On the third day of play at the European Team Championships in Zadar, the teams seeded No. 2 and No. 3 in their respective groups fought for their remaining positions in the Round of 16, which will be played on Thursday.
Additionally, the teams that reached the last 16 also confirmed their qualification for the 2026 World Championships in London.
England – Greece 1–3
Group D: Portugal 2–0, Greece 1–1, England 0–2
Despite a strong start, highlighted by Tom JARVIS’s win over Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS, Greece secured their spot in the knockout stage as the second-placed team in the group. Panagiotis GIONIS overcame both JARVIS and Paul DRINKHALL, while Georgios STAMATOUROS prevailed against Samuel WALKER.
“Today we knew we had to win 3–0 or 3–1, because England beat Portugal. England is a very good team, even though they are here without PITCHFORD, for them that’s a big loss,” said Panagiotis GIONIS.
“We played freely, we believed we could do it, and I think all the guys played perfectly. If Ioannis had been a little luckier, he could have won the first match as well, and maybe we could have taken first place in the group. But in the end, we’re very happy. We focused a lot on this game, believed in ourselves, and fought hard. We were a little luckier today, and we won.”
Asked if he had any preferences for the Round of 16 draw, GIONIS smiled:
“Of course, we have some preferences. If you play against Sweden, France, or Germany, it’s tougher, you have to be honest about that. But our goal was to qualify, and now we’ve done it. We’ll just play, enjoy the moment, and see what happens. For us, it’s already good to play another match, and we’re very happy with our performance.
If we get a good draw, well, I’m dreaming a little (laughs), maybe if we can have Belgium, that would be a very good draw for us. But we’ll see.”
The Greek Olympian added:“When you qualify from such a difficult group, you start believing in everything. We know it’s tough to beat the top teams, but in sports, you never know what can happen. Now we’ll play more freely, it’s a great experience, especially for the young players, as it’s their first time reaching the top 16 at the Europeans.
All our young players are getting more experienced; they play in strong leagues. What’s most important is that we enjoy it, stay relaxed, prepare well, and stay focused. In the end, anything can happen, we’ve seen many surprises in recent years, and everyone can beat everyone if you believe in yourself. The key is to work, practice, and believe.”
Finland – Poland 1–3
Group H: Belgium 2–0, Poland 1–1, Finland 0–2
Poland recovered from their opening-round defeat against Belgium and advanced to the knockout stage after a solid victory over Finland.
Milosz REDZIMSKI was the backbone of the team’s success with two wins, against Benedek OLAH and Aleksi RASANEN, while Marek BADOWSKI added one more point by beating RASANEN. Alex NAUMI scored Finland’s only win, overcoming Samuel KULCZYCKI.
“For me, it was really nice,” said Milosz REDZIMSKI. “I wasn’t feeling great in the morning at the beginning, but after overcoming some problems with low energy, I played quite well. I didn’t see much of Samuel’s game, but I saw it was very close. Marek played great and won quickly, so we’re very happy. We feel strong and ready to fight for a medal.”
“We’ve played many times against Benedek OLAH because he competes in the Polish League, so we were very well prepared tactically. That preparation was the key, we knew we needed to beat him to win the team match, and we did it. We’re really happy.”
Marek BADOWSKI added: “We fight for every game. We know our potential, and we know we can beat very good teams here. We’re prepared and ready to give everything. We had a very tough match against Belgium, and we wanted to do things right today, we prepared well for this match.”
Netherlands – Slovakia 1–3
Group F: Romania 2–0, Slovakia 1–1, Netherlands 0–2
Slovakia advanced to the next stage after a 3–1 victory over the Netherlands. Gabrielius CAMARA gave the Dutch team a better start with a win over Lubomir PISTEJ, but Yang WANG was in splendid form, defeating both Kas VAN OOST and CAMARA. Alexander VALUCH added the third point with a win over Barry BERBEN.
“They have a very young and competitive team, so we knew it would be a tough match. We played them last time in Malmö, we won 3–0, but all the matches were very close, so we knew it would be hard again,” explained the experienced Lubomir PISTEJ.
