Ladimir Mayorov is the European U13 champion. On 28th September at the Craft Arena in Kosta, Sweden, he defeated his compatriot Alexander Malov 3:0 in the final. In fact, ‘Ladi’ did not lose a single game throughout the entire tournament.

“This is very emotional for me,” said Ladimir, his gold medal hanging around his neck. “It is the first time I have become European champion.”

Born in 2013 and one year younger than most of his opponents, Ladimir was ranked number one going into the tournament. This put some pressure on the boy’s shoulders. But it did not seem to bother him at all. He won in straight sets against Zac Hallén (Sweden) and Noah Lebrassseur (France) to reach the quarterfinals. There, he faced Louis Fegerl (Austria), and the result was the same as in previous matches: 3:0. In the semifinals, Ladimir encountered the unseeded sensation and compatriot Marcos Gomez, who stood no chance against ‘Ladi’, losing 11:1, 11:1, 11:8!

In the finals, another Spanish player stood at the other side of the table – Alexander ‘Sasha’ Malov.

“I was extremely nervous, but I kept thinking that I had one more chance to win next year. I knew I could lose to Sasha if he played well.”

However, as in the other matches, Malov was unable to threaten Mayorov, who impressed with his positive mindset, balance, technique, creativity, variation of spin and placement, and stability. In the midst of it all, he displayed a very mature calmness. The final ended 11:9, 13:11, 11:7.

“Ladimir was ranked number one in this competition, which put some extra pressure on him,”commented Eduard Mayorov, his father and coach. “The most important thing I took away from these championships was his ability to control his nerves and become a champion.”

compass-supported Joel Isaksson also won a medal. In the round of 16, the 13-year-old Swede defeated England’s Dimitri Dimitrov in a tough four-game match: 12:14, 12:10, 11:5, 13:11. He then overcame France’s team gold medallist, Simon Clin, with a score of 3:1. In the semifinals, he was leading 2:1, 8:4 and 9:8 before Alexander Malov won the last two games 11:9 to turn the match around.

“Directly after the match, I was angry and disappointed that I did not manage to finish the semifinals and reach the finals,” said Joel. “But now, with the medal in my hand, I feel that I played quite well, especially with my backhand, serves and receives.”

compass-supported Jeffrey Wei of Germany reached the round of the last 16. He defeated Motiejus Adamonis, but then lost to Marcos Gomez from Spain in straight games: 9:11, 10:12, 4:11.

“I found it a bit tricky that he used pimples on his backhand, but I was also disappointed with my overall performance”, Jeffrey commented.

compass-supported Adela Brhelova (Czechia) won her group without losing a single game. She had a bye in the round of 64 in the knockout stage, but then lost to Bianca Stefania Toma of Romania 13:15, 9:11, 8:11.

“For players and stakeholders alike, the U13 European Championships are one of the highlights of the year,” said compass managing director Daniel Zwickl.

“First of all, I would like to congratulate Ladimir and his whole team on clinching the title, especially given the excellent table tennis performances. It is never easy to win when you are the favourite, but he showed a high level of maturity. Big congratulations also go to Joel, who played a very good tournament and finished with a medal.I hope this performance gives him the confidence to continue developing.

We are also proud of the other compass-supported players: Adela and Jeffrey, who gave their all in Kosta. They should simply keep their heads up and continue on their path. Last but not least, I would like to offer special congratulations to Michelle Wu and her team for winning the girls’ title. Michelle is part of the compass network, having participated in our compass camp in June, and it is very pleasing to see her recent development.”

In addition to winning the gold medal in the singles event, the young Ladimir Mayorov also won a bronze medal in the mixed doubles event, partnering Enya Wu. In the round of 16, the Spanish/Swiss pair won 3:0 against Olaf Glanert and Nicol Bartoszko of Poland. They impressed in the quarterfinals by swiftly overcoming the strong French pairing of Simon Clin and Lisa Zhao. However, Ladimir and Enya’s mixed doubles campaign ended in the semifinals with a 1:3 loss to Simon Zsigmond and Zsofia Fegyver from Hungary.