2017 in the rearview mirror

July

In midsummer the European Veterans Championships brought battles for the titles in Sweden. Beautiful Helsingborg Arena was fully packed. After fantastic week of table tennis new 32 European Champions were crowned. The competition was fierce since more than 2.100 players participated in last seven days.

Vladimir SAMSONOV has won his 27th ITTF World Tour at the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Platinum Australian Open on the Gold Coast Australia. SAMSONOV’s 27th title also means that the Belarussian is the first ever player to win an ITTF World Tour event on every continent.

Russia defended their title in the Cadet Boys Teams Event at the STAG 2017 European Youth Championships in Guimaraes. At the ultimate stage they prevailed against France. Golden boys are: Vladimir SIDORENKO Maksim GREBNEV Vladislav MAKAROV and Gleb IVANOV. Silver medal went to France for Bilal HAMACHE Dorian ZHENG Jules CAVAILE and Myshaal SABHI. Russia was also champion in Cadet Girls Teams Event for a second year in the row. They overcame France on their way to the highest step at the medal rostrum. Russia team was composed of Elizabet ABRAAMIAN Nataliya MALININA Arina SLAUTINA Ekaterina ZIRONOVA whilst for France played Prithika PAVADE Camille LUTZ Lou FRETE Isa COK.

Germany’s Gerrit ENGEMANN Tobias HIPPLER Cedric MEISSNER and Fanbo MENG are the crowned champions of the Junior Boys Teams Event in Guimaraes. In the final they beat Russia’s team composed of Artur ABUSEV Nikita ARTEMENKO Denis IVONIN Lev KATSMAN and Anton KOTOV. Anastasia KOLISH Mariia TAILAKOVA Kristina KAZANTSEVA Anna KRASIKOVA and Daria SHADRINA of team of Russia took the crown from Romania the team they halted in the ultimate stage. Silver medal winners are Adina DIACONU Andreea DRAGOMAN Mihaela PLAEASU Tania PLAIAN.

The winners of the Cadet Mixed Doubles Event at the STAG 2017 European Youth Championships in Guimaraes were Vladimir SIDORENKO and Ekaterina ZIRONOVA of Russia. In the final they overcame Vladislav MAKAROV and Nataliya MALININA of Russia. Bronze medals winners are Martin FRIIS and Rebecca MUSKANTOR of Sweden and Daniel RINDERER and Anastasia BONDAREVA of Germany. Juniors Jules ROLLAND and Lucie GAUTHIER of France in the final overcame Denis IVONIN and Mariia TAILAKOVA of Russia. Bronze medalists are Nikita ARTEMENKO and Anna KRASIKOVA of Russia and Cristian PLETEA and Adina DIACONU of Romania

In the thrilling seven games Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS of Greece beat Romania’s Cristian PLETEA to clinch the title in the Junior Boy’s Singles Event. Bronze medal winners are Simon SODERLUND of Sweden and Rares SIPOS оf Romania. For a second time in the row Vladimir SIDORENKO of Russia clinched the gold in the Cadet Boys Singles Event. In the final he overcame Truls MOREGARDH of Sweden. Bronze medal winners are Samuel KULCZYCKI of Poland and Maksim GREBNEV of Russia.

NING Jing of Azerbaijan clinched the first ever title for Azerbaijan. She won the Junior Girls Singles Event at the STAG 2017 European Youth Championships in Portugal. In the final she beat Anastasia KOLISH of Russia. Bronze medalist are Adina DIACONU of Romania and Mariia TAILAKOVA of Russia .Elizabet ABRAAMIAN of Russia added another gold to her collection. In the final of the Cadet Girls Singles Event she overcame Wenna TU of Germany. Bronze medal winners are Anastasia BONDAREVA of Germany and Elena – Adriana ZAHARIA of Romania. In Doubles gold went to first time partners in Double YOVKOVA and ARASZTOVICH PLETEA and IVONIN KLEE and BONDAREVA and MOREGARDH and FRIIS

August

Turkey clinched all gold medals at the Balkan Senior and U21 Championships in Montenegro’s city of Podgorica. They are team’s winners in Men’s and Women’s Event. Abdullah Talha YIGENLER won gold in Men’s Singles Event Oyge YILMAZ in Women’s Singles Event. Ibrahim GUNDUZ and YIGENLER won gold in Men’s Doubles. YILMAZ and Ece HARAC succeeded to the top position at the medal rostrum in Women’s Doubles and YILMAZ and GUNDUZ are at the top of the Mixed Doubles.

Germany’s Dimitrij OVTCHAROV defeated Japanese Kenta MATSUDAIRA in five games to clinch the gold at the Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Asarel Bulgaria Open in the city of Panagyurishte.

September

Two European players clinched bronze medals at the 2017 Summer Universiade held in Taipei City Chinese Taipei. They were Bernadette SZOCH from Romania and Alexandre ROBINOT from France.

The defeat in the final of the European Youth Championships in Portugal haunted Romania’s Cristian PLETEA for weeks but he took the best from the fall and came back stronger. The most anticipated match at the European Youth Top 10 in Worcester the duel in Junior Singles between PLETEA and European champion Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS of Greece concluded in favor of Romania’s player after only four games. Third was Bastien REMBERT of France the only player who beat PLETEA in England.

Last European major tournament in junior category Adina DIACONU sealed with the triumph. Romania’s young star clinched the title at the European Youth Top 10 by beating all her adversaries except Jennie WOLF of Germany. Anastasia KOLISH of Russia is second followed by WOLF.

In Worcester Samuel KULCZYCKI of Poland clinched the title in the Cadet Boys Singles Event. After three days of fierce battles young Polish player beat 8 adversaries and left the court defeated only once – in the match against Dorian ZHENG of France. Bilal HAMACHE of France concluded the competition at the position no. two whilst ZHENG is third.

The winner of the Cadet Girls Singles Event at the European Youth Top 10 was Sophia KLEE of Germany. On her way to the highest step at the medal rostrum in England she lost two encounters against top seeded Elena ZAHARIA and no. two seed Jamila LAURENTI of Italy. Ozge YILMAZ of Turkey is second followed by Isa Cok of France both with 6/3 ratio.

At the LIEBHERR ITTF European Championships few days later after four consecutive finals Romania finally clinched gold metal. At the ultimate stage of the LIEBHERR ITTF European Championships they overcame reigning champions from Germany and halted their progress to the fourth title.

For a seventh time in history Germany was at the top of the Europe in Team’s Event in Luxembourg. They clinched the gold medal. It was the second time Portugal and Germany meet in the final of the Men’s Team’s Event at the European Championships; the outcome being very different to their most last encounter in the final in Lisbon 2015 when Germany suffered defeat.