Nathan PILARD of France, Yoan VELICHKOV of Bulgaria, Danilo FASO of Italy and Aleksei SAMOKHIN of AIN secured their places in the semi-finals of the Under 19 Boys Singles event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar.
PILARD produced one of the most convincing performances of the round, defeating Sweden’s Noa DAHLSTROM 4-0 (11-9, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7) to guarantee himself a medal.
The French player admitted he had not expected to reach the last four but credited his energy and confidence for carrying him through.
“Honestly, it was an exceptional match. I never expected to get this far, but I managed to put together a good run to reach this stage. I had a match that gave me a real chance to fight for a medal. After winning my doubles quarter-final, I managed to recover all the energy I had spent there, and I think that was the key. I came into this quarter-final full of energy and determination.”
On the tactical side, PILARD kept his approach simple.
“The most important thing was to stay relaxed and have confidence in my game. I trusted my shots, let myself play freely and didn’t hold back. I was able to play the way I like, with a lot of freedom and confidence, and I think that’s what made the difference and helped me reach the semi-finals.”
Italy’s FASO also advanced with a 4-1 (11-8, 11-8, 11-8, 7-11, 11-2) victory over Poland’s Patryk ZYWORONEK. Although the scoreline looked comfortable, the Italian admitted fatigue had become a major factor after a demanding week of competition.
“I’m very happy with this match. I was really, really tired after such a long competition. I had played a lot of matches in the team event, as well as doubles, so physically it wasn’t easy. After the first game, though, I settled into my rhythm. I built up the lead step by step and eventually won 4-1. It wasn’t an easy match, but I’m very happy to have won another medal at this competition.”
His tactical focus was equally straightforward.
“I was mainly focused on myself. I knew I had to keep my legs moving because that was the key. I tried to use my whole body in every shot and stay active throughout the match. I think that made the difference.”
VELICHKOV joined them in the semi-finals after defeating Hungary’s Botond VARGA 4-1 (11-9, 11-6, 12-14, 11-8, 11-4), while SAMOKHIN recovered from dropping the opening game to beat Romania’s Robert ISTRATE 4-1 (7-11, 11-6, 12-10, 14-12, 11-3), sealing victory after edging a crucial fourth game 14-12.
Under 19 Boys Singles Quarter-finals
- Nathan PILARD (France) – Noa DAHLSTROM (Sweden) 4-0 (11-9, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7)
- Yoan VELICHKOV (Bulgaria) – Botond VARGA (Hungary) 4-1 (11-9, 11-6, 12-14, 11-8, 11-4)
- Danilo FASO (Italy) – Patryk ZYWORONEK (Poland) 4-1 (11-8, 11-8, 11-8, 7-11, 11-2)
- Aleksei SAMOKHIN (AIN) – Robert ISTRATE (Romania) 4-1 (7-11, 11-6, 12-10, 14-12, 11-3)
