by Ian Marshall, Editor

At the quarter-final stage he beat Myshaal Sabhi (5-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5), prior to accounting for Dorian Zeng, the no.4 seed (11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-6) and Lilian Bardet, the no.2 seed (11-7, 13-11, 11-9, 13-11) to reserve the top step of the podium.

In the opposite half of the draw, at the quarter-final stage, Lilian Bardet has beaten India’s Payas Jain, the no.10 seed (11-2, 11-6, 8-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-6), followed by success when facing colleague, Vincent Picard, the no.9 seed (7-11, 11-2, 5-11, 18-16, 11-9, 11-8).

Notably in the round of the last eight, Vincent Picard had ended the progress of Artem Tikhonov (11-2, 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 11-5), the third round winner in opposition to Egypt’s Marwan Abdelwahab, the no.3 seed (8-11, 15-13, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4).

Disappointment for Payas Jain, it was the same in the junior boys’ doubles event where partnering Deepit Patel, the duo had been the final victims of Lev Katsman and Artem Tikhonov (11-5, 11-6, 14-12).

However, there was success for the 14 year old Indian, he won the cadet boys’ singles title. At the final hurdle he accounted for the Czech Republic’s Simon Belik (11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7), having one round earlier almost disappeared from view; he was stretched to the very limit by Iran’s Navid Shams (11-9, 10-12, 11-7, 6-11, 14-12). In the counterpart semi-final Simon Belik had ended the hopes of Slovakia’s Jakub Goldir (11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8).

Success for India; on the ITTF World Junior Circuit that is not new but surely there was a first. The mini-cadet boys’ singles title was won by Yemen; Ebrahim Abdulhakim Gubran, at the final he beat Iran’s Mohammad Amin Samadi in a closely contested five games engagement (10-12, 11-9, 11-5, 10-12, 11-7).

Proceedings concluded in Manama, the destination is now Hodonin; the Czech Junior and Cadet Open begins on Wednesday 13th February.