by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
An invitation to the Grand Duchy for Maki Shiomi is assured; likewise India’s Selena Selvakumar can also prepare her luggage for a visit to the small picturesque European country.
She is listed at no.5 (2,350 points) on the Standings and is the fourth seed in the Junior Girls’ Singles event in Greater Noida.
However, for three further prominent names, a good performance is needed at the 2017 India Junior and Cadet Open in order to receive a welcoming invitation. The names of host nation’s Archana Girish Kamath and Yashini Sivasankar both appear on the Greater Noida entry list but, with Selena Selvakumar seemingly home and dry, only one place is available. A national association may only field a maximum of two players in each of the Junior Boys’ Singles and Junior Girls’ Singles events at the Finals.
Presently Archana Girish Kamath, the runner up in Serbia, is listed at no.17 (1,625 points) on the Standings, Yashini Sivasankar, the winner in Jordan, is named at no.32 (1,106 points). Archana Girish Kamath is very much the favourite to seal a Finals’ place; she is the third seed in Greater Noida; Yashini Sivasankar is the seventh seed.
Equally, Thailand’s Jinnipa Sawettabut is on the precipice of gaining a top 16 place which may facilitate an invitation to Luxembourg. She has yet to really shine on this year’s ITTF World Junior Circuit, she is listed at no.21 (1,436 points) but in Great Noida, she is the second seed.
A strong challenge from foreign shores, considering previous results, Maki Shiomi starts the odds on favourite to secure the Junior Girls’ Singles title but in addition, from the host nation, a player to note is that of Moumita Dutta; the fifth seed, she was a quarter-finalist earlier this year in Belgium.
Moumita Dutta is listed one place ahead of colleague, Priyanka Pareek, who like Jinnipa Sawettabut has yet to make an impression this year on the international scene; Azerbaijan’s Zauresh Alasheva completes the top eight names.
