HAN Ying of Germany (1) – Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania (8) 2-4 (11-8 11-1 2-11 10-12 7-11 8-11)
Elizabeta SAMARA staged an impressive comeback from being two games down to defeat the top-seeded player HAN Ying. Romania’s player displayed patience and resilience to overcome her clubmate’s defensive skills and secured a spot in the semifinals where she will face YANG Xiaoxin.
“I knew it would be challenging but after the second game my goal was to win at least one game. There was no way I was going to accept a straight games defeat. It is not about inventing new tactics against her because we know each other so well. However I was still unsure about how she would play the amount of spin she would put on the ball or the pace she would use. I felt the pressure. Ever since the first match in Krakow I have been feeling immense pressure ” admitted SAMARA.
After the second game Elizabeta managed to overcome her stress and gain control of the match.
“I took it ball by ball and found ways to avoid easy mistakes. I seized every opportunity I had because you don’t get many against HAN ” said SAMARA.
Defeating the top-seeded player demonstrated that SAMARA is once again a contender for the top positions.
“I am happy to be where I am now reaching the final stages of the tournament and securing a victory over one of the best players in Europe.”
HAN acknowledged that it was impossible to stop SAMARA after the second game.
“She didn’t make any mistakes and she controlled the game.”
QIU Dang of Germany (1) – Alexis LEBRUN of France (5) 1-4 (12-10 9-11 10-12 4-11 12-14)
The number one seed QIU Dang faced the same fate as the previous three favorites as he was eliminated from the competition. The 19-year-old Alexis LEBRUN continued to showcase his powerful performance and secured a spot in the semifinals. This French player who defeated World No. 1 FAN Zhendong in April this year is making a remarkable climb to the top in Krakow.
“It was a very close match. All the games were decided by the narrowest of margins. I gave my best to attack him with my service and I had to employ various game variations including changing my service strategy… As the match progressed I felt better and better ” said LEBRUN.
In the semifinals LEBRUN will face Marcos FREITAS.
“I watched him play against JORGIC here and it was an amazing performance. It will be extremely challenging to beat him when he is playing at such a high level ” LEBRUN acknowledged.
No. one seed QIU was dissapointed.
“I have to close out the second game after leading 9:6. I was clearly the better man then. Alexis played great overall and did a lot of good things. I made a few mental mistakes and bad decisions. Losing three times in overtime is not so untypical for me but nevertheless I don’t always see myself behind. Today I lacked confidence and maybe a bit of greed. Many things came together. Even though the priority is the mixed I wanted to play for the medals in the singles. That’s why the defeat hurts. I have to draw my conclusions for next time. After the World Championships I changed my backhand rubber because it makes more sense for the future. The European Games are my first competition with the new material after only three weeks of training. There is not much time in the year before the Olympics. That’s why you have to start with a change of material as early as possible ” exxplained QIU.
YUAN Jia Nan of France (5) – Natalia BAJOR of Poland (14) 2-4 (11-9 7-11 11-5 11-13 6-11 6-11)
After stopping the progress of European Champion Sofia POLCANOVA Natalia BAJOR continued her impressive run by defeating YUAN Jia Nan. In a clash between two fast players Natalia proved to be the faster one.
“I didn’t get much sleep before the game. I woke up at 5:50 AM and left the athletes’ village at 7:10 AM. I arrived at the venue at 8 AM and had a training session with one of the WĘGRZYN sisters since 8. The first match of the day is always the hardest for me as I love to sleep ” admitted BAJOR.
Speaking about her match against YUAN Natalia said:
“I was afraid of YUAN’s service game so I focused on practicing my receive a lot this morning. It paid off and I managed to control the match. My receive helped me push the rallies into longer exchanges. YUAN struggled to find an answer to that ” said BAJOR.
BAJOR emphasized the crucial role of mental strength.
“I came back after losing the third game and I narrowly won the fourth game. That was the turning point.”
Regarding the support she receives in Krakow BAJOR explained that her friends and supporters in Poland are her “allowed doping.”
“I discovered at the European Championships in Warsaw how much power I gain from the home crowd. It gives me extra strength.”
Marcos FREITAS of Portugal (18) – Darko JORGIC of Slovenia (4) 4-2 (11-9 11-7 11-9 8-11 11-13 11-4)
As Darko JORGIC failed to deliver his service and receive game at full strength it was challenging for him to stop the progress of Marcos FREITAS whose powerful performance propelled him to the semifinals.
“It was a difficult match very similar to the one I had against Tomislav PUCAR in the Round of 32. I started very well being very aggressive. On the other hand JORGIC didn’t perform as well in the beginning as his service didn’t work as he wished. It was often half long or too high so I took advantage of it. But he is a very good player and after being down 3-0 he managed to make a comeback ” said Marcos.
JORGIC won the fourth game to stay in the match.
“The fifth game was completely open with 50-50 chances for both sides. We played a marathon and when it was 10-10 I felt like I could win it but Darko is a survivor. He never gives up in such big matches. Darko found the strength to win the fifth game so I started to worry. At 3-2 I wasn’t safe at all.”
