Tournaments

02 Feb 2019

A first appearance in the tournament, for Germany’s Nina Mittelham at the CCB 2018 Europe Top 16 Cup in Montreux, Switzerland on Saturday 2nd February, it was a most successful first appearance.

The no.13 seed, in the opening round of the women's event, she ousted Sweden’s Matilda Ekholm, the no.6 seed. Most impressively she emerged successful in five games (11-9, 8-11, 14-12, 11-6, 13-11).

by Ian Marshall, Editor

Nina Mittelham enjoyed a glittering junior career. At the European Youth Championships in 2011 she won the cadet girls’ singles title, two years later in Ostrava she was the junior girls’ winner before in 2014 in Riva del Garda being the runner.

Alas, throughout her career she has been plagued by injury; now fit, in Montreux, the 22 year old underlined the potential shown in teenage years.

“We know each other well. We are in the same club team, so I was just focused on my tactics. I did not think a lot how Matilda would play.” Nina Mittelham

Success for Nina Mittelham and there was also an opening round success for another player who had won the junior girls’ title at European Youth Championships. Romania’s Elizabeta Samara, the gold medallist in 2007 in Bratislava and later the winner of the senior title in 2015 in Ekaterinburg, enjoyed success. The no.3 seed, she ended the aspirations of Russia’s Polina Mikhailova, the no.11 seed (11-9, 12-10, 12-10, 11-7).

“I spent four days in the hospital due the viral infection. Polina was a very tough adversary for the opening round; when I saw the draw yesterday I was devastated. Now I am so relieved. In the next match I will play more relaxed.” Elizabeta Samara

At the quarter-final stage Nina Mittelham meets Austria’s Sofia Polcanova, the top seed; Elizabeta Samara faces Germany’s Petrissa Solja, the no.5 seed; the matches are scheduled for later in the day.

2019 Europe Top 16 Cup Matilda Ekholm Elizabeta Samara Nina Mittelham Polina Mikhailova
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Day 2 - China Construction Bank 2019 ITTF-Europe Top 16 Cup