Day 3 of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality European Youth Championships and all four teams were competing early, two working to stay at level 1 and 2 competing to get to level 1. Of the four teams three succeeded which is highly commendable in the least.
The Junior Boys were facing their last chance to remain in level 1 against Austria and the match was never in doubt. David McBeath started the ball rolling with a 3 straight games win over Jan Peter Schanbacher, Liam Pitchford dropped one game when beating Christian Wolf as did Sean Cullen as he defeated Stefan Leitgib. The Junior boys will face Sweden this evening in the last 16 knockout.
Next to finish successfully were the Cadet Girls facing Moldova who have the second highest ranked player at the championship as one of their team, world cadet no 18 Olga Bliznet was too consistent in defence and powerful in attack for Tressa Armitage but Emily Bates was too strong in response for Alina Sandul winning the second match 3-1. So to the doubles and a superb 3-1 victory for Tressa and Emily put the Girls 2-1 up.
Emily Bates then produced the performance of I am sure her career to date beating Olga Bilznet in three straight games, patience, control and a hard hit off any loose ball were the order of the day and the Moldovan just could not overcome it.
The Cadet Girls therefore retain their place in level 1 as well and Emily’s world ranking will take a jump too. The Cadet Girls now face no 1 seeds Romania in the position 1-16 knockout this evening
Next to finish were the Junior Girls who were too strong for a Spanish team watched from the wings by their new performance director Steen Kyst Hansen. Patricia Fernandez got the Spanish off to a good start with a three game to one victory over Lucy Davidson, but after that two three game to one victories for Karina le Fevre over Paula Bueno and Fernandez, and a super comeback win from Chloe Whyte over Marta De Vega. The Spaniard looked in a strong position at 2-0 in games but Chloe never gave in and took the last three games for a 3-2 win. The Junior Girls now face Serbia in the position 1-16 knockout this evening
The Cadet Boys were the last to finish and the only side to face defeat, Denmark were a little too strong for them though they succumbed in the doubles from a very strong position. Sam Walker took Jacob Reuther all the way to the fifth game but he could never get ahead of the Dane losing 11-7 in the fifth. Helshan Weerasinghe found Reuben Jenson to hot to handle going down 3 games to one.
In the doubles the Sam/Helshan pair started strongly were in a very strong position at 2-0 in games but it just slipped away and with it the match. The Cadet boys now play in a group with Belarus and Cyprus in the 17th-28th place section of the draw
Photo: Emily Bates – a superb win over a highly ranked player. – Courtesy Henk Hommes
Morning Results
Junior Boys
Austria 0 England 3
SCHANBACHER, Jan Peter (AUT) lost to McBEATH, David (ENG) 5:11 6:11 9:11
WOLF, Christian (AUT) lost to PITCHFORD, Liam (ENG) 5:11 10:12 11:5 6:11
LEITGEB, Stefan (AUT) lost to CULLEN, Sean (ENG) 12:14 14:12 6:11 5:11
Junior Girls
Spain 1 England 3
FERNANDEZ, Patricia (ESP) beat DAVIDSON, Lucy (ENG) 14:12 11:5 8:11 11:8
BUENO, Paula (ESP) lost to LE FEVRE, Karina (ENG) 11:9 6:11 7:11 9:11
DE LA VEGA, Marta (ESP) lost to WHYTE, Chloe (ENG) 12:10 11:8 9:11 9:11 7:11
FERNANDEZ, Patricia (ESP) lost to LE FEVRE, Karina (ENG) 9:11 11:7 7:11 5:11
Cadet Girls
Moldova 1 England 3
BLIZNET, Olga (MDA) beat ARMITAGE, Tressa (ENG) 11:8 11:3 11:4
SANDUL, Alina (MDA)lost to BATES, Emily (ENG) 6:11 13:11 3:11 8:11
766 BLIZNET, Olga/SANDUL, Alina (MDA) lost to ARMITAGE, Tressa/BATES, Emily (ENG) 6:11 12:10 17:19 9:11
766 BLIZNET, Olga (MDA) – 729 BATES, Emily (ENG) 8:11 7:11 9:11
Cadet Boys
England 0 Denmark 3
537 WALKER, Sam (ENG)lost to REUTHER, Jacob (DEN) 9:11 11:6 5:11 11:8 7:11
538 WEERASINGHE, Helshan (ENG) lost to JENSEN, S. Ruben (DEN) 3:11 6:11 18:16 6:11
WALKER, Sam/WEERASINGHE, Helshan (ENG) lost to REUTHER, Jacob/JENSEN, S. Ruben (DEN) 11:9 11:7 3:11 7:11 11:13
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