MIRÓ Ganxets Costa Durada earned a valuable 3-0 away victory over STK Dr. Časl in the opening leg of the Europe Cup Women quarterfinal, placing the Spanish side in a strong position ahead of the return match scheduled for Saturday.
The visitors struck first as Olga VOROBEVA defeated Jiaqi LIU in four games to give Ganxets the early lead. A thrilling second encounter followed, with Ruichen GUO edging veteran Xia Lian NI in a tense five-game duel to double the advantage. Andrea TODOROVIC then sealed the team victory by overcoming Szandra PERGEL, completing a convincing performance from the Spanish club.
“We are very proud of our performance. All three of us played at a top level. Olga delivered a calm and focused performance against Jiaqi LIU. Ruichen GUO managed to beat Xia Lian NI, which was a very difficult task. She needed some time to find her rhythm and adapt to NI’s style, which is never easy, but she found the solution. That victory was crucial in this match. Despite our 2-0 lead, I knew I had to win against Szandra PERGEL because we could not afford to face NI and LIU again. Szandra had a very strong serve and I struggled with the receive, especially in the second game. She tried with longer service and I made mistakes. However, I found the solution in my service and return game and, most importantly, I started to play with more patience,” said Andrea TODOROVIC.
Opening leg results:
STK Dr. Časl – MIRÓ Ganxets Costa Durada 0-3
- Jiaqi LIU – Olga VOROBEVA 1-3 (10-12, 6-11, 13-11, 5-11)
- Xia Lian NI – Ruichen GUO 2-3 (11-7, 10–12, 14-16, 11-9, 4-6)
- Szandra PERGEL – Andrea TODOROVIC 1-3 (6-11, 11-7, 9-11, 4-11)
