The race for the title in the Under-19 Boys’ singles event at the 2024 Europe Youth Top 10 in Grodzisk Mazowiecki Poland is intense. Germany’s Andre BERTELSMEIER a European Youth Championships quarterfinalist earlier this summer leads the standings after six rounds with just one loss. In Round 5 BERTELSMEIER suffered his first defeat in a thrilling seven-game battle against Portugal’s Tiago ABIODUN but bounced back to close the day with a victory over Dragos BUJOR. Top-seeded Flavien COTON of France after his Round 2 loss to BERTELSMEIER has since regained momentum and extended his winning streak. In the opening match of the day he overcame ABIODUN in another grueling seven-game contest. ABIODUN Portugal’s Under-15 champion from two years ago has gone the full distance in four of his six matches winning three. Hungary’s David SZANTOSI remains close to the top with only one defeat. SZANTOSI narrowly escaped a second loss in the morning session against Tom CLOSSET surviving a spirited comeback from the Belgian. CLOSSET clawed back from a 0-3 deficit to level the match but couldn’t secure the victory. You can see the pictures here Round four Flavien COTON (France) – Tiago ABIODUN (Portugal) 4-3 (11-5 11-6 9-11 11-8 7-11 7-11 11-4) Leon BENKO (Croatia) – Daniel BERZOSA (Spain) 1-4 (6-11 11-13 11-5 9-11 12-14) David SZANTOSI (Hungary) – Tom CLOSSET (Belgium) 4-3 (11-8 11-7 12-10 8-11 10-12 8-11 11-5) Mateusz ZALEWSKI (Poland) – Dragos BUJOR (Romania) 4-1 (11-8 7-11 11-8 11-6 11-5) Andre BERTELSMEIER (Germany) – Samuel ARPAS (Slovakia) 4-1 (11-13 11-7 11-9 11-5 11-4) Round five Tom CLOSSET (Belgium) – Mateusz ZALEWSKI (Poland) 0-4 (6-11 10-12 11-13 8-11) Daniel BERZOSA (Spain) – David SZANTOSI (Hungary) 1-4 (11-8 13-15 6-11 7-11 2-11) Samuel ARPAS (Slovakia) – Leon BENKO (Croatia) 4-3 (8-11 8-11 6-11 11-9 11-9 11-2 11-8) Tiago ABIODUN (Portugal) – Andre BERTELSMEIER (Germany) 4-3 (8-11 11-6 11-7 9-11 11-7 5-11 11-8) Dragos BUJOR (Romania) – Flavien COTON (France) 2-4 (6-11 11-8 7-11 8-11 11-9 8-11) Round six Leon BENKO (Croatia) – David SZANTOSI (Hungary) 2-4 (12-10 2-11 13-11 11-13 7-11 10-12) Samuel ARPAS (Slovakia) – Tiago ABIODUN (Portugal) 0-4 (6-11 6-11. 8-11 8-11) Mateusz ZALEWSKI (Poland) – Daniel BERZOSA (Spain) 4-3 (6-11 9-11 11-2 6-11 11-6 14-12 11-5) Flavien COTON (France) – Tom CLOSSET (Belgium) 4-0 (12-10 11-9 11-8 11-1) Andre BERTELSMEIER (Germany) – Dragos BUJOR (Romania) 4-1 (11-3 11-1 8-11 11-5 11-3)
Favorites in the Under-19 Girls’ Event Struggled on Day 2
There have been no undefeated players since Round 4 of the Under-19 Girls’ Singles Event at the 2024 Europe Youth Top 10 in Grodzisk Mazowiecki Poland. In the CAIIS Sports and Entertainment Hall the second day began with European Under-21 Champion and Under-19 EYC vice-champion Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine being defeated by second-seeded host nation favorite Anna BRZYSKA. However the remainder of the day saw a strong recovery from the young Ukrainian star as she secured wins over Natalia BOGDANOWICZ and Sara TOKIC. Additionally France’s third-seed Clea DE STOPPELEIRE faced her first defeat of the tournament in Round 4 with another standout performance by Poland’s Natalia BOGDANOWICZ. Clea DE STOPPELEIRE bounced back winning her fifth and sixth rounds against Matilde PINTO and Mia GRIESEL. Top-seeded Zuzanna WIELGOS of