Danilo FASO of Italy crowned a breakthrough week at the European Youth Championships by fighting back from two games down in the final to lift the Under 19 Boys Singles trophy. The 15-year-old defeated France’s Nathan PILARD 4-2 (10-12, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8, 11-5), while Bulgaria’s Yoan VELICHKOV and AIN’s Aleksei SAMOKHIN finished with bronze medals.
After losing the opening two games, FASO once again demonstrated the resilience that had defined his tournament. He edged a pivotal third game to stay alive before taking complete control of the match, winning the final three games to complete another impressive comeback.
Reflecting on his triumph, the Italian highlighted what the title meant at such a young age.
“It was a very good match and I’m really happy with the way I played. Most of the players in this event are about three years older than me, and I’m only 15, so reaching the final means a lot. Over the past few months I’ve been playing at a really high level, and I think I showed that again today.
Coming back after losing games is something I’ve managed to do quite often. In a final you know your adversary is going to play really well, so it’s important to stay calm, keep believing in yourself and try to raise your level as the match goes on. That’s what I managed to do today.
Looking back over the whole singles event, I think there were two matches that were especially difficult for me. They both demanded everything I had, so I’m very pleased to have come through them.”
PILARD, seeded No. 13, reached the final by defeating Bulgaria’s No. 14 seed Yoan VELICHKOV 4-1 (9-11, 11-6, 14-12, 11-7, 12-10). After dropping the opening game, the French player recovered strongly, edging a crucial third game before sealing victory in five.
“I’m really happy to have reached the final. To be honest, I didn’t even expect to make the semi-finals, so to win this match and book my place in the final is an amazing feeling. It was a very difficult match because my adversary made things extremely challenging throughout.”
PILARD explained that maintaining his concentration proved decisive.
“The key was to stay mentally strong from the first point to the last. He’s the kind of player who takes a lot of time between points and tries to disrupt your rhythm and concentration. I managed to stay focused on my own game, not let that affect me, and I think that was the key to the victory.”
The second semi-final produced one of the most dramatic encounters of the championships, with No. 26 seed FASO recovering from a two-game deficit to overcome No. 20 seed Aleksei SAMOKHIN of AIN 4-3 (2-11, 6-11, 13-11, 11-6, 11-13, 11-5, 11-9).
“It was a very difficult match. I made a poor start and quickly found myself 2-0 down because my adversary was playing really well, and I lost those first two games quite easily. After that I told myself to stay calm, give everything I had left and keep fighting for every point. In the third game I led 10-7 and managed to stay in the match. From there my confidence grew. I won the sixth game comfortably to level the score before coming through a very close deciding game 11-9. I’m really, really happy with the victory.”
FASO also revealed the tactical adjustment that sparked his comeback.
“The biggest change was in my receive. At the beginning I was giving my opponent too many easy balls, which allowed him to attack with confidence. Later in the match I became much more aggressive on the receive, and I think that tactical adjustment made the difference.”
Final
- Danilo FASO (Italy) – Nathan PILARD (France) 4-2 (10-12, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8, 11-5)
Semi-finals
- Nathan PILARD (France) – Yoan VELICHKOV (Bulgaria) 4-1 (9-11, 11-6, 14-12, 11-7, 12-10)
- Danilo FASO (Italy) – Aleksei SAMOKHIN (AIN) 4-3 (2-11, 6-11, 13-11, 11-6, 11-13, 11-5, 11-9)
