ETTU - European Table Tennis Union - News (2 Cititori)

[Milica Nikolic]

On the second day of play at the European Team Championships in Zadar, the high pressure took its toll. Bronze medalists from Malmö, team France, failed to reach the Round of 16. After their surprising loss to the Netherlands on the opening day, today Spain, seeded No. 15, proved stronger than the No. 3 seeds.

Maria XIAO, Sofia-Xuan ZHANG, and Maria BERZOSA secured a memorable victory over Jia Nan YUAN, Prithika PAVADE, and Charlotte LUTZ. Both XIAO and ZHANG were pushed the full distance but held their nerve in the decisive moments, winning by narrow margins.

“We went out there with nothing to lose. They were clearly the favorites, so we had to fight for every point. Things worked out because we believed in our chances and tried to take control of the match, and it went our way,” said Maria XIAO.

Sofia-Xuan ZHANG admitted that tension was high throughout:

“Honestly, I was really nervous. Even at the end, when I was shaking hands with the girls, I was still in my own world, it didn’t feel like it was really over. The match was very close: two went 3–2, another 3–1, all of them tight. We knew we were in a tough group, and if we wanted to advance, we had to find the right tactics and fight until the end. We did that, and it paid off. We’re happy with the result and ready for more.”

For Maria BERZOSA, this was her first appearance at the senior European Team Championships, and she rose to the challenge.

“To be honest, when I went into the match, I was very nervous. I played the first game nervously, but then I told myself, ‘I don’t feel like losing.’ She was the favorite, on paper she should have won, and we were already ahead. So I thought, ‘I have to give it my all,’ and the nerves went away.”

In Group H, the leaders Ukraine justified their status, securing top position and a rest day before the Round of 16, with no need to worry about the outcome of the third group match. After their opening win over Türkiye, Ukraine also defeated Slovakia.

Margaryta PESOTSKA won both of her encounters, against Barbora VARADY and Ema LABOSOVA, while Veronika MATIUNINA also overcame LABOSOVA. Slovakia’s only point came from Tatiana KUKULKOVA, who earned a strong consolation victory.

The post The Pressure Is On: Favorites Cracked, Underdogs Shine on Day 2 in Zadar first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

The Day 2 of the European Team Championships in Zadar brought long and dramatic clashes in the Men’s Event. See all pictures here.

After a tense battle, the bronze medalists from Malmö, team Portugal, suffered a shock defeat at the hands of England. All three English players, Samuel WALKER, Tom JARVIS, and Paul DRINKHALL, posted victories, while Joao GERALDO won both his matches for Portugal.

“In the first match, I really took all my chances and played the way I needed to. In the second match, I was leading 1–0 and 2–1, 5–2… It was a good match,” said Tom JARVIS, who eventually lost his second encounter against GERALDO.

Sam WALKER shared his thoughts on the team’s goals:

“We’ve done it with the dream of medals. I mean, that would be great, but it’s not something easy. Of course, we believe we can do it, but it’s not something we’re particularly thinking about. We’re just trying to focus on each match.”

Experienced Paul DRINKHALL summarized:

“We know Portugal are a strong side. We came in as underdogs, but we all managed to get a win today, so it was a great team performance. We did the right things at the right time, which got us over the line. It’s a good performance.”

Tomorrow England will face Greece.

“I think that one is a 50–50 match, and tomorrow will be the same,” added JARVIS. “We’ve got to go in again and make sure things go our way.”

Drama also unfolded in the other first-round duel between Belgium and Poland, which eventually went in favor of Cédric NUYTINCK, Adrien RASSENFOSSE, and Martin ALLEGRO.

Milosz REDZIMSKI gave Poland a dream start by defeating NUYTINCK, but RASSENFOSSE leveled with a win over Maciej KUBIK. Once again, Marek BADOWSKI put Poland ahead, and REDZIMSKI looked on course to seal the victory for Poland when RASSENFOSSE recovered from a 1–2 deficit to push Belgium into a decisive fifth match. KUBIK and NUYTINCK fought fiercely and produced another tense battle before Belgium finally sealed the victory.