Poland a bronze medalist from Malmö suffered her second defeat at the start of the day this time to Sara TOKIC of Slovenia. She later lost a seven-game thriller against Leana HOCHART before being forced to withdraw due to injury. You can see the pictures here Round four Zuzanna WIELGOS (Poland) – Sara TOKIC (Slovenia)2-4 (9-11 12-14 7-11 11-8 11-7 8-11) Mia GRIESEL (Germany) – Leana HOCHART (France) 3-4 (11-5 12-10 4-11 9-11 12-10 6-11 4-11) Matilde PINTO (Portugal) – Nina GUO ZHENG (France) 1-4 (11-5 3-11 8-11 8-11 8-11) Natalia BOGDANOWICZ (Poland) – Clea DE STOPPELEIRE (France) 4-2 (11-7 7-11 11-4 13-11 10-12 14-12) Anna BRZYSKA (Poland) – Veronika MATIUNINA (Ukraine) 4-1 (11-8 6-11 11-6 11-6 12-10) Round five Clea DE STOPPELEIRE (France) – Matilde PINTO (Portugal) 4-1 (8-11 14-12 11-6 11-9 11-9) Nina GUO ZHENG (France) – Mia GRIESEL (Germany) 4-2 (7-11 11-8 9-11 11-5 11-7 11-8) Veronika MATIUNINA (Ukraine) – Natalia BOGDANOWICZ (Poland) 4-1 (12-10 11-9 11-7 10-12 11-9) Sara TOKIC (Slovenia) – Anna BRZYSKA (Poland) 1-4 (10-12 11-8 6-11 10-12 6-11) Leana HOCHART (France) – Zuzanna WIELGOS (Poland) 4-3 (11-4 5-11 12-10 7-11 9-11 11-3 14-12) Round 6 Natalia BOGDANOWICZ (Poland) – Matilde PINTO (Portugal) 4-1 (13-15 11-7 11-8 11-9 11-7) Mia GRIESEL (Germany) – Clea DE STOPPELEIRE (France) 2-4 (8-11 11-6 12-14 3-11 11-7 9-11) Anna BRZYSKA (Poland) – Leana HOCHART (France) 2-4 (15-13 4-11 9-11 11-7 5-11 8-11) Veronika MATIUNINA (Ukraine) – Sara TOKIC (Slovenia) 4-1 (11-5 11-4 11-5 10-12 11-9) Zuzanna WIELGOS (Poland) – Nina GUO ZHENG (France) 0-4
Danilo FASO Leads the Pack After Day 2 of Under-15 Boys’ Singles
In the Under-15 Boys’ Singles at the 2024 Europe Youth Top 10 in Grodzisk Mazowiecki Poland Danilo FASO of Italy finished Day 2 at the top of the standings remaining unbeaten in the CAIIS Sports and Entertainment Hall. Second-seeded FASO has continued his perfect run after six rounds. Before Round 6 he became the only player to defeat both his compatriot Francesco TREVISAN and Turkey’s Görkem ÖÇAL. However the day ended with both ÖÇAL and TREVISAN losing their matches: Sandro CAVAILLE defeated ÖÇAL while Samuel MICHNA overcame TREVISAN. Meanwhile top-seeded Robert Alexandru ISTRATE of Romania secured a win over Slovakia’s Pavol KOKAVEC earlier in the day but then lost to Samuel MICHNA and later to Aleks PAKULA adding to the two defeats he suffered on Day 1. Mark GERGELY of Hungary who had been unbeaten up until today faced his first defeat at the hands of ÖÇAL. In Round 5 he recovered with a win over Sandro CAVAILLE but eventually lost to FASO. You can see the pictures here Round four Danilo FASO (Italy) – Samuel MICHNA (Poland) 4-2 (12-14 6-11 11-6 11-5 11-8 11-9) Sandro CAVAILLE (France) – Aleks PAKULA (Poland) 0-4 (5-11 6-11 10-12) Görkem ÖÇAL (Turkiye) – Mark GERGELY (Hungary) 4-2 (6-11 6-11 11-8 11-4 11-6 11-2) Robert Alexandru ISTRATE (Romania) – Pavol KOKAVEC (Slovakia) 4-1 (11-4 11-6 9-11 13-11 12-10) Francesco TREVISAN (Italy) – Jan SKALDA (Czechia) 4-2 (11-6 9-11 11-9 5-11 11-8 11-8) Round five Pavol KOKAVEC (Slovakia) – Francesco TREVISAN (Italy) 1-4 (9-11 11-6 4-11 12-14 4-11) Samuel MICHNA (Poland) – Robert Alexandru ISTRATE (Romania) 4-0 (11-8 11-5 11-9 14-12) Aleks PAKULA (Poland) – Danilo FASO (Italy) 2-4 (6-11 1-11 11-9 4-11 11-7 8-11) Jan SKALDA (Czechia) – Görkem ÖÇAL (Turkiye) 1-4 (9-11 