England To Defend Both European Titles In Austria

Favourites England will defend both titles in the 34th European Team Championships in Austria after beating third seeds Netherlands 4/0 in the men's semi-finals and despatching sixth seeds Germany 3/0 in the women's semi-finals at the Wellness Park Oberlaa in Vienna.

The finals will be repeats of previous encounters - the men's climax being the seventh successive meeting of England and France, with the third seeds bidding to claim the title for the first time in the history of the competition. France beat fourth seeds Wales 4/0 in the other semi-final.

Second seeds Netherlands will face England in the women's final for the fourth year in a row. The world number one Vanessa Atkinson-led Dutch squad beat fifth seeds France 3/0 in the semi-finals.

Netherlands will be attempting to put an end to England's 28-year hold on the women's title.

Men's semi-finals:
[1] ENGLAND bt [3] NETHERLANDS 4-0
Peter Nicol bt Laurens Jan Anjema 6-9, 9-6, 9-2, 9-2 (65m)
Nick Matthew bt Tommy Berden 9-5, 8-10, 9-3 (40m)
Lee Beachill bt Dylan Bennett 9-1, 9-3, 9-1 (28m)
Peter Barker bt Tom Hoevenaars 9-4, 9-2, 9-3 (34m)
[2] FRANCE bt [4] WALES 4-0
Thierry Lincou bt Gavin Jones 9-5, 9-1, 9-3 (30m)
Gregory Gaultier bt David Evans 9-2, 9-0 (14m)
Renan Lavigne bt Jethro Binns 9-2, 9-2, 9-3 (39m)
Julien Balbo bt Rob Sutherland 10-9, 6-9, 3-9, 9-1, 9-3 (82m)

