Day two of the 2025 CCB Europe Top 16 Cup in Montreux brought the highly anticipated Round of 16 matches. You can follow the live stream and results at ETTU TV and the ETTU website.
Pictures are available here on Flickr.
Jonathan GROTH – Andres LIND 3-1 (12-10, 14-12, 11-13, 11-2)
For anyone struggling to wake up, the fierce action from the very beginning of the day was sure to shake them awake. In the all-Danish clash in the opening game, Jonathan GROTH, seeded 12th, overcame Anders LIND, the 8th seed.
LIND had three match points at 10-7 in the opening game before eventually losing 10-12. The tight, point-by-point battle continued throughout the second game, with GROTH keeping his nerves steadier in the tense finish. In a powerful exchange of rallies, the match entered the third game with LIND managing to convert his advantage and narrow the gap to 1-2.
“It’s always very difficult to play against your friend and teammate. I wasn’t 100 percent comfortable. In the opening game, I was down 10-7 before I won it. I didn’t start very well. In the second game, I played better, led, had many game points, and somehow won it. He also had some service mistakes, which helped. It’s always tough against him – he has a very tricky service game. He risks a lot, and sometimes those risks lead to mistakes on his serve. In the third game, it was up and down. I led 3-0, but then he came back, and I did too. On match point, I had a high ball, and maybe I hesitated a bit. However, I lost that game, but the most important thing was I came back strong in the fourth. As I said, we know each other very well, and I think playing in this venue is not always easy. It’s fast and spinny, but as the match progressed, we both started to play some good rallies. I’m happy to win, but I would have preferred to win against someone else,” explained GROTH.
Marcos FREITAS – Andrej GACINA 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-4)
Marcos FREITAS overcame Andrej GACINA in a less dramatic fashion. The Portuguese player defeated his doubles partner, with whom he won the gold medal at the European Championships in Gdansk, Sopot, in 2011.
“It was a good match, and I’m very pleased with my performance. In the last two international events, In Qatar in January, I didn’t play very well. I struggled to get into the match, so I’m happy with how I played here. GACINA is a good player. We’re friends and know each other very well. We won the European Championships in doubles some years ago. It’s always a tricky game because he knows my game, and I know his. I’m also aware of his strong service. However, I can be satisfied with the level of my consistency today. In the end, I kept putting more balls on the table and played it safe. I did not miss many balls. On the other hand, he was not as comfortable. It was our first match, so it took some time for him to adjust. My service and receive game were good, and that was important,” said FREITAS.
Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania – Georgina POTA of Hungary 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-6)
In superb style, Eliza SAMARA defeated Georgina POTA without losing a single game.
“I was very well prepared for this match. I was confident with my serve and knew exactly where the ball would land. I controlled the match and forced POTA to change her approach in the end. She had to do that because I didn’t give her many options. I was everywhere on the table. I don’t remember the last time I felt this good at the start of a match. Usually, I get into the match more slowly, but I’m glad it happened this way here in Montreux. With this format of best-of-five games, there’s no time for a slow start. If you’re 0-2 down, it’s very hard to come back,” said SAMARA.
Fu YU of Portugal – Ying HAN of Germany 0-3 (6-11, 12-14, 4-11)
Ying HAN was at the top of her game against Fu Yu. After a long break due to injury, HAN returned to the European scene on 14th February to help the reigning champions, KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg from Poland, secure their place in the Women’s Champions League semifinals.
“After the victory, I felt a huge sense of relief that everything went well. I was really nervous before the match. There were a couple of her short balls, where I had to rush forward, and I thought, ‘Oh dear…’ But once I managed to reach those balls, I gained more confidence, and then everything just flowed. I’m really happy about the win and about being part of the Europe Top 16,” said HAN.
Darko JORGIC of Slovenia – Eduaro IONESCU of Romania 3-2 (18-20, 11-7, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6)
Two clubmates from 1. FC Saarbrücken TT, Darko JORGIC and Eduaro IONESCU, pushed each other to their limits in an intense clash from the very beginning. The reigning champion faced a great challenge on his way to setting an absolute record with four consecutive titles at the Top 16.
Coming back from a back injury didn’t help JORGIC, although the Slovenian player is no stranger to drama in the opening rounds of the event in previous years.
“I had a problem with my back muscle two weeks before the Top 16 and all the important upcoming tournaments. I didn’t train for those two weeks, and you can tell from my performance. I did not feel the table nor the balls. My body is not in the right shape, but I hope it will get better. The physio is doing his job well, and I believe my body will be ready for the challenges,” explained JORGIC.
