England’s girls were dealt an injury blow as they took on Romania in the quarter-finals of the Junior Girls’ team event at the European Youth Championships today.
Maria Tsaptsinos was unable to play due to a shoulder problem, meaning Tin-Tin Ho and Lois Peake had to win their three matches between them if England were to progress.
In the event, Tin-Tin notched two impressive victories over Diana Lupu and Adina Diaconu – the latter ranked No 13 on the world U18 list – but Lois found world No 46 Alina Zaharia too strong.
England, who had qualified for the tie by beating Germany, next faced Sweden as they play-off for positions five to eight. Without the injured Maria, they were unable to force a victory, going down 3-2.
It means the girls will finish seventh or eighth – to be decided by a match against Belgium on Tuesday.
All three England squads have achieved the targets set within the selection policy for the event by reaching the last 16.
The Junior Boys’ squad of Helshan Weerasinghe, Tom Jarvis, Sam Mabey and Luke Savill dug deep to reach the last 16 with a 3-2 win over Denmark, with Weerasinghe winning the deciding set of the deciding match 12-10.
They were beaten by France in the last 16 but bounced back to beat Belarus on Monday, advancing to the play-offs for ninth to 12th positions, where they then beat Austria 3-2 – Weerasinghe winning the decisive rubber. They will contest 9th and 10th places with Slovakia on Tuesday.
The Cadet Boys’ line-up of Alex Ramsden, Harry Dai and James Smith were drawn against Romania in the last 16 – their opponents featuring players ranked No 1 and No 3 in Europe – but acquitted themselves well. They were then beaten 3-0 by Lithuania in a match which was closer than the scoreline suggests, and then 3-0 by Spain, leaving them with a play-off for positions 15 and 16 on Tuesday.
Click on the links below to watch selected England matches:
Junior Girls – England v Romania
Junior Boys – England v France
Helshan Weerasinghe v Can Akkuzu
Cadet Boys – England v Romania
Ramsden & Dai v Sipos & Pletea
Results
Junior Girls’ Team
Qualifying Group F
England 3-0 Greece
Tin-Tin Ho bt Eleni Sofra 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-3)
Maria Tsaptsinos bt Georgia Chatzilygeroudi 3-2 (13-15, 11-3, 12-10, 8-011, 11-7)
Lois Peake bt Ifigeneia Isampaloglou 3-0 (11-8, 11-3, 11-2)
England 3-0 Finland
Ho bt Annika Lundstrom 3-1 (11-3, 11-5, 9-11, 11-3)
Tsaptsinos bt Anna Kirichenko 3-0 (11-4, 11-2, 11-9)
Peake bt Pihla Eriksson 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-5)
England 3-1 Switzerland
Ho bt Salome Simonet 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-9)
Celine Reust bt Tsaptsinos 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-3)
Peake bt Camille-Chloe Linke 3-1 (11-3, 4-11, 11-6, 11-6)
Ho bt Reust 3-2 (8-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-5, 11-8)
England 3-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Tsaptsinos bt Elda Ehic 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-6)
Ho bt Nedzma Mulalic 3-0 (15-13, 11-3, 11-7)
Peake bt Alja Salkic 3-0 (15-13, 13-11, 11-7)
First round
England 3-0 Estonia
Tsaptsinos bt Airi Avameri 3-2 (9-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9)
Ho bt Reelica Hanson 3-1 (11-8, 13-11, 9-11, 11-3)
Peake bt Anita Lissovenko 3-0 (13-11 11-4, 11-7)
Positions 1-16
England 3-1 Germany
Yuan Wan bt Tsaptsinos 3-0 (11-6, 11-0, 11-9)
Ho bt Julia Kaim 3-1 (11-7, 11-9, 10-12, 11-7)
Peake bt Caroline Hajok 3-0 (11-3, 11-2 ,11-5)
Ho bt Wan 3-2 (11-9, 13-11, 7-11, 4-11, 11-9)
Positions 1-8
England 2-3 Romania
Ho bt Diana Lupu 3-1 (9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8)
Adina Diaconu bt Tsaptsinos (walkover)
Alina Zaharia bt Peake 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-7)
Ho bt Diaconu 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 15-13)
Lupu bt Tsaptsinos (walkover)
Positions 5-8
England 2-3 Sweden
Ho bt Tilda Johansson 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-1)
Filippa Bergand bt Peake 3-1 (4-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-8)
Erika Front bt Tsapstinos (walkover)
Ho bt Bergand 3-0 (11-8, 11-7m, 11-0)
Johansson bt Peake 3-0 (11-6, 11-3, 11-6)
Positions 7-8
England 3-2 Belgium
Marie Maesen bt Peake 3-1 (11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 13-11)
Ho bt Margo Degraef 3-0 (11-3, 11-8, 11-8)
Eline Loyen bt Tsaptsinos (walkover)
Ho bt Maesen 3-1 (8-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-7)
Peake bt Degraef 3-2 (9-11, 11-9, 15-13, 9-11, 11-5)
Junior Boys’ Team
Qualifying Group H
England 3-0 Iceland
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Breki Thordarson 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-9)
Tom Jarvis bt Erlendur Gudmundsson 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 12-10)
Sam Mabey bt Magnus Johann Hjartarson 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-6)
