On the fifth day of play at the European Team Championships in Zadar, the top 16 teams battled for a place in the quarter-finals.
Poland – Austria 3–2
Poland advanced to the quarter-finals after a thrilling 3–2 victory over Austria. For the Polish side, Natalia BAJOR, Zuzanna WIELGOS, and Katarzyna WĘGRZYN each contributed to the decisive scoreline.
In Austria’s team, Sofia POLCANOVA secured two wins, but Karoline MISCHEK and Yuan LIU were unable to provide the needed support.
“The key was to stay in the match despite POLCANOVA’s two wins, we knew she would get them,” said WIELGOS.“For me, the receive is the most important part of my game, and I’m happy it worked well today. I was very stressed; playing a decisive match at such an important stage of the Championships didn’t make it easier.However, I managed to stay focused until the end.”
Ukraine – Hungary 3–0
Ukraine’s trio of Margaryta PESOTSKA, Veronika MATIUNINA, and Tetyana BILENKO halted Hungary’s progress with a commanding 3–0 victory.
For Hungary, Georgina POTA, Rebeka NAGY, and Johanna PETERY were unable to find a way through.
PESOTSKA’s opening win over POTA (3–1) proved decisive, setting the tone for Ukraine’s overall success.
“My match against POTA was very close because we’ve played each other many times and know each other’s game well,” explained PESOTSKA.
“I needed to stay calm and focused in the key moments. I managed to do that, and it was a very tight win. The crucial part of our team victory was to stop Georgina.”
Portugal – Luxembourg 3–0
Portugal’s trio Fu YU, Jieni SHAO, and Julia LEAL advanced to the quarter-finals with a 3–0 victory over Luxembourg’s Sarah DE NUTTE, Tessy DUMONT, and Enisa SADIKOVIC.
One of the biggest surprises of the Women’s Team group stage, Luxembourg failed to claim a single individual win this time, but the scoreline does not fully reflect how hard-fought the match was.
Sarah DE NUTTE came back from 0–2 down to level the score before narrowly losing 10–12 in the decisive game, while Enisa SADIKOVIC also pushed LEAL to the full distance.
“At this level, it’s normal that we have to be at the top of our game,” said LEAL.
“It’s already Day 5 of the Championships, and I’ve gained a lot of confidence here. Against Ukraine, I expect a really tough match.”
