2012 European Mixed Doubles Championships

Buzau is the Romanian city that will host the 2012 European Mixed Doubles Championships  from 22th to 24th June. 20 pairings from 8 countries will compete in the continental event. Romania heads the entry list with five pairings and is followed by Serbia, Rusia and Turkey which will be represented by three pairings. 

The favorites for the title are the Romanian doubles made up by Elizabeta Samara and Andrei Filimon who clinched the gold medal last year. On that occasion, the Romanian pairing overcame doubles made up by Serbia's Aleksandar Karakasevic and  Lithuania's Ruta Paskauskiene in the final. Unfortunately, the runner-up pairing, also winner of the first two editions, won't compete this year because Paskauskiene will have her baby soon, so Karakasevic decided to not participate. 

However, Samara and Filimon will be challenged by their compatriots. The other Romanian paitings are: Daniela Dodean/ Adrian Crisan, Constantin Cioti/Iulia Necula, Ovidiu Ionesco/Bernardette Szocs and Lucian Munteanu/Cristina Irici. On the other hand, Serbia will be represented by Marko Petkov/Marija Galonja, Bojan Crepulja/Aliz Djurcik and Dragan Subotic/Aleksandra Radonjic. 

Russia will send Evgeny Fadeev/Oxana Fadeeva, Viatcheslav/Olga Baranova and Taras Merzlikin/Anna Kozlovskaya. Turkey will be represented by BOra Vang/Hu Melek, Ahmet Li/IIdiz Meral Ali and Gencay Menge/Fulya Yildirim. Belarus will participate with Alexandr Kuchuk/Viktoria Pavlovich and Pavel Platonov/Alexandra Privalova. 

Italy will also compete in the tournament with Federico Pavan/Lida Ridolfi and Romualdo Manna/Elisa Trotti. Martin Hanak and enata Strbikova will represent Czech Republic, while Lubomir Pistej and Barbora Balazova will wave the flag for Slovakai.   

Photo and info. source: sport.rol.ro - ettu.org