by Ian Marshall, Editor
The top seeded combination formed by Modova’s Vladislav Ursu and Felix Cozmolici alongside Brazil’s Guilhrerme Teodoro, duly secured first place in their group without due alarm, a situation that applied also to the second seeded Spanish trio of Francisco Miguel Ruiz, Marc Gutierrez and Alberto Lillo.
However, for the next two outfits in the pecking order there were nervous moments. The no.3 seeds, Portugal’s Tiago Li, Samuel da Silva and Goncalo Gomez needed the full five matches to overcome the French trio formed by Ethan Claude, Jules Cavaille and Antoine Doyen; a situation that also applied to the no.4 seeds, the Hungarian combination formed by Csaba Andras, Oliver Both and Akos Kishegyi. They were extended the full distance by Russia’s Damir Akhmetsafin, Artem Tikhonov and Rusia Cherkes.
Star of the show for Portugal was Samuel da Silva, he accounted for both Jules Cavaille (6-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7) and in the vital fifth match of the fixture Ethan Claude (11-3, 11-7, 11-8). Meanwhile, in a very similar manner, playing in the second and fifth matches, the hero of the hour for Hungary was Oliver Both. He overcame Artem Tikhonov (11-6, 11-6, 11-5) and Damir Akhmetsafin (13-11, 10-12, 8-11, 11-9, 11-4).
First places as anticipated but in the remaining groups, the names that ended the day at the top of the order were not to be predicted. The no.9 seeds, the trio formed by Italy’s John Oyebode and Carlo Rossi in harness with Frenchman Guillaume Alcayde secured first place in their group as did the no.11 seeds, the Latin American combination of Puerto Rico’s Angel Naranjo and Jabdiel Torres in partnership with Peru’s Carlos Fernandez.
Surprises but the biggest surprise was the first place achieved by the host nation’s Iker Gonzalez, Arnau Pons and Norbert Tauler; they commenced play, the no.18 seeds.
Success for the leading outfits in the junior boys’ team event, it was very much the same in the cadet boys’ team competition. Top seeds, Russia’s Denis Izumdrunov and Vladislav Makarov duly secured first place in their initial phase group, as did the no.2 seeds, the German combination formed by Mike Hollo and Felix Kohler.
Likewise, the French combination of Hugo Deschamps and Felix Lebrun, the no.3 seeds, topped their group, a situation that applied also to the next in the order of merit, the Portuguese pairing of David Bessa and Silas Monteiro. However, there was one mild surprise, the no.9 seeds, the French pairing of Milhane Jellouli and Alex Kouraichi finished ahead of the no.6 seeds, the Hungarian combination of Erik Huzsvar, David Szantosi and Bence Balogh.
The junior boys’ team and cadet boys’ team events will be played to a conclusion on Saturday 4th May.
