The second day of play at the ROMSTAL European Under 21 Championships marked the start of Stage 2, with the top eight seeds entering the singles competition for the first time.
All eyes were on Group 1, where top seed and home favourite Iulian CHIRITA began his campaign. Last year’s runner-up made a confident start, defeating Luxembourg’s Mael VAN DESSEL 4-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-8, 11-3).
In the group’s other match, Turkey’s Görkem ÖÇAL, who advanced from Stage 1, continued his impressive run with a 4-0 victory over Sweden’s Isak ALFREDSSON.
For CHIRITA, the opening match brought a mixture of nerves and relief.
“It’s very important to start well in such a competition. I was a bit stressed because the first match is always difficult, but I managed to play well. I still have two more matches and I hope to win them.”
Despite arriving as the top seed and one of the title favourites, the Romanian remains focused on taking the tournament one step at a time.
“I always like to take it match by match, game by game, and not think ahead. I try to give as much as possible in every match. In the end, I will see what the result is.”
Playing in front of a home crowd naturally raises expectations, but CHIRITA is determined not to look too far ahead.
“It would be the most important title of my career. I never won a European title in cadets or juniors. I lost in the final last year, but I don’t want to think that far ahead, about the semifinals or the final.”
While the leading contenders made their entrance, several lower groups produced notable surprises.
In Group 7, Slovakia’s Damian FLORO, seeded No. 21, produced one of the biggest results of the round by defeating England’s Connor GREEN, the No. 7 seed, 4-1. In the same group, Bulgaria’s Yoan VELICHKOV, seeded No. 13, justified his ranking with a 4-1 victory over Poland’s Marcel BLASZCZYK.
FLORO was delighted with a victory over one of the tournament’s leading seeds.
“It’s very good for me, especially because Connor is playing very well right now. I was 100 percent focused and played very well. This is my second Under 21 Championships and he is in very good form, so this victory means a lot to me.”
The Slovak explained that his game plan was built around discipline and taking every opportunity.
“I wanted to win every point and take every chance I got because he is a very good player. I had to stay strong in my own game.”
Another surprise came in Group 5, where Denmark’s Dominykas SAMUOLIS, seeded No. 20, defeated fifth seed Gabrielius CAMARA of the Netherlands 4-2. In the group’s other encounter, Czechia’s Stepan BRHEL, seeded No. 16, edged Slovakia’s Samuel ARPAS, the No. 10 seed, in a dramatic seven-game battle.
For SAMUOLIS, the victory was made even more special by the fact that CAMARA is a close friend and teammate.
“I am very happy. He is a good teammate of mine. We both live in Sweden and play for the same club. I don’t usually beat him.”
The Dane credited a patient and disciplined approach for the result.
“I wanted to play very safely and not take too many unnecessary risks. I tried to stay calm and play the shots that would help me win in the long run.”
One of the most convincing performances of the opening day of Stage 2 came from Germany’s Andre BERTELSMEIER, who strengthened his position at the top of Group 2 with two impressive victories.
The German, who claimed a bronze medal at last year’s European Under 21 Championships, began his campaign with a 4-1 win over Czechia’s Jakub MAKARA before producing an even more dominant display against Italy’s Danilo FASO.
FASO had earned his place in Stage 2 by winning his qualification group and opened with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Israel’s Eitay SHUSHAN. However, he found BERTELSMEIER in outstanding form in the evening session, with the German securing a convincing 4-0 victory (11-5, 11-4, 11-2, 11-9).
After winning both of his opening matches, BERTELSMEIER was pleased with the way he had settled into the tournament.
“It was a very good start. It was tough to get into the first match, but after the first set everything was OK. Now I am ready for the next matches.”
The German is also clear about what he hopes to achieve in Cluj-Napoca.
“I want to win as much as possible. I want to go home with the gold medal. Last year I won bronze, now I want to lift the trophy.”
PHOTO by: Mihaela-Ionela BOBAR and Simion Sebastian TĂTARU
