For the second year running the European Club Championships is taking place in the Picardie Region of France with French champions BC Chambly Oise hosting the best European clubs on home soil. Chambly are looking to go better than their bronze medal from last year and got off to the perfect start led by captain Thomas Rouxel.
The French international, just back from competing at the Japan Super Series in Tokyo, had a fight on his hands from the outset against Rosario Maddaloni of BC Milano after Maddaloni took the first set for the Italian champions.
The second set proved crucial as Rouxel let a commanding 18-12 lead slip and the match looked to be going the way of the Italian at 19-19. That was as good as it got for Milano as Rouxel steadied the ship to take the second game 21-19 and powered to a third game victory 21-11
“I was a bit tired after travelling back from Japan but I am captain of this team this year so I know what is expected of me and I knew that my point was important for the club at the beginning of the match”
Robert Mateusiak (pictured) is no stranger to European Club Championships after representing Danish Champions TSS in last year’s event. A move to France this year for the Polish veteran was key to Chambly’s French success and today yet again the former European Champion displayed his class.
Mateusiak took and early mixed doubles alongside Rosalina Atu before partnering French young gun Bastian Kersaudy to an easy men’s doubles victory.
“It was a change foe me this year coming to France to play but I think I have proven there is life in the old dog yet” said Mateusiak jokingly after his victory.
“It was important for us to win the opening mixed doubles as we knew the Italians had strong players in the first matches. Tomorrow some more players arrive so we will strengthen the team with more players as we get towards the knockout stages”
The French Champions went on to take the overall match comfortably defeating the gutsy Italians 7-0
French Bragging rights at stake
France as hosts have two teams in this year’s championships and AIX Universite CB joined Chambly by virtue of their runners up spot in the French league. Like Chambly, AIX got their group off to a perfect start taking down European minnows BC 82 Bettembourg in under two hours in the early afternoon session.
Both Petya Nedelcheva and Lianne Tan led the lines for AIX who welcomed back Ronan Labar to their line up after an injury layoff and the French look to have real strength in depth as all teams try to break the dominance of Russian champions Primorye Vladivostok.
Czech Champions TJ Sokol Vesely Jehnice were one match down before their tie against SCB Stara Zagora started after three of their nominated women’s singles players got injured on the run up the championships. The Czechs, led by Koukal and Cwalina, still powered home in the remaining 6 matches in a group that should see them fight it out for top spot against AIX.
Multi Alarm SE of Hungary were easy winners against Belgian outfit BC Zwijndrecht while Dutch champions Van Zundert VELO defeated the improving Icelandic outfit TBR.
In the tightest match of the day ACD Che Lagoense had to rely on the experience of Ana Moura at the bottom end of their line up to take them through against BC Uzwil of Switzerland after the surprize loss of Pedro Martins at second men’s singles.
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Article and Image by Mark Phelan (Live in Amiens)