|
Melanie Diaz upset the seeding by beating Winberly Montero
Photo By: Quique Aparicio
|
08/19/2012
2012 El Salvador Junior & Cadet Open - ITTF Junior Circuit
Chinese Taipei’s Hung Hung and Puerto Rico’s Melanie Diaz excelled as matters commenced in the Junior Girls’ Singles event at the El Salvador Junior and Cadet Open on Saturday 18th August 2012.
Both excelled to beat highly seeded adversaries.
Hung Hung, only 13 years old, opened her account with a straight games win over Guatemala’s Lucia Cordero (11-4, 11-3, 11-6), before rising to the challenge to overcome Venezuela’s Gremlis Arvelo, the no.4 seed, in a similarly impressive fashion (11-4, 11-9, 11-7).
Equally, 16 year old Melanie Diaz was in fine form.
Caused Venezuela More Heartache
She posted a straight games win over Cuba’s Idalys Lovet on her first visit to the table (11-7, 11-4, 11-8), before upsetting the pecking order by causing Venezuela more pain.
She recorded a four games win over Winberly Montero (11-7, 11-9, 5-11, 11-6).
Puerto Rican Problems
Success for Melanie Diaz but for her compatriot, Daniely Rios, there were problems.
The no.7 seven seeded player, she was beaten by both India’s Priyadarshini Das (11-9, 13-11, 11-8) and by Neridee Niño (13-11, 7-11, 13,11,11-8); the latter bringing smiles to Venezuelan faces.
Highly Rated Not Troubled
Problems for three highly rated players in the group stage of affairs but for the other leading names it was success as matters commenced.
Carelyn Cordero, also from Puerto Rico, the top seed in the Junior Girls’ Singles event, duly secured first place in her group as did Sweden’s Linda Bergström, the second seed.
Yancy Urias Tests Fifth Seed
Similarly, the Dominican Republic’s Eva Brito, the third seed, remained unbeaten after her opening two matches as did Sweden’s Maria Engelson, the fifth seed.
However, for the Swede it was not the most comfortable of starts. In her opening match she was stretched to the limit by El Salvador’s Yancy Urias; Maria Engelson eventually won in five games (4-11, 11-8, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9).
Chinese Taipei’s Hung Hung excelled in the Junior Girls’ and Cadet Girls’ Singles events
Photo by Gerardo Lopez
Indians in Form
Nevertheless, it was success for the Swede, as it was for the Indian pairing of Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee in their opening duels.
The respective eighth and ninth seeds, they remained unbeaten.
Fourth Seed Hits Trouble
Problems for Venezuela in the Junior Girls’ Singles event with Neridee Niño flying the flag but in the Cadet Girls’ Singles competition, she was to join her compatriots in experiencing unexpected defeat.
Seeded no.4, she finished in an agonizing third place in her group; alongside India’s Priyadashini Das and Cuba’s Idalys Lovet, the three finished level with two wins apiece.
Second place in the group and a place in the main draw for Cuba’s Idalys Lovet
Photo by Gerardo Lopez
Games Ratio Decides
All three beat Cuba’s Cecilia Orantes but when the trio confronted each other, there was little to choose.
Idalys Lovet beat Priyadashini Das in five games (11-4, 5-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8); in the next series of matches Priyadashini Das defeated Neridee Niño in four games (11-5, 11-6, 10-12, 11-6), before in the concluding duels, Neridee Niño recovered from a two games to nil deficit to beat Idalys Lovet in a full distance duel (7-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-7).
The Outcome
The outcome was that Priyadashini Das finished in first place in the group (5:4) with Idalys Lovet second (5:5) and Neridee Niño third (4:5).
Players finishing in first and second place in each group progress to the main draw; thus for the fourth seed it was farewell.
Sagarika Mukherjee was in fine form on the penultimate day of action in El Salvador
Photo by Gerardo Lopez
Sagarika Mukherjee Upsets Seeding
Success for India and there was a second Indian player who caused an upset in the Cadet Girls’ Singles event.
Sagarika Mukherjee overcame Chinese Taipei’s Kuo Chia-Yun, the no.3 seed, in her opening match (12-10, 2-11, 11-9, 11-9), before defeating El Salvador’s Allison Araujo (11-2, 11-4, 11-2) to finish in first place in her group.
Consolation
Defeat for Kuo Chia-Yun but there was a degree of consolation; she beat Allison Araujo (11-3, 11-2, 11-2); thus she finished in second place in the group and progressed to the main draw.
Problems for two seeded players in the initial stage of the Cadet Girls’ Singles event but that was not the situation for the other principal protagonists.
Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee, the respective top two seeds, remained unbeaten to finish in first place in their group as did the four players occupying the fifth to eighth seeded places.
Second place in the group in the Cadet Girls’ Singles event was the end result for Kuo Chia-Yun
Photo by Gerardo Lopez
Form Replicated
Hung Hung replicated the form shown in the Junior Girls’ Singles event to finish unbeaten in her group; whilst Josmary Lucena restored Venezuelan pride, Sumana Saha maintained Indian honour and Emme Arias flew the flag for the host nation.
Mini Cadet Girls’ Singles
First place in her group in the Cadet Girls’ Singles event and in the Mini-Cadet Girls’ Singles for players in the Under 13 age group it could well be first place in the whole event for Priyadashini Das.
She is through the final where she meets Ishana Deb of the United States. At the penultimate stage Priyadashini Das overcame El Salvador’s Dinora Salazar (11-4, 11-4, 11-5) whilst Ishana Deb accounted for the Dominican Republic’s Kircia Diaz (11-6, 11-8, 11-8).
Ishana Deb from the United States meets Priyadashini Das in the Mini-Cadet Girls’ Singles final
Photo by Gerardo Lopez
Top Four Seeds in Semi-Finals
The finalists known in the Mini-Cadet Girls’ Singles event, in the Junior Girls’ Doubles, the semi-finalists are known with the top four seeds all present.
Sweden’s Linda Bergström and Maria Engelson, who head the list, meet Venezuela’s Gremlis Arvelo and Winberly Montero; Puerto Rico’s Carelyn Cordero and Daniely Rios, the second seeds, meet the fourth seeded combination of the Dominican Republic’s Eva Brito and Uruguay’s Maria-Pia Lorenzotti.
Conclusion
Play in the Cadet Girls’ Doubles has yet to commence; proceedings conclude on Sunday 19th August 2012.
Priyadashini Das was one of the players to excel on the third day of action
Photo by Gerardo Lopez
|