11-6 4-11 12-14 4-11) Mark GERGELY (Hungary) – Sandro CAVAILLE (France) 4-0 (11-9 12-10 11-9 11-9) Round six Görkem ÖÇAL (Turkiye) – Sandro CAVAILLE (France) 0-4 (10-12 2-11 13-15 7-11) Jan SKALDA (Czechia) – Pavol KOKAVEC (Slovakia) 4-1 (12-14 11-2 13-11 11-4 12-10) Robert Alexandru ISTRATE (Romania) – Aleks PAKULA (Poland) 2-4 (6-11 7-11 11-6 7-11 11-8 9-11) Francesco TREVISAN (Italy) – Samuel MICHNA (Poland) 2-4 (11-7 9-11 4-11 9-11 11-4 5-11) Danilo FASO (Italy) – Mark GERGELY (Hungary) 4-0 (11-5 11-9 11-3 11-6).
ITAGAKI Dominates on Day 2 of Europe Youth Top 10
On the second day of play at the 2024 Europe Youth Top 10 in Grodzisk Mazowiecki Poland two players in the Under-15 Girls’ Singles event concluded six rounds undefeated: Koharu ITAGAKI of Germany and Nina SKERBINZ of Austria both showing superb form. Top-seeded Hanka KODETOVA a two-time European champion from Czechia appeared to have recovered from her shaky start which included a loss to Andreea BAIASU and a hard-fought seven-game win over Lisa-Sophie WANG on Day 1. She began Day 2 with a solid victory over Poland’s Maja LAKOMA and continued with wins over Sophie BARCSAI of Hungary and Nora DOHOCZKI. However KODETOVA faces a major challenge in Koharu ITAGAKI the No. 2 seed from Germany who has been in exceptional form dropping only one game in six matches. Today she overcame Nora DOHOCZKI Sophie BARCSAI and Julia LEAL with confidence. Austria’s No. 4 seed Nina SKERBINZ also remains unbeaten and is making a strong push for a podium finish. After a straightforward win over DOHOCZKI SKERBINZ faced a tough challenge against Julia LEAL with Portugal’s player pushing her to the full distance. In the last round of the day SKERBINZ defeated Andreea BAIASU. You can see the pictures here Round four Lisa-Sophie WANG (Germany) – Mariia LYTVYN (Austria) 4-1 (11-3 12-14 13-11 11-6 11-5) Andreea BAIASU (Romania) – Julia LEAL (Portugal) 0-4 (3-11 7-11 9-11 5-11) Nina SKERBINZ (Austria) – Nora DOHOCZKI (Hungary) 4-0 (11-9 11-4 11-2 11-2) Hanka KODETOVA (Czechia) – Maja LAKOMA (Poland) 4-2 (12-14 9-11 11-9 11-5 11-4 11-4) Koharu ITAGAKI (Germany) – Sophie BARCSAI (Hungary) 4-0 (11-2 11-5 11-3 11-9) Round five Sophie BARCSAI (Hungary) – Hanka KODETOVA (Czechia) 1-4 12-10 4-11 5-11 5-11 2-11) Nora DOHOCZKI (Hungary) – Koharu ITAGAKI (Germany) 0-4 (6-11 6-11 8-11 11-13) Mariia LYTVYN (Austria) – Andreea BAIASU (Romania) 4-3 (11-8 8-11 11-8 11-9 8-11 10-12 11-5) Maja LAKOMA (Poland) – Lisa-Sophie WANG (Germany) 0-4 (6-11 6-11 8-11 11-13) Julia LEAL (Portugal) – Nina SKERBINZ (Austria) 3-4 (11-9 11-9 5-11 7-11 10-12 11-6 8-11) Round six Mariia LYTVYN (Austria) – Maja LAKOMA (Poland) 4-2 (11-9 4-11 11-7 8-11 11-3 11-4) Lisa-Sophie WANG (Germany) – Sophie BARCSAI (Hungary) 4-1 (8-11 11-9 11-7 11-5 11-5) Andreea BAIASU (Romania) – Nina SKERBINZ (Austria) 0-4 (6-11 5-11 7-11 9-11) Hanka KODETOVA (Czechia) – Nora DOHOCZKI (Hungary) 4-1 (11-7 11-5 10-12 11-9 11-3) Koharu ITAGAKI (Germany) – Julia LEAL (Portugal) 4-0 (11-1 11-8 11-9 11-1)
Europe Youth Top 10 Commences: Tough Times for Top Seeds
