Day 2 of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality European Youth Championships saw the completion of the first stage groups and the first second stage matches. The Junior Boys are now on a knife edge after two close losses and all the other teams are still in with a chance to reach or stay in level 1.
First on the table were the Cadet Girls against Germany, Tin-Tin Ho came into the team along with Emily Bates for the singles. First match Tin-Tin against Theresa Kraft, the European cadet No 6, did Tin-Tin care, not a bit as she stormed in to a two game lead, all the games had been close though and maybe the extra experience of the German was the edge as she took the next three just as close games winning the fifth game on deuce.
Second match was Emily Bates against Yuko Imamura the European cadet no 9, Imamura took the first two games but Emily fought back magnificently to level the match at 2 games apiece. So to a fifth game which was honours even to 4-5 at the turnaround but after that although there were some fine rallies the German was totally consistent and she ran away with the game 11-7.
2-0 to Germany where it might as easily been 2-0 to England. A new doubles pair was on show as Tin-Tin Ho and Tressa Armitage teamed up to take on Theresa Kraft and Nina Mittelham for Germany. The Germans were just too good winning is three straight games. 3-0 to Germany then, as they had done before against Russia and Slovenia. Good performances from all the Cadet Girls even when losing – they now must play-off to retain their top division status.
Next on the table were the Junior Boys against the Czech Republic, Liam Pitchford started well, dropping just the one game against Michal Benes. David McBeath followed on to play Pavel Sirucek the European No 2 Junior, the Czech was just too strong as David went down in 3 straight games, Match score 1-1. Third match, Sean Cullen against Ondrej Bajger. This was a battle all the way and all was level at 5-5 in the fifth set but from there the Czech put on some really big shots taking the fifth game 11-6. Next up, European Junior No 9 Liam Pitchford against European Junior No 2 Pavel Sirucek, the Czech dominated from the start winning in 3 straight games to take the match for the Czech Republic 3-1. England Junior Boys thus finish 3rd in their first stage group and now face a stage 2 second round clash with Poland later in the day.
The match agaist Poland was a classic, David McBeath and Sean Cullen swapped places, David playing no 3. It came so close to working, Liam Pitchford was magnificent winning both his singles against Artur Bielak and Robert Floras, David’s match was the key one however, and he came so close losing 11-9 in the fifth game to Kondar Kulpa. Sean Cullen also performed superbly but the Poles were just too strong for him. The Junior boys are now on a knife edge, they have one last chance tomorrow morning against Austria to remain at level 1 for the next Championships.
The Junior Girls were having a battle of their own as the Boys were playing the Czech Republic, the Girls faced a strong Bosnia and Herzegovina side. It was a true team performance, Belma Busatlic for Bosnia was too strong beating both Chloe Whyte and Karina Le Fevre but Karina and Chloe both beat Sanja Milojica. The key result was the battle of the No 3s Lucy Davidson triumphing in 5 games from 2-0 down against Tajana Jojic.
The Junior Girls now have a play-off match against Spain, with Steen Kyst Hansen coaching them!!
Photo: David McBeath – came so close to pulling it off against Poland – Courtesy Henk Hommes
Results
Cadet Girls
Germany 3 England 0
KRAFT, Theresa (GER) beat HO, Tin Tin (ENG) 10:12 7:11 11:9 12:10 13:11
IMAMURA, Yuko (GER) beat BATES, Emily (ENG) 11:7 11:6 7:11 9:11 11:7
KRAFT, Theresa/MITTELHAM, Nina (GER) beat HO, Tin Tin/ARMITAGE, Tressa (ENG) 11:5 11:3 11:5
Cadet Boys
England 3 Lithuania 0
WALKER, Sam (ENG) beat GURA, Paulius (LTU) 11:8 5:11 11:6 11:13 11:9
WEERASINGHE, Helshan (ENG) beat NAVICKAS, Ignas (LTU) 11:9 11:8 13:15 13:11
WALKER, Sam/WEERASINGHE, Helshan (ENG) beat NAVICKAS, Ignas/GURA, Paulius (LTU) 14:12 11:7 11:4
Junior Boys
England 1 Czech Republic 3
PITCHFORD, Liam (ENG) beat BENES, Michal (CZE) 11:8 9:11 11:9 11:8
McBEATH, David (ENG) lost to SIRUCEK, Pavel (CZE) 4:11 9:11 5:11
CULLEN, Sean (ENG) lost to BAJGER, Ondrej (CZE) 11:13 11:3 11:8 7:11 6:11
PITCHFORD, Liam (ENG) lost to SIRUCEK, Pavel (CZE) 8:11 6:11 7:11
Poland 3 England 2
FLORAS, Robert (POL) beat CULLEN, Sean (ENG) 12:10 11:7 12:10
BIALEK, Artur (POL) lost to PITCHFORD, Liam (ENG) 11:5 10:12 11:8 8:11 9:11
KULPA, Konrad (POL) beat McBEATH, David (ENG) 11:3 6:11 11:7 9:11 11:9
FLORAS, Robert (POL) lost to PITCHFORD, Liam (ENG) 12:14 8:11 13:15
BIALEK, Artur (POL) beat CULLEN, Sean (ENG) 11:13 16:14 11:4 11:6
Junior Girls
England 3 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2
LE FEVRE, Karina (ENG) beat MILOJICA, Sanja (BIH) 11:6 11:6 11:7
WHYTE, Chloe (ENG) lost to BUSATLIC, Belma (BIH) 6:11 8:11 9:11
DAVIDSON, Lucy (ENG) beat JOJIC, Tajana (BIH) 9:11 9:11 11:4 11:6 11:7
LE FEVRE, Karina (ENG) lost to BUSATLIC, Belma (BIH) 9:11 5:11 9:11
WHYTE, Chloe (ENG) beat MILOJICA, Sanja (BIH) 11:6 8:11 11:7 11:6
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