Sam Walker had an outstanding campaign at the Hungarian Open in Tata with great performances in all three disciplines over the weekend, taking his form from the team event into successful singles and doubles campaign.
Alongisde Helshan Weerasinghe and George Downing he started impressively in the team event despite England being defeated in the group stages. Walker won twice against Hungary, once against Lithuania and suffered his only defeat, a narrow 3-0 (11-6, 14-12, 15-13) loss to Roman Rezetka from the Slovakian A side that won the group.
Walker’s next exploits were in the doubles event where he partnered Hungarian Gergely Sabjan to the quarter-finals. There they were only beaten by second seeds David Reitspies and Jakub Seibert in a five-game thriller 3-2 (9-11, 11-9, 5-11, 14-12, 13-11).
Not satisfied with his performances in the doubles, he took his form into the singles where he waltzed through the group stages with ease – recording three successive 3-0 victories. After winning his last 64 knockout game against Iran’s Mahdi Najafi 4-0, he overturned the seedings against promising French youngster Alexandre Cassin 4-1 (11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5).
That meant he made the last 16 stage where he met the tournament’s top seed, and eventual winner, Lee Chia-Sheng (TPE) who beat him in six tight games 4-2 (8-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9).
His compatriots in Hungary were overshadowed by Walker’s achievements with Weerasinghe and Downing both making the last 64 in the boys singles but only to lose to higher seeded players. Weerasinghe was particularly unfortunate in his narrow 4-3 (11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 8-11, 9-11, 11-3, 12-10) defeat to top German junior Florian Schreiner, who eventually made the quarter-finals.
Finally, Maria Tsaptsinos, the sole female representative from England, had little fortune in pairing up with two Canadian girls for her team campaign although she did manage to reach the girls last 64 in her singles matches before losing to defender Linda Bergstrom from Sweden.
Joola Hungarian Junior Open, Tata
Junior Boys Singles
Group 5:
Sam Walker bt David Serdaroglu (AUT) 3-0 (11-7, 11-0, 11-1)
Sam Walker bt Dennis Klein (GER) 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-9)
Sam Walker bt Ryan Oyler (WAL) 3-0 (11-3, 11-6, 11-1)
Group 12:
George Downing bt Erik Anderson (SWE) 3-1 (12-10, 14-16, 11-8, 11-9)
Koen Hageraats (NED) bt George Downing 3-1 (6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7)
George Downing bt Ivor Katic (SRB) 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-8)
Group 13:
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Amirhossein Seddigh (IRI) 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 12-10)
Lam Siu Hang (HKG) bt Helshan Weerasinghe 3-1 (8-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-8)
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Conor Edwards (WAL) 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-6)
Round of 64:
Sam Walker bt Mahdi Najafi (IRI) 4-0 (11-3, 11-2, 11-7, 11-5)
Florian Schreiner (GER) bt Helshan Weerasinghe 4-3 (11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 8-11, 9-11, 11-3, 12-10)
Tomislav Pucar (CRO) bt George Downing 4-1 (13-15, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7, 11-6)
Round of 32:
Sam Walker bt Alexandre Cassin (FRA) 4-1 (11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5)
Round of 16:
Lee Chia-Sheng (TPE) bt Sam Walker 4-2 (8-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-9)
Junior Girls Singles Group 18:
Maria Tsaptsinos bt Ingrida Preidziute (LTU) 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-7)
Maria Tsaptsinos bt Chloe Thomas (WAL) 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-6)
Alice Barendregt (NED) bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-9)
Round of 64:
Linda Bergstrom (SWE) bt Maria Tsaptsinos 4-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8)
Junior Boys Teams Group J:
England 3-1 Hungary C
Sam Walker bt Henrik Heiszman 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-8)
Mate Bruckner bt Helshan Weerasinghe 3-2 (11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 4-11, 11-7)
George Downing bt Istvan Molnar 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-4)
Sam Walker bt Mate Bruckner 3-1 (11-4, 11-4, 14-16, 11-3)
England 3-0 Lithuania
George Downing bt Paulius Gura 3-1 (12-10, 11-6, 8-11, 12-10)
Sam Walker bt Tom Lebed 3-0 (11-7, 11-2, 11-9)
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Jokubas Biveinis 3-1 (8-11, 13-11, 11-7, 11-9)
Slovakia A 3-0 England
Michal Pavolka bt George Downing 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-4)
Roman Rezetka bt Sam Walker 3-0 (11-6, 14-12, 15-13)
Alexander Valuch bt Helshan Weerasinghe 3-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-9)
Junior Girls Teams Group B:
Chinese Taipei 3-0 CAN/ENG
Huang Yu-Wen bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-1 (6-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-6)
CAN/ENG 3-2 Slovakia A
Miriama Krsiakova bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-5)
Junior Boys Doubles:
Last 64:
Gabor Bohm/Bence Majoros (HUN) bt George Downing/Helshan Weerasinghe 3-0 (11-3, 11-8, 11-0)
Sam Walker/Gergely Sabjan (HUN) bye
Last 32:
Sam Walker/Gergely Sabjan (HUN) bt Jakub Folwarski/Adrian Wiecek (POL) 3-1 (11-5, 11-3, 9-11, 11-2)
Last 16:
Sam Walker/Gergely Sabjan (HUN) bt Elias Ranefur/Jonas Stener (SWE) 3-1 (9-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-9)
Quarter-final:
David Reitspies/Jakub Seibert (CZE) bt Sam Walker/Gergely Sabjan 3-2 (9-11, 11-9, 5-11, 14-12, 13-11)
Junior Girls Doubles:
Last 64:
Kim Vermaas/Rianne Van Duin (NED) bt Maria Tsaptsinos/Lizaveta Tsikhanava (BLR) 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-7)