EURO MIXED TEAMS 2011 – First Final for Germans

Germany marched into their first ever European Mixed Team Championship final with a comprehensive 3-1 win over Russia in the first of today’s semi-finals in Amsterdam. As expected the Germans will line up against Denmark in the final after the Danes defeated England by the same score line.

By Mark Phelan.  Photos:  Badmintonphoto (Live in Amsterdam)

After 5 days of play with 33 nations participating, the field has been narrowed down to just 2 after today’s semi-finals. Denmark, as tournament top seeds, were hot favourites against England (pictured left) on the TV court this afternoon and Tine Baun gave them the best possible start with a very much expected 2-game win over Sarah Walker.

In the men’s singles, Rajiv Ouseph continued his recent winning record over Jan O Jorgensen as the English number one came back from a game down to level the team tie at 1-1. Jorgensen cannot have much to complain about as Ouseph has been in sparkling form this week and, although on his way home with team England, surely has proven to be one of the star individuals this week in Amsterdam.

In the women’s doubles, Denmark fielded Juhl and Pedersen, sporting the new look of tight long shorts underneath the more traditional skirt. The Danes were up against Wallwork and White but the English girls could never really take the initiative in the match and the Danish duo controlled a two-game win to give Denmark the advantage in the overall team tie 2-1.

The men’s doubles (pictured right)was always going to be a fascinating encounter as soon as Mogensen’s name appeared on the team sheet alongside that of Mathias Boe. The world’s best pair were never going to have it easy against the new starlet combination of Adcock and Ellis and the Danes knew there were in a battle royale from the outset.

The English duo left their more illustrious opponents with a mountain to climb after taking the first game 29-27. The Danes came back in the second to tie 1-1 with a 21-19 win but the match looked to be heading in favour of the English pair midway through the second game as Adcock and Ellis led 14-8. But you do not get to be world number 1 by pure fluke and Boe and Mogensen knew that they had to win this to advance to the final and they did what they so often do in situations like this and just stepped up a gear and tied the game up at 14-14. The Danes, sensing the line was in sight, continued to press home their momentum and took the game 21-17 and with it the tie and Denmark’s place in tomorrow’s final.

The Danes will now play Germany for the gold medal as the Germans looked extremely impressive in their 3-1 win over Russia (pictured). In the first ladies’ singles Juliane Schenk (pictured bottom left) administered the first defeat of the weak to Ella Diehl and Marc Zwiebler dealt the same hand to Pukhov to give the Germans a 2-0 lead. The German team looked to be heading to a decisive 3-0 win after Michels and Marinello took the opening game in the women’s doubles against Sorokina and Vislova but Europe’s best women’s doubles pair bounced back to give the Russians a lifeline to win in 3 to extend the overall tie to the men’s doubles at least.

The German pair of Schoettler and Kindervarter (pictured right), finalists at the French Open in 2010, took the expected win they needed to send Russia home with bronze as they created their own piece of German history by taking Germany into their first ever European mixed team final.

“It is a great feeling to be in the final but we always felt we had a chance this week as we have a really strong team. Before the match, I knew that the men’s doubles was a good opportunity to get the win for Germany so we had a little bit of pressure and some nerves.  In tomorrow’s final, we are for sure the underdogs but with a lot of luck on our side, we can do it,” said Ingo Kindervarter after the German victory.

The final promises to throw up many exciting match-ups with old rivals being re-acquainted. The women’s singles is a repeat of last year’s European individual final between Schenk and Baun. The Dane was winner on that occasion but Schenk has shown some blistering form this week and this match is impossible to call. The men’s doubles is a repeat of the French Open final back in November and Kindervarter and Schoettler will be doing all they can to avenge that final defeat against most likely Boe and Mogensen. Jan O Jorgensen knows he needs to find some form to beat Marc Zwiebler and a probable women’s doubles match between Pedersen/Juhl and Michels/Marinello is sure to be close. And a mixed match between Fuchs/Michels and Fischer/Pedersen is on the cards and who knows that it might actually go down to the last match to decide gold.

For continued live streaming available in Europe click HERE and for all results click HERE