by Ian Marshall, Editor
At the recently concluded 2019 South American Junior and Cadet Championships, the top seed in the junior girls’ singles event, Leyla Gomez suffered an agonizing opening round defeat at the hands of Gianella Huapaya; conversely, Giulia Takahashi emerged the tournament’s most successful player. She completed a clean sweep of all four available titles!
Notably the name of Gianella Huapaya does not appear on the Chile Junior and Cadet Open entry lists but there are potential rematches and Leyla Gomez could be involved.
Last year at the 2018 South American Junior and Cadet Championships, she was beaten in the final of the junior girls’ singles event by Brazil’s Tamyres Fukase. Meanwhile, this year Ecuador’s Nathaly Paredes had to settle for runners up spot, losing to Livia Lima, like Tamyres Fukase from Brazil. Also, at the 2018 Paraguay Junior and Cadet Open it was the silver medal for the Ecuadorian; she suffered at the hands of Chile’s Valentina Rios.
At the 2019 Chile Junior and Cadet Open, Nathaly Paredes is the no.2 seed in the junior girls’ singles event, followed immediately by Livia Lima and Valentina Rios; Tamyres Fukase is the no.7 seed behind Canada’s Benita Zhou and Chile’s Natalie Ramos.
Intriguing contests ahead but it is the junior girls’ team and cadet girls’ team events that commence matters. In the former Tamyres Fukase and Livia Lima occupy the top seeded spot; next in the order of merit is the combination formed by Valentina Rios and Chilean colleague Jerusalen Flores.
Notably, Giulia Takahashi and colleague Laura Watababe, the respective top two seeds in the cadet girls’ singles event and finalists at the 2019 South American Junior and Cadet Championships, compete in the junior girls’ team competition; there are the no.11 seed, outsiders but a pair who may cause more than one upset.
In the cadet girls’ doubles they are the top seeds ahead of Peru’s Ana Aragon and Maria Maldonado; in the cadet girls’ singles, Peru’s Maria Maldonado and Mauela Pereyra complete the top four names.
The individual events commence on Friday 22nd March.
