by Ian Marshall, Editor
In the later rounds, following a quarter-final success against Japan’s Ryoichi Yoshiyama (11-4, 11-7, 11-2), Chen Yuanyu accounted for Tao Yuchang (11-6, 11-6, 11-7), before overcoming Lin Shidong (11-9, 8-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-7) to secure the title.
Impressive from Chen Yuanyu en route to the final, it had been exactly the same from Li Shidong. At the quarter-final stage he beat Portugal’s Miguel Angel Pantoja in straight games (11-7, 11-8, 11-9), prior repeating the feat in opposition to Japan’s Hayate Suzuki (14-12, 11-6, 11-5).
Gold when facing Lin Shidong, as in the cadet boys’ team event, it was gold when in partnership; the duo accounted for Chinese Taipei’s Peng Jing-You and Yang Tsai-Wei (11-5, 11-8, 11-9) to secure the cadet boys’ doubles top prize.
Three titles for Chen Yuanyu, for Xu Ji, she fell just one step short. The cadet girls’ team winner alongside Chinese colleagues Leng Yutong and Liang Jiayi, she succeeded by the very narrowest of margins to secure the cadet girls’ singles title, having earlier experienced defeat in an arguably even closer cadet girls’ doubles final.
In the latter, partnering Liang Jiayi, the duo suffered at the hands of Chinese Taipei’s Liu Ru-Yu and Tsai Yun-En (12-10, 7-11, 11-5, 9-11, 18-16).
The defeat came prior to Xu Yi claiming the cadet girls’ singles title at the final expense of Leng Yutong (9-11, 14-12, 11-6, 12-14, 12-10). Earlier at the quarter-final stage, Xu Yi had beaten, Russia’s Svetlana Dmitrienko (11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7), followed by a semi-final success in opposition to colleague Liang Jiayi. In the same rounds, Leng Yutong had beaten Portugal’s Ines Matos (11-2, 11-4, 11-4), followed by success in opposition to Russia’s Anastasiia Beresneva (8-11, 11-2, 11-7, 11-3).
Play concluded in Spa, ITTF World Junior Circuit attention now turns to Darwin, the 2019 Australia Junior and Cadet Open commences on Sunday 28th April.