However the pressure was more on JORGIC’s side.
“I did my best to remind myself that I still had a lead and that the pressure was on him. I kept my level high got off to a good start and made a few very good decisions to secure the victory ” said FREITAS.
In Krakow Marcos is not ranked as high as he used to be in the recent past.
“For me the last two seasons were a big struggle. I had shoulder and elbow injuries which affected my practice routine. For two seasons I tried to find a way to practice more consistently but it was inconsistent. Some weeks I practiced only once while others three times. However at this moment I’m in my best shape in the last two years. I had three good weeks of training which boosted my confidence. Starting my competition from the preliminaries helped me build up my form. I achieved some good results this year such as reaching the quarterfinals in Qatar and performing well in the French league. It seems like I have found my way back. I’m getting fitter and fitter ” explained FREITAS.
Nina MITTELHAM of Germany (3)- Bernadette SZOCS of Romania (6) 2-4 (8-11 11-5 6-11 12-10 7-11 4-11)
The favorites continued to struggle as the third-ranked player in Women’s Singles was defeated leading to her departure from the competition. Bernadette SZOCS proved to be too strong for Nina MITTELHAM.
“The defeat that I suffered in the final of the European Championships in Cluj still hurts. At that time I made a promise to myself that I would avenge the title that Romania lost in front of the home crowd. That determination has driven me to achieve my best result at the European Games ” said SZOCS.
In the semifinal Bernadette will face Natalia BAJOR the hometown favorite from Krakow.
“She is playing here in superb shape and has significantly improved her game. However my goal remains the gold medal and I will give my all to achieve it ” confidently stated SZOCS.
Nina said:“For me it is always very unpleasant to play against Bernadette. But I didn’t play well overall today and still had my chances. That’s the positive thing about this game. I didn’t find my way into the game and had no rhythm. It was an open game until 2:2 and 8:8. But in the last set I totally collapsed. I would have liked to win a medal in the singles. My focus is now on the mixed doubles. Before the tournament we considered it the most important competition in Krakow because of the ticket for the Olympic Games.”
YU Fu of Portugal (7) – YANG Xiaoxin of Monaco (4) 0-4 (10-12 4-11 7-11 2-11)
YANG Xiaoxin justified her status and defeated YU Fu to secure a place in the penultimate stage. YU managed to apply some pressure on Monaco’s player in the opening game but from that point onwards it was a one-way street for YANG.
“I prepared very well for this match both physically and mentally. I anticipated a tough battle since we know each other very well. We are from the same club and I lost to her the last time we played. So I was prepared for a possible seven-game match. I believe the first game was the most crucial; I saved a game point which was a decisive moment. I took my time between points and performed exceptionally well during crucial moments ” said YANG.
Eduard IONESCU of Romania (29) – Felix LEBRUN of France (8) 2-4 (14-12 2-11 10-12 11-9 5-11 5-11)
Felix joined his brother Alexei in the semifinals of the Men’s Event. Felix secured the win against Eduardo IONESCU by finding a way to slow him down and force him into making mistakes.
“It’s very nice. I did not have specific goals but I wanted to have a great competition and so far that is the case. To prepare for the match I watched our previous encounter from six months ago. However he has improved a lot recently having played some really big matches against strong players so I prepared for that as well ” said Felix.
IONESCU initially put LEBRUN under pressure in the early stages of the match. However as the duel progressed it became increasingly difficult for Romania’s player to find a response to LEBRUN’s attacks.
“At first I was a little tense and frustrated because I lost two games by the narrowest of margins and I felt that I could do better. When it was tied at two games each I tried to calm down and remind myself that it was a close match and that I had been dominating the whole time. I had to play my game utilize my speed in every shot and take risks during the service games ” explained Felix.
His coach Nathanael MOLIN highlighted that Felix is a player with an original and fast-paced game. He anticipates the opponent’s moves and reads the game remarkably well. Felix trains with his brother in their club in Montpellier where they engage in numerous practice matches and prioritize variation and diversity.
“Sometimes I look at my coach for tactical indications. We have been working together for two years and there is a lot of trust between us ” stated Felix.
Andrej GACINA of Croatia (7) – Daniel HABESOHN of Austria (26) 4-1 (11-7 9-11 11-9 12-10 11-9)
Andrej GACINA advanced to the semifinals after defeating Daniel HABESOHN but his victory was overshadowed by a potential injury to his back hamstring. During the fourth game at a score of 4-2 in favor of HABESOHN GACINA called for a medical timeout.
“Unfortunately I have suffered from a ruptured back hamstring 11 times in the past and it seemed to be the case now as well. I had been injury-free for a year and a half and I really hope it is not a complete rupture and that I will be able to play two matches tomorrow ” said GACINA.
Despite the injury concern GACINA continued to play at a high level after the medical timeout.
“I have a very good record against Daniel. In our previous six matches I have only lost once. I feel comfortable playing against him.”
Both top seeded player in Men’s and Women’s Event at the 2023 European Games faced early exit on the fourth day of play in Krakow. Almost each quarterfinal match concluded with the defeat of the higher ranked player.
