All four England teams got off to a winning start at the European Youth Championships in the Czech Republic on Sunday.
Ben Piggott, a late replacement for the injured Sam Wilson in the Junior Boys’ Team, won his two matches as England defeated Kosovo and Armenia, both 3-0. Piggott completed the victory over Armenia as he saw off Edgar Rafayelyan 16-14 in a decider. Ethan Walsh and Shayan Siraj also won both matches.
The Junior Girls (Denise Payet, Charlotte Bardsley and Megan Gidney) defeated Greece 3-0 in their only match of the day in Ostrava.
In the Cadet secton, the boys started with a 3-0 victory over Scotland, althought Naphong Boonyaprapa had to come from 2-0 down to beat Borui Chen in the first match. Thomas Rayner made it 2-0 and then combined with Louis Price to take the doubles.
The Cadet Girls started with a routine 3-0 win over Scotland as Mari Baldwin and Ruby Chan won their singles and then combined for the doubles. However, the girls lost their second match 3-1 to Netherlands, despite Baldwin winning the first tie, as the Dutch won the next three, although every set was tight.
Results
Junior Boys’ Team
Group G
England 3 Kosovo 0
Ethan Walsh bt Blend Hajdari 3-0 (11-6, 11-1, 11-3)
Shayan Siraj bt Fatih Karabaxhak 3-1 (11-6, 11-8, 4-11, 11-6)
Ben Piggott bt Kreshnik Mahmuti 3-1 (11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8)
England 3 Armenia 0
Walsh bt Melkon Hovhannisyan 3-1 (11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8)
Siraj bt Avet Vasilyan 3-2 (11-7, 8-11, 2-11, 11-6, 11-3)
Piggott bt Edgar Rafayelyan 3-2 (11-5, 9-11, 11-13, 11-9, 16-14)
Junior Girls’ Team
Group G
England 3 Greece 0
Denise Payet bt Ioanna Gerasimatou 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-1)
Charlotte Bardsley bt Daniela Grammatopoulou 3-1 (11-9, 3-11, 11-7, 17-15)
Megan Gidney bt Elisavet Chatzikyrka 3-1 (4-11, 11-3, 11-0, 11-5)
Cadet Boys’ Team
Group H
England 3 Scotland 0
Naphong Boonyaprapa bt Borui Chen 3-2 (12-14, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-7)
Thomas Rayner bt Jamie Johnson 3-1 (9-11, 11-5, 11-1, 11-2)
Rayner & Louis Price bt Chen & Johnson 3-0 (11-6, 12-10, 11-5)
Cadet Girls’ Team
Group G
England 3 Scotland 0
Ruby Chan bt Holly McNamara 3-0 (11-5, 11-2, 11-5)
Mari Baldwin bt Jessica Hogg 3-0 (11-3, 11-1, 11-9)
Chan & Baldwin bt McNamara & Hogg 3-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-1)
Netherlands 3 England 1
Baldwin bt Anna Peters 3-1 (12-10, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7)
Fleur Hoogeveen bt Chan 3-0 (11-8, 14-12, 11-9)
Peters & Hoogeveen bt Chan & Baldwin 3-1 (11-6, 11-13, 11-8, 15-13)
Peters bt Chan 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-9)