Reigning champions KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg from Poland secured their place in the Champions League Women’s semifinals with a dominant straight-match victory over Italy’s ASD QUATTRO MORI. As they continue their quest for a fifth title—fourth in a row—Tarnobrzeg remains a strong contender for the trophy.
For the first time this season, KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg could count on Ying HAN, who had been sidelined due to injury since last year’s knockout phase. The German star’s return proved crucial, as she set the tone with an opening match victory. Natalia BAJOR and Elizabeta SAMARA followed up with wins over Arianna BARANI and Tania PLAIAN, securing the semifinal spot.
However, the team was still not at full strength, as Xiaoxin YANG is currently expecting her second child.
“Ying’s comeback is amazing. We missed her in the team and have been waiting for her return since last year,” said Elizabeta SAMARA.
In the match between two Romanian players, SAMARA and PLAIAN, Tania sustained a serious hip injury after a close start.
“She is badly injured. I feel very sorry for her, and I hope she recovers well and soon,” added SAMARA, who has been with Tarnobrzeg since 2017.
Unlike the first leg, which was stretched to the full distance, the second leg lacked drama, as Tarnobrzeg controlled the tie from start to finish.
This marks the fifth semifinal appearance for KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg in six years. The only exception was the 2021 “Covid” season, when the Polish club did not participate in the final tournament.
ttc berlin eastside advances after golden match
Meanwhile, Germany’s ttc berlin eastside also booked their semifinal place after a tense second leg against UCAM Cartagena TM. Although Berlin won the second leg in straight matches, their 1-3 loss in the opening leg forced a golden match to decide the quarterfinal winner.
The golden match started dramatically, with Sofia Xuan ZHANG defeating Nina MITTELHAM in the first game, adding tension to the final stage. However, Xiaona SHAN and Sabina SURJAN stepped up to secure victory for Berlin.
“It wasn’t our opponents’ strongest lineup, which made our job a bit easier. The biggest challenge was playing the golden match—it was my first time, and I have to admit, the pressure was immense. In the ‘regular’ part, Nina gave us a strong start, so we were able to close out the tie comfortably,” said Sabina SURJAN.
Nina MITTELHAM admitted that the golden match was the most difficult part of the evening.
“Sofia Xuan ZHANG played at an extremely high level, but we had the stronger team tonight, and my teammates secured an important victory in the end. I’m also happy with how we performed in the main part of the match,” said MITTELHAM.
ttc berlin eastside, a five-time Champions League winner, last won the title in the 2020-2021 season. Now, they are once again in the fight for Europe’s most prestigious club title.
Quarterfinal
KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL TARNOBRZEG – ASD QUATTRO MORI 3-0
- Ying HAN – Miriam CARNOVALE (11-6, 11-2, 11-8)
- Natalia BAJOR – Arianna BARANI 3-0 (11-7, 11-3, 11-6)
- Elizabeta SAMARA – Tania PLAIAN (11-13, 11-1, 11-0, 11-0)
Opening leg
ASD QUATTRO MORI – KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL TARNOBRZEG 2-3
- Elizabet ABRAAMIAN – Natalia BAJOR 2-3 (11-2, 11-9, 9-11, 3-11, 4-6)
- Tania PLAIAN – Elizabeta SAMARA 3-2 (11-3, 9-11, 11-7, 6-11, 6-5)
- Miriam CARNOVALE – Fu YU 2-3 (11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 7-11, 3-6)
- Elizabet ABRAAMIAN – Elizabeta SAMARA 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-9)
- Tania PLAIAN – Natalia BAJOR 1-3 (11-7, 10-12, 2-11, 6-11)
ttc berlin eastside – UCAM Cartagena TM 3-0
- Xiaona SHAN – Carmen LOZANO 3-0 (11-6, 11-1, 11-4)
- Nina MITTELHAM – Sofia Xuan ZHANG 3-0 (11-5, 16-14, 11-8)
- Sabina SURJAN – Yao LI 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-4)
Golden match
ttc berlin eastside – UCAM Cartagena TM 2-1
- Nina MITTELHAM – Sofia Xuan ZHANG 9-11
- Xiaona SHAN – Yao LI 11-6
- Sabina SURJAN– Carmen LOZANO 11-2
Opening leg
UCAM Cartagena TM – ttc berlin eastside 3-1
- Maria XIAO – Nina MITTELHAM 3-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-5)
- Sofia Xuan ZHANG – Xiaona SHAN 3-1 (2-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8)
- Yao LI – Sabina SURJAN 0-3 (9-11, 10-12, 9-11)
- Maria XIAO – Xiaona SHAN 3-1 (12-10, 11-7, 3-11, 13-11)
