Slovenia’s Darko JORGIC produced a remarkable comeback in front of his home crowd at the European Championships in Ljubljana, recovering from 2-3 down to defeat Spain’s Diego LILLO 4-3 in a thrilling Men’s Singles Round of 64 encounter. Defending champion Alexis LEBRUN, his younger brother Félix LEBRUN and several other leading contenders also advanced as the Singles main draw got underway at Arena Stožice.
JORGIC, the fourth seed, faced a much tougher opening test than expected against the Spanish qualifier, who grew in confidence as the contest developed.
The Slovenian took the opening game 11-4 but struggled to establish control. LILLO fought back repeatedly and, after winning the fourth and fifth games, moved within one game of a major upset.
With his home supporters urging him on, JORGIC found another gear. He claimed the sixth game 11-8 before finally imposing his authority in the decider, winning 11-6 to complete a dramatic 4-3 victory (11-4, 6-11, 11-6, 9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-6).
“It was similar at the last European Championships in Linz. I played a Hungarian in the first round and a Norwegian in the second, and both matches were really tough. You can feel the pressure, especially when you’re one of the favourites,” admitted JORGIC.
“The first few matches are always different when you’re up against qualifiers who have already played three matches and are warmed up. You could tell that I wasn’t quite finding my rhythm. I was too stiff on the return and struggled to deal with his long and short serves. That was the key.”
JORGIC acknowledged that the Spaniard had taken advantage of his difficulties.
“If I’d got that right from the start, like I did in the final game, the score probably would have been 4-0. After the second game, the Spaniard started playing better and hit some really powerful shots, especially off his backhand. He gained confidence, and in the end, it turned into a really close match that could have gone either way right until the finish.”
The Slovenian also highlighted the challenge of adapting to the conditions in the arena.
“The balls are fast, they don’t bounce much, and they have a lot of spin. That’s table tennis, though. Every playing surface is different. I think I felt the biggest difference on his long, fast serves. The ball seemed to skid off the table, and I was often a fraction too late.”
Despite the difficulties, JORGIC was optimistic about improving in the next round.
“The quicker you adapt, the better you play. The guys coming through qualifying have already played a few matches, so they’re warmed up and in rhythm. I’ve played doubles, which isn’t quite the same, but it still helps you get into the flow of competition. Tomorrow is a new day, and I really hope I can play better.”
Defending champion Alexis LEBRUN makes commanding start
France’s Alexis LEBRUN began his defence of the European Men’s Singles title in impressive fashion, defeating Portugal’s experienced Tiago APOLONIA 4-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-0, 13-11).
The Frenchman, who claimed the title in Linz two years ago, dominated the opening three games, including a remarkable 11-0 third game. APOLONIA offered greater resistance in the fourth, but LEBRUN held his nerve to close out the contest without dropping a game.
His younger brother Félix LEBRUN also made a successful start, recording a 4-0 victory and expressing satisfaction at being able to conserve energy for the challenges ahead.
“It was a quick match to start the competition, which is good because I managed to save some energy. I think the third game was the key. I started very well with my serves and caused him some problems. He began to play better as the match progressed, but winning that third game probably affected his confidence a little. After that, I was able to take the fourth game and secure a 4-0 victory. It’s a great start to the competition,” said Félix.
The French star admitted that he was still managing some minor physical problems.
“I still have a few minor physical issues that are taking longer than expected to go away, which is quite frustrating. But I’m trying to manage them as well as possible, spending time with my physiotherapist and fitness coach so that I can gradually improve my physical condition and get stronger as the competition progresses.”
Sweden’s Truls MOREGARD also progressed without dropping a game, defeating the Netherlands’ Ivan KAHN 4-0 (13-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-7).
Looking ahead to his Round of 32 encounter with Germany’s Andre BERTELSMEIER, MOREGARD expects another demanding contest.
“We had a close battle in the US Smash this summer, so I’m expecting a tough game where I’ll need to avoid his strengths. He’s really good in rallies, so I’ll be focusing on directing the game away from them as much as possible,” explained MOREGARD.
His compatriot Anton KÄLLBERG survived a much tougher test against Nikita ARTEMENKO. Having taken a 2-0 lead, the Swede was forced into a deciding game before securing a 4-3 victory (11-8, 11-6, 8-11, 12-14, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8).
