by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

The leading names and all three will be seeking better fortunes than on their Polish excursion; the most impressive of the group being Chen Ying-Chen, she progressed to the quarter-final stage, losing to the champion elect, Japan’s Yuka Minagawa.

Meanwhile, for Chen Ting-Ting it was a third round exit at the hands of Ukraine’s Solomiya Brateyko, for Su Pei-Ling it was farewell at the first hurdle; she was beaten by Sweden’s Filippa Bergand.

An early exit in Poland for Su Pei-Ling; however, earlier in the year in the Indian city of Indore, she had fared somewhat better. At the 2016 ITTF World Junior Circuit Finals, she reached the round of the last eight where Hong Kong’s Minnie Soo Wai Yam, the eventual champions, ended adventures.

It is for all three Chinese Taipei players an opportunity to make their mark on the international scene, as it is for the other leading names on duty.

Croatia’s Andrea Pavlovic and Hungary’s Leonie Hartbricth are the players competing in the Junior Girls’ Singles event who have experienced the greatest level of success on this year’s ITTF World Junior Circuit. Andrea Pavlovic progressed to the quarter-final stage in Italy, the same round that Leonie Hartbrich reached in Belgium.

In Senec, Andrea Pavlovich is the no.4 seed, Leonie Hartbricht is the no.6 seed, sandwiched in between is Poland’s Anna Wegrzyn.

Julia Slazak, also from Poland and Germany’s Lotta Rose complete the top eight names in the four day tournament; like Anna Wegrzyn it is a major opportunity to advance to the latter stages of an international tournament.