The French Under 19 Girls Team successfully defended their title at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava. France extended their reign after overcoming Ukraine in a tense final.
Gold medalists for France were Nina GUO ZHENG, Leana HOCHART, Alexia NODIN, and Jade Quynh-Tien HUYNH. The Ukrainian team featured Veronika MATIUNINA, Olha PONKO, Daria KOVALOVA, Alina OVRIAKH, and Veronika VASYLENKO.
Bronze medals went to Portugal, represented by Júlia LEAL, Matilde PINTO, and Mariana SANTA COMBA, and to Spain, with María BERZOSA, Camila Renata MOSCOSO, Mariona MUNNÉ, Sofía COUCE, and Irina GIMENO FONT.
France, the reigning champions, also won the title in 2014, while Ukraine had last claimed gold in 2008 with Margaryta PESOTSKA in their ranks.
In the final, Leana HOCHART led her team with two crucial victories — against Olha PONKO and Veronika MATIUNINA.
“NODIN unfortunately lost 0-3. It was a really tough match for her because MATIUNINA is a very strong player. My match against MATIUNINA was insane. I was down 0-2, then came back to win 3-2. It’s the first time I’ve ever beaten her, so I’m really happy. When I was 0-2 down, I changed my serve and receive tactics. She started playing slower, which suited me more. We really believed in ourselves before the final, and we’re so happy we made it. I think this match was the toughest for us in this draw,” explained HOCHART.
Only 15 years old, Nina GUO ZHENG — the youngest French player ever to reach the senior national team — posted an important win over Daria KOVALOVA.
“I played the third match against KOVALOVA when the score was 1-1. I was a little stressed because I knew how important that match was — the third match is always crucial. After I won the first game, I started to calm down and I think I played really well. From the beginning, I had a good tactical plan for this opponent, and I followed it the whole match without changing anything. Our coach decided to put me in the third match. Honestly, it was a bit of a risk because we knew that MATIUNINA has trouble against defensive players, so we put NODIN against her.
The last time I played against MATIUNINA, I lost really easily and didn’t know how to approach the match, so we thought NODIN had a better chance than me,” GUO ZHENG explained.
On their way to the top of the podium, France defeated Portugal, Austria, and Bulgaria, while Ukraine reached the final by overcoming Spain, Germany, and Poland.
FINAL
France – Ukraine 3-1
- Leana HOCHART – Olha PONKO 3-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-8)
- Alexia NODIN – Veronika MATIUNINA 0-3 (3-11, 4-11, 4-11)
- Nina GUO ZHENG – Daria KOVALOVA 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-7)
- Leana HOCHART – Veronika MATIUNINA 3-2 (4-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5)
SEMI FINAL
- Ukraine – Spain 3-1
- Veronika MATIUNINA – Maria BERZOSA (3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-4)
- Olha PONKO – Camila Renata MOSCOSO 0-3 (5-11, 5-11, 7-11)
- Daria KOVALOVA – Mariona MUNNE 3-2 (11-9, 11-9, 6-11, 6-11, 11-8)
- Veronika MATIUNINA – Camila Renata MOSCOSO 3-1 (13-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6)
Portugal – France 0-3
- Matilde PINTO – Nina GUO ZHENG 2-3 (11-7, 8-11, 3-11, 11-5, 9-11)
- Julia LEAL – Leana HOCHART 1-3 (11-9, 13-15, 7-11, 6-11)
- Mariana SANTA COMBA – Jade Quynh-Tien NUYNH 1-3 (9-11, 11-8, 5-11, 9-11)