Speaking about his clash with IONESCU, Darko added:
“For me, it’s always difficult to play the opening matches in a tournament. I remember last year and the drama against Joao GERALDO. It started messy, but ended in perfect style.”
Patrick FRANZISKA – Dimitrij OVTCHAROV 3-2 (7-11, 13-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-9)
In the action-packed clash that kept spectators on the edge of their seats, Patrick FRANZISKA overcame Dimitrij OVTCHAROV. The duel went the full distance, with FRANZISKA trailing in every game but managing to come through in the end.
Patrick FRANZISKA was delighted with his victory after the high-level match, where he had been trailing 1-2 against his national teammate:
“The level of play from both of us was incredibly high. Playing against Dima is unbelievably tough – on one hand, because we know each other so well, and on the other, because he is incredibly resilient and never gives up. We are good friends, but during the match, you have to put that aside for a short time. Even in the last rally, he was actually in control. I’m happy with my performance and excited to be in the quarterfinals now.”
Dimitrij OVTCHAROV’S disappointment over his early exit was clearly visible:
“It’s a shame that we had to face each other in the first match already. I came here in good form, and I think I proved that in this high-level match. It was a great game from both of us, and I had my chances – even in the fifth set. Congratulations to Patrick, who showed a strong finish after coming from behind.”
Daniel HABESOH of Austria – Alexis LEBRUN of France 0-3 (8-11, 1-11, 9-11)
Daniel HABESOHN was required to go through the qualifications, but after yesterday’s success in two matches, today Alexis LEBRUN halted his progress to the quarters. In dominant fashion, the young Frenchman secured a straight-games victory.
“It was the first time I’ve played against Daniel, and his serve is so difficult to receive. He has a very strange rhythm, and it’s a challenge to block him. On the other side, I was very focused. I wanted to reach the quarterfinals. Now, I will watch the duel between Dang QIU and Anton KALLBERG to prepare good tactics for tomorrow,” said Alexis.
The older of the two brothers also commented on the new system of play in Montreux:
“Personally, I prefer the best-of-seven matches like last year. Playing in the best-of-five system puts a lot of extra pressure, and I hope everyone enjoys the show because now it’s better drama. The spectators are fantastic here, and I enjoy all the support I get,” said LEBRUN.
Xiaona SHAN of Germany – Prithika PAVADE of France 3-2 (7-11, 12-10, 11-13, 11-6, 11-7)
Prithika PAVADE got off to a better start, but Xiaona SHAN managed to get back on her feet and put pressure on the French player. The close fight pushed the match to a decider, but it was SHAN who dominated the last two games.
“I made things difficult for myself. I didn’t play well for almost a year due to an injury and lost a lot of matches. Now, I’m playing much better again, but in my mind, I still have a fear of losing. Sometimes, that throws me off my rhythm,” admitted SHAN.
Solomiya BRATEYKO of Ukraine – Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria 0-3 (8-11, 9-11, 12-10)
No. 2 seed Sofia POLCANOVA progressed to the quarterfinals after her win over Solomiya BRATEYKO. Despite a brave effort from Solomiya, who had to go through the qualification phase yesterday, the Ukrainian player failed to win a game.
“Today, it was my first match here, and as always, I was nervous at the opening of the tournament. It’s always so difficult for me. I don’t think I played very well, but I did manage to use my tactics. Solomiya is a very good player, and she came from qualifications. She already proved that she can play well, so I had to fight. In the beginning, she wasn’t comfortable with my game and style, but after the second game, I felt that she adjusted. She raised her game, and that made me nervous again,” said POLCANOVA.
Linda BERGSTRÖM of Sweden – Nina MITTELHAM of Germany 3-0 (12-10, 13-11, 15-13)
The first upset of the Round of 16 came in the clash between Linda BERGSTRÖM and Nina MITTELHAM. The Swede, ranked 12th, triumphed in a close encounter, beating the 4th seed.
“It’s my first win here at the Top 16. In the previous two occasions, I never managed to win a match. It seems that the ‘three times lucky’ proverb is correct,” said BERGSTRÖM. “I played very well. The opening game was very important, and to make it 2-0 was a huge boost. It was also unexpected. We’ve played a few times before, and I know Nina can adapt and find other ways to play against me. The nerves came back in the last game. I’ve struggled in recent matches, failing to close them out even when I had match balls. It happened even when I had a 3-0 lead and match ball… but finally, I broke that barrier. I’m also proud of myself. This system with the best-of-five format suits me better, and in general, it works better for the underdogs.”
Nina MITTELHAM:”The result is definitely too clear – I had my chances. Also, due to my injury last year, I haven’t played against a defensive player in over a year. She played very well, and I made a lot of easy mistakes. Normally, I handle defensive styles well, but today I didn’t feel as comfortable and lacked the confidence to fully commit to my shots. I didn’t trust myself to go for certain balls as aggressively as necessary.”
