Champions League Women | 15 Jan 2016
LIU Jia wins twice, but Metz celebrates
Photo: Courtesy Metz TT
First two ECLW quarter-final matches held tonight: Linz – Metz 2:3, Saint Quentin – Cartagena 2:3
LIU Jia fulfilled her promise and won both her games in the first leg of 2015/16 ECLW quarter-finals, but two times ECLW champion and actual runner-up lost at home: Linz AG Froschberg – Metz TT 2:3. In the second match this evening Cartagena beat away Saint Quentin 3:2
Two former individual European champions met in the opening encounter, as LIU Jia beat WU Jiaduo in five sets. Host lost first two sets, but refused to give in, winning two out of next three sets by narrow margin.
FU Yu and Carole GRUNDISCH provided 2:1 lead for the French side, defeating Sofia POLCANOVA and Camelia POSTOACA respectively. After that LIU again did her job against FU who took bronze medal on the 2015 LIEBHERR European Championships. WU was superior in the decisive game against POLCANOVA securing an important victory for Metz who confirmed its invincibility in the ongoing season.
Similar like in Linz, the match in Saint Quentin had one convinced player in the host team, Daniele MONTEIRO-DODEAN, but ZHANG Yanfei, Ruta PASKAUSKIENE and Iulia NECULA showed strong team spirit. NECULA secured win for Cartagena, as she overcame Ran LI KATHT in the decisive fifth clash, though she lost the opening set.
The 2015/2016 ECLW quarter-finals, 1st leg
Linz AG Froschberg – Metz TT 2:3
LIU Jia –WU Jiaduo 3:2 (12:14, 6:11, 13:11, 11:5, 12:10)
Sofia POLCANOVA – FU Yu 0:3 (8:11, 6:11, 9:11)
Camelia POSTOACA – Carole GRUNDISCH 1:3 (9:11, 7:11, 11:4, 5:11)
LIU Jia – FU Yu 3:1 (7:11, 11:7, 11:8, 11:7)
Sofia POLCANOVA – WU Jiaduo 0:3 (8:11, 2:11, 4:11)
TT Saint Quentin – UCAM Cartagena 2:3
Daniela MONTEIRO-DODEAN – WANG Zhipei 3:1 (7:11, 11:4, 11:9, 11:8)
Ran LI KATH – ZHANG Yanfei 1:3 (5:11, 9:11, 11:5, 3:11)
Aurore DESSAINT – Ruta PASKAUSKIENE 1:3 (16:14, 8:11, 4:11, 6:11)
Daniela MONTEIRO-DODEAN – ZHANG Yanfei 3:1 (11:7, 15:13, 7:11, 11:7)
Ran LI KATH – Iulia NECULA 1:3 (13:11, 10:12, 2:11, 4:11)