The 2024 Europe Youth Top 10 commenced today in Grodzisk Mazowiecki Poland. Over the next three days the CAIIS Sports and Entertainment Hall will host Europe’s top youth players as they compete for glory. Right from the start the tournament has been filled with excitement with several top seeds facing tough challenges. You can see the pictures here The Under-19 Boys’ singles event delivered several surprising results as underdogs put up strong resistance against the favorites. Top-seeded Flavien COTON of France held his nerve and overcame Croatia’s Leon BENKO in six games. However the fortunes were reversed for the second and third seeds. Germany’s Andre BERTELSMEIER upset Poland’s Mateusz ZALEWSKI while Slovakia’s Samuel ARPAS defeated Hungary’s David SZANTOSI in the opening round. After two rounds BERTELSMEIER was the only player to remain undefeated. Following his victory over the second seed he added another impressive win to his record by defeating top-seeded Flavien COTON. The French player a finalist at the European Youth Championships in Malmö earlier this summer outplayed BERTELSMEIER in a thrilling quarterfinal match. At the end of day one BERTELSMEIER secured his third win by overcoming Croatia’s BENKO. Though he initially struggled in the first game from the second game onward it was smooth sailing for the German player. Both BERZOSA and COTON finished the day on a high recording victories in their final matches. Andre BERTELSMEIER (Germany) – Mateusz ZALEWSKI (Poland) 4-2 (6-11 11-4 11-8 11-6 4-11 11-6) Samuel ARPAS (Slovakia) – David SZANTOSI (Hungary) 4-1 (11-9 11-9 13-11 6-11 12-10) Flavien COTON (France) – Leon BENKO (Croatia) 4-2 (4-11 11-6 11-8 9-11 12-10 11-6) Tiago ABIODUN (Portugal) – Daniel BERZOSA (Spain) 4-3 (11-6 3-11 9-11 11-9 11-8 6-11 11-9) Dragos BUJOR (Romania) – Tom CLOSSET (Belgium) 4-1 11-7 14-12 11-3 6-11 11-8) Round 2 Flavien COTON (France) – Andre BERTELSMEIER (Germany) 2-4 (10-12 11-8 5-11 11-13 11-4 9-11) Leon BENKO (Croatia) – Tom CLOSSET (Belgium) 4-3 (9-11 10-12 13-11 12-10 6-11 11-6 11-5) Daniel BERZOSA (Spain) – Dragos BUJOR (Romania) 4-1 (11-5 11-3 9-11 11-7 11-9) David SZANTOSI (Hungary) – Tiago ABIODUN (Portugal) 4-2 (8-11 11-9 5-11 13-11 11-9) Mateusz ZALEWSKI (Poland) – Samuel ARPAS (Slovakia) 4-2 (11-9 11-4 11-8 9-11 5-11) Round 3 Samuel ARPAS (Slovakia) – Flavien COTON 1-4 (11-7 3-11 2-11 3-11 4-11) Tiago ABIODUN (Portugal) – Mateusz ZALEWSKI (Poland) 4-3 (14-12 7-11 11-8 10-12 8-11 11-8 11-6) Andre BERTELSMEIER (Germany) – Leon BENKO (Croatia) 4-1 (8-11 11-5 11-8 11-2 11-6) Dragos BUJOR (Romania) – David SZANTOSI (Hungary) 3-4 (14-12 8-11 9-11. 11-5 14-12 10-12 6-11) Tom CLOSSET (Belgium) – Daniel BERZOSA (Spain) 1-4 (11-3 10-12 2-11 4-11 3-11) In the Under-19 Girls’ singles Zuzanna WIELGOS of Poland justified her top seed status by defeating her teammate Natalia BOGDANOWICZ in straight games. Germany’s Mia GRIESEL upset the rankings and broke the hearts of home supporters by narrowly defeating Anna BRZYSKA in a thrilling seven-game match. The duel between two French players Nina GUO ZHENG and Leana HOCHART also went the full distance with the lower-ranked Nina securing the victory. At the end of day one European Under-21 champion Veronika MATIUNINA preserved her unbeaten status by winning all three of her matches. After defeating PINTO and fourth-seed Mia GRIESEL without dropping a game she capped her day with a crucial victory over top-seeded Zuzanna WIELGOS. WIELGOS despite her earlier dominance recorded two wins and one defeat placing her third in the standings after three matches. Another undefeated player is France’s Clea DE