On the women’s singles podium for the 2021 European Championships, a Turkish flag will be flying high thanks to a stellar performance from Neslihan Yigit.
The Turkish number one had previously stood on the podium with a bronze around her neck at the 2013 European Junior Championships that took play in Ankara, Turkey. Also, just two years later she took bronze at the 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan in the women’s doubles with Ozge Bayrak.
Her doubles partner, Bayrak, was the reigning bronze medalist in singles from the 2014 European Championships at the time they stood proudly together in Baku. Now it is time for her to also stand proud on the podium here in Kyiv.
-I am just so happy! It is my first medal at the European Championships, she said with a beaming smile.
Strong performance
Yigit, 27, defeated Germany’s Yvonne Li in two games, 21-16, 21-16, which is an improvement of when she took three games to take the win over Li in Thailand.
Tomorrow she faces reigning champion Carolina Marin in the semifinal tomorrow.
-I hope for just a good game, because she is very powerful.