over Aybuke SIMSEK, before Alesia Sofia SFERLEA doubled the advantage by defeating Busra DEMIR, also in four games. Andreea BAIASU then completed the clean sweep with a straight-games victory over Nil BASARAN. MEI ROSU was delighted with the way Romania concluded the group stage. “We knew this opponent, so we understood that we had to fight for every point, every game and every match. In the end, we are very happy that we managed to win quite comfortably.” Looking back over the tournament so far, the reigning European Under 21 champion admitted the opening tie against Ukraine had been the toughest challenge. “The first match against Ukraine was difficult because they changed their line-up, but we still managed to win. I think we have found a good team formula. This is the first junior year for some of the players, and this fresh start gives us a lot of confidence.” MEI ROSU also spoke about embracing the responsibility of leading the Romanian team. “I have enjoyed being the leader of the team for the past two years. I try to give confidence to my teammates so that they can play freely and express themselves. Away from the table, we also have a very good relationship.” The battle for second place went Ukraine’s way as Daria KOVALOVA and Veronika VASYLENKO guided last year’s finalists to a 3-1 victory over Belgium. Lilou MASSART claimed Belgium’s only point, but KOVALOVA returned to defeat MASSART in a hard-fought five-game contest and secure Ukraine’s place in the knockout stage. Germany completed campaign in Group C undefeated, while Poland secured the second qualification place after overcoming Slovakia in the final round. The sixth seeds finished with three victories from three matches, while Poland claimed second place with five points. Italy ended the group in third position ahead of Slovakia. Coach Lara BROICH pointed:”The match against Poland was balanced on a knife edge several times. Koharu got her revenge against BOGDANOWICZ after losing to her at the Under 21 European Championships. Lisa also had her chances, but she focused too much on one point and couldn’t close out the match. Lorena then produced a very disciplined performance to win her match and shift the momentum in our favour. After that, Koharu sealed the victory for us. It showed the strength of this team. Against Italy, we were then able to play with much more confidence and delivered a convincing performance.” Lorena MORSCH: “We’re really happy that we managed to beat Poland. We went into the match as underdogs, but our team spirit was fantastic and helped us pull it off. That victory gave us a lot of confidence, and we carried that momentum into our match against Italy.” Poland confirmed their place in the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory over Slovakia. Natalia BOGDANOWICZ put Poland ahead by defeating Nina DAROVCOVA in four games, before Zofia SLIWKA doubled the advantage with another four-game success against Emma MOLNAROVA. Sara HABAROVA kept Slovakia’s hopes alive by recovering from two games down to edge Karolina HOLDA in five games, but SLIWKA returned to defeat DAROVCOVA in four games and complete Poland’s qualification. Germany rounded off the group stage with another commanding 3-0 victory, this time against Italy. Lisa-Sophie WANG opened with a straight-games success over Sofia MINURRI, before Lorena MORSCH recovered after dropping the opening game to overcome Candela SANCHI in four games. Elisa NGUYEN then completed the clean sweep by defeating Irene MORETTI in four games, sealing Germany’s perfect record heading into the knockout stage. Group D provided the most dramatic finish of all. Spain completed its schedule early with a convincing 3-0 victory over Hungary and was then forced to wait for the outcome of the Portugal–Bulgaria clash to discover whether it would finish first or second. In the end, hosts Portugal held their nerve to edge Bulgaria 3-2 and complete a perfect group campaign, leaving Spain to qualify in second place. Spain swept Hungary without dropping a game. Maria BERZOSA defeated Nora DOHOCZKI, Camila MOSCOSO overcame Johanna PETERY, and Renata SHYPSHA completed the clean sweep with

The opening ceremony of the 2026 European Youth Championships was held in Gondomar, marking the official start of one of the most important events on the European table tennis calendar. European Table Tennis Union President Pedro MOURA welcomed all participants to Gondomar and expressed his gratitude to the institutions and individuals involved in staging the Championships. The ceremony brought together athletes, coaches, officials and distinguished guests, including President of the Portuguese Table Tennis Federation Fernando MALHEIRO, Councillor for Sport, Municipality of Gondomar José Fernando MOREIRA, Secretary of State for Sport Pedro DIAS and Regional Delegate of the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth Vítor DIAS . “It is a great honour and pleasure to welcome you to the 2026 European Youth Championships here in the wonderful city of Gondomar,” said President MOURA. “On behalf of the European Table Tennis Union, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Portuguese Government, the Municipality of Gondomar, the Portuguese Table Tennis Federation, our partners, volunteers, officials and everyone whose dedication has made this Championship possible.” President MOURA emphasised that the European Youth Championships represent much more than the pursuit of sporting success. “This event is about much more than medals. It is about bringing together the next generation of European table tennis, inspiring excellence, building friendships across borders and promoting the values of respect, fair play and unity through sport.” He also praised Portugal’s continued commitment to organising major international table tennis events. “Portugal once again demonstrates its outstanding commitment and ability to host major international events, and I am confident that Gondomar will provide an unforgettable experience for everyone taking part.” Addressing the young players directly, President MOURA encouraged them to embrace the occasion and enjoy every moment of the competition. “To all our young athletes: compete with passion, respect your opponents, enjoy every moment and make memories that will stay with you for a lifetime. I wish you all an excellent Championship.” The ceremony officially opened the Championships and set the stage for several days of competition featuring Europe’s leading young table tennis players. Secretary of State for Sport Pedro DIAS welcomed all participating nations to Gondomar, describing the Championships as one of Europe’s most important youth sporting events and a source of great pride for Portugal. “It is a great pleasure to welcome you to Gondomar for the 2026 European Youth Table Tennis Championships. Portugal is proud to host one of Europe’s most important youth sporting events. Over the coming days, Gondomar will welcome Europe’s most promising young table tennis players, competing with passion, respect and team spirit. Your presence honours Portugal and enriches this Championship. I would also like to send a special message of encouragement to the Portuguese team, proudly representing our country. May every delegation enjoy an unforgettable experience in Portugal. I hope these Championships become much more than a competition, inspiring personal growth, friendship, cultural exchange and fair play. I wish every athlete, coach and delegation a memorable stay in Portugal, and I hope Gondomar becomes a place of friendship, unforgettable experiences and sporting excellence.” President of the Portuguese Table Tennis Federation Fernando MALHEIRO thanked everyone involved in bringing the event to Portugal and underlined the values at the heart of the Championships. “This event is an opportunity to demonstrate our organisational excellence and to celebrate the values that unite our sport, respect, friendship, fair play and sporting excellence. I warmly invite all table tennis fans to join us throughout the Championships. Your support will help create a memorable atmosphere and inspire our young athletes. On behalf of the Portuguese Table Tennis Federation, I wish every participant an excellent Championship.” Councillor for Sport of the Municipality of Gondomar José Fernando MOREIRA highlighted the significance of hosting athletes from across Europe and the lasting legacy the event will leave for the city. “Hosting these European Championships is a moment of great pride for Gondomar and for Portugal. It reflects the quality of our sports facilities, the dedication of our partners and our long-standing commitment to sport and major international events. With athletes, coaches and delegations from 44 European countries, Gondomar once again becomes a place of sport, friendship and international cooperation. These Championships are about much more than medals. They celebrate the values that unite us, respect, friendship, determination, equal opportunities, team spirit and fair play. To all the athletes, enjoy every moment, challenge yourselves, honour the values of sport and grow both as players and as people. I hope everyone visiting Gondomar feels at home and leaves with the image of a welcoming city that is passionate about sport. I am confident these Championships will leave a lasting legacy, inspire future generations and further strengthen Gondomar’s position as a leading destination for major sporting events.”