by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
After overcoming Mexico’s Clio Barcenas at the quarter-final stage of proceedings in what proved her closest match of the competition, emerging successful in five games (11-13, 11-4, 11-9, 10-12, 11-7), she accounted for the Brazilian duo of Beatriz Kimoto, the no.3 seed (11-8, 11-5, 11-1) and Livia Lima, the top seed (11-7, 11-4, 7-11, 12-10) to arrest the title.
Earlier in the year at the 2017 South American Junior and Cadet Championships staged in Asuncion, Paraguay; Valentina Rios had beaten Beatriz Kimoto in the final of the Cadet Girls’ Team event, before at the immediately ensuing 2017 Paraguay Junior and Cadet Open accounting for the Brazilian on three occasions. She emerged successful first stage and final of the Cadet Girls’ Team event as well at the semi-final stage of the Cadet Girls’ Singles competition.
The penultimate round win proved pivotal, in the final, Valentina Rios caused Brazil more pain by beating Guila Takahashi to collect her first title of the year. Not only was success important in terms of a title secured, her overall performance at the Paraguay Junior and Cadet Open was also a confidence booster when considering the Guatemala final.
In the Junior Girls’ Singles group qualification stage, she beat Livia Lima, having at the 2017 South American Junior and Cadet Championships, lost to the Brazilian on three occasions. She had been beaten by Livia Lima in the first stage of the Cadet Girls’ Team event, then in the final and later in the Cadet Girls’ Singles gold medal contest.
Disappointment for the South American final but the following month in April, it was success; she won the Under 21 Women’s Singles title at the Seamaster ITTF Challenge Chile Open beating Argentina’s Candela Molero in the final.
Thus victory in Guatemala gives Valentina Rios her third international title of the year.
Meanwhile, in the opposite half of the draw, Livia Lima had experienced testing times on her journey to the final, almost disappearing in the second round; when, as in the final confronting Chilean opposition. She needed the full five games to beat Jerusalen Flores (8-11, 11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8), before one round later experiencing the same problems when opposing Mexico’s Marbella Aceves at the quarter-final stage (7-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6).
A semi-final place reserved, life was less exacting; in the penultimate round, she beat Colombia’s Alejandra Alzate in three straight games (11-6, 11-3, 11-7).
Defeats for Marbella Aceves and Clio Barcenas but earlier in the day it had been success; the duo combined to win the Girls’ Doubles title beating Puerto Rican cousins Fabiola Diaz and Kassanadra Maldonado in a five games final (13-11, 8-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-8).
Earlier on the concluding day of play, at the semi-final stage, Marbella Aceves and Clio Barcenas had accounted for Jerusalen Flores and Valentina Rios (11-9, 11-5, 11-7); Fabiola Diaz and Kassanadra Maldonado had beaten Mexico’s Ana Magana and Monica Muñoz (8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9).
The 2017 Latin American Cadet Championships concluded, one day remains in Guatemala City; on Sunday 13th August, the selection process for the team to represent Latin America at the forthcoming 2017 ITTF World Cadet Challenge will be completed.
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: Prospectus (Monday 7th August
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: Entries (Monday 7th August)
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: Schedule of Play (Monday 7th August)
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: Team Seeding (Monday 7th August)
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: First Stage – Boys’ Team (Tuesday 8th August)
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: Main Draw – Boys’ Team (Friday 11th August)
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: First Stage – Girls’ Team (Tuesday 8th August)
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: Main Draw – Girls’ Team (Friday 11th August)
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: Main Draw – Boys’ Doubles (Saturday 12th August)
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: Main Draw – Girls’ Doubles (Saturday 12th August)
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: Main Draw – Mixed Doubles (Friday 11th August)
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: First Stage – Boys’ Singles (Thursday 10th August)
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: Main Draw- Boys’ Singles (Saturday 12th August)
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: First Stage – Girls’ Singles (Thursday 10th August)
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: Main Draw- Girls’ Singles (Saturday 12th August)
2017 Latin American Cadet Championships: Full Results (Saturday 12th August)
