CHLOE AND SAM MAGEE won the decisive fifth and final game today as Ireland defeated Austria to qualify for the European Mixed Team Championship finals.
A 3-2 win for Ireland in today’s qualifier means that the Irish, led by the Magees from Raphoe, top their group and book a place at the finals next February in Poland.
Ireland overcame Norway 5-1 on Friday night and Hungary 4-1 yesterday. With Austria having beaten both Norway and Hungary it was all to play for at the Baldoyle Badminton Centre this afternoon.
Scott Evans got the match off to a great start by taking his men’s singles match against Luka Wraber.
Chloe Magee was beaten in three sets 14-21, 21-14, 18-21 by Elisabeth Baldauf while Magee brothers Joshua and Sam were edged out by Dominik Stipsits and Roman Zimwald 17-21, 21-11, 13-21.
Rachael Darragh, who is a niece of the Magees, teamed up with Sinead Chambers to get Ireland back on track with a 21-18, 21-16 women’s doubles win over Antonia Meinke and Nina Sorger.
That left it down to the final game of the weekend: Chloe and Sam Magee against Roman Zimwald and Elisabeth Baldauf.
The Magees showed their class with an emphatic 21-8, 21-6 win.
The finals of the European Mixed Team Championships will be taking place from the 15-19 February in Lubin, Poland.