STOPPELEIRE who was pushed to the limit in her final match but managed to overcome her teammate Nina GUO ZHENG in a full-distance battle. Nina GUO ZHENG and Mia GRIESEL both finished the day with one defeat keeping them in strong contention for the next rounds. Anna BRZYSKA (Poland) – Mia GRIESEL (Germany) 3-4 (5-11 11-8 8-11 9-11 11-6 11-9 9-11) Sara TOKIC (Slovenia) – Clea DE STOPPELEIRE (France) 2-4 (11-6 11-13 4-11 9-11 11-8 7-11) Veronika MATIUNINA (Ukraine) – Matilde PINTO (Portugal) 4-0 (11-9 11-8 12-10 11-7) Zuzanna WIELGOS (Poland) – Natalia BOGDANOWICZ (Poland) 4-0 (11-4 11-6 12- 10 11-7) Leana HOCHART (France) – Nina GUO ZHENG (France) 3-4 (11-7 3-11 11-3 4-11 6-11 11-8 10-12) Round 2 Natalia BOGDANOWICZ (Poland) – Nina GUO ZHENG (France) 2-4 (9-11 11-5 5-11 6-11 11-8 7-11) Mia GRIESEL (Germany) – Veronika MATIUNINA (Ukraine) 0-4 (11-13 9-11 5-11 3-11) Matilde PINTO (Portugal) – Sara TOKIC (Slovenia) 4-2 (10-12 11-9 11-8 6-11 11-5 11-9) Clea DE STOPPELEIRE (France) – Leana HOCHART (France) 4-0 (13-11 11-8 11-9 16-14) Zuzanna WIELGOS (Poland) – Anna BRZYSKA (Poland) 4-1 (11-9 14-12 9-11 11-4 11-7) Round 3 Veronika MATIUNINA (Ukraine) – Zuzanna WIELGOS (Poland) 4-0 (11-8 11-6 11-5 11-6) Leana HOCHART (France) – Matilde PINTO (Portugal) 4-2 (11-7 9-11 9-11 11-8 11-5 11-9) Sara TOKIC (Slovenia) – Mia GRIESEL (Germany) 3-4 (9-11 11-6 7-11 11-6 12-10 10-12 5-11) Anna BRZYSKA (Poland) – Natalia BOGDANOWICZ (Poland) 3-4 (8-11 11-7 17-19 11-8 11-9 1-11 6-11) Nina GUO ZHENG (France) – Clea DE STOPPELEIRE (France) 2-4 (6-11 10-12 10-12 11-6 11-7 9-11) The top seed in the Under-15 Boys’ event Robert Alexandru ISTRATE of Romania struggled as Görkem ÖÇAL of Turkey showed great form and won in straight games. The opening round also featured an exciting all-Polish duel between third-seed Samuel MICHNA and Aleks PAKULA. After a full seven-game match fourth-seed MICHNA secured the victory. In Round 2 ISTRATE’s difficulties persisted as he was defeated by TREVISAN. Meanwhile FASO secured another victory and GERGELY caused an upset by beating MICHNA. Italy’s Danilo FASO and Hungary’s Mark GERGELY both recorded three wins on the opening day. FASO secured victories against TREVISAN SKALDA and KOKAVEC while GERGELY defeated KOKAVEC PAKULA and MICHNA to complete a perfect start. Robert Alexandru ISTRATE (Romania) – Görkem ÖÇAL (Turkiye) 0-4 (7-11 5-11 8-11 7-11) Pavol KOKAVEC (Slovakia) – Mark GERGELY (Hungary) 3-4 (5-11 11-9 11-9 9-11 7-11 11-8 9-11) Jan SKALDA (Czechia) – Sandro CAVAILLE (France) 1-4 (10-12 10-12 11-7 8-11 10-12) Francesco TREVISAN (Italy) – Danilo FASO
ETTU to Host Constitution and Events Propositions Webinar
The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is pleased to announce the upcoming Constitution and Events Propositions Webinar scheduled for Tuesday 8 October at 11:00 CET. This important informational session will provide insights into the latest propositions concerning the constitution and events. The webinar will be hosted via Zoom and all participants are invited to join using the following link: Join the webinar Please note that this session is strictly for informational purposes and no voting or decisions will take place during the webinar. These formal actions will be reserved for the upcoming Congress. Additionally the webinar will be recorded and made available to all participants after the session. The Congress will be held on Thursday 17th October 2024 10:00 CET at the OÖNachrichten FORUM Promenade 25 4020 Linz Austria
