Stefani and Gabriela Stoeva took no prisoners today in Almere as they romped through their quarter final against Emilie lefel and Anne Tran of France. The favourites and defending champions took just 23 minutes to see of the French to edge closer to their title defence.
The Stoeva’s raced into an early lead taking the opening game 21-5 leaving the French pair almost shell shocked in their wake. The Stoeva’s even had the luxury of taking their foot off the gas in the second game before coming home 21-14 winners.
“We went into the match very focused as we remembered back to Prague last year where we were beaten by Anne Tran in a different pairing.” Said Stefani Stoeva after the victory
“We know we are the ones everyone wants to beat this week and with the Dutch withdrawing has made the rest even more hungry so we have to be more than 100% ready from the start of each game.”
The Stoeva’s will now play Goh & Lim of Malaysia tomorrow after the Malaysians game through an intense 3 game battle and saved 2 match points against Fruergaard and Thygesen of Denmark. In the top half of the women’s doubles draw another Malaysian pair ended the run of Chloe Birch and Sarah Walker. Anscelly and Teoh were easy winners in two and now play Mapasa and Somerville from Australia for a place in Sunday’s final.
Antonsen wins battle of European Junior Champions
Anders Antonsen (pictured above) is becoming as much as house hold names as the likes of Axelsen and Jorgensen in Denmark and in today’s quarter final the European junior champion from 2015 came up against another emerging star in the form Fabian Roth of Germany.
Roth, the European junior champion from Ankara in 2013, has battled back from a year out through injury and has set the European circuit alight over the past months having to come through qualification in all competitions.
After a tight opening game, where the German led 16-13, Antonsen took control and took the opening set 21-18. The Dane raced into a 13-4 lead in the second game and never looked back from there to come home in two and book a semi-final spot where he will now play top seed and defending champion Ajay Jayaram of India.
In the women’s singles Spain Beatriz Corrales is the last European standing after ending the tournament of Ukraine’s Mariya Ulitina in two games. Corrales will now play second seed Hsu Ya Ching of Chinese Taipei for a spot in Sunday’s final.
Healthy European presence in mixed doubles semi-finals
After the disappointment of losing out in the women’s doubles Maiken Fruergaard still has an opportunity in the mixed doubles after partnering Soren Gravholt to a quarter final win earlier in the day. Fruergaard and Gravholt (pictured above) ended home involvement in the mixed doubles beating Ruben Jille and Iris Tabeling in two games.
Three of the four pairs in the mixed semi are European with Michels and Seidel (GER) set to face off against fifth seeds Christiansen and Thygesen (DEN) for a place in Sunday’s grand finale.
In the final match of the day there was finally some joy for the home supporters as new men's doubles pair Jacco Arends and Ruben Jille took just two sets to end the tournament of Eidestedt and Ruponen of Sweden. A semi final for the Dutch will draw huge crowds to the Topsportcentrum in Almere tomorrow.
For all results from today’s quarter final play in Almere click HERE
For a photo gallery from quarter finals day at Yonex Dutch Open click
HERE
To re visit all the court action on demand via YouTube click
HERE
Article and Images by Mark Phelan for Badminton Europe