Poland’s Natalia Bajor sensationally reaches semi-final of women’s tournament
The fourth day of play at the 2023 European Games Krakow features the Men’s and Women’s Singles quarterfinals, and tonight we will witness the completion of the first of five events. The matches for the bronze and gold medals in the Mixed Doubles event are scheduled for 7 PM and 7:50 PM CET.
YUAN Jia Nan of France (5) – Natalia BAJOR of Poland (14) 2-4 (11-9, 7-11, 11-5, 11-13, 6-11, 6-11)
After stopping the progress of European Champion Sofia POLCANOVA, Natalia BAJOR continued her impressive run by defeating YUAN Jia Nan. In a clash between two fast players, Natalia proved to be the faster one.
“I didn’t get much sleep before the game. I woke up at 5:50 AM and left the athletes’ village at 7:10 AM. I arrived at the venue at 8 AM and had a training session with one of the WĘGRZYN sisters since 8. The first match of the day is always the hardest for me as I love to sleep,” admitted BAJOR.
Speaking about her match against YUAN, Natalia said:
“I was afraid of YUAN’s service game, so I focused on practicing my receive a lot this morning. It paid off, and I managed to control the match. My receive helped me push the rallies into longer exchanges. YUAN struggled to find an answer to that,” said BAJOR.
BAJOR emphasized the crucial role of mental strength.
“I came back after losing the third game, and I narrowly won the fourth game. That was the turning point.”
Regarding the support she receives in Krakow, BAJOR explained that her friends and supporters in Poland are her “allowed doping.”
“I discovered at the European Championships in Warsaw how much power I gain from the home crowd. It gives me extra strength.”