Last season’s runner-up, French club Etival ASR TT, clinched their second Group D win in the Champions League Women. Following their success over Spain’s UCAM Cartagena TM, they defeated Hungary’s Budaörsi Sport Club 3-1. Meanwhile, in Group C, Austria’s LINZ AG Froschberg—Champions League Women champions in 2009 and 2013, and runners-up in 2010, 2015, and 2021—triumphed over Italy’s ASD QUATTRO MORI, the 2023 Europe Cup champions.
Australia’s Liu YANGZI was a standout for Etival, securing two wins against Helga DARI and Dora MADARASZ. Jieni SHAO contributed a decisive victory over Maria FAZEKAS. The Hungarian side’s only point came from MADARASZ’s narrow five-game win over Christina KALLBERG.
Dutch player Britt EERLAND led LINZ AG Froschberg with two key victories, defeating both Tania PLAIAN and Elizabet ABRAAMIAN. In a tight finish, ABRAAMIAN held a match point at 4-5, but EERLAND rallied to win. Ivana MALOBABIC bested Arianna BARANI, while ABRAAMIAN added a point for the Hungarian team with her win over Suthasini SAWETTABUT.
Reflecting on her performance, EERLAND stated, “It was a great match, and I was very motivated. This was my Champions League debut for Linz after playing in the Austrian League on Friday. The coach positioned me as number one, which added a bit of pressure, but starting strong with a win against Tania PLAIAN gave me confidence for my second match. Watching Suthasini SAWETTABUT and Elizabet ABRAAMIAN’s match, I knew I was in for a technically challenging duel. In the fourth game, I felt confident, but trailing 0-4, it could have gone either way. I focused on keeping my head up and maintaining pressure, pushing ABRAAMIAN into errors. Ultimately, she made mistakes, and I secured a great win for my new club.”
ETIVAL A.S.R.T.T – Budaörsi Sport Club 3-1
- Liu YANGZI – Helga DARI 3-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-7)
- Christina KALLBERG – Dora MADARASZ 2-3 (11-1, 10-12, 12-10, 3-11, 3-6)
- Jieni SHAO – Maria FAZEKAS 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-5)
- Liu YANGZI – Dora MADARASZ 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-3)
LINZ AG Froschberg – ASD QUATTRO MORI 3-1
- Britt EERLAND – Tania PLAIAN 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-4)
- Suthasini SAWETTABUT – Elizabet ABRAAMIAN 1-3 (3-11, 11-5, 9-11, 8-11)
- Ivana MALOBABIC – Arianna BARANI 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-7)
- Britt EERLAND – Elizabet ABRAAMIAN 3-2 (8-11, 13-11, 9-11, 11-4, 6-5)
