2016 LIEBHERR ITTF European Championships
In Men’s Doubles Event last year’s champions and top seeds Stefan FEGERL of Austria and Joao MONTEIRO of Portugal departed the competition already in the Round of 16 of the Event at the 2016 LIEBHERR ITTF European Championships. They suffered by the hands of Patrick FRANZISKA of Germany and Jonathan GROTH of Denmark (6-11 10-12 11-9 3-11 16-14 11-8 3-11).
FRANZISKA and GROTH playing together for a while but it is the first time they are together at the European Championships.
In the semi final they fill meet runners up from Herning 2012 Kristian KARLSSON and Mattias KARLSSON of Sweden. They beat Panagiotis GIONIS of Greece and WANG Yang of Slovakia (11-4 6-11 14-12 4-11 4-11 2-11).
On the lower half of the draw Tiago APOLONIA and Joao GERALDO of Portugal will play against Jakub DYJAS and Daniel GORAK of Poland. Poland’s pairings beat Russia’s Alexey LIVENTSOV and Mikhail PAIKOV in straight games (9-11 9-11 7-11 9-11) whilst Portugal’s players succeeded against Anton KALLBERG and Par GERELL (12-10 11-5 11-3 11-8).
Women’s Doubles
At the penultimate day of the play at the LIEBHERR 2016 ITTF European Championships Dora MARADARASZ and Szandra PERGEL secured the first medal for host nation in Budapest. In the Women’s Doubles Event they prevailed against Luxembourg’s combination of experienced NI Xia Lian and young Sarah DE NUTTE in seven games which kept the spectators at the very edges of their seats (13-11 11-13 8-11 10-12 11-9 11-4 9-11).
In the semi final they will meet Kristin SILBEREISEN and Sabine WINTER of Germany. Germany’s pairings beat Alex GALIC of Slovenia and Rachel MORET of Switzerland (11-1 11-9 11-9 9-11 11-3).
European champions from 2012 in Herning and 2009 in Stuttgart as well as silver medal winners in Gdansk/Sopot Daniela MONTEIRO DODEAN and Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania are into the semi final once again. On their way to the penultimate stage they overcame Russia’s Yana NOSKOVA and Yulia PROKHOROVA in very effective way (11-5 5-11 11-4 12-10 11-8).
Second contenders to the throne from Germany are SHAN Xiaona and Petrissa SOLJA. They beat Barbora BALAZOVA of Slovakia and Han MATELOVA od Czech Republic (11-4 6-11 11-9 11-9 7-11 8-11 8-11). SOLJA clinched gold in Schwechat in 2013 partnering Sabine WINTER.
Last year in Russia HU Melek and SHEN Yanfei won the title but Spanish player will say Goodbye later this month and she is not on duty in Budapest. Silver medalists were Georgina POTA and Elizabeta SAMARA. In Budapest POTA with Matilda EKHOLM suffered defeat in previous round in the duel against BALAZOVA and MATELOVA.