England 3-0 San Marino
Jarvis bt Federico Giardi 3-0 (11-7, 11-1, 11-4)
Weerasinghe bt Davide Muccioli 3-0 (11-0, 11-2, 11-5)
Luke Savill bt Mattias Mongiusti 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-3)
England 3-1 Netherlands
Erik Agamyan bt Weerasinghe 3-2 (4-11, 11-7, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8)
Jarvis bt Colin Rengers 3-1 (11-4, 11-5, 14-16, 11-5)
Mabey 3-0 walkover
Weerasinghe bt Rangers 3-0 (12-10, 11-5, 11-6)
First round
England 3-2 Denmark
Weerasinghe bt Rasmus Mikkelsen 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-5)
Andreas Dilling bt Jarvis 3-0 (12-10, 11-8, 11-7)
Jeppe Spottog bt Mabey 3-1 (11-4, 7-11, 11-3, 11-9)
Jarvis bt Mikkelson 3-0 (13-11, 11-3, 11-5)
Weerasinghe bt Dilling 3-2 (9-11, 11-7, 13-11, 13-15, 12-10)
Positions 1-16
England 0-3 France
Can Akkuzu bt Weerasinghe 3-1 (8-11, 17-15, 11-6, 12-10)
Alexandre Cassin bt Jarvis 3-1 (11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 11-6)
Joe Seyfried bt Mabey 3-0 (11-3, 11-9, 11-8)
Positions 9-16
England 3-0 Belarus
Weerasinghe bt Aliaksandr Khanin 3-2 (12-10, 9-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-7)
Jarvis bt Roman Verhunov 3-1 (11-4, 4-11, 11-4, 12-10)
Savill bt Andrei Labanau 3-2 (11-8, 10-12, 11-9, 11-13, 11-8)
Positions 9-12
England 3-2 Austria
Andreas Levenko bt Weerasinghe 3-1 (9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10)
Jarvis bt Thomas Grininger 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 12-10)
Savill bt David Klaus 3-0 (11-9, 13-11, 11-7)
Levenko bt Jarvis 3-2 (11-8, 8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8)
Weerasinghe bt Grininger 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-8)
Samuel Kaluzny bt Savill 3-0 (11-9, 12-10, 11-9)
Jarvis bt Andrej Kassay 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-8)
Tomas Kopanyi bt Mabey 3-1 (11-7, 6-11, 11-8, 11-5)
Kassay bt Savill 3-2 (11-8, 4-11, 11-7, 3-11, 16-14)
Cadet Boys’ Team
Qualifying Group E
England 3-1 Georgia
Alex Ramsden bt Lasha Lomia 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-2)
Harry Dai bt Levan Pavliashvili 3-2 (12-10, 11-5, 7-11, 5-11, 11-9)
Lomia & Pavliashvili bt Ramsden & Dai 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 14-12)
Ramsden bt Pavliashvili 3-1 (11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8)
England 3-0 Estonia
Dai bt Maksim Vuhka 3-0 (11-7, 11-1, 11-7)
Ramsden bt Mart Luuk 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-5)
Ramsden & James Smith bt Vuhka & Luuk 3-2 (6-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-4)
England 3-1 Croatia
Ramsden bt Mario Banek 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-9)
Jakov Tica bt Dai 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-9)
Ramsden & Dai bt Banek & Tica 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7)
Ramsden bt Tica 3-1 (11-6, 6-11, 11-6, 11-7)
England 2-3 Israel
Ramsden bt Ron Dimant 3-0 (11-1, 11-2, 11-9)
Guy Kouchly bt Dai 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-3)
Dimant & Kouchly bt Ramsden & Dai 3-0 (12-10, 11-9, 11-9)
Ramsden bt Kouchly 3-1 (15-13, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9)
Dimant bt Dai 3-1 (11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 11-1)
First round
England 3-1 Slovenia
Alja Frelih bt Smith 3-2 (11-7, 5-11, 12-14, 14-12, 11-6)
Ramsden bt Rok Trtnik 3-0 (12-10, 11-5, 11-9)
Ramsden & Dai bt Frelih & Trtnik 3-1 (11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8)
Ramsden bt Frelih 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 13-11)
Positions 1-16
Romania 3-0 England
Rares Sipos bt Ramsden 3-2 (11-8, 8-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-4)
Cristian Pletea bt Smith 3-0 (11-1, 11-3, 11-6)
Sipos & Pletea bt Ramsden & Dai 3-1 (11-4, 11-3, 9-11, 11-5)
Positions 9-16
England 0-3 Lithuania
Agnius Kacerauskas bt Ramsden 3-2 (11-4, 9-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8)
Medardas Stankevicius bt Smith 3-1 (11-6, 11-9, 8-11, 11-4)
Kacerauskas & Stankevicius bt Ramsden & Dai 3-1 (11-9, 7-11, 13-11, 11-9)
Positions 13-16
England 0-3 Spain
Francisco Ruiz bt Ramsden 3-2 (11-9, 13-11, 7-11, 7-11, 12-10)
Javier Soria bt Harry Dai 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-2)
Ruiz & Soria bt Ramsden & Dai 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 11-8)
Positions 15-16
England 3-2 Belarus
Ramsden bt Pavel Daunarovich 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-9)
Valentin Henin bt Smith 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 15-13, 11-6)
Daunarovich & Henin bt Ramsden & Dai 3-1 (11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9)
Ramsden bt Henin 3-1 (13-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7)
Smith bt Daunarovich 3-2 (10-12, 3-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-7)
Paul Stimpson
July 13, 2015