Sporting Digest: Table Tennis

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (Birmingham): MEN Category 1, Group A: Poland 4 Netherlands 0; Sweden 4 Germany 2; Belgium 4 Czech Rep 2. Group B: France 4 England 0 (J-P Gatien bt M Syed 21-8 21-11; P Chila bt A Cooke 13-21 21-19 21-17; D Eloi bt A Eden 21-14 21-10; Eloi and Gatien bt C Prean and Cooke 21-15 13-21 21-13); Russia 4 Austria 3; Hungary 4 Greece 3. Semi-finals (today): Sweden v England; Germany v France. WOMEN Category 1, Group A: Russia 4 Romania 0; Germany 4 Croatia 0; Sweden 4 Belgium 1. Group B: Hungary 4 Italy 0; England 4 Netherlands 1 (L Lomas bt M Muller 21-6 21-13; A Holt bt G Keen 21-18 21-11; A Gordon lost to E Noor 20-22 18-21; Holt and Lomas bt Muller and Noor 21-13 21-12; Lomas bt Keen 21-11 21-14); France 4 Slovakia 1. Category 2, Group C: Norway 4 Wales 0; Armenia 4 Finland 0; Malta 4 Isle of Man 3. Group D: Scotland w/o Belarus. Czech Republic 4 Slovenia 2; Iceland 4 San Marino 3. Semi-finals: Russia 4 England 1 (L Lomas lost to G Melnik 14-21 15-21; A Holt bt E Timina 19-21 27-25 21-17; A Gordon lost to I Palina 8-21 14-21; Lomas & Holt lost to Palina & Timina 15-21 12-21; Lomas lost to Timina 14-21 22-20 17-21).