England’s Junior Girls are guaranteed a top-20 finish at the European Youth Championships following two wins in the second group stage in Romania.

The line-up of Denise Payet, Charlotte Bardsley and Megan Gidney defeated Greece 3-1 and Belgium 3-0 to set up a play-off against Portgual in the 17-20 positions bracket which also includes Sweden and Ukraine.

All three girls picked up victories against Greece, with Gidney impressing in coming from 2-0 down to defeat Thoedora Vasileiadou 3-2 (13-15, 8-11, 11-1, 11-9, 15-13).

Bardsley staged a similar recovery against Belgium’s Natacha Koszulap to notch a 3-2 (6-11, 7-11, 11-3, 11-5, 12-10) victory in the second match.

The Cadet Boys will play for positions 25-28, starting against Lithuania, after they won their second-stage group match against Ireland 3-2 but lost to 3-1 Turkey. Jamie Liu saw his first action of the event and picked up two wins against Ireland, before Amirul Hussain beat Thomas Joyce in the deciding match. Liu also put England’s point on the board against Turkey.

The Cadet Girls will also play for positions 25-28, starting against Estonia tomorrow. Having been defeated 3-1 by Ukraine in the play-offs for the higher positions, despite Ruby Chan earning a great win from 2-0 down to Alina Vydruchenko, England then faced group matches against Wales and Norway and were defeated 3-1 on both occasions. For Wales, Commonwealth Games athlete Anna Hursey won both her singles, against Chan and Jasmin Wong.

Results

Junior Girls’ Team
Second stage
Group N
England 3 Greece 1
Ioanna Gerasimatou bt Denise Payet 3-1 (13-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-5)
Charlotte Bardsley bt Elisavet Terpou 3-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-5)
Megan Gidney bt Theodora Vasileiadou 3-2 (13-15, 8-11, 11-1, 11-9, 15-13)
Payet bt Terpou 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-6)

England 3 Belgium 0
Payet bt Jana Bernard 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-2)
Bardsley bt Natacha Koszulap 3-2 (6-11, 7-11, 11-3, 11-5, 12-10)
Gidney bt Maelys Dahy 3-2 (11-5, 11-7, 7-11, 11-13, 13-11)

Cadet Boys’ Team
Second stage
Group M
England 3 Ireland 2
Art McLaughlin bt Hussain 3-1 (9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6)
Jamie Liu bt Thomas Joyce 3-2 (11-4, 8-11, 11-5, 5-11, 11-8)
McLaughlin & Dylan Byrne bt Liu & Josh Weatherby 3-1 (6-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-4)
Liu bt McLaughlin 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-9)
Hussain bt Joyce 3-1 (11-6, 13-11, 2-11, 11-4)

Turkey  3 England 1
Yucel Ocak bt Hussain 3-1 (11-6, 11-5, 6-11, 11-3)
Liu bt Ozgur Yilmaz 3-2 (12-10, 7-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-7)
Ocak & Yilmaz bt Liu & Weatherby 3-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-9)
Ocak bt Liu 3-1 (11-6, 4-11, 11-6, 11-8)

Cadet Girls’ Team
Positional play-offs
Ukraine 3 England 1
Iolanta Yevtodii bt Jasmin Wong 3-1 (11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 11-4)
Ruby Chan bt Alina Vydruchenko 3-2 (10-12, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-8)
Yevtodii & Vydruchenko bt Wong & Chan 3-1 (11-8, 11-5, 6-11, 11-9)
Vydruchenko bt Wong 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-5)

Group M
Wales 3 England 1
Chan bt Lara Whitton 3-0 (13-11, 14-12, 11-7)
Anna Hursey bt Wong 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-8)
Whitton & Hursey bt Chan & Wong 3-1 (11-7, 8-11, 12-10, 15-13)
Hursey bt Chan 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 11-4)

Norway 3 England 1
Martine Toftaker bt Chan 3-2 (10-12, 12-10, 9-11, 11-5, 11-5)
Katarina Wetzel bt Wong 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-7)
Chan & Wong bt Toftaker & Wetzel 3-1 (11-5, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8)
Wetzel bt Chan 3-0 (11-1, 11-5, 11-4)