General News
Poland and Ireland spring early upsets in ESF U19 Mixed Teams
Mar292024
Poland and Ireland defied their seedings on the opening day of the ESF European U19 Mixed Team Championship but it was plain sailing for the top-seeded teams in Bucharest.
England, bidding for a 13th consecutive title, and France, runners up for the last two years, both earned a maximum four points from their opening two group matches.
England didn't even drop a game in Group A in beating Italy and Finland, but Scotland also won a maximum four points, beating Finland 3-0 and edging out Spain 2-1 thanks to four-game victories by Oliver Hunt and Robyn McAlpine. Those results set up a potential first-place decider between the British rivals on Friday.
In Group B, France matched England's results, winning against Sweden and hosts Romania, with Netherlands getting the better of Belgium to finish the day in second place in the group.
Poland caused the first upset with a 2-1 victory over sixth seeds Wales courtesy of victories by Karol Krysiak and Sofi Zrazhevska. The top two, Czech Republic and Poland, will do battle at 1400 local time on Friday.
Ireland sprung a surprise in Group D by toppling fifth seeds Germany. The match hinged on Daniel Lynch's mammoth victory over Fabian Igelbrink, which the Irishman won 12-10 in the fifth. Switzerland occupy top spot after victories over Hungary and Ireland.
ESF European U19 Mixed Team Championship:
Standings: Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |