by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

The four names all appear on this year’s entry list which has one notable difference to 12 months ago, a very notable difference. There are no players from China on duty.

At the Luneng 2016 Australian Junior and Cadet Open, in the Junior Girls’ Singles event’ China dominated. Wang Tianyi beat Marsha Guseva, Qin Xiaoce overcame Anqi Angela Wang, whilst Guo Yan ended the hopes of Antonia Zhang.

Meanwhile, in an all host nation clash, Wu Jiamura, now too old for the junior age group category, accounted for Parleen Kaur.

Honours may beckon for the quartet but colleagues Georgina Newton and Holly Nicolas alongside New Zealand’s Vong Hui Ling may well have other ideas. Alongside Marsha Guseva and Antonia Zhang, Georgina Newton and Holly Nicolas competed in the Sun International 2016 World Junior Championships staged last December in Cape Town.

Similarly, earlier in the year, Vong Hui Ling was in action for Team Oceania at the ITTF World Cadet Challenge in Shanghai and performed most creditably; although 16th place was her eventual lot in the Cadet Girls’ Singles event, the fact she qualified for the main draw was a most worthy performance.

Play commences with the team events, the individual competitions begin on Monday 10th April.

In the Junior Girls’ Team event Holly Nicolas and Marsha Guseva join forces with Matilda Alexandersson; Georgina Newton and Antonia Zhang partner Michelle Wu.