On the sixth day of play at the European Team Championships in Zadar, teams battled for a place on the medal rostrum, and it was Slovenia who first secured their spot in the semi-finals, returning to the podium for the first time since 2017.
Portugal – Slovenia 1–3
- João GERALDO – Deni KOŽUL 1–3 (12–14, 5–11, 11–8, 4–11)
- Tiago APOLÓNIA – Darko JORGIĆ 1–3 (12–14, 8–11, 11–7, 7–11)
- João MONTEIRO – Bojan TOKIĆ 3–2 (11–7, 8–11, 12–10, 10–12, 11–7)
- João GERALDO – Darko JORGIĆ 1–3 (8–11, 11–8, 15–17, 9–11)
In the morning session, Slovenia celebrated a memorable 3–1 victory over Portugal to book their ticket to the semi-finals. World No. 30 Deni KOŽUL gave Slovenia a dream start by defeating world No. 24 João GERALDO, before world No. 4 Darko JORGIĆ extended the lead with a 3–1 win over Tiago APOLÓNIA (No. 35).
The veteran duel between the two 42-year-olds, João MONTEIRO and 44-years-old Bojan TOKIĆ, went the full distance, with MONTEIRO narrowly prevailing. However, on his second appearance at the table, JORGIĆ sealed the tie with another commanding performance against GERALDO, sending Slovenia into the last four.
Darko JORGIĆ: “We’ve dreamed about this. During our training camp, Bojan told me that we’d play Portugal in the quarter-finals and beat them, and that’s exactly what happened! I’m so proud of the whole team, from the first match to the last. From the group stage, we’ve shown that we’re a real team, that we fight for each other and that we’re ready to give everything for one another.”
JORGIĆ continued: “Deni was fantastic in the opening match. Last time at the World Championships he lost 4–0 to Geraldo, but this time we were well prepared tactically. It was a different Deni, not the one from yesterday who was just reacting, but one who came in with the right mindset from the start. He even went for a run at six in the morning today, maybe that helped! I hope he repeats that tomorrow.
As for my second match, you simply have to beat APOLONIA. He’s injured, but he still plays his game. The pressure was on me because we were already 1–0 up, and everyone knew that if I won two matches, the tie would be over, and that’s what happened. I feel sorry for Bojan; he had his chances. He was leading 10–8 in the third game, if he had taken that one, who knows how it would have gone. But in the end, maybe it’s even sweeter this way. I played a fantastic match against GERALDO. We always have tough battles, you probably remember our match from the Top 16. He’s a player who returns everything and fights until the very last point. I’m really happy that today I managed to play with a clear head.”
Deni KOŽUL:“This is what we practice for. I’m really, really satisfied with my own game, I played against an amazing player in GERALDO. When we have our number one, Darko, who once again proved why he’s among the world’s top 10, it’s much easier for all of us. Even in the third position, Bojan showed that at his age he can still perform at an incredibly high level. He was 1–1 and 10–8 up, just a little unlucky not to convert that game in his favour, but he played great. The bench and the youngsters were so loud and supportive, I really think we all fought for this medal, and we all deserve it.”
On his unusual pre-match preparation, KOŽUL added: “Yes, I went running at 6 o’clock in the morning to change my energy. Yesterday, I wasn’t feeling great, I was dizzy, my reactions weren’t sharp. I’m a little superstitious, so I changed everything today, from breakfast to dinner. I even went running with Hribar early in the morning. My legs felt so fast today that I think I’ll do it again tomorrow!”
Bojan TOKIĆ: “Darko was amazing against both GERALDO and APOLONIA, both are in fantastic shape this tournament. What the guys are showing is amazing table tennis. In the key moments, Darko stayed really calm, yes, a few lucky points at the end, but that’s part of the game. We’re a compact team, and I think my comeback maybe made each of them a little bit better.
I’m not their father, I don’t give them tips, that’s the coach’s role, but we have amazing spirit. We’re great friends despite the age difference; I’m 18 years older than the boys. Maybe I could just sense this medal coming, that’s why I wanted to return. The Association gave me the opportunity, and the coach, Darko, and Deni all asked me to play this event. So here I am, and I think this is an amazing achievement for us after eight years.”
On his opponent, João MONTEIRO, TOKIĆ added: “He’s an incredible athlete, when he’s focused, he’s 100% in the game. There were no easy points against him; for every rally, you have to build, to work hard. Every point is earned. I have huge respect for him, he’s a fantastic competitor and an amazing sportsman.”
France – Belgium 3–0
- Félix LEBRUN – Cédric NUYTINCK 3–0 (11–6, 11–4, 11–7)
- Alexis LEBRUN – Adrien RASSENFOSSE 3–0 (11–4, 11–8, 11–5)
- Simon GAZY – Martin ALLEGRO 3–0 (11–6, 11–7, 11–5)
Once again, France were in the fast lane. France swept past Belgium 3–0 to secure a place on the medal rostrum at the European Team Championships in Zadar.
The French trio of Félix LEBRUN, Alexis LEBRUN, and Simon GAZY delivered a flawless performance, each claiming straight-games victories to book their spot in the semi-finals.
Alexis LEBRUN:“The match went really well. Félix gave us the perfect start with a very solid performance against NUYTINCK, who also played a good match. That allowed me to come in with great energy against Adrien, who’s been in good form lately, he just played a competition in Sweden, so I knew it would be a tough battle. I managed to handle it really well, and that set up Simon perfectly to finish the job. Overall, it was a perfect match for us today.”
“As for tomorrow, it’s going to be a different story. We’ll probably face Germany, since they haven’t played their quarter-final yet. On paper, that’s likely the two strongest teams of the tournament going head-to-head. It’s going to be a big battle, but European Championship semi-finals always are. We’re ready to go out there and fight for it.”
Félix LEBRUN: “We feel very good. As a team, we’re happy to reach the semi-finals, our first goal was to secure a medal. But of course, we want more. We’ll keep our focus, try to improve our game in these conditions, and play our best in the semi-final.”
“I’ve already played against NUYTINCK twice, and I feel good when I face him. I was able to put a lot of pressure on him. We’ve practiced together many times, so I know how to play against him, maybe he knows too, but I felt confident and I think I played a very good match. The intensity was very high, and I’m happy to have played a complete match. Since the beginning of the tournament, my games have been a bit up and down, so I’m really happy to have won like this today.”
Félix also shared a glimpse into the team’s relaxed off-court atmosphere:
“We practice hard, but we also enjoy our free time. The hotel is really nice, we’re close to the sea, there’s a pool, a jacuzzi, and a gym where we work out. We play video games together and sometimes card games like ‘Simon Says’.
We play a lot of FIFA, the best is Alexis, I think. That’s why he plays with Simon, because Simon is the worst!
We just try to enjoy ourselves, stay together, and strengthen our team spirit.”
Simon GAZY: “My play is getting better and better. Of course, the toughest matches are still to come, tomorrow, maybe against Germany or Croatia. It doesn’t matter which team we face; both are great. We’re just happy to be in the semi-finals and can’t wait to play what could be an amazing match against Germany. We’re ready for it.”
We’ve already played at home for an Olympic medal, for bronze, so nothing can really beat that kind of pressure. Of course, we’ll feel it tomorrow too, but that’s exactly what we train for.
We just want to show a good image of France, no matter who we face. We’re ready, and we can’t wait.”
