Reigning European champion Austria’s Sofia POLCANOVA will play at the China Construction Bank Europe Top 16 Cup in Montreux for a ninth time. No. two seed reached third position last year to justify her best results in 2010 and 2019. The tournament will be played on Saturday 25th and on Sunday 26th February.
“I am very glad that I will be competing in Monterux. I think I am in a normal shape and I worked to improve it in weeks before Top-16. I did not play any tournaments in 2023 I aplayed at WTT Contender Amman and it was my first tournament ” said Sofia POLCANOVA who reached the penultimate stage of Women’s Sinles Event in Jordan.
Two weeks ago in Amman POLCANOVA beat MO Zhang of Canada HAN Feier of China Shao JIENI of Portugal only to be halted in the match against Mima ITO of Japan.
In 2022 POLCANOVA had one of the best seasons in career but also faced great problems with injuries.
“I did not play any tournament before Amman this year and last year I also skipped the events in China in October because of problems with my knee. I played manly in Champions League now and in the last match I was satisfied with my result “stated POLCANOVA.
Commenting this year’s goals at the CCB Europe Top 16 Cup in Montreux POLCANOVA added:
“I clinched bronze medals three times so I want one medal in another color ” said POLCANOVA laughing.” Will see how it goes I will try my best but the most important is to enjoy table tennis and my game.”
Despite the defeat in the semi final Sofia POLCANOVA was not unhappy with last year’s performance.
“Last year was very nice. I like it very much to play in Montreux. There is nice atmosphere and people are very welcoming. I think I was satisfied with my bronze medal as I had tough couple of years with injuries and operations but when I look back I think maybe I could perform even better. The problem was I didn‘t have enough self-confidence at that time.”
In Munich at the European Championships last summer you won the title in singles in doubles with Bernadette SZOCS and bronze medal in mixed doubles with Robert GARDOS. Did it help restore your confidence?
“Yes I think it is getting better. Of course I have my ups and downs but after Munich I felt also a little bit a relief. I wanted so much to be European Champion and it eased the pressure when I finally achieved it. Of course everybody wants to win probably so I am not taking it for granted I am very grateful for my results in Munich with 3 medals. Generally last year was very good for me. My last year was very good until after the European Championships then I again had problems with my knee and had to pause for almost one and a half month. Now everything is super and I am enjoying playing again. Quarterfinal in Singapore Smash; Bronze at Top-16. I was able to keep my level from January 2022 until August this was quite satisfying. I think this gave me more confidence. But now it is a new year and I have to start from the beginning.”
At the list of players at China Construction Bank Europe Top 16 Cup are also: HAN Ying and Nina MITTELHAM of Germany YUAN Jia Nan of France YU Fu of Portugal Bernadette SZOCS of Romania Hana MATELOVA of Czechia NI Xia Lian of Luxembourg Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania Barbora BALAZOVA of Slovakia Linda BERGSTROM of Sweden SHAO Jieni of Portugal Georgina POTA of Hungary Rachel MORET of Switzerland Christina KALLBERG of Sweden Natalia BAJOR of Poland.
