The Final Step 1 round at the 2025 European Championship of Champions has concluded at Plus Bowling Center in Vienna, setting the stage for the semifinals.
Men's Event
After eight additional games, the top four players advancing to the next stage are Lukáš Jelínek of the Czech Republic, Teodor Samuelsson of Sweden, Maxime Dubois of France, and Paul Purps of Germany.
Jelínek led the round with 1956 and a 244.5 average, finishing at the top of the standings with a total of 7926 pins over 32 games. Samuelsson followed just six pins behind with 7920, continuing his strong run after leading most of the event. The diefending ECC champion France’s Dubois secured third place with 7611, while Germany’s Purps claimed the final qualifying spot with 7434, narrowly advancing to the semifinals.
Just outside the top four was France’s Gaëtan Mouveroux, who finished fifth with 7408, only 26 pins short of a place in the finals.
A major highlight of the day came from
Malta’s Nicolai Mallia, who
rolled a perfect 300 game in
Game 3 of the block.
The men’s semifinals will now feature:
- 1st seed Lukáš Jelínek (Czech Republic) vs. 4th seed Paul Purps (Germany)
- 2nd seed Teodor Samuelsson (Sweden) vs. 3rd seed Maxime Dubois (France)
Both matches will be contested in a best-of-three format, with the winners advancing to the men’s championship final later on Saturday.
Women's Event
In the women’s competition, Laura Beuthner of Germany surged to the top with a dominant performance, posting 1979 and a 247.4 average in the round to finish with a total of 7264. Norway’s Jenny Mathiesen followed in second place with 7121, maintaining her consistent form throughout the event.
England’s Hayley Russell moved up to third with 7022, highlighted by a 300 game in her opening match, while Finland’s Emma Palermaa completed the top four at 6931 to earn the final qualifying spot for the semifinals.
France’s Solene Goron finished fifth with 6846, just 85 pins away from advancing, followed by the Netherlands’ Samantha Greiner (6746) and Czech Republic’s Ema Iwazawa (6727).
The women’s semifinals will feature:
- 1st seed Laura Beuthner (Germany) vs. 4th seed Emma Palermaa (Finland)
- 2nd seed Jenny Mathiesen (Norway) vs. 3rd seed Hayley Russell (England)
