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