As the group stage of the European Mixed Team Championships progresses, the leaderboard for each group is starting to take shape. In Group 1, Denmark and Spain got crucial wins as we get closer to the knockout stages.
Denmark wins against England in a clean sweep
The morning session saw Denmark face off against England. Rasmus Gemke set the tone for Denmark, overcoming England’s Nadeem Dalvi to clinch the first point, despite Dalvi’s good efforts. The Danish momentum continued with Rasmus Kjær/Frederik Søgaard defeating Rory Easton/Alex Green in a closely contested match, ending 21-18, 21-15. In a postmatch interview, Kjær gave credits to their opponents, stating that they made it difficult for them and pushed the Danes to their limits.
Danes Natasja P. Anthonisen/Amalie Magelund extended their lead by winning in straight games against Abbygael Harris/Lizzie Tolman. The final match was for the mixed doubles, where Mads Vestergaard/Alexandra Bøje faced Callum Hemming/Estelle Van Leeuwen. The Danish pair secured a victory, marking a 5-0 win for Denmark.
Spain defeats Azerbaijan in a close clash
Court 2 saw an exciting team match, with Spain narrowly defeating host nation Azerbaijan. The match kicked off with mixed doubles, where Ruben Garcia/Lucia Rodriguez secured a win against Dicky Dwi Pangestu/Keisha Fatimah Azzahra in a game filled with close rallies. Ade Resky Dwicahyo then faced Spain’s Pablo Abian in what has been the only three-game match of the day so far, pulling the score even for Azerbaijan.
Clara Azurmendi gave Spain the upper hand by winning her women’s singles match against Azzahra. The men’s doubles saw Dwicahyo team up with Pangestu to take on Garcia and Rodrigo Sanjurjo, with the Azerbaijani pair coming out on top. However, Spain clinched the tie with a win in the final match, securing a narrow 3-2 victory over Azerbaijan.
The matches for Group 2 have already started, with France taking on the Netherlands and Czechia facing Germany. Watch all matches live on BadmintonEurope.tv.