“A very close game. I really had to give it my all and he played very well, so I’m very happy that I managed to find a high level in the decider and clinch the victory,” said KÄLLBERG.
Kristian KARLSSON completed another Swedish success, beating Germany’s Kay STUMPER 4-1. After already competing in Mixed Doubles earlier in the day, KARLSSON admitted that maintaining his energy and concentration had been a concern.
“I was a bit worried earlier today about how focused and pumped I would manage to be after the mixed doubles this morning. But I’m happy with what I delivered and feel really confident going forward,” said KARLSSON.
Elias RANEFUR added to Sweden’s successful opening day, recovering from losing the first game to defeat Croatia’s Andrej GACINA 4-1. He was particularly pleased with his performance in the service and receive phases.
“He is a very good player, so today I’m very happy with how well I played in service and receiving, which makes all the difference in a match like this,” said RANEFUR.
KOZUL shines as FRANZISKA and QIU advance
Slovenia’s Deni KOZUL delighted the home supporters with an impressive 4-0 victory over England’s Liam PITCHFORD, setting up a Round of 32 encounter with Germany’s Patrick FRANZISKA.
“I’ve known Liam for a long time. He’s a top-class player, so I expected a really tough match, and that’s exactly what it was. But if someone had asked me whether I expected to win 4-0, I certainly wouldn’t have said yes,” admitted KOZUL.
“I’m really happy that I didn’t let the 3-0 lead slip away. In matches like these, when you’re three games up, you need to finish the job in the fourth to avoid making things complicated.”
The Slovenian was particularly satisfied with the quality of his performance.
“The level of play was very good, the quality of my shots was high, and tactically I played a good match. I’m really pleased.”
FRANZISKA advanced with a 4-0 victory over Romania’s Ovidiu IONESCU (12-10, 11-8, 12-10, 11-5).
“I’m very happy with my 4-0 win over IONESCU. He’s an excellent player and has always been a difficult opponent for me. Playing Deni KOZUL in front of his home crowd won’t be easy, but I’m taking a lot of confidence into that match,” said FRANZISKA.
Germany’s Dang QIU was equally convincing against Serbia’s Dimitrije LEVAJAC, winning 4-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-4, 11-7).
“That was a solid start. I’m glad I won the second game and avoided letting him level the match at 1-1,” said QIU.
The German will next face Denmark’s Jonathan GROTH, who overcame Wim VERDONSCHOT 4-1 (11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9).
GROTH’s victory was built on an aggressive approach, particularly his ability to take the initiative early in rallies and control the first three balls. The Dane also acknowledged VERDONSCHOT’s improvement and the challenges presented by the playing conditions in Ljubljana.
Germany’s Benedikt DUDA, the Men’s Singles silver medallist at the 2024 European Championships, made an equally convincing start, defeating Austria’s Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK 4-0 (13-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-8).
“I’m very happy with my first match. The opening game was important. After that, I had my opponent under control and tried not to let him get into his game,” said DUDA.
“I hope I can have another European Championships as successful as the one two years ago. Things are certainly going very well in the Mixed Doubles and Men’s Doubles so far.”
Andre BERTELSMEIER also reflected on the importance of maintaining concentration during his opening encounter.
“It was a good performance, and I can learn a lot from this match. I allowed myself to get quite distracted by a discussion between my opponent and the umpire, which really disrupted my rhythm. But overall, I played a good match.”
NAUMI and DE NODREST continue impressive campaigns
Finland’s Alex NAUMI produced one of the most convincing performances of the afternoon, defeating Belgium’s Cédric NUYTINCK 4-0 (11-7, 11-3, 14-12, 11-3).
Competing in the European Championships main draw for the first time, NAUMI demonstrated the progress he has made since losing to the same opponent last year.
The Finnish player highlighted the importance of his service receive, forehand play and effective use of his anti-spin rubber. His tactical variety proved particularly effective against the experienced Belgian, who struggled to find solutions.
France’s Leo DE NODREST also continued his successful campaign, overcoming Belgium’s Adrien RASSENFOSSE 4-1 (11-9, 11-5, 6-11, 11-7, 17-15).
Facing a former teammate, DE NODREST relied on aggressive play and careful tactical preparation, particularly in service and receive. The Frenchman held his nerve in a fiercely contested fifth game, eventually converting his opportunity to close out the match 17-15.
The victory carried particular significance for DE NODREST, who is representing the French senior team at the European Championships for the first time.
