Tianer Yu inspires England to superb win over Italy

October 14, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

Tianer Yu came of age with a brilliant double as England women dispatched Italy to move into the knockout phase of the European Championships in Croatia.

Yu, 17 years old and ranked just inside the worldâ€s top 300, beat two top-100 players as England did what their male counterparts could not and qualified from the group stage.

Sinking the ninth-ranked team, having themselves come through the qualifying tournament to get to this stage, this was a huge step forward for this England squad.

Yu turned the tie around after Tin-Tin Ho had missed match points in losing to Georgia Piccolin in the first match.

Ho (WR 247) made the gap to Piccolin (WR 84) look non-existent for most of a match which the England player will be kicking herself to have lost.

After Ho took the first 11-8, the next four games were all decided 12-10 – Ho twice led and was twice pegged back, before a heartbreaking final game.

Ho led 5-1 at the change of ends and built it up to 8-2, the last two of those points brilliant forehand counter-attacks which left Piccolin looking beaten.

Both had already used their timeouts, so had to plough on, and the Italian dug deep and clawed back to 8-8 – Ho recovered her composure and brought up two match points.

However, Piccolin was not finished and stunned Ho with four points on the spin to put Italy in front.

With Gaia Monfardini (WR 98) having won two in the 3-2 defeat by Croatia, England were facing a big task. But Yu (WR 290) rose to the occasion magnificently, winning in three straight to level the tie.

Jasmin Wong (WR 806) was up against Nicole Arlia (WR 288), and the Italian always had the edge in three.

Ho then played on Monfardiniâ€s insecurities from her first match – the Italian seemed to spend most of the match shaking her head and throwing up her arms in exasperation – as well as making up for her own opening defeat. It was a controlled performance with the only wobble at 10-6 in the third, when Monfardini saved the first three match points.

So to Yu versus Piccolin – youth versus experience, world No 290 v No 84. But anyone coming into the hall from another planet would have had trouble working out which was which.

Yu won the first 11-7, stormed through the second 11-4 (she led 10-2) and led the third 8-4. Maybe nerves started creeping in as she took the timeout at 8-6 and then saw Piccolin level. Yu won the next point, but three in a row for Piccolin saw Italy back in the match.

Carlo Agnelloâ€s words on the bench would have been important, but Yu already has an impressive mindset and she made sure she there would be no repeat of game three as she opened up an identical 8-4 lead and this time powered on to seal it 11-4, before running to the bench wreathed in smiles.

So despite not having to qualify for next yearâ€s Worlds, hosts England did it anyway – their last-16 tie, which is yet to be drawn, will be on Thursday.

Results

Women’s Group G
England 3 Italy 2
Georgia Piccolin bt Tin-Tin Ho 3-2 (8-11, 12-10, 10-12, 12-10, 12-10)
Tianer Yu bt Gaia Monfardini 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-9)
Nicole Arlia bt Jasmin Wong 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-7)
Ho bt Monfardini 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 11-9)
Yu bt Piccolin 3-1 (11-7, 11-4, 9-11, 11-4)

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