England’s Junior Boys sealed promotion at the 56th European Youth Championships with three consecutive knockout victories to return to the top level of European competition.
Having suffered a tight 3-2 defeat to Italy in their first play-off match for the last 16, the quartet of Sam Walker, Igor Morais, George Downing and Helshan Weerasinghe successfully defeated Slovenia, Belarus and Romania to seal the one place available to the top tier.
Their knockout campaign began with a play-off match against Italy for a chance to compete for the European Championships title. However, despite leading 2-1 at one stage, England were undone by European No. 7 Leonardo Mutti whose confident 3-0 win over Walker helped Italy to overhaul the deficit and clinch a 3-2 victory.
Instead of reflecting on their defeat, the youngsters began their campaign to secure promotion through the 17-24th place knockout rounds. A Walker double helped the side to a 3-1 victory over Slovenia before Morais two wins against Belarus took England to a showdown with Romania for 17th place – the solitary promotion spot.
Although Romanian No. 1 Daniel Dan beat Morais 3-1 in the opening fixture, Walker’s double and Downing’s victory over Sedan Orazali ensured that the English boys would celebrate a team success before beginning the singles events on Wednesday.
The Junior Girls suffered a similar fate in their campaign after losing to Italy in their last 16 play-off match.
Junior No. 1 Tin-Tin Ho’s tight 3-2 defeat to Giorgia Piccolin proved the decisive moment in the match with the Italians as England’s dream faded in Ostrava. Another close 3-2 defeat was to follow against Lithuania before a 3-1 loss to Greece meant that the Junior Girls were playing for 23/24th place.
Here they finally got their performances back on track as Tin-Tin’s double and Lois Peake’s win over Salome Simonet secured a 3-1 victory over Switzerland.
That was as good as it got for the English sides in the team events as both the cadet boys and cadet girls sides struggled to win during the knockout stages. While the boys lost three consecutive matches, including a 3-1 defeat to Hungary in their play-off match, the girls finally managed to record their first win with a 3-0 victory over Ireland.
Both of the cadet sides still have a couple of matches left to play on Tuesday before the singles and doubles competitions begin on Wednesday for all the age groups. The latest results and draws can be seen below.
56th European Youth Championships (12-21st July 2013) Ostrava, Czech Republic
Team Results
Junior Boys
Play-off
Italy 3-2 England
Leonardo Mutti bt Helshan Weerasinghe 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-2)
Sam Walker bt Alessandro Baciocchi 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-6)
Igor Morais bt Maurizio Massarelli 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-4)
Leonardo Mutti bt Sam Walker 3-0 (11-6, 11-3, 11-5)
Alessandro Baciocchi bt Helshan Weerasinghe 3-0 (11-5, 11-3, 11-5)
Pos 17-24
England 3-1 Slovenia
Igor Morais bt Ludvik Persolja 3-0 (14-12, 11-4, 12-10)
Sam Walker bt Deni Kozul 3-2 (8-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-9)
Patrik Sukic bt George Downing 3-2 (3-11, 13-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7)
Sam Walker bt Ludvik Persolja 3-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-9)
Pos 17-20
England 3-2 Belarus
Igor Morais bt Vadim Yarashenka 3-2 (8-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8)
Sam Walker bt Siarhei Afanasenka 3-0 (11-7, 11-3, 11-7)
Gleb Shamruk bt George Downing 3-1 (11-4, 11-4, 12-14, 11-8)
Vadim Yarashenka bt Sam Walker 3-2 (8-11, 8-11, 11-4, 15-13, 11-6)
Igor Morais bt Siarhei Afanasenka 3-1 (11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7)
Pos 17-18
England 3-1 Romania
Daniel Dan bt Igor Morais 3-1 (11-9, 7-11, 13-11, 11-9)
Sam Walker bt Alin Marian Spelbus 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-4)
George Downing bt Sedan Orazali 3-1 (11-7, 11-6, 10-12, 11-8)
Sam Walker bt Daniel Dan 3-0 (11-7, 15-13, 11-5)
Junior Girls
Play-off
Italy 3-2 England
Giorgia Piccolin bt Lois Peake 3-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-4)
Tin-Tin Ho bt Bianca Bracco 3-2 (7-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 11-7)
Maria Tsaptsinos bt Loan Le Thi Hiong 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-6)
Giorgia Piccolin bt Tin-Tin Ho 3-2 (9-11, 12-10, 11-4, 7-11, 11-9)
Bianca Bracco bt Lois Peake 3-2 (12-14, 9-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6)
Pos 17-24
Lithuania 3-2 England
Tin-Tin Ho bt Ingrida Preidziute 3-2 (20-22, 11-6, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6)
Vitalija Venckute bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-5)
Egle Orlovaite bt Emily Bolton 3-2 (11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 14-16, 11-8)
Tin-Tin Ho bt Vitalija Venckute 3-0 (11-9, 13-11, 11-8)
Ingrida Preidziute bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-2)
Pos 21-24
Greece 3-1 England
Tin-Tin Ho bt Filia Emiri 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-9)