5th - 12th place play-offs:
[8] SPAIN bt [9] FINLAND 3-1
Borja Golan bt Olli Tuominen 1-9, 9-5, 1-9, 9-1, 9-1 (80m)
Alejandro Garbi Caro lost to Matias Tuomi 10-8, 9-4, 1-9, 4-9, 0-9 (68m)
David Vidal bt Erno Teitti 9-3, 9-4, 4-9, 9-8 (80m)
Albert Codina bt Juha Raumolin 7-9, 9-7, 9-4, 9-3 (57m)
[10] IRELAND bt [6] SWEDEN 2-2 (Ireland win 109-101 on points countback)
Liam Kenny bt Badr Abdel Aziz 9-5, 8-10, 9-3, 3-9, 9-2 (100m)
Derek Ryan lost to Christian Drakenberg 9-7, 3-9, 0-9, 9-7, 7-9 (31m)
John Rooney bt Joakim Karlsson 9-1, 9-2, 9-1
Angus Kirkland lost to Rasmus Hult 7-9, 2-9, 7-9
[5] SCOTLAND bt [11] DENMARK 3-1
John White bt Morten W Sorensen 9-0, 9-0, 9-0
Stuart Crawford bt Mads Korsbjerg 10-8, 9-0, 9-2
Harry Leitch lost to Michael Frilund 5-9, 5-9, 2-9
Alan Clyne bt Rasmus Nielsen 9-5, 4-9, 9-7, 3-9, 9-6 (80m)
[7] GERMANY bt [12] SWITZERLAND 4-0
Simon Rosner bt Andre Holderegger 9-2, 9-1, 9-6
Simon Baker bt Marco Datwyler 4-9, 3-9, 9-3, 9-1, 9-0
Stefan Leifels bt Marcel Straub 9-4, 9-2, 3-9, 9-4
Jens Schoor bt Nicolas Mueller 10-8, 9-3, 9-2
5th - 8th place play-offs:
[10] IRELAND bt [8] SPAIN 2-2 (Ireland win 76-67 on points countback)
Liam Kenny lost to Borja Golan 7-9, 2-9, 1-9 (48m)
Derek Ryan bt Alejandro Garbi Caro 9-1, 9-4, 9-6 (61m)
John Rooney bt David Vidal 9-0, 9-2, 9-0
Arthur Gaskin lost to Albert Codina 7-9, 3-9, 2-9 (45m)
[7] GERMANY bt [5] SCOTLAND 3-1
Simon Rosner lost to John White 8-10, 4-9, 4-9
Simon Baker bt Stuart Crawford 5-9, 9-1, 9-0, 9-0
Stefan Leifels bt Alan Clyne 7-9, 9-1, 9-3, 9-0
Andre Haschker bt Jamie Macaulay 9-5, 9-1, 9-3
9th - 12th place play-offs:
[6] SWEDEN bt [9] FINLAND 2-2 (Sweden win 106-98 on points countback)
Badr Abdel Aziz lost to Olli Tuominen 6-9, 1-9, 1-9
Christian Drakenberg bt Matias Tuomi 10-8, 9-1, 9-2
Joakim Karlsson bt Erno Teitti 9-10, 9-4, 5-9, 9-2, 9-2 (78m)
Rasmus Hult lost to Juha Raumolin 0-9, 7-9, 9-3, 9-3, 4-9 (56m)
[11] DENMARK bt [12] SWITZERLAND 3-1
Morten W Sorensen bt Andre Holderegger 9-7, 9-0, 2-9, 9-3
Michael Frilund bt Marco Datwyler 9-1, 9-6, 9-5
Rasmus Nielsen lost to Marcel Straub 6-9, 8-10, 8-10
Rene Jepsen bt Benjamin Fischer 8-10, 10-8, 9-7, 9-1 (63m)
13th - 20th place play-offs:
[13] HUNGARY bt [19] UKRAINE 4-0
Andras Torok bt Roman Dolynych 9-4, 9-3, 9-4
Marton Szaboky bt Dmytro Shcherbakov 9-3, 4-9, 10-9, 9-7
Sandor Fulop bt Oleksandr Molodukha 10-8, 9-0, 9-1
Balazs Welesz bt Artem Shandybin 9-1, 9-5, 9-0
[17] AUSTRIA bt [18] ITALY 2-2 (Austria win 10-8 on games countback)
Leopold Czaska lost to Simone Rocca 9-1, 2-9, 9-7, 8-10, 0-5 ret. (78m)
Gerhard Schedlbauer lost to Andrea Capella 9-4, 9-6, 3-9, 1-9, 0-9
Aqeel Rehman bt Andrea Torricini 10-8, 9-5, 1-9, 5-9, 9-6 (108m)
Jakob Dirnberger bt Matteo Vaccari 9-1, 9-7, 9-3
[15] BELGIUM bt [16] ISRAEL 2-2 (Belgium win 8-6 on games countback)
Steve Dries bt Ron Levy 9-1, 9-6, 9-3
Wim van Asten lost to Nadav Wilensky 2-9, 8-10, 7-9
Rik Smet bt Tomer Noach 9-2, 9-4, 9-1
Dave de Beule lost to Nir Arkin 6-9, 9-2, 9-5, 9-10, 6-9
[14] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [21] SLOVAKIA 3-1
Jan Koukal bt Roman Celler 9-3, 9-7, 9-6
Martin Stepan bt Andrej Schmidtmayer 9-6, 9-7, 8-10, 9-5
Pavel Sladecek lost to Marek Manik 2-9, 4-9, 6-9
Ondrej Ertl bt Martin Kostolansky 9-5, 9-5, 9-2
13th - 16th place play-offs:
[13] HUNGARY bt [17] AUSTRIA 3-1
Mark Krajcsak bt Gerhard Schedlbauer 9-2, 7-9, 9-1, 9-2
Andras Torok bt Aqeel Rehman 9-0, 9-0
Sandor Fulop bt Wolfgang Rothbacher 9-4, 9-5, 9-6
Balazs Welesz lost to Jakob Dirnberger 4-9, 7-9, 9-6, 9-7, 7-9 (81m)
[15] BELGIUM bt [14] CZECH REPUBLIC 3-1
Steve Dries lost to Jan Koukal 1-9, 3-9, 5-9
Wim van Asten bt Martin Stepan 9-5, 9-1, 9-0
Rik Smet bt Jaroslav Cech 9-5, 9-2, 9-1
Gregory Lecerf bt Ondrej Ertl 7-9, 9-4, 9-3, 9-0
17th - 20th place play-offs:
[18] ITALY bt [19] UKRAINE 4-0
Andrea Capella bt Roman Dolynych 9-2, 9-4, 9-1
Andrea Torricini bt Dmytro Shcherbakov 9-0, 9-4, 9-6
Matteo Vaccari bt Oleksandr Molodukha 9-2, 7-9, 9-8, 9-7
Domenico Cerabona bt Oleksiy Davydenko 9-1, 9-4, 9-7
[16] ISRAEL bt [21] SLOVAKIA 3-1
Ron Levy bt Roman Celler 9-1, 9-3, 9-2
Nadav Wilensky lost to Andrej Schmidtmayer 6-9, 9-3, 9-1, 0-9, 4-9
Tomer Noach bt Marek Manik 9-2, 9-6, 9-0
Nir Arkin bt Martin Kostolansky 9-3, 9-3, 9-1

