by Simon Daish

Guaranteed Medals for Mixed Doubles Pairs

All four of the Mixed Doubles pairs heading into day four action will be taking home a medal no matter what unfolds on the table, with both the third and fourth placed pairs receiving bronze medals. But the all important question to be answered is which partnership will be leaving Budapest with the trophy?

Aleksandar Karakasevic (SRB) and Ruta Paskauskiene (LTU) will be strong favourites to make an appearance in the final having won the title on four previous occasions, but Mattias Karlsson (SWE) and Matilda Ekholm (SWE) won’t back down easily and will be confident of their chances following their 3-0 win in the previous round.

The bottom half of the draw will see a Romanian player reach the final regardless of the result as Ovidiu Ionescu (ROU) and Bernadette Szocs (ROU) take on Joao Monteiro (POR) and Daniela Monteiro-Dodean (ROU).

Mouthwatering Singles Encounters Ahead

Day three of the European Championships produced some unexpected shocks with exits from Tiago Apolonia (POR), Renata Strbikova (CZE) and Adrian Crisan (ROU) across the Singles events.

One day later and the stage has been set for some potentially thrilling encounters; Germany’s Sabine Winter (16th seed) will take on Yana Noskova (24th) of Russia, while another Russian competitor in the Women’s Singles draw Polina Mikhailova (12th) goes head-to-head with Austria’s Sofia Polcanova (18th).

There are also many matches worth following with a close eye in the Men’s Singles with Panagiotis Gionis (GRE) playing against Joao Monteiro (POR), and former world number one Timo Boll (GER) battling it out with Par Gerell (SWE) for a place in the last 16.

Other standout fixtures include: Galia Dvorak (ESP) against Elizabeta Samara (ROU) in the Women’s Singles, and Patrick Franziska (GER) vs Emmanuel Lebesson (FRA) in the Men’s Singles.

More Doubles to Feature

Just the one round will be played out in both the Men’s and Women’s Doubles categories on day four, but expect to see plenty of drama nonetheless.

Swedish brothers Kristian Karlsson and Mattias Karlsson will be hoping that family comes out on top in their Men’s Doubles match against Kou Lei (UKR) and Li Ahmet (TUR), while in the Women’s Doubles competition the home country’s Dora Madarasz and Szandra Pergel will face Camelia Iacob (ROU) and Bernadette Szocs (ROU) with the support from the majority of fans expected to go to the Hungarian duo.

Liebherr 2016 European Championships: Watch live on Laola 1.TV