Events

Big Two blast into final
Date: 6/1/2013 2:19 PM
Published by : Manuel Røsler
This evening’s semi-finals of the 2013 European Club Championships had everything from drama to intrigue with an ample amount of class thrown in for good measure by all four competing teams. In the end and as expected the big two in European badminton once again proved dominant as both TSS (Denmark) and Primorye (Russia) progressed in what will be a repeat of the 2012 final.

From Russia with love

Primorye Valdivostok from Russia came into the tournament as top seeds and defending champions and in this evenings semi-final they blew the spirited challenge of BC Amersfoort to one side with a defying 4-0 win.

The closest the Dutch came to troubling the Russians was in the opening mixed doubles match where Jelle Maas and Efje Muskens took a set of Ivan Sozonov and Valeria Sorokina. The Russian duo were not about to slip up however and powered home 21-12 in the deciding rubber which proved the catalyst for the rest of the team to wrap up the match in double quick time.

Vladimir Ivanov and Olga Golovanova followed quickly with a victory in singles before world number 17 pair of Ivanov and Sozonov sent the Russians into the final with a two game victory over Jelle Maas and Robin Tabeling.

TSS cut from a different cloth

Team Skaelskor Slagelse proved that they are simply cut from a different cloth than their valiant opponents in the second semi-final as Chambly backed by their 1500 supporters were unable to take down the mighty Danish champions.

Chambly threw all they had at the Danes and Kirsty Gilmour achieved something that no other team or player achieved all week against TSS, which was to win a match. The Scot took down Mette Poulsen in the ladies singles to throw the French a lifeline and summed up her week in typical Gilmour fashion.

“It was important to win to give the team a chance and I knew I could do it. One way or the other I have won two medals in two weeks which aint half bad so I have had a good few weeks”

The Danes stepped up to find another gear but got a real fright in the men’s doubles where Vittinghus and Skaarup Rasmussen were taken to three sets. The Danes eventually came through in an epic encounter against Vincent & Baumann and summed up their encounter as only they could.

“It was a match that had everything even a medical drama but we came through in the end and in a funny way we enjoyed the match”

The Danes tidied up proceedings with victory in the mixed doubles where Mateusiak and Zieba cruised home to a two set win over Harivel & Danckers and were very happy about their victory.

“We are happy to deliver this point for our club in our last tournament for TSS and tomorrow we will face the biggest challenge of all” said a happy Zieba.

The final between Primorye & TSS will be broadcast at 3pm local time on Badminton Europe’s dedicated youtube channel. To tune in just click HERE

For all today’s semi-finals results click HERE

For Facebook photo gallery from the tournament click HERE

Article by Mark Phelan Photo by BadmintonPhoto (Live in Beauvais).
©badmintoneurope.com. All rights reserved.

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