Women's semi-finals:
[1] ENGLAND bt [6] GERMANY 3-0
Vicky Botwright bt Daniela Schumann 9-3, 9-0, 9-3 (33m)
Tania Bailey bt Katharina Witt 9-1, 9-0 (9m)
Linda Elriani bt Kathrin Rohrmueller 9-2, 9-3, 9-1 (22m)
[2] NETHERLANDS bt [5] FRANCE 3-0
Vanessa Atkinson bt Isabelle Stoehr 4-9, 9-3, 9-6, 10-8 (49m)
Annelize Naude bt Camille Serme 9-6, 9-5 (12m)
Orla Noom bt Soraya Renai 9-3, 9-1, 1-9, 9-2 (22m)
5th - 12th place play-offs:
[12] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [4] SCOTLAND 2-1
Zuzana Vackova bt Frania Gillen-Buchert 9-1, 9-10, 9-3, 4-9, 9-4 (74m)
Lucie Fialova bt Louise Philip 9-2, 8-10, 9-2, 9-5
Olga Ertlova lost to Lisa McKenna 8-10, 0-9, 5-9
[10] SWITZERLAND bt [3] IRELAND 2-1
Agnes Muller bt Laura Mylotte 9-2, 9-6, 9-3
Gaby Schmohl lost to Aisling Blake 3-9, 8-10
Olivia Hauser bt Eleanor Lapthorne 9-1, 9-5, 9-3
[8] SPAIN bt [16] WALES 2-1
Chantal Moros-Pitarch lost to Tegwen Malik 0-9, 1-9, 2-9
Elisabet Sado bt Jenny Wright 9-3, 9-4, 10-8
Alicia Alvarez bt Gemma Davies 9-1, 9-6, 9-7
[7] DENMARK bt [14] ITALY 3-0
Line Hansen bt Manuela Manetta 9-3, 9-2, 6-9, 5-9, 9-6 (60m)
Ellen Petersen bt Sonia Pasteris 9-4, 9-2
Marie-Louise Krag bt Veronica Favero Camp 9-2, 9-1, 9-0
5th - 8th place play-offs:
[12] CZECH REPUBLIC bt [10] SWITZERLAND 2-1
Zuzana Vackova bt Agnes Muller 8-10, 7-9, 9-2, 9-7, 9-3
Lucie Fialova bt Gaby Schmohl 3-9, 9-1, 9-2, 9-7
Olga Ertlova lost to Olivia Hauser 4-9, 2-9, 3-9
[7] DENMARK bt [8] SPAIN 2-1
Line Hansen bt Chantal Moros-Pitarch 9-7, 9-5, 9-8
Ellen Petersen lost to Elisabet Sado 5-9, 5-9
Julie Dorn-Jensen bt Laura Alonso 9-2, 7-9, 9-7, 9-3
9th - 12th place play-offs:
[3] IRELAND bt [4] SCOTLAND 2-1
Aisling Blake bt Frania Gillen-Buchert 9-1, 9-0, 9-5
Eleanor Lapthorne lost to Lisa McKenna 2-9, 9-4, 5-9
Tanya Owens bt Claire Kidd 9-0, 9-1, 9-4
[16] WALES bt [14] ITALY 2-1
Tegwen Malik bt Manuela Manetta 9-1, 9-0, 9-7
Jenny Wright lost to Sonia Pasteris 0-9, 0-9, 0-9
Hannah Wright-Davies bt Chiara Ferrari 9-2, 9-5, 5-9, 9-7
13th - 17th place play-offs:
[9] BELGIUM bt [15] NORWAY 3-0
Charlie de Rycke bt Lotte Eriksen 9-1, 9-2, 9-3
Annabel Romedenne bt Nina Martinsen 9-4, 9-3
Ankie Nedee bt Maren Myhre 9-7, 7-9, 9-1, 9-0
[11] AUSTRIA bt [13] FINLAND 2-1
Pamela Pancis bt Lotta Vuorela 9-4, 9-4, 9-7
Birgit Coufal bt Eevamaria Vuolo 9-6, 9-0, 7-9, 2-9, 9-3
Konny Hofer lost to Elina Kononen 1-9, 9-5, 1-9, 0-9
15th - 17th place play-off:
[15] NORWAY bt [17] SLOVAKIA 2-1
Lotte Eriksen bt Linda Hruzikova 9-2, 9-1, 9-1
Nina Martinsen bt Aneta Paprnakova 9-5, 9-2, 9-0
Maren Myhre lost to Henrieta Loksova 4-9, 1-9, 2-9