European Championships | 17 Oct 2024

Top Seeds Safely Through, but Day of Upsets at LIEBHERR European Championships

Top seeds in the Women's Singles Event at the LIEBHERR European Championships, Bernadette SZOCS of Romania and Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria, successfully concluded the Round of 64. SZOCS prevailed against Maria BERSOZA of Spain in straight games, as did POLCANOVA against Charlotte CAREY of Wales.

"I may have overestimated my emotional state a little. It's the first time I've played a European Championship at home and probably the last. I've been really nervous since Sunday, and I'm extremely relieved that we won the mixed quarter-finals today and secured a medal. I'm more of an introverted person who wants to inspire everyone and put a lot of pressure on myself. I know that everyone here is on my side, which definitely gives me strength,” explained POLCANOVA.

However, the opening round of the event was not free from upsets. Qualifier Aneta MAKSUTI of Serbia, who lacks ranking points, overcame Hana MATELOVA of Czechia, ranked no. 40 in the world, in a full seven-game thriller. Additionally, Leana HOCHART of France, ranked no. 199, defeated Britt EERLAND, the world no. 40. Natalia BAJOR of Poland, world no. 44, suffered a loss to world no. 186 Tin Tin HO of England.

Under-21 champion and Under-19 Top 10 winner Veronika MATUNINA beat Ioana SINGEORZAN of Romania, while Elizabeta SAMARA of Romania overcame Nina SKERBINZ of Austria.

"My match was like always. The first round is difficult, and it's even more challenging when I don't know the player. She's younger than me—she's 14, I'm 35—and she made me work much harder than I expected. But my experience and the many matches I've played over the years proved to be an advantage. Still, I have to give her credit; she was playing her best table tennis, and in front of a home crowd. It was nice, but I would have preferred to play on a different table, not Table 1. It’s been a long day, playing mixed doubles in the morning, then doubles, and then quick singles—it’s tough. But now I have time to recover," explained SAMARA.

Nina MITTELHAM of Germany defeated Aikaterini TOLIOU of Greece in straight games. "I can't complain about the draw. Against defensive players, I have more time and feel comfortable. I played solidly and am happy to be competing again. I do feel a bit tired, but overall I feel good and have no pain. My game still has room for improvement, but I’ll aim to get better round by round. In the next round, against Sarah de NUTTE, I’ll need to stay focused," said MITTELHAM.

Another German player, Franziska SCHREINER, overcame Hana ARAPOVIC of Croatia, but she needed the full seven games. In the next round, she will meet teammate Sabine WINTER.

"In the end, all I had left was to fight, and I’m glad I was able to win that tight match. I led 2-0, but I lost focus in the third set, and the next few sets went by quickly. I’ve had many close matches with Hana, and I gave her the confidence to come back. Sabine is the favorite; she leads in head-to-head matches and is ranked higher on every list. I’m happy to make it to the second round and improve on my result from Munich. Last time, I was just two points away," said SCHREINER.

Linda BERGSTRÖM of Sweden overcame Alexandra HIRIACOVA of Moldova to progress to the Round of 32.

"It was a good match. The first two games were flawless. My forehand shots were very strong. Then, as can happen when things are going a bit too well, I became a bit passive in the third set. Still, I fought my way back in both the third and fourth sets and won 4-0. It's nice to feel strong in those 10-10 moments and still manage to win 4-0," said BERGSTRÖM. "It's a very demanding competition, but it was nice to have a few hours between the doubles and singles matches. It's been a long day, but I handled it well, so I’m satisfied."

Her next opponent is Ivana MALOBABIC of Croatia.

"A defensive player. I last played her in January in the Champions League. I won 3-2 then. It was a pretty tough match, but during parts of that match, I played very well. I feel like my forehand game has been strong today, so I hope I can keep up the aggression tomorrow, and things should go well. But it’s always a bit tricky to face a defensive player. I’ll need to prepare well," said BERGSTRÖM.