France’s Flavien COTON was also tested before defeating England’s Connor GREEN 4-2 (7-11, 12-10, 13-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8).
FREITAS and MUTTI overcome opening challenges
Portugal’s Marcos FREITAS recovered from losing the opening game to defeat Hungary’s Csaba ANDRAS 4-1 (6-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-2, 13-11).
FREITAS identified the second game as the turning point against an opponent who had beaten him in their previous Bundesliga meeting.
“I knew he was playing very well because I lost to him the last time we met in the Bundesliga. I expected a very difficult match, especially in the opening round. He had already played in the group stage and was familiar with the conditions in the hall, so I knew I needed to win at least one of the first two games,” explained FREITAS.
“After the second game, I found some new tactical solutions. I started feeling better and more confident, particularly with my service receive. Once we got into the open rallies, I knew I could compete well. In the end, I think I played slightly better than him.”
The experienced Portuguese player was also encouraged by his physical condition after several challenging seasons.
“The last few years have been difficult because of injuries. It was hard to practise properly, and even diagnosing some of the problems was a challenge. But right now I feel very good physically. I have no physical issues, and I’m ready to fight and give my best in every match.”
Italy’s Matteo MUTTI celebrated what he described as his best European Championships result after defeating Belgium’s Martin ALLEGRO 4-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-7, 12-10).
“I think the first two games were the most important because they were both very close, and winning them gave me a big psychological advantage. After that, I gained confidence while my opponent lost some of his. My receive with short pips was also very important in this match,” said MUTTI.
The Italian revealed that the result was particularly satisfying after a difficult period.
“Last month, I was very disappointed with my performance at the Mediterranean Games. I was really upset, but I kept working, especially on my mental approach. It has paid off because I’ve played very well in my last two tournaments. I’m very happy with that.”
JARVIS continues his progress
England’s Tom JARVIS also celebrated an important victory after overcoming an opponent against whom he had struggled in previous meetings.
“I knew it would be a difficult match. I’ve lost to him several times before and hadn’t won our last couple of meetings, so I knew it would be really tough. We prepared a lot tactically, and today I managed to win all the close moments. On another day, those points could easily have gone his way, so I’m really happy,” said JARVIS.
The Englishman believes his breakthrough at the World Championships has played an important role in his development.
“Reaching the Round of 16 at the World Championships was a huge moment for me. I wasn’t originally qualified, but some players withdrew through injury, which gave me the opportunity to compete. I reached the last 16 and lost a close match against LIANG Jingkun. Since then, my career has really taken a turn, and things have been getting better and better.”
Seven-game battles add to the drama
Finland’s Benedek OLAH survived a dramatic seven-game encounter against Vladimir SIDORENKO of Russia, eventually prevailing 4-3 (11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 12-10).
Moldova’s Vladislav URSU was also taken the full distance by Croatia’s Filip ZELJKO. URSU appeared to be cruising towards victory after taking the opening three games, but ZELJKO mounted an extraordinary comeback to force a decider. The Moldovan eventually regained control to win 4-3 (11-6, 11-6, 11-4, 10-12, 10-12, 6-11, 11-6).
Romania’s Eduard IONESCU defeated Hungary’s Adam SZUDI 4-2, while Evgeny TIKHONOV of Russia eliminated Spain’s Álvaro ROBLES 4-1.
Croatia’s Ivor BAN was particularly impressive against Slovakia’s Lubomir PISTEJ, winning 4-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-5, 11-5).
Slovakia’s Yang WANG overcame France’s Thibault PORET 4-1, Norway’s Borgar HAUG defeated Czechia’s Lubomir JANCARIK 4-0, and Portugal’s João GERALDO beat Türkiye’s Görkem ÖÇAL in straight games.
Croatia’s Tomislav PUCAR also highlighted the importance of overcoming a difficult start to his opening match.
“The first match is never easy. I needed some time to find my rhythm and get my game going. I didn’t start the opening game particularly well and was trailing 7-10. If I had lost that game, the match might have developed very differently. Fortunately, I managed to turn it around, which gave me extra confidence, and I went on to win the next two games,” explained PUCAR.
“My opponent is a good, consistent player, so I had to be careful but aggressive at the same time. I’m happy with the victory and hope to continue playing well in the next round.”
Greece’s Panagiotis GIONIS was also recorded as advancing past Denmark’s Anders LIND.
