MAZE’s return in style at Europe Cup

Agonizing wait and painful recovery are over. Michael MAZE is back. On his first tournament after brief appearance at the LIBEHERR European Championships in Austria last year, at the DHS 2014 Europe Cup, Michael MAZE reached at least the semifinal of the ,

Agonizing wait and painful recovery are over. Michael MAZE is back. On his first tournament after brief appearance at the LIBEHERR European Championships in Austria last year, at the DHS 2014 Europe Cup, Michael MAZE reached at least the semifinal of the Men’s Singles Event. “It is so nice to play again. After 15 months finally I am back on track. I do not want to make any predictions, and I go one step at the time,” said MAZE.

At the opening day MAZE beat Alexey SMIRNOV and lost five games duel against Marcos FREITAS. He stood the challenge of playing full distance match, recovered after defeat against Portugal’s player to secure the quarterfinal in the duel against Russia’s SMIRNOV.

“In Schwechat I just came to secure my staying at the rankings. I was afraid to move; now it is completely different situation. I feel good. Against FREITAS I had a bad start, but recovered to level. Thanks to my easy mistakes I lost the decisive game. On the other hand Alex was not in his best shape.”

In quarterfinal MAZE beat Greek star Panagiotis GIONIS, but more then victory he underlined the fact that he is able to enjoy the game again. “Finally, after one year of hell. I do not know what to expect from future, but so far I enjoy every moment.”

But certainly, you set some goals. “The time frame works for me. Until next January I do not expect a lot. Then, I hope I will be ready for 2015 World Championships and of course I will give my best to be at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. In between, we will have European championships… As I said the time is on my side. Things like this tournament, big championships, clashes with the best players are the things that motivate me. The heat from the great matches inspires me. This is what I living for and I will fight to come back on my top again.”

Follow the event on Facebook and Twitter

Related News

ETTU Match Officials’ Webinar Attracts 174 Participants

The European Table Tennis Union successfully organised its Match Officials’ Webinar on 28 October 2026, bringing together 174 participants for an informative and interactive session dedicated to the latest developments...

Read more

Historic Belgian Triumph as HENNAUT Claim STIGA Masters Titles

Belgium’s Timo HENNAUT and Türkiye’s Defne UZUMCU emerged victorious at the 19th edition of the STIGA Masters, with HENNAUT making history by securing Belgium’s first-ever title at the Under 11...

Read more

Brunetti Castel Goffredo Claim Eighth Italian Super Cup After Dramatic Comeback

Brunetti Castel Goffredo celebrated their eighth Italian Women’s Super Cup title after a dramatic comeback victory over Tennistavolo Norbello in the ninth edition of the competition, held at the PalaTennistavolo...

Read more

France Tops Medal Table at European Championships in Ljubljana

France finished at the top of the medal table at the 2026 European Championships in Ljubljana, claiming six medals – two gold, one silver and three bronze – across the...

Read more

Contact

About Us

Privacy Policy

Terms & Conditions

The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the governing body of the sport of table tennis in Europe, and is the only authority recognized for this purpose by the International Table Tennis Federation. The ETTU deals with all matters relating to table tennis at a European level, including the development and promotion of the sport in the territories controlled by its 58 member associations, and the organization of continental table tennis competitions, including the European Championships.

Powered By

All Competitions

Senior Competitions

Club Competitions

Youth Competitions

More Competitions