The fifth day of the badminton event at the European Games 2023 treated fans to a day filled with intense action, with close fights in the women’s doubles and men’s doubles semifinals.
The quarterfinals of men's singles, women's singles, and mixed doubles took place earlier today while the semifinals for the women’s doubles and men’s doubles unfolded in the evening, delivering closely contested matches.
The women's doubles semifinals kicked-off with a great showdown as Gabriela Stoeva and Stefani Stoeva faced off against France's Margot Lambert and Anne Tran. Reflecting on the match, Stefani revealed, “We know each other pretty well. We have practiced together in Asia, so we expected this kind of match.” Gabriela asserted, “They surprised us. We just didn't give up when we lost the first game.” With resilience, the Stoeva sisters turned the tables, emerging victorious with a hard-fought triumph, 17-21, 21-14, 21-12.
In another electrifying clash, Cheryl Seinen and Debora Jille, Netherlands, faced Linda Efler and Isabel Lohau, Germany. The Dutch duo faced a fierce challenge but refused to relent, winning the three-game encounter, 21-14, 19-21, 21-17. Recalling the intense battle, Jille remarked, “They made it really tough for us, but we just kept on fighting and believing.” Filled with joy, Seinen expressed, “It's amazing. We worked so well on our game plan, and it's coming out now. It's giving us a boost.”
The first men's doubles semifinal witnessed a thrilling three-game spectacle as Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen clashed with Scotland's Alexander Dunn and Adam Hall. The Scottish duo proved to be formidable opponents for the Minsk 2019 gold medallists. Astrup acknowledged their worthy adversaries, stating, “They definitely did [put up a fight]. It was a tough match for us today, but it was good to get tested. We are delighted to be in the final again, we'll give it all we have tomorrow.”
To conclude the evening's intense battles, France's Christo Popov and Toma Junior Popov played against Great Britain's Ben Lane and Sean Vendy. While there were several closely contested moments, it was Lane and Vendy who ultimately emerged victorious in straight games, 21-15 21-14.
Tomorrow, at 10.00 am (CEST), you can tune in to watch the semifinals of mixed doubles, women's singles, and men's singles. At 06.00 pm (CEST), the women's doubles and men's doubles finalists will take the court, battling it out for the gold. You can watch the matches live on
EuropeanGames.tv.