EURO CHAMPS 2014 Finals – Seeding victories

The top seeded players in each final came through to win their respective 2014 Intersport European Championship titles, as Danes Pedersen and Rytter Juhl were the only players to defend their title, with Russians Ivanov and Sozonov making sure the hosts did not leave Kazan empty-handed.

By Michael Burke.  Photos: Yohan Nonotte for Badmintonphoto (live).

The Danish team gave a solid performance at the 2014 Intersport European Championships as with a contender in every final, they took three of those available.

The men’s singles saw a battle between Jan Ø. Jorgensen (pictured left) and Rajiv Ouseph, both players coached recently by ex European Champion Kenneth Jonassen.

The Dane weathered a storm in the first game, as Ouseph played with the good form he had shown so far in the tournament, but the Englishman failed to take all of his chances as he went down in the first game.

Jorgensen had it much easier in the second game, though, as Ouseph was unable to counter the consistency of the Dane, the match finishing 21-18, 21-10.

Fischer Nielsen and Pedersen had been pushed hard in the first match on court by unseeded compatriots Kolding and Rytter Juhl in the mixed, as the latter pair took the first game 24-22.

The next two games went with the higher seeded pair, however, as they had the composure to close out both of the remaining tight games to take the title.

Unseeded Anna Thea Madsen played well to take the in-form Carolina Marin (pictured right) to three games.  However, the Dane was outplayed in the first game and the deciding rubber, as the Spaniard took the title confidently.

Christinna Pedersen played in her second final of the day with her  opponent from the first, Kamilla Rytter Juhl (pictured).  The defending champions were only behind for a total of three points in the whole match as compatriots Kruse and Roepke were no match for the world #3 aces and were held to 11 points in each game.

The Russian pairing of Ivanov and Sozonov (pictured right) played well in the last match on court to give the home crowd in Kazan something to cheer for.

Past the first few points of each game, a dominant Russian display against Conrad-Petersen and Kolding meant the Danes were never really in it, the match finishing 21-13 21-16 – a final high note for the Russian home crowd in a year of sporting achievement.

The full results for the day can be found here.