France secured their fourth Under 19 Girls Teams title at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar with a 3-0 victory over second seeds Romania in the final.
Germany and hosts Portugal shared the bronze medals.
The French coaching staff made a tactical decision before the final, moving defender Alexia NODIN into the second position in the line-up. The move proved decisive as NODIN opened the tie with a straight-games victory over Bianca MEI ROSU, setting France firmly on course for the title.
Nina GUO ZHENG then doubled the advantage with another convincing 3-0 success against Alesia Sofia SFERLEA, leaving Leana HOCHART with the opportunity to secure the crown. Despite dropping the second and third games, HOCHART recovered strongly to win the deciding fifth game and complete France’s triumph.
“The coaches changed the line-up so I could play against Romania’s number one player because I had beaten her twice before. We felt it was the right tactical choice. It worked perfectly. I won 3-0, even though I was trailing 2-8 in the third game. I came back to win it 11-9, and I’m really happy because I managed to keep the pressure on throughout the match and didn’t let her find her rhythm.
“After that, Nina played a great match. She was the favourite and she completely controlled her singles to win 3-0. Then Leana finished the job. Even though the scoreline was close, she was in control of the match, stayed confident and knew she would get the win.
“The toughest match of the tournament was definitely the quarter-final against Spain. We were trailing 2-0, but we managed to come back and win 3-2. Even when we were behind, we kept our intensity, stayed aggressive and never stopped believing. I think we handled that situation really well,” said Alexia NODIN.
Nina GUO ZHENG highlighted both the tactical value of having a defender in the team and the confidence France gained from their dramatic quarter-final comeback.
“Romania are a very strong team. Bianca is the second seed in this competition, and Alexia had beaten her every time they played before. That’s why we decided to put Alexia in the second position. We thought that even if she didn’t win, playing against a defender would make Bianca tired and put her into a different rhythm before facing an attacking player. In the end, Alexia won, and that made the whole match much easier for us.
“Having a defender in the team is a real advantage because it changes the rhythm of the match. There aren’t many choppers in Europe, so most players don’t have much experience playing against them. Alexia gives us a different tactical option, and that can make a big difference in team matches.
“The toughest match of the tournament was definitely the quarter-final against Spain. We were trailing 2-0 after Leana lost the opening match, and I was quite nervous going to the table after that. I lost my match as well, but we kept fighting and managed to come back and win 3-2. That comeback gave us a lot of confidence.”
Romania – France 0-3
- Bianca MEI ROSU – Alexia NODIN 0-3 (6-11, 9-11, 9-11)
- Alesia Sofia SFERLEA – Nina GUO ZHENG 0-3 (9-11, 4-11, 9-11)
- Patricia STOICA – Leana HOCHART 2-3 (7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 4-11, 9-11)
Semifinals
Germany – France 0-3
- Koharu ITAGAKI – Nina GUO ZHENG 0-3 (7-11, 8-11, 5-11)
- Lisa-Sophie WANG – Leana HOCHART 1-3 (6-11, 4-11, 12-10, 5-11)
- Lorena MORSCH – Alexia NODIN 2-3 (8-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8, 4-11
Romania – Portugal 3-1
- Bianca MEI ROSU – Mariana SANTA COMBA 3-1 (4-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8)
- Alesia Sofia SFERLEA – Julia LEAL 3-1 (9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-7)
- Andreea BAIASU – Beatriz PINTO 1- 3(11-5, 6-11, 5-11, 8-11)
- Bianca MEI ROSU – Julia LEAL 3-0 (11-8, 12-10, 11-7)
