18.03.2013, 10:47
Review of the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup

Semi-finals pairings set: Üsküdar vs Most and Samobor vs Höör

Review of the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup

There will be a new name written on the list of the Women´s Challenge Cup winners as all four semi-finalists qualified from the quarter-finals for the first time and the former winners HBC Nimes were eliminated last weekend.

The semi-finals are scheduled for 6/7 April (first leg) and 13/14 April (second leg).

KSS Kielce (POL) vs Üsküdar BSK (TUR) 20:27 (8:17)
Üsküdar BSK (TUR) vs KSS Kielce (POL) 33:18 (19:12)

The Turkish team have reached the new heights of their history as they had no real problems in the double-header with the Polish side. The previous maximum of Üsküdar was the Round 4.

HBC Nimes (FRA) vs H 65 Höör (SWE) 19:19 (10:12)
First leg: 24:25

The French side from Nimes will not become the first team with three Challenge Cup trophies in their cabinet.

The 2001 and 2009 winners have been ousted by only one goal on aggregate score by the Swedish team who are in their debut in the European campaign.

AZS Politehnika Koszalin (POL) vs DHC Baník Most (CZE) 27:31 (11:14)
First leg: 23:26

Hana Martínková scored eleven goals and is just one goal shy from 50 goals this season as the leaders of the joint Czecho-Slovak league made it to the top four of the Challenge Cup at their second attempt.

Last season they were eliminated by the later winners HAC Havre in the quarter-finals.

Fantasyland Samobor (CRO) vs ŽRK Zrinjski Mostar (BIH) 29:25 (13:13)
First leg: 25:17

Samobor hit a new milestone of their short history in the European club competitions.

Fifteen years after their comeback to the continental cup competition they reached the first ever semi-finals. In their premiere season in 1997/98 they were eliminated in the EHF Cup Last 16.

Photo: Marek Michalek, Dora Trišelj
 

TEXT: EHF / br