21/11/2010 - Turkey's pairings VANG Bora and HE Sirin are the crowned champions of the Mixed Doubles European Championships finished today in Subotica. Turkey is also most successful nation; they also won silver medal. Marko JEVTOVIC of Serbia and HU Melek played in the final. Bronze medalists are Aleksandar KARAKASEVIC of Serbia and Ruta PASKAUSKIENE of Lithuania as well as Evgeni CHTCHETININE and Viktoria PAVLOVICH of Belarus.

In the final VANG and HE had a lead 3:1 before JEVTOVIC and HU changed the gear and leveled the game. "We did not give up, even when they had a lead in the decisive seventh game. We kept on fighting. However the hardest match for us was the duel against Evgeni CHTCHETININE and Viktoria PAVLOVICH. We suffered defeat by their hands last year and it was mentally very tough game for us" explained HE.

VANG Bora pointed the same. "It was tough challenge to beat both Belarus pairings. The difference now was that we are much more experienced, we participated at the lot of tournament and we learned how it feels to win the medal."

Four time champions at the mixed doubles Events Aleksandar KARAKASEVIC of Serbia and Ruta PASKAUSKIENE Lithuania handed over the crown. It was consolation in bronze for them, after they suffered defeat by the hands of Marko JEVTOVIC of Serbia and HU Melek Turkey in semi final. 

However it was not bad season for bronze medal winner Ruta at all. Lithuanian star, won gold and bronze medal at the European Championships in Ostrava two months ago. "I feel empty now. He has not played at the highest level in Subotica. We did a lot of mistakes and that cost us the title here," explained PASAKAUSKIENE. In the other semi final VANG Bora and HE Sirin overcame big favorites Evgeni CHTCHETININE and Viktoria PAVLOVICH of Belarus.

(by Milica NIKOLIC, EWT)

Quarter-finals: Aleksandar KARAKASEVIC (SER)-Ruta PASKAUSKIENE (LAT) vs Pavel PLATANOV-Elena DUBKOVA (BLR) 4:0 (11:7, 11:6, 11:9, 12:10); Marko JEVTOVIC (SER)-HU Melek (TUR) vs Andrei FILIMON- Elizabeta SAMARA (ROM) 4:1 (14:12, 11:9, 8:11, 11:4, 11:9); VANG Bora-HE Sirin (TUR) vs Vitaly NEKHVEDOVICH- Veronika PAVLOVICH (BLR) 4:0 (11:9, 11:7, 11:9, 11:3); Zolt PETE-Gabrijela FEHER (SER) vs Evgeni CHTCHETININE-Viktoria PAVLOVICH (BLR) 2:4 (11:7, 2:11, 6:11, 13:11, 6:11, 2:11).

Semi-Finals: Aleksandar KARAKASEVIC-Ruta PASKAUSKIENE vs Marko JEVTOVIC-HU Melek 1:4 (8:11, 3:11, 12:10, 7:11, 7:11); VANG Bora-HE Sirin vs Evgeni CHTCHETININE-Viktoria PAVLOVICH 4:2 (11:13, 9:11, 11;6, 11:9, 11:4, 12;10).

Final: Marko JEVTOVIC-HU Melek vs VANG Bora-HE Sirin 3:4 (5:11, 13:11, 6:11, 7:11, 11:7, 11:5, 8:11)