Aikaterini Toliou bt Emily Bolton 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-9)
Konstantina Paridi bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 13-11)
Aikaterini Toliou bt Tin-Tin Ho 3-2 (2-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7)
Pos 23-24
England 3-1 Switzerland
Tin-Tin Ho bt Liza Schempp 3-0 (11-8, 11-3, 11-6)
Celine Reust bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-2 (9-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-3, 11-7)
Lois Peake bt Salome Simonet 3-1 (11-3, 9-11, 13-11, 11-9)
Tin-Tin Ho bt Celine Reust 3-0 (11-6, 15-13, 11-3)
Cadet Boys
Play-off
Hungary 3-1 England
Mate Bruckner bt Luke Savill 3-1 (11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 11-4)
Gergo Timafalvi bt Tom Jarvis 3-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-4)
Jarvis/Savill bt Bruckner/Heiszman 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-5)
Mate Bruckner bt Tom Jarvis 3-1 (8-11, 11-3, 12-10, 11-7)
2nd stage Group K
Greece 3-1 England
Marcus Giles bt Ioannis Sgouropoulos 3-2 (11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9)
Nikolaos Antoniadis bt Tom Jarvis 3-1 (11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 13-11)
Sgouropoulos/Antoniadis bt Jarvis/Savill 3-1 (7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9)
Nikolaos Antoniadis bt Marcus Giles 3-1 (11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-3)
Slovakia 3-2 England
Tom Jarvis bt Tibor Spanik 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-6)
Marcus Giles bt Adam Brat 3-2 (11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-4)
Brat/Pavolka bt Jarvis/Savill 3-1 (11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4)
Tibor Spanik bt Marcus Giles 3-2 (11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9)
Adam Brat bt Tom Jarvis 3-1 (7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 13-11)
Cadet Girls
2nd stage Group O
Norway 3-2 England
Ilka Doval bt Denise Payet 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 14-12)
Letitia McMullan bt Rebekka Carlsen 3-2 (8-11, 13-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-3)
Payet/McMullan bt Doval/Carlsen 3-0 (11-7, 15-13, 12-10)
Ilka Doval bt Letita McMullan 3-1 (11-7, 11-13, 11-4, 11-9)
Rebekka Carlsen bt Denise Payet 3-1 (11-3, 5-11, 11-9, 11-7)
England 3-0 Ireland
Denise Payet bt Katie McGlone 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-6)
Letitia McMullan bt Chloe O’Halloran 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-6)
Payet/McMullan bt McGlone/Finn 3-2 (12-10, 14-12, 8-11, 6-11, 11-9)
Pos 32-34
Armenia 3-2 England
Diana Khojagoryan bt Denise Payet 3-1 (11-4, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6)
Letitia McMullan bt Svetlana Yeghiazaryan 3-1 (11-7, 11-8, 10-12, 11-4)
McMullan/Payet bt Khojagoryan/Yeghiazaryan 3-2 (7-11, 11-3, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9)
Diana Khojagoryan bt Letitia McMullan 3-2 (4-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6, 12-10)
Svetlana Yeghiazaryan bt Denise Payet 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-2)
Singles Draws
Junior Boys:
1st round:
Igor Morais vs Sinisa Marcetic (BIH)/Konstantinos Angelakis (GRE)
Helshan Weerasinghe vs Kyrylo Samokysh (UKR)
George Downing vs Ludvik Persolja (SLO)
2nd round:
Sam Walker vs (Turcek (SVK) v Kucera (CZE)/Davidov(ISR))
Junior Girls:
Qualifying round:
Lois Peake vs Nikki Eerland (NED)
1st round:
Maria Tsaptsinos vs Ashley Givan (IRL)
Cadet Boys:
1st round:
Luke Savill vs Adam Blomqvist (SWE)
Tom Jarvis vs Martin Petrovic (CRO)
Marcus Giles vs Andreas Dilling (DEN)
Cadet Girls:
1st round:
Letitia McMullan vs Daria Chernoray (RUS)
Emily Bolton vs Katie McGlone (IRL)/Mihaela Dimova (BUL)
2nd round:
Tin-Tin Ho vs (Kukulkova (SVK) v Pateraki (GRE)/O’Halloran (IRL))
Doubles Draws
Junior Boys:
Helshan Weerasinghe/George Downing v Deni Kozul/Tom Sfiligoj (SLO)
Igor Morais/Conor Edwards (WAL) v Leonardo Mutti/Alessandro Baciocchi (ITA)
Sam Walker/Viktor Gorman (SWE) v Valentin Nad Nemedi/Kristian Halas (SRB)
Junior Girls:
Maria Tsaptsinos/Lois Peake v Lea Rakovac (CRO)/Chantal Mantz (GER)
Cadet Boys:
Tom Jarvis/Marcus Giles v Andrei Labanau (BLR)/Rimas Lesiv (LTU)
Luke Savill/Marcus Hilker (GER) v Rares Sipos/Vladimir Anca (ROU)
Cadet Girls:
Tin-Tin Ho/Maria Malanina (RUS) first round bye
Emily Bolton/Letitia McMullan v Beate Jasuka/Karina Gailisa (LAT)
Denise Payet/Sonia Tiplicki (ISR) v Dinara Mammadova/Maryam Imanova (LAT)
Junior Mixed Doubles:
Sam Walker/Maria Tsaptsinos v Ingemar Peter/Eva Jurkova (SVK)
George Downing/Lois Peake v Gael Vende/Liza Schempp (SUI)
Helshan Weerasinghe/Ashley Givan (IRL) v Siarhei Afanasenka/Hanna Patseyeva (BLR)
Igor Morais/Hannah Lynch-Dawson (IRL) v Luca Marcato/Francesca Trotti (ITA)
Cadet Mixed Doubles:
Luke Savill/Denise Payet v Marcus Hilker/Jennie Wolf (GER)
Marcus Giles/Letitia McMullan v Slawomir Dosz/Katarzyna Hennig (POL)
Tin-Tin Ho/Tomas Polansky (CZE) first round bye
Tom Jarvis/Emily Bolton v Ivan Perez/Sofia Xuan Zhang (ESP)
Written by Russell Moore (July 15, 2013)