The first German medal at the European Table Tennis Championships in Slovenia is perfect. Nina Mittelham and Benedikt Duda reached the semi-finals in the mixed doubles. In the round of the best eight, the two won against Alexandra Chiriacova and Vladislav Ursu from Moldova in 3-0 sets.
On Thursday, Mittelham and Duda will fight for a place in the final. Unlike the Olympic Games, third place is not specifically contested at the World and European Table Tennis Championships. Both semi-final losers receive the bronze medal.
Also a chance for a medal in doubles
The 29-year-old Mittelham from TTC Berlin Eastside won the European mixed doubles title in 2021 together with Dang Qui. She also won four more gold medals with the German team and in doubles. The 32-year-old Duda (TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt) came second in the individual at the last European Championships.
Both are still playing for a medal in doubles. Duda and Dang Qiu won 3-2 against the Russians Vladimir Sidorenko and Yevgeny Tikhonov in the round of 16 after being 0-2 down. Mittelham and Annett Kaufmann beat Christina Källberg and Filippa Bergand from Sweden 3:1. These two competitions also continue with the quarter-finals on Thursday.