by Ian Marshall, Editor

Listed at no.20 on the Under 21 Women’s World Rankings, as opposed Archana Girish Kamath, named at no.70, the Puerto Rican started the favourite but at the recent Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games, Archana Girish Kamath had reached the semi-finals of the Women’s Singles event. She had displayed the fact she had moved up a step.

“For sure that was a difficult opponent for the first round; I didn’t feel good before the match. I just thought to myself play your best and see what happens, you might win you might lose. Later, I became more confident; she had trouble returning my serves and playing strongly from my backhand caused her problems. She played quite fast and from the backhand was good at creating angles and changing the direction of the play.” Adriana Diaz.

Defeat for Archana Girish Kamath and there was defeat for another Indian player in a rich vein of form; the runner up last week in Belgium, Ayhika Mukherjee was beaten by Russia’s Valeria Shcherbatykh (11-8, 3-11, 5-11, 11-5, 11-6).

Success for Adriana Diaz and Valeria Shcherbatykh; there were also successes for the leading names, principally at the expense of Sweden, Filippa Bergand offering the most resistance. She extended Satsuki Odo, the no.3 seed, the full five match distance (9-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7).

Otherwise the host nation defeats were more clinical. Hong Kong’s Minnie Soo Wai Yam, the top seed, beat Sweden’s Alma Roose (11-2, 11-3, 11-6), Korea Republic’s Shin Yubin, the no.4 seed, overcame Jennie Edvinsson (11-8, 11-5, 11-4); in a similar vein, Miyu Nagasaki, like Satsuki Odo from Japan, overcame Russia’s Maria Malanina (11-4, 11-5, 11-8).