European Table Tennis Championships 2010

The European Table Tennis Championships first took place in 1958 in Hungary.

You can read all about them here.

Initially it was a biennial event, taking place in even numbered years, but now it's held every year during September or October.

In 2010 it was the turn of the Czech Republic to host this prestigious event from 11-19 September.

The European Championships events are...

• Mens Team
• Womens Team
• Mens Singles
• Womens Singles
• Mens Doubles
• Womens Doubles

For the team events a division format is used.

16 teams make up the Championships Division whilst 16 teams are in the Challenge Division and the remaining teams make up a Standard Division.

Only teams in the Championships Division can win the title of European Champions.

In the Championships Division, the teams are seeded into four groups. Each team competes against the other three teams in their group and matches are the best of five sets.

The winner and runner-up of each group then advance to the quarter finals whereupon the competition is a straight knock-out, best of five sets.

An Association can only enter one team in each team event and they can enter up to 5 players in a men's team and up to 5 players in a women's team.

Seeding will be on the basis of the final positions in the previous European Championships.

Teams consist of 3 players.

Each match consists of up to 5 singles and shall be played on 1 table.

The order of play will be A v X, B v Y, C v Z, A v Y, B v X, and the match will end when a team has won 3 individual matches, each the best of 5 games.

The 2010 European Table Tennis Championships men's groups for the Championships Division are ...

• Group A - Germany, Czech Republic, Greece, Poland
• Group B - Russia, Sweden, Denmark, England
• Group C - Austria, Croatia, Portugal, Serbia
• Group D - France, Belarus, Romania, Spain

The last European Table Tennis Championships were held in Stuttgart, Germany in 2009 and the men's team winners were Germany, and runners-up were Denmark.

Championships Division

Group A - Germany, Czech Republic, Greece, Poland

1. Germany 3-1 Poland
2. Czech Republic 3-0 Greece
3. Germany 3-1 Czech Republic
4. Greece 3-0 Poland
5. Germany 3-0 Greece
6. Poland 3-1 Czech Republic

• Group A Winners = Germany
• Group A Runners-up = Czech Republic

Group B - Russia, Sweden, Denmark, England

1. Russia 3-0 Denmark
2. Sweden 3-1 England
3. Denmark 3-2 Sweden
4. Russia 3-0 England
5. Denmark 3-1 England
6. Sweden 3-1 Russia

• Group B Winners = Russia
• Group B Runners-up = Sweden

Group C - Austria, Croatia, Portugal, Serbia

1. Austria 3-1 Serbia
2. Croatia 3-2 Portugal
3. Austria 3-0 Croatia
4. Portugal 3-1 Serbia
5. Austria 3-0 Portugal
6. Croatia 3-2 Serbia

• Group C Winners = Austria
• Group C Runners-up = Croatia

Group D - France, Belarus, Romania, Spain

1. Romania 3-1 Spain
2. France 3-2 Belarus
3. Belarus 3-2 Romania
4. France 3-2 Spain
5. France 3-2 Romania
6. Belarus 3-2 Spain

• Group D Winners = France
• Group D Runners-up = Belarus

Quarter Finals

13 September 2010

Germany 3-0 Sweden

France 3-1 Croatia

Belarus 3-2 Austria

Czech Republic 3-2 Russia

Semi Finals

14 September 2010

Germany 3-1 France

Belarus 3-1 Czech Republic

Final

15 September 2010

Germany 3-0 Belarus