by Ian Marshall, Editor
Pride of place went to Finn Luu. He accounted for Belgium’s David Comeliau, the highest rated player in the first phase of proceedings, the top 16 names gaining direct main draw entries; most impressively, the 14 year old Australian prevailed in three straight games (11-9, 12-10, 11-3).
Defeat for David Comeliau but it was his only reverse, he duly finished in second position in the group and thus progressed to the main draw.
Success for Finn Luu against the highest rated in the group; it was the same for David Bessa who beat the Czech Republic’s Frantisek Onderka, the third rated player in the initial phase (3-11, 11-9, 11-7, 12-10), as it was for Szymon Kolasa. He ousted Switzerland’s Elias Harmeier, the eighth listed (9-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 12-10).
Runners up spot, unlike David Comeliau both Frantisek Onderka and Elias Harmeier were required to compete in the opening round later in the day; for Frantisek Onderka it was success, he beat Israel’s Tal Israeli (11-5, 11-2, 11-7, 11-5), for Elias Hardmeier it was defeat. He suffered at the hands of Singapore’s Dominic Song Jun Koh (11-8, 11-6, 11-7, 17-15).
Surprise first places, lower down the order there were more; Russia’s Nikita Moshkov, Maksim Bokov and Rusian Cherkes secured top spots in their groups against the odds, a situation that applied to Frenchmen Denis Dorcescu and Johan Derit as well as to Japan’s Haruki Michihiro and Sora Matsushima. Likewise, contrary to expectations, there were first positions for Switzerland’s Barish Moullet, Poland’s Jakub Witowski and Romania’s Mihai Rosca.
Meanwhile, in the junior boys’ doubles event, the favourites duly advanced to semi-finals. In the penultimate round Singapore’s Josh Shao Han and Pang Yew En Koen, the top seeds, meet the Czech Republic’s Frantisek Onderka and Radek Skala, the no.13 seeds; in the opposite half of the draw Austria’s Maciej Kolodziejczyk and Moldova’s Vladislav Ursu, the no.2 seeds, confront Heorhl Kunats and Rukliatsov Uladzislau of Belarus, the no.9 seeds.
Play in the junior boys’ singles and junior boys’ doubles events conclude on Thursday 14th February.
