Today, the Semi-Final matchups will be decided.
Azerbaijan vs Denmark
After two close defeats, hosts Azerbaijan were the only nation in Group 1 without a chance to qualify for the semi-finals. As a result, the Azerbaijani team used this opportunity to give some of their younger players a chance on the court. However, they had no intention of going down without a fight.
Keisha Fatimah Azzahra delivered one of the tournament’s biggest upsets by defeating Denmark’s Line Kjærsfeldt. Kjærsfeldt started strong, quickly taking a 10-1 lead as expected, but from that point on, she lost momentum. Azzahra played nearly error-free, returning every shot with incredible resilience. Kjærsfeldt managed to secure the first game 21-17, but Azzahra came storming back in the second, winning convincingly 21-11. The third game was a nail-biting battle that went into extra points, with Azzahra needing four match points before she could finally celebrate with her team—securing Denmark’s first loss in the group stage.
The rest of the tie, however, went as expected. Anders Antonsen leveled the score at 1-1 with a commanding 21-8, 21-4 victory. Natasja P. Anthonisen and Maiken Fruergaard followed up with a 21-6, 21-3 win, making it 2-1 for Denmark. Kim Astrup and Mads Vestergaard extended the lead with a 21-12, 21-8 victory, before Jesper Toft and Amalie Magelund sealed the 4-1 win with a final score of 21-7, 21-8.
England vs Spain
The other Group 1 match saw England and Spain face off in a do-or-die battle, with the winner advancing to the semi-finals and the loser exiting the tournament.
The first match was a thrilling mixed doubles showdown between Ruben Garcia/Lucia Rodriguez and Callum Hemming/Estelle Van Leeuwen. In one of the most exciting matches of the tournament so far, the momentum shifted back and forth, and tension ran high. In the end, the English duo secured a hard-fought victory with a score of 18-21, 21-16, 21-19. Van Leeuwen expressed her joy after the match, saying, “We knew this was a very important match going into today, so we are super happy and excited that we got that one.”
While the first match lasted an hour and six minutes, the men’s singles battle between Harry Huang and Pablo Abian went even longer. It took one hour and 17 minutes before Abian could claim victory, leveling the score at 1-1 with a win of 18-21, 21-18, 21-11.
The intensity remained high in the women’s singles, where England’s Leona Lee defeated Clara Azurmendi 21-18, 21-19, putting England ahead 2-1. With victory within reach, Callum Hemming and Ethan Van Leeuwen stepped onto the court for the men’s doubles match against Daniel Franco and Rodrigo Sanjurjo. The English pair looked comfortable from the start, securing a dominant 21-13, 21-11 win and clinching England’s spot in the semi-finals.
Although the final match couldn’t change the overall outcome, both teams fought hard. In the end, Clara Azurmendi and Lucia Rodriguez emerged victorious in three sets, winning 21-23, 21-18, 21-12, making the final score 3-2 in favor of England.
Second session
Now, we are left to determine which two teams from Group 2 will join Denmark and England in the semi-finals.
The Netherlands will face Germany, while France will aim to maintain their perfect record against Czechia.
Matches begin at 12 PM CET, and all games can be watched live on BadmintonEurope.tv.