Helshan Weerasinghe won three of his four cadet boys singles matches, including a victory over the European number 5, as the 2012 European Youth Championships got underway in Schwechat, Austria.
The EYC begins with the team events and the cadet boys faced a daunting challenge in Sweden in their first match. Although they lost 3-1, Weerasinghe, Europe’s number 22, was on fine form to pick up a big shock.
He beat the European number 5, Anton Kallberg 3-1 (13-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-6) before then taking the European number 6, Simon Berglund to five games in a 3-2 (11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6) defeat.
He also won both his matches against Hungary, but with the boys 3-2 loss overall it doesn’t look as though they will reach the latter stages.
The cadet girls will also struggle after falling disappointingly to Latvia 3-0 in their group, which contains just three teams. Defeats for Tin-Tin Ho and Maria Tsaptsinos in the singles and for Ho and Lois Peake in the doubles leaves them precariously placed.
In the junior competitions it was role-reversal for the two English sides as the boys recovered from an opening defeat to a strong Czech team to beat Romania 3-2, while the girls, after beating San Marino 3-0, fell at the death to Switzerland in another 3-2 match.
The girls will feel unfortunate in their defeat after leading 2-0 at one stage before the Swiss fought back to snatch the win at the end.
However, the boys were elated after Lewis Gray sealed a dramatic final game to beat the Romanians.
After the first four matches were shared 2-2 it came down to Gray against Alin Marian Spelbus for the victory. It didn’t look good when the Grantham player fell 2-1 behind but he held his nerve in an incredible fashion as he won both the fourth and fifth games 12-10.
Team Results:
Cadet boys:
Sweden 3-1 England
Simon Berglund bt Sam Mabey 3-1 (11-5, 10-12, 11-6, 12-10)
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Anton Kallberg 3-1 (13-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-6)
Kallberg/Berglund bt Weerasinghe/Lawrence 3-0 (12-10, 11-7, 11-7)
Simon Berglund bt Helshan Weerasinghe 3-2 (11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6)
Hungary 3-2 England
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Gabor Bohm 3-2 (8-11, 7-11, 11-2, 12-10, 11-5)
JB Majoros bt Daniel Lawrence 3-0 (11-6, 11-1, 11-5)
Bohm/Majoros bt Weerasinghe/Mabey 3-2 (8-11, 11-13, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9)
Helshan Weerasinghe bt JB Majoros 3-2 (10-12, 11-1, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6)
Gabor Bohm bt Daniel Lawrence 3-1 (6-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7)
Cadet girls:
Latvia 3-0 England
Insana Makhauri bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-1 (11-5, 10-12, 11-2, 11-3)
Diana Rusinova bt Tin-Tin Ho 3-2 (11-8, 10-12, 11-3, 6-11, 11-8)
Makhauri/Rusinova bt Ho/Peake 3-1 (4-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4)
Junior boys:
Czech Rep 3-0 England
Ondrej Bajger bt Lewis Gray 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-4)
Michal Benes bt Sam Walker 3-0 (11-7, 12-10, 11-8)
Jakub Seibert bt Igor Morais 3-1 (11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 13-11)
England 3-2 Romania
Daniel Dan bt Lewis Gray 3-1 (11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 15-13)
Sam Walker bt AM Spelbus 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-3, 11-0)
George Downing bt Adrian Costea 3-0 (11-9, 15-13, 11-5)
Daniel Dan bt Sam Walker 3-2 (11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 11-8)
Lewis Gray bt AM Spelbus 3-2 (7-11, 11-5, 5-11, 12-10, 12-10)
Junior girls:
England 3-0 San Marino
Emily Bates bt Letizia Giardi 3-1 (5-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-6)
Jessica Dawson bt Chiara Boffa 3-0 (11-3, 11-7, 11-3)
Vicky Smith bt Martina Berardi 3-0 (11-1, 11-2, 11-1)
Switzerland 3-2 England
Emily Bates bt Nurit Ehrismann 3-0 (11-3, 11-9, 11-5)
Jess Dawson bt Amanda Fauvel 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 13-11)
Liza Schempp bt Vicky Smith 3-1 (11-7, 13-11, 10-12, 11-6)
Amana Fauvel bt Emily Bates 3-0 (12-10, 11-8, 13-11)
Nurit Ehrismann bt Jessica Dawson 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 13-11)