2017 CEV U18 BVEC: France vs Russia meet in semi-final

Three Russian pairs will play in the semi-final of the European Championship in Kazan

The Round of 24 featured the first three seeded pairs of the tournament, so the favorites had hard times fighting for medals. The match of the Russians Chukhnenkov/Arkhipov was particularly tough. They lost the first set against the pair from Portugal Pedrosa/H. Campos: 19-21, clawed the victory in the second set 23-21, and finished the victorious encounter in the third set: 15-12. 

Seeded the second, the French Tournier and Nicole didn't have an easy game against the Urkrainians Matviev and Pavliuk: 2-1. The Germans Lorentz and Schneider confidently defeated the Dutch pair. The Italians Bottolo and di Silvestere lost the match against the Austrians and dropped out of the medal hunt: 0-2.

Round of 16

Shustrov/Gusev (Russia) - Ozdemir/Cebeci (Turkey): 2-0 (21:12, 21:9)

Broch/Gysin (Switzerland) - Lorentz/Schneider (Germany): 0-2 (10:21, 15:21)

Hajós/Stréli (Hungary) - Meius/Tammearu M. (Estonia): 0-2 (15:21, 13:21)

Shekunov/Ermotik (Russia) - Reiter T./Leitner L. (Austria): 2-0 (21:19, 21:15)

Davyskiba/Ratutski (Belarus) - Tournier/Nicole (France): 0-2 (17:21, 11:21)

"We were planning on eliminating France, but it didn't go the way we expected. We were too careful and did block the rivals. It was tough. Of course we would like to go further than Round of 8. we liked it in Kazan. Everything is on a very high level," told the couch of team Belarus.

Bello, J./Bello, F. (England) - Sedlak/Manas (the Czech Republic): 2-0 (21:11, 21:13)

Udrih/Mozic (Slovenia) - Chukhnenkov/Arkhipov (Russia): 0-2 (16:21, 14:21)

"We we stressing out way to much in the game against Portugal. The first play-off game is always this way. Once you lose - you're out. That's why we started out like this. But we managed to turn the course of the game afterwards," said Nikolay Chukhnenkov.

Aerts/de Groot (the Netherlands) - Ringøen/Brekke (Norway): 0-2 (18:21)

Quarterfinals

Lorentz/Schneider (Germany) - Shustrov/Gusev (Russia): 0-2 (14:21, 18:21)

Shekunov/Ermotik (Russia) - Meius/Tammearu M. (Estonia): 2-0 (22:20, 21:15)

Bello, J./Bello, F. (England) - Tournier/Nicole (France): 0-2 (12:21, 19:21)

"We are in the semi-final, but it's not enough. We've won the France Championship 3 times in our age group. We want to add a European title to our haul. I know the semi-final will be tough, and we will do all we can to win," said the French.

Ringøen/Brekke (Norway) - Chukhnenkov/Arkhipov (Russia): 0-2 (19:21, 13:21)

"We will try and push more. All teams are strong here. We got ready and won. The hardest games are on Sunday. We will do everything," admitted Aleksei Arkhipov.

The Sunday semi-finals will feature:

Shekunov/Ermotik (Russia) - Shustrov/Gusev (Russia)

Chukhnenkov/Arkhipov (Russia) - Tournier/Nicole (France)