The fourteenth edition of the European Senior Championships will soon have its champions, as the sixth day of the event has come to an end and players will compete in the finals tomorrow.
It’s been a hectic week in the grand Dvorana Stozice Arena in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The 12 courts have seen nearly 1100 players from 33 countries fighting in 43 different events and it will soon be time for this huge edition of the European Senior Championships to come to an end.
Besides the last quarterfinals that weren’t played yesterday, the focus today was on getting the spot to battle for the gold. The day of the semifinals was full of emotion; we now know who will be winning a well-deserved bronze, while the two top spots on the podiums will be decided tomorrow morning.
35+
Reigning World Senior’s 35+ men’s singles champion Anthony Nelson had no easy opponent in the semifinal today. Belgium’s Frederic Gaspard came back after losing the first game to take the win and secure a spot in the final where he will place against another Frenchman, Vincent Espen.
Bulgaria’s Plamen Mihalev/ Maya Dobreva will be playing the mixed doubles final against top seeded France’s Anthony Nelson/ Maily Turlan, who secured their spot after a tough fight against Gregory Schneider/ Nicole Schnurrer, Germany.
40+
England’s Alex Marritt, top seeded, won in straight games against Björn Wippich, Germany. Number two seed Oliver Colin, Switzerland, and currently the European Senior 40+ men’s singles champion, will be waiting for him at the finish line.
Top seed Stefanie Schmidt, Germany, won the bronze medal at the last World Seniors and will now be earning either a European silver or gold after the final against England’s Joanna Dix, who won in three games against Norway’s Helene Abusdal. Abusdal beat together with mixed doubles partner Jim Ronny Andersen the World Seniors silver medallists Alex Marritt/ Rebecca Pantaney, and will be facing Björn Wippich/ Jessica Willems tomorrow.
45+
European Senior Player of the Year 2022 Georgy Van Soerland-Trouerbach, Netherlands, will be playing Rebecca Pantaney in a rematch of the World Seniors final, in which the Dutch player won. Van Soerland-Trouerbach will be winning two bronzes, as she could not get past the semifinal in the other two categories she was still competing in.
Danes Majken Asmussen/ Dorte Steenberg fought hard in today’s semifinal, and will be keeping the energy up to play against Rebecca Pantaney/ Lynne Swan, England. Another English pair, Carl Jennings/ Mark King, will be playing for the gold, against German duo Marc Hannes/ Thorsten Hukriede.
50+
Top seed and reigning World Seniors 50+ women’s singles champion will be playing the final against Hungary’s Csilla Gondane Forian, who defeated Stephanie Ruberg, Germany, in three games in today’s semifinal.
The mixed doubles final of the event will be between Switzerland’s Remy Matthey de l’Étang/ Anke Treu and Carsten Loesch/ Julie Bradbury. Loesch will also be playing the men’s singles final, against Christophe Lionne, France. Christophe Lionne, France, took out top seeded Swede Ulf Svenson in three games. The Frenchman will be facing Carsten Loesch, Denmark, in the final.
55+
Denmark’s Martin Qvist Olesen beat Frenchman Jean-Jacques Bontemps to get into the final, where he will be facing number one seed Geir Olve Storvik, Norway. It was a close last match in the venue today between Tanja Eberl/ Elke Nijsse-Drews and Pamela Peard/ Sian Williams, but the first pair won to play the final against top seeds Cathy Bargh/ Debora Miller, England.
Jan Eric Antonsson/ Hanne Bertelsen won against World Seniors champions Magnus Nytell/ Sandra Kroon and will be facing Jean Bertram Petersen/ Jeanette Van der Werff.
60+
Germany’s Karsten Grossgebauer won against Dane Per Juul, top seed. Sweden’s Jan-Eric Antonsson will be his opponent in the final.
In the mixed doubles, Bent Mellquist/ Maureen Oskam will face Birger Steenberg/ Lone Hagelskjaer Knudsen, Denmark. Knudsen will also be playing for the gold in women’s singles, against Cathy Bargh.
65+
World Senior runner-ups Dan Travers/ Christine Black, Scotland will fight to become the European champions against Rob Ridder/ Marjan Ridder, Netherlands. Christine M Crossley could not win in today’s semifinal in mixed doubles but will get to play in today’s final after her win against Marie-Luise Schulta-Jansen, and will be playing against Christine Black, Scotland.
Another Scottish player was successful today, as the men’s singles final will be between top seed Dan Travers, Scotland, and Sweden’s Johan Widoff, an unseeded player who has achieved a great result.
70+
Peter Emptage has become the only ever player to have participated in all the World Senior Championships and European Senior Championships. Emptage will be celebrating this historic achievement in great style, playing in two finals.
The Englishman will aim for the men’s doubles gold with Graham Holt, against Danes Per Dabelsteen/ Christian Hansen, and with Betty Bartlett against fellow English pair Graham Holt/ Marguerite Butt. Bartlett and Butt will also be playing two finals themselves, as they will be facing each other in women’s singles final.
75+
It will be an all-English final for the mixed doubles of the 75+ event. Kenneth Tantum/ Joanna Elson will play against Ian Brothers/ Jan Hewett. As for the men’s singles, Germany’s Peter Honnen and Polish player Pawel Gasz will be playing for the gold in tomorrow’s men’s singles final.
Tantum will also be competing in the men’s doubles deciding match, together with Roger Baldwin, and against German duo Gerd Pflug/ Hans Schumacher.