Semi finals day in Turkey and every European left in the wheelchair classes fall at the final hurdle with tomorrow’s finals dominated by Asian competitors. No SS6 European men made it through the semis, and just two Standing final events feature Europeans, SL4 men’s and SU5 women’s singles.

Lucas Mazur and Faustine Noel came through a difficult SL3-SU5 mixed doubles quarter-final this morning against Japan’s Toshiaki Suenaga and Mamiko Toyoda in 3 games to set up a semi-final against the World Champions from Indonesia Harry Susanto and Leani Ratri Oktila. 

An impressive fight back in the second game gave the French duo hope, but they couldn’t match the pace of shuttle in the third game decider and fell 21-14 to take a bronze medal.

Mazur is holding his own in SL4 men’s singles, so far this week he hasn’t dropped a single game and beat India’s world number 3 Sukant Kadam 21-8, 21-13 to earn a place in tomorrow’s final against Sukant’s teammate Suhas Yathiraj, a player absent from competition for most of 2018.

Mazur remains favourite to lift the Turkish trophy and kick-start his quest for the 2020 Paralympics.

READ: Finally, who has qualified for Minsk?

“I’m doing all I can to qualify for the Paralympics”

Denmark’s Cathrine Rosengren makes her forth SU5 women’s singles final in a row here in Turkey. Taking gold at the European Championships to back up her wins in Denmark and Thailand in 2018, the Dane is putting everything she can into a chance of competing at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Rosengren had a rematch of World Championships semi-final against Li Tongtong of China today in Antalya, and in a freak of coincidence the game scores were identical to that match nearly 18 months ago 17-21, 21-17, 21-14.

“I’m feeling good at the moment. It feels to start the Paralympic qualifications with a final result at the least. It’s going to be a very tough match but I hope to play my best.

I’m taking a few years off from studying so that I can focus on badminton. I moved to a new club last summer and am training 6 times a week before and after work, and it’s helping me improve my game. 

I just want to get as best results I can this year, maybe win a few tournaments and make the criteria for qualification. That’s the dream”

A tough day for Paralympic hopefuls

England’s Jack Shephard and Krysten Coombs both miss out on SS6 men’s singles finals with hard fought matches against India’s Nagar Krishna and Hong Kong’s Chu Man Kai respectively in today's semis. This will be the first time in 3 years that either have not made a final at an event they have entered.

Both European top WH1 women’s singles players Valeska Knoblauch (GER) and Karin Suter-Erath (SUI) fell to Chinese opponents in the semi-finals. Knoblauch came closest with a third game 21-17 defeat and hopes to take revenge next week in Dubai.

European SL3-4 men’s doubles champions Jan-Niklas Pott and Pascal Wolter (GER) came close to the final here in Turkey. Their quarter-final was a rematch against Indian pair Kumar and Yathiraj who had beaten the Germans in the group stages. Pott and Wolter beat them in straight games this morning but were unable to do the same against their Indian teammates Nitesh and Tarun in the semi-finals.

In the absence of the top 4 players in the world from the SS6 women’s rankings, Poland’s Maria Bartusz paired with Nagar Krishna (IND) goes up against Bartusz’s teammate Oliwia Szmigiel and her teammate Vitor Taveres (BRA) in the SS6 mixed doubles final tomorrow to guarantee one gold medal coming back to Europe.

For the full list of the day’s results, see tournament software here with this link.