Tournaments

ITTF Junior Circuit

2017 Tunisia Junior & Cadet Open, ITTF Junior Circuit

Tournament News
World Junior Circuit

Tunisians recover, first stage concludes

07 Apr 2017

Surprise defeats the previous day in the group phase of the Junior Boys’ Singles event at the 2017 Tunisia Junior and Cadet Open Rades for the host nation’s Omar Ammous and Mootezz Saadaoui; however, when the first phase of play concluded on Thursday 6th April, it was a situation of all’s well that ends well.

Players finishing in first and second places in each of the eleven groups progressed to the main draw; for Omar Ammous it was to be top spot; for Mootezz Saadaoui second place.

First place for José Pedro Francisco (Photo: Mokhtar Hmima)

by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

First place for Omar Ammous, the no.7 seed but he needed a little help from a friend.

The previous day he had been beaten in four games by colleague, Atef Ben Salah (11-9, 13-15, 15-13, 11-8); after having accounted for Egypt’s Ziad Wael in three straight games (11-9, 11-7, 11-5). One day later, as the group stage matches concluded, Ziad Wael beat Atef Ben Salah in five games (10-12, 16-14, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8).

Thus games ratio was required to decide the order of merit. It was first place for Omar Ammous (4:3) with Atef Ben Salah in second spot (5:4) and Zael Wael third (4:5), the player to miss out on a main draw place.

Calculations needed but not for Mootezz Saadaoui, the no.10 seed; after having lost to India’s Payas Jain the previous day (13-11, 13-11, 11-7), he accounted for Egypt’s Ahmed Almahdy (11-9, 11-6, 11-8) to secure runners up spot. Payas Jain duly maintained his unbeaten record to top the group; in his concluding initial stage contest, he accounted for Algeria’s Abderrahmane Azzala (11-8, 11-9, 11-9).

A somewhat surprise first place for Payas Jain; it was the same for Egypt’s Youssef Abdelwahab. Both players hitherto unbeaten, in the concluding group phase contest, he accounted for Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz Alamri, the no.8 seed (4-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7, 13-11).

Second place in the group meant an opening round contest; notably Atef Ben Salah beat India’s Maanav Mehta (11-6, 11-6, 11-6, 11-7), Mootezz Saadaoui accounted for Abdulaziz Alamri (11-6, 11-7, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7).

Otherwise for the leading names, first place in the group was attained.

Romania’s Cristian Pletea and Rares Sipos duly topped their groups, as did Portugal’s José Pedro Francisco and Vitor Amorim. Likewise it was top spot for the host nation’s Aboubaker Bourass and Egypt’s Ahmed Meshref as it was for Italy’s John Oyebode and Matteo Gualdi, the one player who finished in first place and was one required to compete in the first round.

Impressively, he beat Algeria’s Abdelbasset Chaichi (11-8, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7).

Day Four: 2017 ITTF Tunisia Junior and Cadet Open

Photos: Mokhtar Hmima

World Junior Circuit 2017 Tunisian Junior and Cadet Open Omar Ammous José Pedro Francisco Mootezz Saadaoui Vitor Amorim

Read more

Once again clean sweep for Giulia Takahashi

15 Mar 2020 World Junior Circuit

Familiar foes cause major upsets to reach last eight

14 Mar 2020 World Junior Circuit

Most prominent progress but no shortage of surprise qualifiers

13 Mar 2020 World Junior Circuit

Brazil shares honours, Chile and Peru claim titles

12 Mar 2020

No results found.