The boys led the way in the team events at the Czech Open with Sam Walker once again excelling in Hodonin.
In the group stages the Junior Boys beat fourth seeds Hungary 3-1 with both Walker and Helshan Weerasinghe overcoming the tournament’s ninth seed Adam Szudi for a memorable victory.
However, once they reached the last 16 stage they came up against a strong Slovakian ‘A’ side who over powered the English hopefuls despite Walker’s heroics once more.
He defeated Roman Rezetka, seeded 22nd, in five tight games to maintain his run, however, he wasn’t given the opportunity to guide the side into the quarter-finals after Weerasinghe’s tight 3-2 defeat to Rezetka in the fourth fixture.
Equally impressive was the cadet boys, who made the last 16 as well despite a tough draw. Marcus Giles was influential in their tight opening win over Greece (3-2) which helped them progress through their group although they eventually fell to Poland in the knockout stages.
The story was not as positive for the girls, however, as both the juniors and cadets fell at the group stages with just a few individual wins to take note of.
Next up is the cadet singles and doubles where fourth seed Tin-Tin Ho will have visions of another international triumph.
Czech Junior & Cadet Open, Hodonin 13-17 Feb 2013
Team’s results:
Junior Boys Group D:
England 3-1 Hungary
Sam Walker bt Nandor Ecseki 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-7)
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Adam Szudi 3-2 (6-11, 13-11, 12-10, 3-11, 12-10)
Bence Majoros bt George Downing 3-1 (11-13, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9)
Sam Walker bt Adam Szudi 3-2 (7-11, 11-6, 11-6, 5-11, 14-12)
England 3-1 Czech Rep. B
Tibor Pavlik bt George Downing 3-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-6)
Sam Walker bt Martin Koblizek 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 15-13)
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Stanislav Kucera 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-7)
Sam Walker bt Tibor Pavlik 3-0 (13-11, 11-5, 13-11)
Junior Girls Group G:
Russia B 3-1 England
Svetlana Mokhnacheva bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-1 (11-6, 14-12, 8-11, 11-3)
Tin-Tin Ho bt Daria Chernova 3-0 (11-8, 13-11, 12-10)
Kristina Grechishnikova bt Lois Peake 3-2 (9-11, 12-10, 9-11, 15-13, 11-9)
Daria Chernova bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-9)
Czech Rep. A 3-0 England
Katerina Tomanovska bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-2 (11-8, 10-12, 8-11, 11-3, 11-2)
Kristyna Stefcova bt Tin-Tin Ho 3-1 (6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6)
Karolina Mynarova bt Lois Peake 3-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-3)
Croatia/Romania 3-1 England
Tin-Tin Ho bt Paula Markati 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-4)
Arina Singeorzan bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-2 (11-8, 9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9)
Bogdana Trifu bt Lois Peake 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-4)
Paula Markati bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-1 (11-6, 11-4, 4-11, 11-4)
Cadet Boys Group G:
England 3-2 Greece
Marcus Giles bt Nikolaos Antoniadis 3-1 (11-6, 10-12, 11-9, 11-5)
Andreas Tsopelas bt Tom Jarvis 3-1 (11-4, 11-9, 10-12, 11-5)
Giles/Jarvis bt Antoniadis/Tsopelas 3-1 (3-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8)
Nikolaos Antoniadis bt Tom Jarvis 3-2 (9-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8)
Marcus Giles bt Andreas Tsopelas 3-1 (11-7, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6)
England 3-1 Czech Rep.
Jakub Pilch bt Marcus Giles 3-0 (11-3, 11-7, 13-11)
Tom Jarvis bt Jiri Martinko 3-2 (6-11, 11-7, 3-11, 13-11, 11-9)
Giles/Jarvis bt Martinko/Rozinek 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-9)
Marcus Giles bt Jiri Martinko 3-1 (11-9, 11-8, 2-11, 15-13)
Slovenia 3-0 England
Darko Jorgic bt Marcus Giles 3-2 (11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 2-11, 13-11)
Erik Paulin bt Tom Jarvis 3-1 (6-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-6)
Jorgic/Paulin bt Giles/Jarvis 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-5)
Cadet Girls Group F:
Croatia 3-0 England
Klara Cakol bt Letitia McMullan 3-0 (12-10, 11-7, 12-10)
Matea Ombla bt Emily Bolton 3-0 (11-7, 15-13, 11-9)
Cakol/Ombla bt McMullan/Bolton 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-8)
Australia/Czech Rep. 3-2 England
Nikita Petrovova bt Letitia McMullan 3-0 (11-7, 12-10, 11-7)
Emily Bolton bt Darcie Morton 3-1 (11-4, 11-2, 7-11, 11-5)
McMullan/Bolton bt Kozakova/Morton 3-0 (11-9, 11-2, 11-3)
Nikita Perovova bt Emily Bolton 3-2 (9-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 12-10)
Darcie Morton bt Letitia McMullan 3-1 (11-8, 11-9, 12-14, 11-8)
Belarus 3-1 England
Nadezhda Bogdanova bt Emily Bolton 3-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-6)
Lizaveta Tsikhanava bt Letitia McMullan 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-7)
Bolton/McMullan bt Bogdanova/Tsikhanava 3-1 (11-6, 11-9, 10-12, 11-7)
Lizaveta Tsikhanava bt Emily Bolton 3-1 (11-4, 11-9, 3-11, 11-3)
Knock-out stages:
Junior Boys Last 16:
Slovakia A 3-1 England
Sam Walker bt Roman Rezetka 3-2 (13-11, 11-5, 11-13, 9-11, 12-10)
Patrik Vlacuska bt Helshan Weerasinghe 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 12-10)
Alexander Valuch bt George Downing 3-1 (11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7)
Roman Rezetka bt Helshan Weerasinghe 3-2 (11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6)
Cadet Boys Last 16:
Poland 3-1 England
Tom Jarvis bt Aleksander Werecki 3-1 (11-6, 12-10, 9-11, 11-8)
Tomasz Kotowski bt Marcu Giles 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-8)
Kotowski/Werecki bt Jarvis/Giles 3-1 (11-4, 10-12, 11-5, 11-7)
Aleksander Werecki bt Marcus Giles 3-1 (14-12, 3-11, 11-6, 11-5)