by Ian Marshall, Editor
Jinnipa Sawettabut has come close but not close enough; in the first tournament of the year, the Oman Junior and Cadet Open in Muscat, she was the runner up.
No other player on duty in the Junior Girls’ Singles event in Belgrade has enjoyed a better finish this year, the highest being those possessed by India’s Selena Selvakumar and Prapti Sen, both reached the semi-final stage in Jordan. Notably Selena Selvakumar is the one female player on duty in Belgrade to have ever won an ITTF World Tour Junior Girls’ Singles title; last year she emerged successful in Egypt.
At the 2018 Serbia Junior and Cadet Open, Selena Selvakumar is the no.3 seed, Prapti Sen, the no.8 seed; they are members of an impressive Indian line up, Swastika Ghosh, a quarter-finalist in Oman, is the no.4 seed.
Notable names from India, it is the same from Romania; Tania Plaian is the no.2 seed, Andreea Hudusan, the no.6 seed. However, both have yet to make their mark on this year’s ITTF World Junior Circuit. The best for both is a third round exit, for Tania Plain in Poland, for Andreea Hudusan in the Italy.
A chance to move a step higher, it is the same for Singapore’s Goi Rui Xuan and Slovakia’s Ema Labasova; in Belgrade Goi Rui Xuan is the no.5 seed, Ema Labasova the no.7 seed. The best this year for Goi Rui Yuan is a quarter-final finish in Paraguay, for Ema Labasova, the second round in the Czech Republic.
Overall 58 players will compete in the Junior Girls’ Singles event in Belgrade.