France were in furious mode. In under an hour, they swept Hungary to secure a place in the Round of 16.

Felix LEBRUN beat Csaba ANDRAS, Alexis LEBRUN prevailed against David SZANTOSI, and Simon GAUZY overcame Balazs LEI.

Felix LEBRUN said:“They played well, they had solid matches. I was playing in position two, against their number one, so we knew it wasn’t going to be easy for me. I’m happy to win and to take the match 3–0. We know him; he plays in the Bundesliga and already has some good results, so we knew he could play well. It really feels like now the team is clicking, everyone’s winning, and we’re finding our rhythm step by step. However, a 3–0 team win always feels good. Now we’ve got two days off, so we’ll train well and prepare for the second stage of the tournament after the Round of 16.”

Asked about how the team will use the rest days, he continued:

“We’ll talk about it after this, but I think we’ll do two training sessions tomorrow and maybe a physical session the next day. It depends on each player, everyone prepares in their own way so that we’re all ready for the next stage.”

On how they spend downtime during the tournament, he smiled:

“We just spend time together. We’ve got a great hotel, there’s a pool, the sea is right next to us, we go for walks… and we also brought the PlayStation, so we play together. It’s pretty classic; we just try to enjoy the breaks and spend time as a team.I t’s nice, honestly, and we enjoy being together. But of course, if someone wants to do their own thing, they can. It’s all about balance, we each have our space, but everyone’s happy to hang out together, so it’s easy.”

On his own form, Felix added: “Pretty good, I feel fine, everything’s going well. The conditions are great, the venue is amazing. I’ve felt good in practice so far. In matches, I can still play better and build up more rhythm. That’s the goal for the next two days of training. I made a few rushed decisions today that I’ll try to avoid next time. But we have time to prepare properly. It’s basically a second tournament starting from Thursday, so it’s going to be exciting.”

Asked about a minor injury:“At one point I felt something in my left arm. It’s nothing serious, just a small strain. It’s not bothering me much, but I put some ice on it afterward to reduce the inflammation. Nothing major.”

Simon GAUZY reflected on his own improvement:“Personally, my goal was to do better than yesterday. I lost against a strong player, but I wasn’t happy with how I handled the match, he caused me a lot of trouble. Today, I was more solid; I played a complete match, my service and receive game were much better, and I was more aggressive. I’m happy with that.”

Alexis LEBRUN added:“I’m also very happy with my performance today. I think I played well, I won 3–0, so I’m really pleased and looking forward to the rest of the tournament.”

Simon GAUZY continued:“Right now, I don’t think any of us feel too much pressure. The tournament is long, and we don’t want to be nervous too early. We just want to take it match by match. We have two days off now, a chance to recover and practice. The real pressure will start in the knockout stage, so we just want to be ready when it comes.”

Finally, Alexis LEBRUN looked ahead:“In my opinion, the strongest team is Germany. They have very strong players and have won so many titles at the European Championships. It’s always tough to face them, but I really hope we can meet them later in the tournament.”

It was back in 2021 when Slovenia’s trio of Darko JORGIC, Deni KOZUL, and Bojan TOKIĆ last played together, and four years since TOKIĆ had been away from the national team. His return marked an important turning point for his team at the European Team Championships in Zadar, as Slovenia ended Denmark’s winning streak.

The result carried extra weight, as the Slovenians had previously lost to Denmark both at the European Championships in Malmö and the World Championships in Busan.

“It feels amazing to be back in the national team,” said Bojan TOKIĆ. “Darko and I were together when Slovenia won the medal at the European Championships. The last time I played with the team was in 2021, when we lost to Korea in the quarterfinals at the World Championships.”

