by Ian Marshall, Editor
Facing Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Li-Yang and Kuo Yu-Liang, Filip Delincak and Kamil Pach, the no.2 seeds, experienced a 3-2 defeat, the player to cause the problems being Tsai Li-Yang. He accounted for Filip Delincak in the opening match of the fixture (11-7, 11-8, 11-4), before in the vital fifth and concluding contest overcoming Kamil Pach (9-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-6). Furthermore, in the third match he partnered Kuo Yu-Liang to doubles success (12-10, 11-8, 11-4).
Tsai Li-Yang and Kuo Yu-Liang remained unbeaten to conclude the group stage in first position; for Filip Delincak and Kamil Pach it was their only defeat; thus runners up spot and progress to the main draw.
In all team events in Skopje, outfits finishing in first and second positions advanced to the knock-out stage.
Same scenario
Defeat for the second seeds, in the junior girls’ team event it was the same scenario, the difference being that it was success for Slovakia. The combination of Renata Lacenova and Jana Terezkova recorded a 3-1 win in opposition to Belgium’s Estelle Duvivier and Ana Sow.
Mainstay of the victory was Jana Terezkova, she accounted for both Ana Sow (11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5) and Estelle Duvivier (11-8, 11-6, 11-2), whilst teaming with Renata Lacenova to secure the doubles (11-8, 11-2, 9-11, 12-14, 11-5).
Samuel Arpas and Samuel Palusek upset order
First place in the group for Renata Lacenova and Jana Terezkova, Estelle Duvivier and Ana Sow having to settle for runners up spot; it was a similar situation in the cadet boys’ team event. Samuel Arpas and Samuel Palusek secured first position in their group ahead of Norway’s Martin Froseth and Felix Thompson, the no.3 seeds.
In the determining contest, it was a 3-2 win for the Slovakians. Martin Froseth beat both Samuel Palusek (12-14, 11-8, 11-3, 11-3) and Samuel Arpas (11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 11-3) but that was the only success for the Norwegians. Man of the moment for Slovakia was Samuel Palusek, in the vital fifth match of the engagement, he overcame Felix Thomassen (11-7, 11-8, 11-9).
Surprise success for Spain
A hard fought success for Slovakia, the result somewhat of a surprise; also in the cadet boys’ team event, the Spanish duo comprising Eric Cintas and Pau Lloret upset the ranked order. They finished in first position in their group ahead of the no.3 seeds, Italy’s Giacomo Allegranza and Federico Vallino Costassa.
Impressively, Federico Vallino Costassa beat both Eric Cintas (11-6, 11-5, 11-5) and Pau Lloret (5-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-4) but as with Martin Froseth that was the sum total of the positives for Italy. In the vital fifth match of the fixture, Eric Cintas accounted for Giacomo Allegranza (12-10, 11-2, 7-11, 11-4).
Top seeds succeed
Otherwise, it was success and first place for the teams who started the day the highest rated in their respective groups.
Imposingly in the junior boys’ team event, the top seeds, Croatia’s Ivor Ban and Lovr Zovko secured first place in their group as did the no.3 seeds, Romania’s Andrei Tomica and Eduard Ionescu.
Likewise, in the junior girls’ team competition, the top seeded Serbia duo of Reka Bezeg and Radmila Tominjak reserved first place in their group, as in the cadet boys’ team event did the leading pairs. It was pole position for the combination of Belgium’s Tom Closset and Peru’s Carlos Fernandez, as it was for Romania’s Andrei Istrate and Paul Szilagyi.
Meanwhile, in the cadet girls’ team competition, three groups in the initial stage of play, success came the way of the highest rated. Belgium’s Sara Devos and Julie Van Hauwaert topped their group; a situation that applied also to the next in line, Romania’s Bianca Mei Rosu and Evelyn Ungvari, alongside the combination of Serbia’s Monika Sinkarova and Serbia’s Katarina Grozdenvic.
Play in the team events concludes on Wednesday 9th October.
