by Ian Marshall, Editor
Notably, in an event where the top 16 names advanced directly to the main draw and were not required to compete in the group qualification stage, all accounted for adversaries listed amongst the top eight names in the initial phase of proceedings.
Impressively, Matei Dumitrescu overcame El Salvador’s Diego Orantes (11-5, 11-5, 8-11, 14-12), Jakub Kaucky beat Porapat Thanmathikom (7-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7), Djordje Pavlovic succeeded against Lode Hulshof of the Netherlands (11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-4). Similarly, Paul Szilagyi and Evgeny Tikhonov prevailed when facing adversaries from the Czech Republic; Paul Szilagyi was in form against Matyas Lebeda (11-6, 11-6, 4-11, 12-10), Evgeny Tikhonov defeated Dan Janovsky (9-11, 11-5, 11-6, 12-14, 11-9).
Unexpected outcomes but not for the remaining principal names on opening day junior boys’ singles duty; Thailand’s Napat Thanmathikon, Brazil’s Kenzo Carmo and Spain’s Juan Perez all emerged undefeatrd to secure first places
Conversely, for the leading names in the junior girls’ singles event, there were no such problems. In a competition where the top eight names advanced directly to the main draw, Ukraine’s Anastasya Dymytrenko and Serbia’s Radmila Tominjak reserved first places in their respective groups, as did the Brazilian duo of Laura Watanabe and Giulia Takahashi. In a similar vein for the next in the order of merit it was success. Russia’s Vlada Voronina, Serbia’s Reka Bezeg and Croatia’s Hana Arapovic all secured top spots in their respective groups, as did Russia’s Libov Tentser.
Meanwhile, in the boys’ doubles event, as play advanced to the semi-final round there were surprises. Brazil’s Guilherme Teodoro and Eduardo Tomoike, the top seeds, duly advanced to the last four as did the no.2 seeds, the partnership formed by the Czech Republic’s Tomas Martinko and Jan Mokreys.
Alas for India’s Raegan Albuquerque and Yashansh Malik, the no.3 seeds, it was a second round defeat. They were beaten by Russia’s Ilia Koniukhov and Miron Vasilev (11-8, 11-7, 11-9) who in their very next round experienced defeat at the hands of the Czech Republic’s Filip Cernota and Matej Stach (11-5, 11-8, 11-6). Filip Cernota and Matej Stach now meet Guilherme Teodoro and Eduardo Tomoike in the penultimate round.
Surprise semi-finalists in the top half of the draw; it was the same in the lower half; the pair to exceed expectations being the Russian combination of Damir Akhmetsatin and Rusian Cherkes; at the quarter-final stage they ousted Slovakia’s Filip Delincak and Kamil Pach, the no.4 seeds (8-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-6). At the semi-final stage they oppose Tomas Martinko and Jan Mokreys.
Two surprise pairs through to the semi-final round of the junior boys’ team event, in the junior girls’ doubles it is just one; Giula Takahashi and Laura Watanabe upset the order of merit. In the quarter-final round they beat Russia’s Olga Vishiakova and Vlada Voronina, the no.3 seeds, by the very narrowest of margins in a tension packed full distance contest (11-6, 4-11, 11-9, 11-3, 15-13).
In the penultimate round at semi-final stage the Brazilians meet the top seeded combination of Croatia’s Ana Arapovic and Amy Wang of the United States; Russia’s Elizabet Abraamian and Liubov Tentser, the no.2 seeds, face Chloe Chomis and Isa Cok of France, the no.4 seeds.
The individual events in the junior age group conclude on Wednesday 25th September.
