The Spanish Carolina Marín, gold medalist at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and triple badminton world champion, ddebuted this Tuesday at the European Championships in Madrid with a victory over the Czech Katerina Tomalova (21-10 and 21-6), in what meant his return to the slopes eleven months after a serious injury.
The player from Huelva suffered a serious injury during training on May 28, 2021 and underwent surgery a few days later, on June 4, for a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and the two menisci of her left knee.
Carolina Marín reappeared in Madrid, on the municipal court of Gallur, with an unusual expectation in the stands, which looked packed in the area set aside for the general public. In fact, an hour before she started her game there was no longer a seat left.
The five-time European champion She jumped onto the track ready to defend her continental reign and did so in just 29 minutes. Tomalova started the first round better, she was initially ahead on the scoreboard, but after a few scoring points she was clearly surpassed by the Spaniard, who made the Czech suffer a lot by hitting her under with her left hand. Carolina Marín’s rival in the round of 16 will be the Ukrainian María Ulitina, 59 in the world, who won the Portuguese Sonia Gonçalves in sixteenths.
“The feeling is one of happiness and gratitude for all the people who have come here to support me. I did not expect people to be screaming and chanting my name. I have felt emotion, because after a year away without playing you miss the feeling of competition. Also being in Madrid is not easy, because playing at home you have to know how to control your nerves”, said Marín, after finishing the duel.
“Apart from winning the match, if they told me a year ago that a European would play here, I wouldn’t have believed it. The knee is very good, everything has gone very well, in general, and we have come for everything. To enjoy the tournament and the people, but also to win. I haven’t played for a year and I missed those nerves. I have been able to control them and it has been very good, “he confessed.
Also keep going Beatrice Corrales, 51 in the ranking, who beat Serbian Marija Sudimac 21-9 and 21-8, in a match that she dominated from the start. Previously, in the first round, she got rid of Israeli Ksenia Polikarpova in three sets. Corrales will face the Danish Line Hojmark Kjaersfeld, seventh seed, who won the second round against the French Marie Batomene.
In the men’s category, the man from Toledo Luis Enrique Penalver72 in the international ranking, made his debut and struggled to beat the Czech Jan Louda, whom he defeated 17-21, 21-18 and 10-21.
Those who did not give an option to the surprise were the Danish Anders Antonsen, current continental champion, who suffered more than expected to win in three sets against the German Kai Schaefer (17-21, 21-18 and 13-21), and will be the Peñalver’s rival in the round of 16. His compatriot Viktor Axelsen, who beat France’s Alex Lanier 21-12, 21-11, will play Germany’s Max Weisskirchen.
Pablo Abian, 58 in the world, lost in three sets against Englishman Toby Penty, who won the match in three sets by 16-21, 21-11 and 18-21.
in doubles, Alberto Zapico and Lorena Uslé lost against the Germans Jones Ralfy Jansen and Linda Efler 10-21 and 14-21, as well as José Morales and Jaume Pérez, who fell to the Scottish brothers Christopher and Mathew Grimley 21-14 and 21-8. The positive note was put Joan Monroy and Carlos Piris, who won the Germans Marvin Datko and Patrick Scheiel (21-10 and 21-8).