“I didn’t start well, but my adversary played really good and deserved to win. Then WANG Yang came back with an easy victory; he’s in very good shape. At one moment he was down 1–11 and 0–4, that’s 15–1 in total, and then he came back somehow! Lucky for us, because it was really not an easy match today. We knew this was our most important match in the group, and we managed to win, so we’re very happy.”
PISTEJ added:“Two points from WANG were the key, but also VALUCH, he didn’t play yesterday, and today he got the chance and took it from position three. It was good for us to lead 2–1; it helped Yang mentally as well. I was ready to step in if needed. I think we are normally the stronger team, but you always have to prove it on the table.”
Serbia – Ukraine 3-2
Group C: Germany 2-0, Serbia 1-1, Ukraine 0-2.
Serbia secured a hard-fought 3–2 victory over Ukraine in Group C, with Dimitrije LEVAJAC making a triumphant return to the line-up after recovering from a shoulder injury. Playing his first matches of the championships, LEVAJAC won both encounters confidently overcoming Anton LIMONOV, and then staging a remarkable comeback against Andrii GREBENIUK. Trailing 0–2, he recovered to win in five thrilling games. Zsolt PETO sealed Serbia’s overall victory in another tense duel against LIMONOV.
“My first match wasn’t easy at all. It finished 3–1, but it was also 1–1 and 10–9 I had a bit of luck there, I must admit. As for the second match, I started maybe a bit too nervous and didn’t play well tactically. It was 2–0 for him, and after that I thought, ‘I’ll just play and see what happens.’ I stopped overthinking and focused only on the game, completely blocking everything else out. Then I started to find my rhythm playing better, feeling better, serving better overall, everything improved a lot. After those two games, when it became 2–2, things went downhill again; I made a few unnecessary mistakes, and he had some luck early in the fifth set. At 9–5 I was behind again, I thought it was basically over, but I decided to just play and see what happens. In the end, luck came back to me. I tried to stay calm and composed, and it paid off. Luck turned my way in the end, and that’s what matters most,” said LEVAJAC.
The Serbian player was equally candid about the team’s ambitions and effort:
“Objectively, we don’t have the quality to match some of the top national teams here, but with desire, fighting spirit, heart, and a bit of luck, we’ve once again managed to win the matches that matter and that deserves praise. I’d like to congratulate the whole team, really. And Žole, who pulled out that fifth match it’s never easy to play at 2–2, especially for him. He played a great fifth game.As for young NINKOVIĆ, I’d also like to praise him I think he played a very good match. Of course, you can see he lacks a bit of experience; it’s his first major competition, but overall, it was great. Even though the team has changed compared to previous years and expectations aren’t the same anymore, we’re happy with this result. Our goal has been achieved, and everything else is just a bonus.”
Slovenia – Italy 3–0
Group I: Slovenia 2–0, Denmark 1–1, Italy 0–2
Italy put Slovenia under severe pressure despite the final scoreline. After Darko JORGIC gave Slovenia an early lead, Deni KOZUL was pushed to the limit before defeating Matteo MUTTI in a full-distance thriller. John OYEBODE also forced KOZUL into a deciding game.
In the final match, Bojan TOKIC faced 15-year-old Danilo FASO, who is 29 years his junior. TOKIC fell 0–2 behind but managed a remarkable comeback to win in five games and seal the victory for Slovenia.
“So many nice emotions. This was our goal from the beginning. The group wasn’t easy, but we reached our goal and won both matches,” said Darko JORGIC.
Moldova – Austria 3–0
Group G: Croatia 2–0, Moldova 1–1, Austria 0–2
Moldova’s Vladislav URSU, Andrei PUTUNTICA, and Denis TERNA produced one of the biggest surprises of the group stage, defeating Austria’s Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK, Robert GARDOS, and Andreas LEVENKO 3–0.
Ranked only 24th, compared to Austria’s No. 12 seed, Moldova defied expectations, their lower international ranking concealing the team’s real strength. Despite the scoreline, all three matches went the full five games, showing just how close and fiercely contested the tie was.
