by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor

Present on the ITTF World Junior Circuit earlier this year in both Spain and Portugal but without any results to capture the imagination, at the just concluded Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games European Continental Qualification tournament, staged in the Croatian resort of Split, life was very different. Exceeding expectations, the no.7 seed, in the Women’s event she emerged as the first qualifier.

It is a performance with which it is difficult for any player competing in Szombathely to compare.

Notably, Chinese Taipei’s Chen Ting-Ting, the no.4 seed, excelled in Slovakia where she concluded proceedings in the runners up position; like Wong Chin Yau, she is very much in line for one to 16 places available at the ITTF World Junior Circuit Finals to be held early next year in February in Luxembourg.

Following the 2017 Egypt Junior and Cadet Open; Wong Chin Yau appeared at no.3 (2,419 points), Chen Ting-Ting at no.9 (2,191 points).

Notable performances on this year’s ITTF World Junior Circuit but arguably the best belongs to Sabina Surjan, the no.7 seed; recently she won on home soil in Belgrade.

A fine effort from Sabina Surjan, it was the same from her colleague Izabela Lupulesku in Italy, she reached the penultimate round of the Junior Girls’ Singles event, as did Chinese Taipei’s Chen Ying-Chen in Croatia. In Szombathely, Izabela Lupulesku is the no.2 see, Chen Ying-Chen occupies to no.5 seeded position.

Budapest presents a chance to climb one or two steps higher for Izabela Lupulesku and Chen Ying-Chen; for Russia’s Anastasia Kolish, Hong Kong’s Lee Ka Yee and Croatia’s Andrea Pavlovich, they have it is a chance to underline their quality. They have yet to shine on this year’s ITTF World Junior Circuit.

At the 2017 Hungarian Junior and Cadet Open, Anastasia Kolish is the no.2 seed, Lee Ka Yee is the no.6 seed, Andrea Pavlovich is listed in the no.8 spot.