Felix LEBRUN of France – Benedikt DUDA of Germany 3-2 (6-11, 11-6, 15-17, 11-7, 11-9)
Benedikt DUDA had denied Felix LEBRUN a medal at the European Championships quarterfinals in singles in Linz, but tonight, despite the immense pressure, the young Frenchman avenged that defeat.
In the opening game, Felix got off to a better start, leading 5-1, but DUDA came back to close it out 11-6. Felix leveled the score before the longest game of the match, which had the venue on fire. It was a nerve-wracking battle, and DUDA sealed it by the narrowest of margins. In the fourth game, LEBRUN once again leveled and forced the match into a decider. With spectators on the edge of their seats, Felix withstood the pressure and sealed the match.
“I wouldn’t call it revenge; it was just a match against a tough player, and I’m very happy I managed to win. I’m also proud of how I handled the last game. I had to change my game, make some adjustments, and it’s not easy to do that at 2-2. I have to admit that I was very nervous the whole day, and even more when the match started. Thankfully, I forced myself not to think about it and made some distance from it. Eventually, I played more freely,” said LEBRUN.
Benedikt DUDA added: “Of course, it’s disappointing to have lost, but it was a match at a very high level. Since his last loss to me, he’s made a few adjustments. After the Singapore Smash, I found my form again, and overall, I’m very satisfied – both with my performance in the qualification and with my match today against Felix. That’s a big positive. On one or two points, luck wasn’t on my side, but that’s part of the game and evens out over time. Next time, I’ll go for it again.”
Alvaro ROBLES of Spain – Truls MOREGAARD of Sweden 1-3 (12-10, 7-11, 9-11, 7-11)
Truls MOREGAARD had a shaky start to the duel against Alvaro ROBLES, but after the opening game, he found his rhythm.
“It was a tough match. I received very poorly, and he served very well, so it was really difficult for me. Especially the way I lost the opening game. I can’t be satisfied with my game, it is just that all the players here are very good,” said MOREGAARD.
Dang QIU of Germany – Anton KALLBERG of Sweden 3-0 (14-12, 11-9, 11-7)
In the clash between Borussia Dusseldorf’s stars Dang QUI and Anton KALLBERG, No. 5 seed QIU overcame no. 9 seed from Sweden.
“Anton certainly did not play up to his own expectations today, whereas things went well for me. Tomorrow, against Alexis, anything is possible. We’ve played each other so many times now – there are no secrets anymore,” said Dang.
Bernadette SZOCS of Romania– Maria XIAO of Spain 3-0 (11-3, 11-8, 11-9)
Top-seeded Bernadette SZOCS justified her status and overcame Maria XIAO.
“I was very focused because Maria is a very good player. We’ve played against each other many times. A few times, I’ve had big problems in matches against her. The last time we met was in the semifinals of the European Championships in Linz. I won, but it was very difficult. Plus, each time I had to change my tactics because she knows me very well. We’re also good friends, and many times we’ve been clubmates in different leagues. We’ve practiced together. Before this duel, I watched our match from Linz again. I made sure not to give her any easy balls. Losing even one game could have cost me a lot. It may look like a straightforward 3-0, but it wasn’t an easy match. I didn’t want to complicate my life,” stated SZOCS.
Jia Nan YUAN of France – Jieni SHAO of Portugal 2-3 (11-8, 11-6, 4-11, 7-11, 7-11)
In a breathtaking turnaround, reigning champion Jia Nan YUAN lost her Round of 16 match. Jieni SHAO recovered from a 0-2 deficit to win the duel in spectacular fashion.
“I never quit the fight. YUAN is a very good player, but nevertheless, I’m not going down without a great fight. It doesn’t matter if I’m two games up or two games down; it’s not over until the last ball. I always believe I can win,” said SHAO.
Natalia BAJOR of Poland – Sabine WINTER of Germany 2-3 (11-3, 14-12, 12-14, 9-11, 12-14)
Sabine WINTER was two games down, but she recovered to win, with each game being on a knife’s edge.
“At the beginning, she blocked me out of the game. After that, I started using my anti-spin rubber more. I also began serving long more often – probably more than ever before in my life. With the new rubber, I’m developing more and more playing patterns that I didn’t even know myself before. But that’s normal after just three months with the anti. I’m incredibly happy to be in the quarterfinals now. Tomorrow, I’ll be facing the European champion. Without the anti, I lost to her in the European Championship semifinal in Munich in 2022 – let’s see how it goes now with the anti.”