Shocking Exit: World No.1 WANG Chuqin Falls to Anders LIND at China Smash 2024
World No.1 Wang Chuqin is out of the Men’s Singles at China Smash 2024 after suffering a surprising Round of 32 defeat to Anders LIND 3-1 (13-11 9-11 11-6 11-7). The top seed who had aimed to complete a sweep of this season’s WTT Grand Smash singles titles saw his impressive run come to an abrupt end. Wang the reigning champion of both Singapore Smash and Saudi Smash entered the match with a 13-match singles winning streak at the WTT Grand Smash level. Many had expected him to extend that dominance but Lind fresh off his second WTT Feeder Series title in Panagyurishte came prepared to upset those expectations. Facing the world’s top-ranked player Lind was unafraid from the very first serve bringing a bold and unconventional approach that unsettled Wang. This was the first meeting between the two since their quarterfinal clash at last year’s ITTF World Championships Finals where WANG had triumphed. However in this encounter LIND was a different player shaking up Shijingshan Shougang Park with his fearless outside-the-box tactics. “Looking at the match I told my wife my coach and my friends that I felt I could beat him so I went into it pretty confident. In the first game I didn’t feel nervous but I knew if I wanted to have a chance of winning I had to take the first set. In the second set I felt the nervousness but I felt like I could handle it quite well ” said LIND.” Towards the end of the match I was so nervous I felt like throwing up. But the feeling afterward was just incomprehensible for a while. I felt like it was a dream and soon I’d be woken up by an annoying alarm clock and the match wouldn’t have even happened yet.” LIND added: “The atmosphere in the hall was electrifying playing in front of so many spectators. Even though they were mostly cheering against me it was still great. I love this sport so much and really wish we could play more in fully packed halls like this.” The Chinese crowd nervously cheering for their local hero watched as WANG struggled to cope with LIND’S relentless and unpredictable strategy. “Normally against most of the other top-ten players I just go with my normal game and I’ve been super close many times. Today my approach was completely different. I knew if I played backhand-backhand or spin-spin he would destroy me. So I just tried to make it very weird for him ” LIND said after the match. “I made a lot of strange backhand slices and serves with heavy spin to force unforced errors.” The plan paid off. LIND’S unpredictable play combined with sharp backhand and forehand counters left Wang unable to establish a rhythm. Despite the home crowd’s support WANG couldn’t turn the match around as Lind capitalized on his momentum to secure a remarkable victory over the World No.1. “It’s one of the best feelings. The happiness is unbelievable. It’s a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life and it gives me a lot of confidence going forward ” Lind said celebrating what felt like a dream victory. Now Anders LIND will look to continue his fairytale run at China Smash. His next challenge will be a Round of 16 match against the rising talent KAO Cheng-Jui.
