Helshan Weerasinghe lived up to his seeding as he reached the last 16 of the Croatia Youth Open – and just failed to advance to the quarter-finals.
The 18-year-old Tonbridge player was seeded ninth and met the man one place above him – Alexandru Manole of Romania – for a place in the last eight.
But despite storming into a 2-0 lead, the Englishman saw his opponent hit back to level and, after again moving in front, saw his hope evaporate as Manole levelled once more and then took the decider.
Tom Jarvis, seeded 17th, reached the same stage but was well beaten by fourth seed Deni Kozul of Slovenia.
Luke Savill, Sam Mabey and Emily Bolton were also in action in Varazdin and Savill partnered Jarvis into the quarter-finals of the doubles. Weerasinghe and partner Tom Sfiligoj of Slovenia also reached the last eight.
Results
Junior Boys’ Singles
Qualifying Group 1
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Luka Martinek (CRO) 3-2 (11-4, 11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 13-11)
Weerasinghe bt Luke Tonghioiu (ROM) 3-1 (9-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5)
Group 9
Tom Jarvis bt Dimitrije Levajac (SRB) 3-1 (11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8)
Jarvis bt Erik Paulin (SLO) 3-1 (7-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-8)
Jarvis bt Mariano Trifiro (ITA) 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-8)
Group 12
Luke Savill bt Mohammed Al-Haddad (QAT) 3-1 (11-7, 8-11, 11-2, 11-9)
Ioannis Sgouropoulos (GRE) bt Savill 3-2 (11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7)
Savill bt Mihai Zamfir (ROM) 3-1 (13-11, 13-15, 11-9, 11-5)
Group 16
Sam Mabey bt Tomas Koldas (CZE) 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 15-13)
Lev Katsman (RUS) bt Mabey 3-1 (11-7, 11-8, 11-13, 11-2)
Mabey bt Teodor Lipan (ROM) 3-1 (11-5, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7)
Round of 64
Stefan Tonghioiu (ROM) bt Savill 4-2 (11-6, 8-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-7)
Istvan Molnar (HUN) bt Mabey 4-3 (7-11, 11-8, 5-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-8)
Round of 32
Jarvis bt Thomas Grininger (AUT) 4-2 (8-11, 12-10, 12-10, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6)
Weerasinghe bt Mate Bruckner (HUN) 4-1 (9-11, 11-9, 11-3, 13-11, 11-9)
Round of 16
Deni Kozul (SLO) bt Jarvis 4-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-5, 11-5)
Alexandru Manole (ROM) bt Weerasinghe 4-3 (7-11, 2-11, 12-10, 11-9, 6-11, 11-5, 11-6)
Girls’ singles
Group 6
Arina Singeorzan (ROM) bt Emily Bolton 3-0 (11-6, 11-2, 12-10)
Ana Aleksandric (SRB) bt Bolton 3-2 (9-11, 11-9, 11-13, 14-12, 11-8)
Nikita Petrovova (CZE) bt Bolton 3-1 (13-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9)
Consolation singles
Round of 32
Kitti Korda (HUN) bt Bolton 3-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 13-11)
Boys’ doubles
Round of 32
Tom Jarvis & Luke Savill bt Samuel Kulczycki & Jan Zandecki (POL) 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 13-11)
Tom Sfiligoj (SLO) & Helshan Weerasinghe bt Paul Mladin & Florin Spelbus (ROM) 3-1 (7-11, 12-10, 11-7, 12-10)
Erik Paulin (SLO) & Ioannis Sgouropoulos (GRE) bt Sam Mabey & Tobias Pindura (SVK) 3-0 (11-5, 11-3, 11-7)
Round of 16
Jarvis & Savill bt Thomas Grininger & Andreas Levenko (AUT) 3-1 (11-5, 11-9, 3-11, 11-4)
Sfiligoj & Weerasinghe bt Christian Friedrich (AUT) & Stefan Peko (SVK) 3-1 (4-11, 11-4, 11-3, 13-11)
Quarter-finals
Patrik Klos & Jiri Martinko (CZE) bt Jarvis & Savill 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-2)
Balazs Hutter & Jonah Schlie (GER) bt Sfiligoj & Weerasinghe 3-2 (11-7, 12-10, 5-11, 9-11, 11-6)
Girls’ doubles
Round of 32
Fanni Gondor & Kitti Korda (HUN) bt Emily Bolton & Paula Cermakova (SVK) 3-1 (11-6, 4-11, 11-4, 11-6)
