The finals day of the 2014 White Nights (International Challenge, 15.000 US Dollar) saw Russia winning two doubles on home-soil title while Germany’s Dieter Domke and Bulgarian veteran Petya Nedelcheva were crowned singles champions in Gatchina.

It was an all-Bulgarian affair in the women’s single as the experienced Petya Nedelcheva took on the 2013 European Junior Champion Stefani Stoeva. Stoeva, the top seed in Gatchina and Best European Young Player Of The Year 2013, lost to her compatriot in two games 21-14, 21-17.

Dieter Domke (pictured below) secured the men’s singles trophy by beating French Thomas Rouxel in two games 21-15, 23-21. The tall German had to run a lot for his first international title since he won the 2012 Swiss International. Domke was pushed very hard in his matches since the quarter-finals stage.

The Russians were able to keep three titles at home. Evgeniy Dremin and Evgeniya Dimova beat Polish duo of Robert Mateusiak/Agneska Woitkowska 21-17, 21-12. The women’s doubles final saw the youth taking the advantage over the more experienced duo. Russians Ekaterina Bolotova and Evgeniya Kosetskaya defeated her compatriots Olga Golovanova and Viktoriya Vorobyeva in two close games.

Poland’s Moren/Szkudlarczyk proved to be the strongest men’s doubles duo as they did not drop a single game during the whole competition. In Sunday’s final the beat the young German duo Andreas Heinz and Raphael Beck in two games 21-18, 21-17.

The people of Gatchina looking forward to seeing the stars of European badminton at next year’s event.

The finals of 2014 White Nights:

MS: Dieter Domke (GER) vs Thomas Rouxel (FRA) 21-16, 23-21
WS: Petya Nedelcheva (BUL) vs Stefani Stoeva (BUL) 21-14, 21-17
MD: Moren/Szkudlarczyk (POL) vs Beck/Heinz (GER) 21-18, 21-17
WD: Bolotova/Kosetskaya (RUS) vs Golovanova/Vorobeva (RUS) 21-16, 26-24
XD: Dremin/Dimova (RUS) vs Mateusiak/Woijtkowska (POL) 21-17, 21-12

Click here for full results from Gatchina.

All photos by Elias Fos.