by Ian Marshall, Editor
In February in the Czech Republic and in France she excelled. In the former she reached the junior girls’ singles quarter-finals, the cadet girls’ singles semi-finals; in the latter she was a junior girls’ singles semi-finalist, the cadet girls’ singles runner up.
Two months later, she returned to Europe; in France as in the Czech Republic, she advanced to the junior girls’ singles last eight, notably she struck cadet girls’ singles gold.
![](https://ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/WEGRZYN-Anna.jpg)
On the second day of action in Wladyslawowo, in the later rounds she ended Polish hopes. At the quarter-final stage she accounted for Anna Wegrzyn, the top seed, by the very narrowest of decisions, recovering from a 6-9 deficit in the seventh (11-9, 9-11, 11-3, 6-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9), before in the final overcoming twin sister Katarzyna Wegrzyn, the no.5 seed (14-12, 13-11, 11-6, 11-9).
Sandwiched in between, in the penultimate round, Sakura Yokoi had ended the hopes of Germany’s Franziska Schreiner, the no.6 seed (12-14, 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8), the winner one round earlier in opposition to Russia’s Kristina Kazantseva, the no.3 seed (11-5, 9-11, 5-11, 11-3, 11-8, 4-11, 12-10).
![](https://ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/KAZANTSEVA-Kristina-1.jpg)
Impressive from Sakura Yokoi, in the opposite half of the draw it had been very much the same from Katarzyna Wegrzyn. At the quarter-final stage she had beaten the Czech Republic’s Zdena Blaskova, the no.2 seed (11-8, 5-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 6-11, 12-10), prior to ousting Japanese qualifier, Hikari Okubo (6-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7). Notably one round earlier, Hikari Okubo had ended the progress of Romania’s Tania Plaian, the no.4 seed (8-11, 8-11, 11-5, 13-11, 11-8, 11-6).
Disappointment for Anna Wegrzyn and Katarzyna Wegrzyn, it was the same in the junior girls’ doubles event; after ending the progress of Romania’s Tania Plaian and Elena Zaharia (11-9, 11-9, 11-7), they were beaten in the final by the combination of Zdena Blaskova and Franziska Schreiner (11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 7-11, 11-7). In the counterpart semi-final, Zdena Blaskova and Franziska Schreiner had accounted for Kristina Kazantseva and Russia colleague, Olga Vishniakova (11-9, 22-20, 11-8).
![](https://ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/SCHREINER-Franziska-BLASKOVA-Zdena-4.jpg)
The junior girls’ singles event concluded, attention now turns to the junior girls’ team and cadet girls’ team competitions.