2024 Europe Youth Top 10 Tournament Set for Grodzisk Mazowiecki
Under the authority of the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) the Polish Table Tennis Association will host the 2024 Europe Youth Top 10 from Friday October 4th to Sunday October 6th in Grodzisk Mazowiecki. The event will take place at the CAIIS Sports and Entertainment Hall and will showcase some of the best young table tennis talents in Europe across various age categories. In the Under 19 Boys Singles category France’s Flavien COTON is the top seed. COTON had an impressive performance at the European Youth Championships (EYC) in Malmö this year where he finished as the runner-up in both singles and doubles. He previously secured the Under 15 singles title in Belgrade two years ago. Representing the host nation Poland’s Mateusz ZALEWSKI holds the second seed. ZALEWSKI finished 9th in last year’s Top 10 in Bucharest and will aim to use home advantage to improve on that position. The competition will be fierce with strong contenders like David SZANTOSI of Hungary who finished 5th in Romania last year Andre BERTELSMEIER of Germany Tom CLOSSET of Belgium Dragos BUJOR of Romania Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal Samuel ARPAS of Slovakia Daniel BERZOSA of Spain and Leon BENKO of Croatia. Tiago ABIODUN in particular is a player to watch after winning the Under 15 title in Bucharest last year and claiming another singles title at the 2023 EYC. In the Under 19 Girls Singles Poland holds the top two seeds with Zuzanna WIELGOS and her teammate Anna BRZYSKA leading the field. Both players secured a silver medal together in the doubles event at this year’s EYC in Malmö. Other notable players in this category include Clea DE STOPPELEIRE of France who finished 5th last year Mia GRIESEL of Germany who was the runner-up in Bucharest and Leana HOCHART of France who won the Under 15 event last year. Ukraine’s Veronika MATIUNINA the European vice-champion in singles and a gold medalist in both doubles and mixed doubles from Malmö is also expected to be a key player. She is joined by Natalia BOGDANOWICZ of Poland Nina GUO ZHENG of France Matilde PINTO of Portugal and Sara TOKIC of Slovenia completing a competitive field. In the Under 15 Boys Singles Romania’s Robert ISTRATE is the top seed followed closely by Danilo FASO of Italy. ISTRATE finished seventh in last year’s event while FASO claimed fourth place. Poland’s Samuel MICHNA and Aleks PAKULA Italy’s Francesco TREVISAN France’s Sandro CAVAILLE Türkiye’s Gorkem OCAL Slovakia’s Pavol KOKAVEC Hungary’s Mark GERGELY and Jan SKALDA of Czechia will also be vying for the title in what promises to be a highly competitive category. Finally the Under 15 Girls Singles event is headed by Czechia’s Hanka KODETOVA a double European singles champion who finished third in last year’s Top 10. She will face stiff competition from players like Germany’s Koharu ITAGAKI and Lisa WANG Austria’s Mariia LYTVYN Hungary’s Sophie BARCSAI Portugal’s Julia LEAL Poland’s Maja LAKOMA and Romania’s Andreea BAISU.
