by Ian Marshall, Editor

The name in question five years ago was Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, the name in question this year is his younger sister Miwa who has already stunned. At the recent Czech Junior and Cadet Open, she remained unbeaten throughout, notably winning both the junior girls’ singles and cadet girls’ singles titles.

She is the no.13 seed in the junior girls’ singles competition, in the cadet girls she is the no.2 seed in what is surely one of the highest level events ever witnessed in that age group in an ITTF World Junior Circuit tournament.

Five from eight

Notably, five of the top eight names on the current under 15 girls’ world rankings appear on the entry list; Miwa Harimoto is the no.2 seed because that is her position on the global list. The no.1 seed is Egypt’s Hana Goda, the player who occupies the top spot on the rankings. Singapore’s Ser Lin Qian ranked no.5 and Zhou Jingyi, ranked at no.6 are the next in the seeded order with Germany’s Annett Kaufmann, listed at no.8 in the global order, the no.5 seed.

Meanwhile on the junior girls’ singles order, Prithika Pavade and Isa Cok of France occupy the respective top two seeded places, Hana Goda is the next in line followed by Emine Ernst of the Netherlands.

Last year at the 2019 French Junior and Cadet Open, Prithika Pavade was the runner up in the cadet girls’ singles event but emerged the junior girls’ singles winner; notably in Portugal, as the year came to a close, Hana Goda completed the double, she won both events.

France occupies top spot

Most prominent names and they rather outshine the boys. Similarly, France occupies the top seeded position in the junior boys’ singles event; Dorian Zheng is listed ahead of the host nation’s Martin Friis, Singapore’s Quek Yong Isaac and Ireland’s Owen Cathcart.

All have impressed but without crossing the line; in 2019 Dorian Zheng was a junior boys’ singles semi-finalist; in Sweden both Isaac Quek Yong and Owen Cathcart reached the quarter-finals.

Very much Isaac Quek Young is a contender for honours; the situation is to a greater degree in the under 15 boys’ singles event. He is the top seed ahead of Australia’s Nicholas Lum, Sweden’s David Bjorkryd and Egypt’s Yassin Wael.

Play commences with the junior boys’ singles and junior girls’ singles events; the top 16 seeds in each event are exempt the group stage.