European Championships | 27 Jun 2021

Gold for KATSMAN and GREBNEV in men's Doubles and for SOLJA and SHAN in Women's Doubles Event

At the LIEBHERR ITTF European Championships in Warsaw, on the last day of play, Lev KATSMAN and Maksim GREBNEV of Russia won the gold medal in the Men's Doubles Event; Petrissa SOLJA and SHAN Xiaona of Germany clinched the gold in Women's Doubles Event.

Russia's parings KATSMAN and GREBNEV overcame spirited duo of Jakub DYJAS of Poland and Cédric NUYTINCK of Belgium in four games to reach the top step at the medal rostrum (12:10, 11:8, 8:11, 11:7). Portugal's Tiago APOLONIA and Joao MONTEIRO and Hungary's Adam SZUDI and Nandor ECSEKI won bronze medals.

“We had a dream start against NUYTINCK and DYJAS. We studied their game very carefully, we knew what to expect and we sticked to the plan. Aggressive approach paid of and we won opening games easily. In the third game we lost the focus. Our adversaries took the control, they forced us into few simply errors. When you play at such high level, if you give away two or three points the games is off. You can not afford easy mistakes at all. Luckily we started better in the fourth game, but again I felt under pressure after 6:1, both Maxim and I made a few mistakes again, before we get the grip together,” said Lev KATSMAN.

In the all-German final in Women's Doubles Event Petrissa SOLJA and SHAN Xiaona overcame Nina MITTELHAM and Sabine WINTER (7:11, 11:7, 10:12, 11:8, 11:80). Nina won the title last time in Alicante, but this time she had to settle with silver with Sabine, who had won gold also twice. WINTER and SOLJA clinched gold in Budapest 2013, when SHAN Xiaona was on the opposite side of the net.

“German team play incredible game here in Warsaw, I am so happy with the overall result. It has been a while since SHAN and I played together and I am proud how it ended here,” said SOLJA.

Day earlier Ganna GAPONOVA and Tetyana BILENKO of Ukraine and Stéphanie LOEUILLETTE and YUAN Jia Nan of France played in the semis and won bronze medals.