In the semi final of the Women’s Doubles Event at the European Championships Munich 2022 top seeds Sarah DE NUTTE and NI Xia Lian of Luxembourg will meet Andreea DRAGOMAN and Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania. Romania secured more two medals in doubles since in other semi final Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria and Bernadette SZOCS of Romania will meet Maria XIAO of Spain and Adina DIACONU of Romania.
Andreea DRAGOMAN and Elizabeta SAMARA overcame Hana MATELOVA of Czech Republic and Barbora BALAZOVA of Slovakia in their quarterfinal duel. SAMARA recovered from the surgery and despite here previous successes she was more than thrilled to reach the medal rostrum again.
“The opening game was important. It could went either ways but since it went on our account it gave us advantage ” said SAMARA.”When I saw the draw I thought we could win. I just had that feeling.”
The Romanian pairings did not have the medal together at the European Championships. At the World Championships they lost in the quarterfinal.
“I am so honored to play with Liza here ” said DRAGOMAN.
Luxembourg’s NI Xia Lian and Sarah DE NUTTE beat Linda BERGSTROM and Christina KALLBERG of Sweden in the quarterfinal.
“It’s wonderful. It’s always a challenge. Everybody is very strong and we are very satisfied until now. Of course we want the best but we also respect that everybody has got the chance and we can only show our best.”
On what made her and Sarah DE NUTTE beat Linda BERGSTROM and Christina KALLBERG:
“Because we are clever. Of course everybody is clever and sometimes it shows and sometimes you’re not able to show it. If you have a good day and you can show it it is a fantastic feeling. And this is what we are fighting for.”
On her motivation to keep chasing medals aged 59:
“I’m always motivated. If you have no motivation you better stay home. You have a responsibility. In your life you must keep your promise or keep doing what you do best. This is in my personality and if I agree I want to give it 100 per cent minimum – 120 even. We have a good team I have a good partner a good coach everything is fantastic. And we try – maybe we succeed maybe not. It’s very interesting.”
Speaking on De NUTTE:”She is a very good partner a very good player a very smart girl. We are very happy together that’s why you see we’ve got such a good harmony. It’s fun to play and even more fun to win.It is not every day you have this chance so we have to cherish it.”
Maria XIAO and Adina DIACONU teamed up for a first time here in Munich. In the quarters they overcame Nina MITTELHAM and Sabine WINTER.
“They were favorites but our game was very difficult for them. We felt it and it gave us confidence. We halted their spin ” explain Maria XIAO.
Luxembourg’s pairings lost only one game in their second round match. Serbia’s Dragana VIGNJEVIC and Izabela LUPULESKU were on the other side of the table.
It was sad end for the young German duo Annett KAUFMANN and Franziska SCHREINER in the Round two. They faced their teammates and Warsaw runners’ up Sabine WINTER and Nina MITTELHAM. More experienced duo concluded the match in straight games.
“I think we both wished to play someone else. At international competitions it’s nicer not to play against the German players especially in the home country because you normally have the crowds supporting you but now you don’t have that “ said WINTER. “”Nina and I played a lot better than yesterday. We were thinking a lot about this match and had some good tactics that worked. Now we are happy that we are in the quarterfinals.”
Franziska SCHREINER said:”We could play better but our adversaries today played in a way that was very uncomfortable for us so we didn’t have a chance to play our best balls. In the end it is difficult to win against former European champions when we don’t play our best.”
Another nation’s players in the Round of 16 had to decide who will go into the quarters among themselves. Filippa BERGAND and Christina KÄLLBERG beat Reabecca MUSKANTOR and Filippa BERGAND.
“I think both Linda and I were a little nervous in the beginning so we didn’t get a nice and comfortable feeling but then we immediately got a good start of the second set and then we got into it. After that it felt like we started to control the game again and I think that is why we won the match ” said KALLBERG.
Romania’s Bernadette SZOSC and Austria’s Sofia POLCANOVA overcame SHAO Jieni and YU Fu of Portugal in the match for the medal.
“Bernie and I had a break we did not play together for a while because I had a surgery. I am very happy that Bernie waited for me although she had other propositions ” said POLCANOVA.
Bernadette confirmed and explained:”I knew Sofia will come back ready and that we will make it together. We are not only good pairings we are also good friends.”
In the quarters they did not give a lot of space to Portugal’s pairings.
“We were well prepared. We had few tactics a lot of variations to play atacking and in defending style ” explained Bernadette.”We did not lost the game here and we are not planing to do so.”