“It was an absolutely amazing match. It’s 3–0, but every match was very close. I’m really satisfied with it,” said Vladislav URSU. “I want to thank all the guys and our supporters in Moldova. I think they’re going crazy right now, absolutely! Every match was really tough, all 3–2, all 11–9. The most important one, I think, was against GARDOS, it was really tough, but he managed to win it. We’re all so happy. That’s all that matters.”
Andrei PUTUNTICA continued:
“It’s not easy, honestly, every match here is important, you know. I tried to slow things down a bit, take a deep breath, and think about the right solution. But sometimes it’s really not easy to deal with this kind of pressure. I’m just really happy I managed to win, but it could have gone the other way. Our coach supported us all the way, giving small but crucial advice throughout the match.”
Head coach Igor NI praised his players:
“I always believe in every player. And Denis TERNA, he’s amazing, our new star, right? I think he’s really going that way. Before the tournament, we didn’t expect him to play so well, but it’s incredible. I guess he’ll now go forward as our number one for Moldova, undefeated and undisputed, Denis Terna!”
Czechia – Türkiye 2–3
Group A: Sweden 2–0, Türkiye 1–1, Czechia 0–2
In the evening session, Türkiye’s Abdullah YIGENLER, Ibrahim GUNDUZ, and Ugurcan DURSUN produced one of the biggest upsets of the group stage, defeating Czechia after more than three hours of thrilling play.
Lubomir JANCARIK, Pavel SIRUCEK, and Ondrej KVETON fought hard for Czechia, but Türkiye ultimately triumphed in a dramatic five-match encounter filled with twists and momentum shifts.
“We knew that Czechia had very strong players, but we wanted to fight and we believed there was a chance to win,” said Abdullah YIGENLER. “The most beautiful thing about this victory is that everyone on our team deserves credit for it.”
Asked about the pressure in the deciding match and the final set, he added:
“I tried not to think about it and just focused on the next ball, but of course, deep down you always feel the pressure. I’m glad I managed to handle it and win the match for the team.”
Spain – Hungary 3–2
Group B: France 2–0, Spain 1–1, Hungary 0–2
A rejuvenated Spanish team, featuring 23-year-old Juan PÉREZ and 19-year-old Daniel BERZOSA alongside Miguel VILCHEZ, secured their place among the top 16 teams at the European Team Championships.
Spain, playing without Álvaro ROBLES, faced Hungary’s Ádám SZUDI, Csaba ANDRAS, and David SZANTOSI in one of the most dramatic encounters of the group stage.
Álvaro ROBLES praised the achievement of the young squad:
“The work this young national team has been doing for many years to reach the main draw of a championship like this really made the difference. The margin was minimal, but it reflects the effort they’ve been putting in for a long time.”
Juan PÉREZ explained his tactical focus:
“I think the key was staying clear-headed at the right moments. I varied my serve well, especially the straight serve across the table, and those small details made the difference in the end. There was a moment when I didn’t return well, that’s true, but when it came to 2–1, 8–8, and 9–9, I handled the returns well. I’m very happy about that.”
Miguel Ángel VILCHEZ expressed pride in contributing to the team’s success:
“Honestly, I’m super happy to have been able to give that little help, that point to the team. I went out with a clear idea and a lot of confidence in myself. In these matches there are moments when you feel great and others when you don’t, but you have to adapt to the circumstances. In the end, we were mentally strong. I also felt really supported by the team, by everyone. I truly believe we all pulled this match through, both individually and as a team.”
Daniel BERZOSA reflected on the intensity of the clash:
“These matches are incredibly difficult to play, such huge pressure for all six players involved. I think both teams deserved to go through, but only one can. The difference came down to tiny details, and well… we’re Spanish. We’ve deserved this for a long time, my teammates, the coaches, the federation, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Asked about his match against Ádám SZUDI, with whom he shared a team in Spain, BERZOSA added:
“At the beginning, that was my plan for the first three sets, but then he started returning better, and Adam was sharper too. In the last set, honestly, I was behind the whole time, but I told myself: ‘I’ve had match points before, why can’t I come back now?’”
Miguel Ángel PANTOJA summed up the team’s mindset:
“With this team, we’re not afraid of anyone. We can stay calm, no matter who we face, I’m sure we’ll give our best. It’s a real pleasure to share the table and enjoy it with a team like this.”
