After two semi final defeats in the past two years Primorye Vladivostok wasted little time in breaking that curse to make yet another European club championship final as the look to win their fifth title since 2012. Joining them in the final are BC Chambly Oise who will look to convert three silvers and two bronze into an illusive gold tomorrow.
The Russian champions will go into tomorrows final as hot favourites given their overall strength in squad depth and the fact the Chambly are seriously depleted leaves the French side with an uphill challenge to break the Russians.
In today’s semi final Primorye Vladivostok were the easiest 3-0 victors over winners from the past two years Issy Les Moulineaux. The French vice- champions did exceedingly well just to get to the semi finals given they were missing such influential players such as Lucas Corvee and Audrey Fontaine.
- We are back in the final after a few years away but we have won nothing yet and the match tomorrow against Chambly will be very tough as they are a very good team said Ivan Sozonov to Badminton Europe.
Primorye easily won the opening mixed doubles and women’s singles. Bjorn Seguin the only Issy player to put up a brave fight but eventually going down in three sets to Gu Hun Han.
In the second semi final Calvi Networks BC Milano ran out of steam as their small squad felt the effects of a hard weeks work. With all their home Italian players taking part in the Mediterranean Games the Italian team had a more international feel about it this week in Poland.
A quarter final that went the distance took its toll on the Italians and Milano had nothing left in reserve going down 3-0 to Chambly. Especially impressive this week for the French have been their singles players with Soraya DeVisch Eijbergen (pictured above) and Eetu Heino who maintained their 100% tournament record with DeVisch Eijbergen also unbeaten in her women's doubles partnership with Lorraine Baumann.