by Ian Marshall, Editor

Fresh from the ITTF World Cadet Challenge in the Polish town of Wladysawowo, Navid Shams secured the cadet boys’ singles title at the hands of Frenchman Célian Besnier (12-14, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10), after in his opening round contest having experienced somewhat of a fright; he was extended the full five games distance by Gabrielius Camara of the Netherlands (10-12, 11-3, 11-5, 7-11, 11-7).

A hard earned success, Navid Shams beat Poland’s Dawid Michna (11-8, 10-12, 11-8, 11-3), followed by success in opposition to Flavio Mourier (11-3, 11-6, 11-3), like Célian Besnier from France, to reserve his place in the final.

Success and thus three titles secured in the week. In Wladysawowo Navid Shams had not enjoyed the best of fortunes in the boys’ singles event but alongside Japan’s Sora Matsushima, Korea Republic’s Jang Seongil and India’s Payas Jain had been a member of the successful Asian outfit that won the boys’ team title. On Thursday 31st October, the concluding day of play, he partnered Sora Matsushima to boys’ doubles gold.

Célian Besnier again the runner up

In the opposite half of the draw, Célian Besnier had beaten Slovakia’s Samuel Palusek (11-13, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5), followed by success in opposition to Germany’s Manuel Prohaska (11-8, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7), Kristian Uherik, also from Slovakia (11-8, 15-13, 15-13) and Poland’s Michal Gawlas (14-12, 10-12, 11-6, 11-6) to reserve his place in the final.

Runners up spot for Célian Besnier, it was the same in the cadet boys’ doubles event when partnering colleague Milhane Jellouli, the player with whom the previous day he had secured the cadet boys’ team title.

After recording a semi-final success against Michal Gawlas and compatriot Milosz Sawczak (11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9), the duo experienced defeat at the hands of colleagues Flavien Coton and Nathan Lam (7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8). The title secured but the champions almost came to grief in the penultimate round; they trailed the host nation’s Samuel Arpas and Samuel Palusek by two games to nil, before emerging successful (9-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8).

Stepping higher

More gold for Nathan Shams, for Charlotte Lutz is was one and two steps higher. Earlier in the week she had been a bronze medallist in the junior girls’ singles event, losing at the semi-final stage to England’s Charlotte Bardsley, the champion elect (10-12, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-7). The previous day it had been junior girls’ team silver in partnership with Marie Chapet and Sofia Ray, an event in which she lost just one match. Notably the only defeat was against the Czech Republic in the group phase; she lost to Kristyna Pankavova by the narrowest of margins (11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9).

Joining forces with Clea de Stoppeleire, the partnership accounted for Slovakia’s Ema Cincurova and Laura Vinczeova (11-4, 6-11, 13-11, 11-8), prior to securing the title at the final expense of Luxembourg’s Enisa Sadikovic and Melisa Sadikovic (11-4, 11-5, 11-2). In the adjacent half of the draw Enisa Sadikovic and Melisa Sadikovic had beaten Germany’s Mia Griesel and the host nation’s Dominika Wiltschova (11-7, 8-11, 14-12, 11-4).

Confident, Charlotte Lutz secured the cadet girls’ singles title overcoming Russia’s Anastasiia Ivanova in the final (6-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-3), having earlier ousted Slovakia’s Laura Vinczeova in what proved her most severe test of the day, she needed five games to claim victory (12-10, 6-11, 7-11, 11-1, 11-7). A testing hurdle negotiated, she followed by recording wins against Mia Griesel (11-5, 11-6, 11-8) and colleague Crystal Chan (11-6, 12-10, 11-8).

In the opposite half of the draw Anastasiia Ivanova had beaten Italy’s Miriam Carnovale (11-8, 11-3, 11-5), Germany’s Jele Stortz (11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 11-4) and Dominika Wiltschova (11-4, 9-11, 11-8, 11-6).

Next stop

Play concluded in Nitra, the next stop on the ITTF World Junior Circuit is Szombathely, the 2019 Hungarian Junior and Cadet Open, an ITTF Junior Circuit Premium level tournament, commences on Wednesday 6th November.