by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager

Furthermore, he is the one player on duty in Spa who has an ITTF World Junior Circuit Boys’ Singles title to his credit; notably in 2016, he won in Croatia.

However, two players on duty in Belgium, both from Japan, have come close. In 2016 Aoto Asazu, the no.3 seed in Spa, was the runner up in Slovakia, last year in Slovenia, it was the same finish for Takeru Kashiwa, the no.4 seed.

All have been on ITTF World Junior Circuit duty this year, as has Portugal’s José Pedro Francisco, the no.2 seed; however, none has as yet set the world alight. Both Aoto Asazu and Takeru Kashiwa reached the quarter-final stage in Sweden. Ioannis Sgouropoulos departed in the third round in the Czech Republic on his one appearance of the year to date, a finish that in the same tournament applied to José Pedro Francisco.

It is very much the same for the ensuing names in the Spa order of merit. Portugal’s Vitor Amorin is the no.5 seed, followed by Belgium’s Laurens Devos and Spain’s Francisco Miguel Ruiz.

One appearance to date on this year’s ITTF World Junior Circuit, Vitor Amorin departed proceedings in round two in Italy, Laurens Devos one round later in Sweden. Meanwhile, for Francisco Miguel Ruiz who has been in action in the Czech Republic, Italy and Sweden, he has yet to advance beyond the second round.

The host nation’s Jacques Quentin completes the top eight names in the Junior Boys’ Singles event; he is making his first appearance of the year on the ITTF World Junior Circuit.

Play commences with the Junior Boys’ Singles event.