by Wade Townsend

Solenn Danger (NCL) had a sensational comeback today in her win over Australia’s Geogina Newton in the Junior Girls’ Singles quarter-final.

Danger was 1-5 down in the seventh and turned it around to be 6-5 up. Keeping her nerve Newton found herself with three match points as she moved in to a 7-10 lead. However Danger was a wall of defence and levelled the scores.

From deuce the players exchanged points won off nets and engaged in backhand rallies that covered all angles of the table. However leading 13-12 it was Danger that finally found her forehand and made a third ball winner to take the match.

“I was stressed. When I was 10-11 down I felt very emotional, but I just breathed.”  Solenn Danger

And how about all those backhand exchanges?

“My forehand wasn’t good today. I don’t usually use my backhand so much.” Solenn Danger

Thanks to that backhand a semi-final awaits Danger.

“It still hasn’t sunk in yet that I’ve won.” Solenn Danger

With Matilda Alexandersson (AUS) going down in the quarter-final and Marsha Guseva (AUS) knocked out in the group stage, partly at hands of Solenn Danger, team Australia find themselves in a peculiar position. While they won the team’s event they now have just one player left with a chance for gold in the singles; only Holly Nicolas remains.

In the Boys’ singles Australia continued their domination from the team’s event, however Dean Shu (NZL) may still be able to stop an Aussie medal monopoly. In the quarter-final stage he saw off Aussie Xavier Dixon 4-2 (9,13,-10,-8,8,10). It will be up to top seed Benjamin Gould (AUS) to ensure Australia’s clean sweep of medals tomorrow.