European Week of Sport Celebrates Gender Equality in Table Tennis and More
As part of the European Week of Sport a 2-day event was organized under the Erasmus+ project GAP Women led by the UFEC and funded by the European Union. The event which took place in collaboration with the French Table Tennis Federation (FFTT) focused on promoting gender equality in sport and featured an impressive lineup of guests panel discussions and activities. Friday: Round Table on Gender Equality in Sport The first day Friday saw the hosting of the round table”Jeu Set et Mixité” dedicated to gender equality in sports. This session was attended by a diverse panel of influential figures in the sporting world. Notable speakers included ETTU Acting President Pedro MOURA ITTF President Petra SÖRLING and FFTT President Gilles ERB. They were joined by world relay champion Muriel HURTIS who won gold in 2003 and secured a bronze medal in the 4×100 meters relay at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Stéphanie CORNU-MAHUET representing the French Equestrian Federation and a former gender equality leader at the Ministry of Sports also shared her insights. Flora VAUTIER a Paralympic bronze medalist and Fabienne VAGNER a local manager contributed their perspectives on the challenges and successes women face in sports. The discussion was rounded out by Mathéo LARGUIER a coach from the Arles club who provided insights from the coaching side of the sport. This round table offered an inspiring platform for discussing the strides made towards gender equality in sports while also recognizing the work that remains to be done. Saturday: France PingTour’s Grand Finale The event continued on Saturday which marked the final stage of this year’s France PingTour. This initiative organized by the FFTT has been traveling to cities across France since 2013 aiming to introduce table tennis to a broader audience and encourage participation in the sport. The 2024 edition of the Ping Tour holds special significance as it is part of the “Terre de Jeux 2024” label which links the initiative to the past Paris Olympics. This year the Ping Tour will visit 21 cities bringing table tennis to iconic public spaces. In addition to free play and competitions the tour features activities such as virtual reality table tennis and exhibitions for people with disabilities making the sport accessible and enjoyable for all. In Aix-in-Provence Saturday’s activities were geared specifically toward women with a particular focus on mixed doubles matches. French para players also took part in an exhibition showing their talent and dedication to the sport. The event concluded with an exciting moment as the presidents of the various federations present took to the tables and played a few rounds of table tennis underscoring the event’s celebration of inclusivity and community spirit. The France PingTour has proven to be a valuable tool for promoting both table tennis and the Olympic spirit offering people of all ages and abilities the chance to experience the sport in a fun accessible way. The European Week of Sport event was a resounding success showcasing the importance of gender equality and inclusivity in sports while celebrating the universal appeal of table tennis.
Hungary Dominates at European Youth Series Serbian Open Clinching Four Gold Medals in individual events
Hungary emerged victorious claiming four out of six gold medals in the individual events at the European Youth Series Serbian Open in Niš. In the Under-15 Boys’ Singles Hungary’s Mark GERGELY triumphed defeating Germany’s Jonathan GAISER in the final in four games. Hungary’s Lenard SZABÓ and Germany’s Tien Nghia PHONG secured bronze after falling in the semifinals. Hungary’s Lizett FAZEKAS captured gold in the Under-15 Girls’ Singles overcoming Croatia’s Lana BENKO 3-1 in the final. Slovakia’s Barbora Melisa GUASSARDO and Hungary’s Szonja SZÖGI finished in third place. Germany’s Tien Nghia PHONG claimed the Under-13 Boys’ Singles title winning against Bulgaria’s Stefan BONCHEV in a straight-game final. Hungary’s Simon ZSIGMOND and Belgium’s Noan PIETTE earned bronze. In an all-Hungarian final in the Under-13 Girls’ Singles Lizett FAZEKAS defeated Zsófia FEGYVER 3-1 to claim her second gold. The bronze medals went to Germany’s Lotta ROTHFUSS and Slovakia’s Barbora Melisa GUASSARDO. Bulgaria’s Stefan BONCHEV and Croatia’s Karla IVČIĆ captured the gold in the Under-13 Mixed Doubles defeating Serbia’s David ČAPANDA and Teodora HORVAT 3-1 in the final. The semifinals saw Germany’s Tien Nghia PHONG and Lotta ROTHFUSS alongside Slovakia’s Filip NAGY and Bianka BACSOVÁ take bronze. In the Under-15 Mixed Doubles Hungary’s Mark GERGELY and Zsófia FEGYVER won a thrilling final 3-2 against Belgium’s Maxime DEGIVE and Croatia’s Lana BENKO. The semifinalists were Denmark’s Malik SEVERINSEN and Croatia’s Klara KONCAR as well as Hungary’s Lenard SZABÓ and Szonja SZÖGI.
