England’s three teams finished with defeats at the European Championships in Romania as the positional play-off matches came to an end.
The Junior Girls were the best-placed of the teams, ending in 18th as they were defeated 3-1 by Sweden, despite taking the lead when Charlotte Bardsley beat Alma Roose.
They had earlier overcome Portugal 3-2, with Denise Payet picking up two victories and Bardsley one. Megan Gidney was defeated 3-2 in both her matches today.
The Cadet Girls finished in 26th, beating Estonia 3-0 in their first match of the day and then losing by the same margin to Luxembourg.
Millie Rogove and Anaya Patel had their first taste of action at the Championships and both picked up singles wins against Estonia – Rogove 12-10 in the fifth after seeing her opponent fight back from two games down.
The Cadet Boys were also 26th, defeating Lithuania 3-1 before going down by the same margin to the Belakon brothers of Belarus. Jamie Liu won both singles matches in the first tie and put England in front against Belarus.
In the finals, there was a double triumph for France, defeating Russia 3-1 to win the Junior Boys and Belgium 3-0 to take the Cadet Boys’ title. The Junior Girls was won by Azerbaijan, thanks to a 3-2 scoreline against Russia, while the Cadet Girls was won by hosts Romania, coming from 2-0 down to beat Russia 3-2.
The individual competitions get under way in Cluj-Napoca tomorrow.
Results
Junior Girls’ Team
Positions 17-20
England 3 Portugal 2
Denise Payet bt Raquel Martins 3-1 (12-10, 11-7, 4-11, 11-3)
Celia Silva bt Charlotte Bardsley 3-2 (11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-13, 12-10)
Vitoria Santos bt Megan Gidney 3-2 (6-11, 9-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-5)
Payet bt Silva 3-2 (7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9)
Bardsley bt Martins 3-1 (14-12, 15-13, 9-11, 12-10)
Positions 17-18
Sweden 3 England 1
Bardsley bt Alma Roose 3-2 (11-7, 11-4, 6-11, 2-11, 11-7)
Christina Kallberg bt Payet 3-1 (11-7, 7-11, 11-3, 11-7)
Jennie Edvinsson bt Megan Gidney 3-2 (9-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-6)
Kallberg bt Bardsley 3-0 (12-10, 11-5, 11-9)
Cadet Boys’ Team
Positions 25-28
England 3 Lithuania 1
Jamie Liu bt Eligius Klarenbeek 3-2 (2-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 11-8)
Gytis Knezius bt Louis Price 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-8)
Liu & Amirul Hussain bt Klarenbeek & Knezius 3-1 (11-4, 11-8, 8-11, 14-12)
Liu bt Knezius 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-6)
Positions 25-26
Belarus 3 England 1
Liu bt Uladzimir Belakon 3-2 (10-12, 11-7, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6)
Viachaslau Belakon bt Hussain 3-2 (11-8, 12-14, 12-10, 3-11, 11-8)
Belakon & Belakon bt Liu & Hussain 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-8)
Viachaslau Belakon bt Liu 3-1 (16-14, 11-6, 11-13, 11-4)
Cadet Girls’ Team
Positions 25-28
England 3 Estonia 0
Millie Rogove bt Anastassia Melnikova 3-2 (11-3, 12-10, 9-11, 5-11, 12-10)
Anaya Patel bt Vitalia Reinol 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 13-11)
Ruby Chan & Jasmin Wong bt Melnikova & Reinol 3-1 (7-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7)
Positions 25-26
Luxembourg 3 England 0
Ni Xiaojing bt Patel 3-2 (11-9, 11-13, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8)
Dominique Kieffer bt Rogove 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 11-3)
Ni & Kieffer bt Patel & Rogove 3-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-3)