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2019 ITTF Junior Circuit Premium, Polish Junior & Cadet Open

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Day belongs to France, to Vincent Picard

23 May 2019

A more than familiar face on the international scene, present time and time in the colours of France; in Wladyslawowo on Thursday 23rd May, the day belonged to Vincent Picard.

At the 2019 Polish Junior and Cadet Open, after partnering colleague Lilian Bardet to junior boys’ doubles success, he returned to action less than one hour later to arrest the junior boys’ singles title.

Vincent Picard, a day for the French teenager to remember (Photo: Bogdan Pasek)

by Ian Marshall, Editor

The success capped a series of consistent performances on this year’s ITTF World Junior Circuit, the only occasion he has not reached the later rounds was in Italy when he departed in round three and that was against no mean performer. He was beaten by China’s Zeng Beixun, the eventual runner up.

Meanwhile, in the Czech Republic he was a quarter-finalist, in Bahrain and on home soil in France, a semi-finalist.

A quarter-final junior boys’ singles exit for Lilian Bardet but partnering Vincent Picard it was junior boys’ doubles gold (Photo: Bogdan Pasek)

 

In Wladyslawowo, the no.4 seed, after recording a quarter-final win against Italy’s Carlo Rossi, the no.8 seed (7-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5), he beat surprise semi-finalist, John Oyebode, also from Italy (11-9, 12-10, 11-6, 11-8) and Hungary’s Csaba Andras, the no.6 seed (11-7, 12-10, 3-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6) to seal the title.

Both John Oyebode and Csaba Andras were very much players in form; required to qualify, John Oyebode had overcome the Czech Republic’s Michal Blinka in the quarter-finals (11-9, 12-14, 11-7, 12-10, 11-7), the player who the previous day had ousted Germany’s Kay Stumper, the no.2 seed (11-5, 11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 11-6). Similarly, in the opposite half of the draw, after beating Lilian Bardet, the no.3 seed (11-9, 2-11, 11-5, 3-11, 11-6, 11-6), Csaba Andras broke Polish hearts. He accounted for Samuel Kulczycki, the top seed (11-8, 5-11, 11-13, 11-7, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6).

John Oyebode excelled expectation to reach the semi-finals (Photo: Bogdan Pasek)

 

Success for Vincent Picard without being extended the full distance; partnering Lilian Bardet in the junior boys’ doubles event it was somewhat different. At the final hurdle they beat Samuel Kulczycki and compatriot Maciej Kubik by the very narrowest of margins (5-11, 15-13, 9-11, 11-7, 13-11) to secure the title. Earlier, at the semi-final stage Lilian Bardet and Vincent Picard had overcame Italy’s Marco Cappuccio and Andrea Puppo (11-4, 11-4, 11-7); Maciej Kubik and Samuel Kulczycki had ousted Csaba Andras and Hungarian colleague Oliver Both (11-3, 11-5, 11-8).

“In the final we had one match point. We are generally happy, because we have confirmed the good form; soon it will be the European Youth Championships in Ostrava.” Samuel Kulczycki

Maciej Kubik executes a backhand, Samuel Kulczycki takes cover (Photo: Bogdan Pasek)

 

The junior boys’ singles event concluded, attention now turns to the junior boys’ team and cadet girls’ team competitions.

World Junior Circuit 2019 Polish Junior & Cadet Open Vincent Picard

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