by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

A three matches to one victory margin was the order of proceedings with Farida Badawy the player to cause the champions elect problems. In the second match of the fixture, she accounted for Alaa Yehia (8-11, 11-6, 14-12, 11-5) but that was to prove her team’s only success.

Malamatenia Papadimitriou was beaten by both Hend Fathy (7-11, 11-6, 14-12, 11-5) and by Alaa Yeha (11-4, 11-4, 12-10); sandwiched in between Hend Fathy and Alaa Yehia duly secured the doubles in four games (3-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-9).

Success for Hend Fathy and Alaa Yehia, notably it was their second success of the tournament against Malamatenia Papadimitriou and Farida Badawy and somewhat more comfortable than the first.

In the group phase of proceedings, the contest had gone the full five match distance with Hend Fathy being the player to attract the attention; on that occasion she had beaten both Malamatenia Papadimitriou (11-8, 11-9, 7-11, 11-9) and Farida Badawy (11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 11-9). The one further win had been secured by Alaa Yehia in the second match of the fixture when confronting Farida Badawy (11-7, 11-6, 11-7).

An imposing performance in the final from Hend Fathy and Alaa Yehia; at the semi-final stage it had been very much the same, a three-nil win had been recorded against the Egypt ‘A’ partnership formed by Sara El-Hakem and Zeina Esam.

Conversely, for Malamatenia Papadimitriou and Farida Badawy, they had needed the full five matches to overcome the combination of Egypt’s Hana Mahmoud and Fadwa Garci.

Mainstay of the victory had been Farida Badawy; she beat both Fadwa Garci (11-7, 11-8, 11-8) and in the crucial fifth and deciding contest Hana Mahmoud (8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8). The one further success for the eventual victors was secured in the opening match of the fixture when Malamatenia Papadimitriou overcame Hana Mahmoud (11-8, 12-10, 11-6).

Play in the Cadet Girls’ Team event concluded, attention now turns the Cadet Girls’ Singles competition.