Sam Chesterman is keen to learn from the experience of playing his first international Tour event at the Slovak Cadet Open in Bratislava.
The Cambridge player, who at 13 was a year younger than most of the players in the field, featured in the singles and doubles and, although he failed to win a match, acquitted himself well and believes he can take a lot of positives from the experience.
“It was a tough competition. In some matches I played a lot better than others but it was a very high standard and there weren’t any easy matches,” he said.
“I was expecting it to be strong but I was expecting there to be some weaker players – but everyone was really good.
“It was a really good experience to see how good the top Europeans are and what they do differently. The top players attack every ball, so you always have to give them a strong ball because if you give them a weak one, you’ve basically lost the point.
“Their footwork is incredible, and their leg power. I think that’s something I will need to improve.
“It was really good to put an England shirt on because I felt I was really representing my country for the first time and it was a really good feeling.”
Chesterman was joined at the event by James Smith and Shayan Siraj – and a meeting between those two was a highlight for the English contingent.
It was won by Smith as he reached the quarter-finals of the Consolation Singles, after all three English youngsters had been eliminated in the groups.
Orpington youngster Smith and Siraj, from Leeds, both won one group match and were beaten in five sets in another.
In the team competition, England had the misfortune to draw top seeds Japan in the group, to whom they lost the opening fixture. However, Siraj and Smith combined to beat Slovak Republic C 3-1 to set up a decider against Czech Republic A.
Smith gave them a great start by beating Tomas Martinko and, after the Czech side had levelled, Smith & Siraj won the doubles. But Smith was beaten 12-10 in a deciding set by Matej Siwiec and Martinko then beat Siraj in a close match to sels it 3-2.
Table Tennis England Head of Coaching & Performance Simon Mills said: “It’s an important part of our young athletes’ development that they test themselves at appropriate international competitions – this will stand them in good stead for the future.”
Results
Boys’ Team
Group A
Japan 3 England 0
Takeru Kashiwa bt James Smith 3-0 (11-6, 11-2, 15-13)
Yukiya Uda bt Shayan Siraj 3-0 (11-6, 11-1, 11-6)
Kashiwa & Uda bt Smith & Siraj 3-0 (11-2, 11-8, 11-5)
England 3 Slovak Republic C 1
Smith bt Adam Klajber 3-1 (8-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-8)
Felix Ivanco bt Siraj 3-2 (11-2, 11-13, 4-11, 11-8, 11-5)
Smith & Siraj bt Filip Delincak & Martin Papanek 3-1 (11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 11-2)
Smith bt Ivanco 3-0 (12-10, 11-8, 11-7)
England 2 Czech Republic A 3
Smith bt Tomas Martinko 3-1 (14-12, 5-11, 11-9, 11-7)
Matej Siwiec bt Siraj 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-7)
Smith & Siraj bt Martinko & Siwiec 3-1 (13-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-4)
Siwiec bt Smith 3-2 (11-8, 7-11, 5-11, 11-3, 12-10)
Martinko bt Siraj 3-0 (15-13, 11-5, 11-7)
Boys’ Singles
Qualifying Group 3
Jacobo Vahnish (PAN) bt Sam Chesterman 3-1 (13-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-5)
Samuel Kulczycki (POL) bt Chesterman 3-1 (11-3, 11-5, 7-11, 11-3)
Rok Trtnik (SLO) bt Chesterman 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-7)
Group 10
Alexander Bu (CAN) bt James Smith 3-2 (6-11, 11-4, 14-12, 10-12, 11-6)
Jules Cavaille (FRA) bt Smith 3-0 (11-5, 15-13, 13-11)
Smith bt Martin Danovsky (SVK) 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-6)
Group 11
Alberto Lillo (ESP) bt Shayan Siraj 3-2 (11-1, 11-1, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9)
Siraj bt Petr Olejnik (CZE) 3-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-2)
Sven Henning (GER) bt Siraj 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-8)
Consolation singles
Round of 32
Siraj bt Daniel Rinderer (GER) 3-2 (11-6, 11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 11-7)
Smith bt Adam Klajber (SVK) 3-0 (11-3, 11-5, 11-7)
Mikkel Emborg (DEN) bt Chesterman 3-1 (11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9)
Round of 16
Smith bt Siraj 3-0 (13-11, 13-11, 11-7)
Quarter-final
Jacobo Vahnish (PAN) bt Smith 3-2 (9-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-7)
Boys’ Doubles
Round of 64
Boris Dobbelstein & Adrien Rassenfosse (BEL) bt Sam Chesterman & Alexander Bu (CAN) 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-5)
Round of 32
David Comeliau & Romain Gaspar (BEL) bt Shayan Siraj & James Smith 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-9)