European Champions League Women
In today’s duels in European Champions League Women only Polish KTS Siarka ZOT Tarnobrzeg prevailed on home soil whilst Linz and Szekszard succeeded as guests.
In Group B Linz repeated the October’s success and beat UCAM Cartagena for a second time this season but it did not affected their place in the quarterfinal. Both teams progressed to the knock out phase but still the battle for the top position added some extra flavor to the duel. Spanish club needed at least 3:1 win to reach the top but they failed. LIU Jia returned to the table after she has recovered from the injury. The 2005 European Champion beat Iulia NECULA in the last match. Previously ZHANG Mo and Sofia POLCANOVA secured two more points.
Before the match Cartagena organized small celebration in honor of SHEN Yanfei. SHEN lead the team on their way to two titles in ETTU Cup in 2009 and 2010.
In Group C Turkish Bursa Büyükşehir Belediyespor extending their losing streak to four matches. On the home soil they failed to post the first victory in this year’s competition. Hungarian Szekszard beat them for a second time this year. Like in the match in October Polina MIKHAILOVA’s role was pivotal in their success. She secured both points against Alexandra PRIVALOVA and Busra YILDIZ. European champion HU Melek beat Leila IMRE but it was insufficiently.
In Group D both Polish KTS Siarka ZOT Tarnobrzeg and French Metz TT secured the place in the quarterfinal but the duel was important for determinate who will finish at the top in the group. Tarnobrzeg showed no mercy and avenged the 1:3 defeat from their first encounter this year. In October Elizabeta SAMARA beat HAN Ying and LI Qian but this time LI Qian prevailed. With always dangerous Victoria PAVLOVICH and World’s no. 8 HAN Ying hosts posted straight matches victory.
Group B
UCAM Cartagena – Linz AG Froschberg 1:3
Tetiana BILENKO – ZHANG Mo 0:3 (9:11 9:11 6:11)
WANG Zhipei: LIU Jia 3:1 (9:11 12:10 11:4 11:6)
Maria XIAO – Sophia POLCANOVA 0:3 (9:11 8:11 10:12)
Iulia NECULA – Jia LIU 1:3 (12:10 9:11 7:11 3:11)
Group C
Bursa Büyükşehir Belediyespor – Szekszard AC 1:3
Alexandra PRIVALOVA – Dora MADARASZ 1:3 (8:11 11:8 15:17 6:11)
Busra YILDIZ – Polina MIKHAILOVA 0:3 (3:11 2:11 1:11)
HU Melek – Leila IMRE 3:0 (11:4 11:8 11:5)
Alexandra PRIVALOVA – Polina MIKHAILOVA 1:3 (10:12 11:8 9:11 7:11)
Group D
KTS Siarka ZOT Tarnobrzeg -Metz TT 3:0
Victoria PAVLOVICH – Pauline CHASSELIN 3:0 (11:6 11:5 11:9)
LI Qian – Elizabeta SAMARA 3:1 (11:5 7:11 11:8 11:5)
HAN Ying – FU Yu 3:0 (11:8 11:19 13:11)