Denise Payet

England’s three teams all failed to make it through the group stages of the team competition at the Spanish Youth Open today.

The Cadet Girls partnership of Denise Payet and Kate Cheer performed best, winning two of their three matches.

Both girls were beaten by Xuan Xhang in the clash against Spain A, but both beat Marina Niguez – Cheer winning 14-12 in the fifth – and teamed up to take the doubles 15-13 in the fifth.

Portugal B were also beaten 3-2, both girls winning one singles match each and combining to take the doubles. Cheer won the decisive fifth end 3-0 against Maria Matos.

However, they lost 3-1 to Turkey A, with Payet putting the point on the board with a 3-0 win over Gul Pembe Ozkaya.

The Junior Boys line-up of Sam Mabey, Danny Lawrence and Adam Harrison lost 3-0 to both Slovakia and Belgium but beat a combined Portugal-Lithuania squad, with Lawrence winning in five sets and Mabey and Harrison both in three.

The Cadet Boys team comprising Tom Jarvis and Omar Khassal lost 3-0 to Italy, although Jarvis took Daniele Pinto to five. Jarvis then won both singles matches and partnered Khassal to victory in the doubles as Luxembourg were beaten 3-1 in the other match in a three-team group.

Paul Stimpson (9th May 2014)