The match against Denmark started with Jonathan GROTH defeating Deni KOZUL, but then Darko JORGIC took control, claiming two wins overall, against Anders LIND and GROTH. Bojan TOKIĆ sovercame Martin Buch ANDERSEN.

“We are really happy that we finally beat Denmark after such a long time,” said JORGIC. “We lost to them twice before, so this victory is very important for us. I played really well against Lind, I was leading in the first game but lost it, then came back stronger and just focused on my game. That also gave me confidence for the match with Jonathan GROTH. Bojan also played a very good match.”

The post Atmosphere in Zadar Heating Up: England Upset Bronze Medalists, France in Furious Mode first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

The last day of the Group Stage matches at the European Team Championships in Zadar brought decisive clashes for the remaining places in the Round of 16.

In the Women’s Event, after the first two days of play, the teams that had already secured their place in the knockout phase were: Germany, Romania, Portugal, Sweden, Poland, Croatia, Netherlands, Spain, and Ukraine.

Additionally, the teams that reached the last 16 also secured qualification for the World Championships in London 2026.

Belgium – Czechia 1–3

Group 4: Portugal 2–0, Czechia 1–1, Belgium 0–2

Czechia recovered from their earlier defeat against Portugal and, with a win over Belgium, secured a place in the Round of 16. Hana MATELOVA beat both Margo DEGRAEF and Julie VAN HAUWAERT, while Veronika POLAKOVA overcame Margo DEGRAEF. Lilou MASSART claimed Belgium’s only point, prevailing against Karin GROFOVA in a tight five-game duel.

“I think Veronika started off really well, winning 3–2, and that gave me a nice sense of calm as well,” said Hana MATELOVA. “For me, it was actually quite an advantage that the Belgian team changed their lineup. I won both of my matches comfortably, so that’s great. I’m really enjoying the young energy and spirit in our team, we’re always taking photos, Snapchats, stories, but I don’t mind. It’s all part of it.”

Spain – Netherlands 0–3

Group 3: Netherlands 2–0, Spain 1–1, France 0–2

Both Netherlands and Spain secured their place in the second stage by overcoming France in the previous two rounds. Today, the Dutch team confirmed their top position in the standings and a better draw position by defeating Spain in straight matches.

Netherlands’ Britt EERLAND, Jie LI, and Shuohan MEN overcame Maria XIAO, Sofia-Xuan ZHANG, and Maria BERZOSA without due alarm.

“I think after beating France we were, of course, a little bit more confident, but we didn’t really think ahead yet. We also watched the match between France and Spain, and we saw that Spain really pushed France hard, they wanted to win, not just play. From that match, we felt the pressure too, knowing they would come strong against us, so we had to go all in.

Of course, nobody wants to lose, so we stayed super focused. Maybe not always the nicest, but very focused, and that showed in our performance. For me, for Jie, and for Shuohan at number three, she was a little nervous, but I’m happy she could finish the match for us,” said Britt EERLAND.

Asked about the next goal, EERLAND continued:

“It would be great to go for a medal, of course. But as I said before, we’re the type of team that just wants to win, it doesn’t matter if it’s the semifinals, final, or group stage, we just want to win. So we’ll keep fighting and try to make it as difficult as possible for everyone. Most importantly, we’ll play our own game and our best table tennis.”

“You never know, any match can be the deciding one, any point can turn the momentum. So if we have a chance, even a small one, we have to take it. I’m also very happy for Shuohan that she could win her match; it’s great for her confidence going forward in the tournament. Of course, we still have to see who we’ll play next and how we can prepare, because we also have Tanja, so we’ll do everything to play our best table tennis and find the best possible tactics.”

The post The Last Day of the Group Stage: Battles for the Remaining Round of 16 Spots in Zadar first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

On the third day of play at the European Team Championships in Zadar, the teams seeded No. 2 and No. 3 in their respective groups fought for their remaining positions in the Round of 16, which will be played on Thursday.

In the opening two days, the men’s teams that had already secured their place in the Round of 16 were: Sweden, France, Germany, Romania, Croatia, and Belgium.

