Semifinals day at the Spanish Para Badminton International II 2022 was as hot as a spicy paella with several strong women’s singles contenders sealing their places in the finals.
First up was Helle Sofie Sagoey, who overcame an impressive Emma Louise Stoner from England 21-12 21-5 in the SL4 category.
“Emma is a really good player,” said the Norwegian post-match. “I just tried to keep myself focused and do my best. I’ve been working hard since the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. I’ve made a lot of good choices.
“I play Milena Surreau next. She’s new to the circuit. I will do some analysis with my coach and look to establish some tactics for the final. I’m excited to play her, it’s always fun to meet new opponents.”
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The Norwegian has been solid throughout her singles matches in Spain.
Sogoey faces new kid on the block Surreau, who caused a stir in Spain by topping her group and beating Sophie Van Den Broek 21-6 21-6 in her semifinal yesterday.
On making the final on her international debut, the ecstatic Frenchwoman said: “What a great experience this is. This feeling is amazing. Now I just want to try my best against Sagoey.
“My game plan was just to keep the shots in and the rallies long. I could see she (Van Den Broek) wasn’t moving too well so I stuck to my plan and it worked.”
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The 24-year-old has made the final on her international debut.
Keeping a level head and temperament throughout the match, the 24-year-old explained her thinking behind each emotion.
“I used to play tennis and I could be quite fierce on the court. I would smash rackets – that’s not good behaviour, so I’ve worked hard on myself to keep calm under pressure and these kind of circumstances. Stay calm, focused and don’t get angry.
“Before a match I block everything out. No music, no noise. Silence is what I need before going onto court.”
Portugal’s Beatriz Monteiro (SU5) was in town to rustle some feathers in her category, claiming a 21-17 21-19 win over Rosa Efomo De Marco from Italy. It is the second final the 16-year-old has made since being crowned runner-up at the Peru Para Badminton International in 2019.
The youngster broke new ground at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games with a remarkable journey into the quarterfinals until she was ousted by Japan’s Akiko Sugino.
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Monteiro screams in jubilation after her win.
On making the final, Monteiro said: “Wow, I’m shaking. It’s really nice that I’m in the final. I’m going for the gold medal. It will be a tough match, but I’m going to do my best.”
Monteiro locks horns with Manisha Ramdass, who received a walkover into the final after Cathrine Rosengren retired in the second game citing back injury.
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