by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

Both were outstanding achievements which as each player became the youngest ever to secure the particular crowns; other most notable performances were rather overshadowed.

In Saarbrücken, Hong Kong’s Wong Chun Ting and Sweden’s Kristian Karlsson endorsed the fact that they are now major players on the international scene by progressing to compete in the bronze medal contest; the former emerging as the winner.

Likewise in Philadelphia, Germany’s Sabine Winter impressed; she displayed great fortitude as she recovered from a three games to nil deficit to beat Korea’s Yang Haeun to reach the quarter-final stage where Singapore’s Feng Tianwei ended progress.

No medals for Sabine Winter in Philadelphia; however, that was not the situation later in the month at the Liebherr 2016 European Championships in Budapest. She won the Women’s Doubles title in partnership with Kristin Silbereisen.

The success was a surprise, as were the names of the Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles winners; Emmanuel Lebesson beat Simon Gauzy in a first ever all-French Men’s Singles final, whilst Hu Melek became the first ever Turk to win the Women’s Singles event.

Similarly in Agadir, continental champions were crowned; Egypt emerged the most successful country at the ITTF-Africa Championships with Omar Assar beating Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna to retain the Men’s Singles title. However, for colleague Dina Meshref, the title was not to be won for a second occasion; in the Women’s Singles final she was beaten by Quadri Aruna’s colleague, Olufunke Oshonaike.

Major events in Saarbrücken, Philadelphia, Budapest and Agadir; for the younger players eyes focused on Shanghai, Vrnjacka Banja and Bratislava.

Asia emerged the most successful at the ITTF World Cadet Challenge in Shanghai with Korea’s Cho Daeseong winning the Boys’ Singles title and Japan’s Miyuu Kihara, at 12 years of age, the youngest Girls’ Singles winner.

Meanwhile, at the Slovak Cadet Open in Bratislava, Chinese Taipei’s Tai Ming-Wei completed a clean sweep of the titles; he secured the Boys’ Singles crown after having partnered colleague Feng Yi-Hsin to both Boys’ Team and Boys’ Doubles success.

Imposing performances; at the Serbian Junior and Cadet Open it was the same from the Czech Republic’s Jiri Martinko and Japan’s Maki Shiomi; impressively Jiri Martinko won the Junior Boys’ Singles event, Maki Shiomi won the Junior Girls’ Singles title.

Winners; now there is a chance for you to win; Japan’s Mima Ito and Yui Hamamoto proved themselves adept when playing using a mobile telephone.

Can you do the same and perform a trick shot?

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