Additionally, the teams that reached the last 16 also confirmed their qualification for the 2026 World Championships in London.

England – Greece 1–3

Group D: Portugal 2–0, Greece 1–1, England 0–2

Despite a strong start, highlighted by Tom JARVIS’s win over Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS, Greece secured their spot in the knockout stage as the second-placed team in the group. Panagiotis GIONIS overcame both JARVIS and Paul DRINKHALL, while Georgios STAMATOUROS prevailed against Samuel WALKER.

“Today we knew we had to win 3–0 or 3–1, because England beat Portugal. England is a very good team, even though they are here without PITCHFORD, for them that’s a big loss,” said Panagiotis GIONIS.

“We played freely, we believed we could do it, and I think all the guys played perfectly. If Ioannis had been a little luckier, he could have won the first match as well, and maybe we could have taken first place in the group. But in the end, we’re very happy. We focused a lot on this game, believed in ourselves, and fought hard. We were a little luckier today, and we won.”

Asked if he had any preferences for the Round of 16 draw, GIONIS smiled:

“Of course, we have some preferences. If you play against Sweden, France, or Germany, it’s tougher, you have to be honest about that. But our goal was to qualify, and now we’ve done it. We’ll just play, enjoy the moment, and see what happens. For us, it’s already good to play another match, and we’re very happy with our performance.

If we get a good draw, well, I’m dreaming a little (laughs), maybe if we can have Belgium, that would be a very good draw for us. But we’ll see.”

The Greek Olympian added:“When you qualify from such a difficult group, you start believing in everything. We know it’s tough to beat the top teams, but in sports, you never know what can happen. Now we’ll play more freely, it’s a great experience, especially for the young players, as it’s their first time reaching the top 16 at the Europeans.

All our young players are getting more experienced; they play in strong leagues. What’s most important is that we enjoy it, stay relaxed, prepare well, and stay focused. In the end, anything can happen, we’ve seen many surprises in recent years, and everyone can beat everyone if you believe in yourself. The key is to work, practice, and believe.”

Finland – Poland 1–3

Group H: Belgium 2–0, Poland 1–1, Finland 0–2

Poland recovered from their opening-round defeat against Belgium and advanced to the knockout stage after a solid victory over Finland.

Milosz REDZIMSKI was the backbone of the team’s success with two wins, against Benedek OLAH and Aleksi RASANEN, while Marek BADOWSKI added one more point by beating RASANEN. Alex NAUMI scored Finland’s only win, overcoming Samuel KULCZYCKI.

“For me, it was really nice,” said Milosz REDZIMSKI. “I wasn’t feeling great in the morning at the beginning, but after overcoming some problems with low energy, I played quite well. I didn’t see much of Samuel’s game, but I saw it was very close. Marek played great and won quickly, so we’re very happy. We feel strong and ready to fight for a medal.”

“We’ve played many times against Benedek OLAH because he competes in the Polish League, so we were very well prepared tactically. That preparation was the key, we knew we needed to beat him to win the team match, and we did it. We’re really happy.”

Marek BADOWSKI added: “We fight for every game. We know our potential, and we know we can beat very good teams here. We’re prepared and ready to give everything. We had a very tough match against Belgium, and we wanted to do things right today, we prepared well for this match.”

The post Last Push for Progress: Knockout Line-Up Completed in Zadar first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

The 2025 ETTU Congress will take place on Wednesday, 15th October, at 10:00 CET in Zadar, Croatia, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. The key topis will be reports, financial updates, and future developments for European table tennis.

The Congress will also review the 2024 Financial Statements, the 2026 Budget proposal, and propositions and resolutions from member associations, in addition to the annual updates from the ETTU leadership and committees.

The Congress will be streamed live here for all those wishing to follow the proceedings online.

The post ETTU Congress 2025 to Be Held in Zadar on Wednesday first appeared on European table tennis union.

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