Sam Walker moved up to third in the ITTF World Junior Circuit standings with a comprehensive performance at the Malta Junior & Cadet Open in Cottonera.
Walker was outstanding in singles play throughout both the Junior Boys Singles and Junior Boys Team event where he dropped just one game in the entire tournament – that in the final against Denmark’s Claus Nielsen.
Alongside Helshan Weerasinghe (semi-finalist in the singles) and George Downing (quarter-finalists) Walker was also triumphant in the team event where England beat Norway 3-1 in the final.
There were also English titles in the Junior Girls Team event with Tin-Tin Ho, Maria Tsaptsinos and Lois Peake emerging with the win, while the Junior Boys Doubles and Junior Girls Doubles also saw English winners through Walker and Weerasinghe while Tin-Tin partnered Wales’ Charlotte Carey.
It wasn’t to be Tin-Tin’s day in the Cadet or Junior Singles as she lost in both to Poland’s Katarzyna Galus. She eventually made the semi-final in the Junior Girls Singles – only to lose to Carey 4-2 (22-24, 11-1, 11-6, 11-7, 11-13, 14-12).
In the final, the Welsh girl also beat Maria Tsaptsinos 4-1 to claim Wales’ first-ever ITTF Junior Circuit title.
Tom Jarvis and Marcus Giles were also in action in the cadet boys. While the pair were knocked out of the team event in the quarter-finals by Belarus and in the semi-finals of the doubles by a Greek pairing, Jarvis did manage to reach the final of the singles event.
Surprising second seed Aliaksandr Khanin (BLR) in the process, Jarvis was only halted by Abdulrahman Al-Naggar (QAT) in the final after a great run from the eighth seed.
2013 Malta Junior & Cadet Open, Cottonera Apr 4-7th
Individual results
Junior Boys
Group 1
Sam Walker bt Hannes Iwarsson (SWE) 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 11-3)
Sam Walker bt Andreas Dilling (DEN) 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-7)
Sam Walker bt Luca Minuti (MLT) 3-0 (11-6, 11-3, 11-2)
Group 4
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Mohammed Al-Sulaiti (QAT) 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-4)
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Andreas Tsopelas (GRE) 3-1 (11-5, 11-4, 4-11, 11-7)
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Alexander Wheeler (SCO) 3-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-6)
Group 5
George Downing bt William Apelqvist (SWE) 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 13-11)
George Downing bt Nikolaos Antoniadis (GRE) 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 14-12)
George Downing bt James Camilleri (MLT) 3-0 (11-7, 11-3, 11-5)
Last 16
Sam Walker bt Chris Wheeler (SCO) 4-0 (11-4, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9)
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Andreas Dilling (DEN) walkover
George Downing bt Abdulrahman Al-Naggar (QAT) 4-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7)
Quarter-Final
Sam Walker bt Andreas Tsopelas (GRE) 4-0 (11-3, 11-1, 11-3, 11-1)
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Adam Brat (SVK) 4-2 (11-5, 6-11, 11-6, 11-3, 9-11, 11-9)
Claus Nielsen (DEN) bt George Downing 4-1 (11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 14-12, 11-7)
Semi-Final
Sam Walker bt Anders Lind (DEN) 4-0 (11-8, 11-6, 13-11, 11-6)
Claus Nielsen (DEN) bt Helshan Weerasinghe 4-1 (14-12, 7-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-9)
Final
Sam Walker bt Claus Nielsen (DEN) 4-1 (9-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-8, 11-9)
Junior Girls
Group 1
Tin-Tin Ho bt Sofie Egeholt (DEN) 3-0 (11-7, 13-11, 11-4)
Katarzyna Galus (POL) bt Tin-Tin Ho 3-1 (4-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-5)
Tin-Tin Ho bt Hedda Egerlid (SWE) 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-6)
Group 2:
Lois Peake bt Sara Pytel (POL) 3-1 (11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7)
Charlotee Carey (WAL) bt Lois Peake 3-0 (11-1, 11-6, 12-10)
Lois Peake bt Amy De Gaetano (MLT) 3-0 (11-3, 11-7, 11-2)
Group 3
Maria Tsaptsinos bt Anette Lundh (SWE) 3-0 (12-10, 13-11, 11-4)
Maria Tsaptsinos bt Veronika Tuslova (CZE) 3-2 (11-3, 8-11, 5-11, 11-4, 11-7)
Maria Tsaptsinos bt Therese Genovese (MLT) 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-1)
Quarter-Final
Katarzyna Galus (POL) bt Lois Peake 4-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5, 11-6)
Tin-Tin Ho bt Anette Lundh (SWE) 4-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-5, 11-4)
Semi-Final
Maria Tsaptsinos bt Katarzyna Galus (POL) 4-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-4, 11-8)
Charlotte Carey (WAL) bt Tin-Tin Ho 4-2 (22-24, 11-1, 11-6, 11-7, 11-13, 14-12)
Final
Charlotte Carey (WAL) bt Maria Tsaptsinos 4-1 (11-2, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7, 12-10)
Cadet Boys
Group 5
Marcus Giles bt Jurgen Sammut (MLT) 3-0 (11-9, 11-3, 11-6)
Andreas Tsopelas (GRE) bt Marcus Giles 3-1 (11-4, 11-6, 6-11, 11-8)
Marcus Giels bt Sacha Pace (MLT) 3-0 (11-4, 11-2, 11-7)
Group 8
Tom Jarvis bt Miguel Pullicino (MLT) 3-0 (11-8, 11-1, 11-1)
Lucas Prandi (BRA) bt Tom Jarvis 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-7)
Tom Jarvis bt Callum Evans 3-0 (11-7, 11-3, 13-11)
Last 16
Jassim Al-Sanadi (QAT) bt Marcus Giles 3-0 (11-6, 11-9, 14-12)
Tom Jarvis bt Nikolaos Antoniadis (GRE) 3-1 (11-6, 11-7, 8-11, 13-11)
Quarter-Final
Tom Jarvis bt Aliaksandr Khanin (BLR) 3-2 (10-12, 14-12, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7)
Semi-Final
Tom Jarvis bt William Apelqvist (SWE) 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-4)
Final
Abdulrahman Al-Naggar (QAT) bt Tom Jarvis 3-1 (11-4, 11-4, 11-13, 11-5)
Cadet Girls
Round-robin group
Katarzyna Galus (POL) bt Tin-Tin Ho 3-1 (12-10, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8)
Tin-Tin Ho bt Veronika Tuslova (CZE) 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-7)
Tin-Tin Ho bt Sascha Genovese (MLT) 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-3)
Tin-Tin Ho bt Sara Pytel (POL) 3-0 (11-7, 14-12, 11-9)
Team results
Junior Boys
Group 1
England 3-0 Qatar
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Mohammed Al-Sulaiti 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-6)
Sam Walker bt Mohammed Al-Haddad 3-0 (11-8, 11-1, 11-2)
Walker/Downing bt Al-Sulaiti/Al-Haddad 3-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-1)
England 3-0 Sweden
Sam Walker bt Johan Hesselgren 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 11-4)
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Hannes Iwarsson 3-0 (11-0, 11-4, 12-10)
Walker/Downing bt Hesselgren/Iwarsson 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-6)
England 3-0 Malta A
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Andrea Portelli 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-6)
George Downing bt James Camilleri 3-0 (11-9, 11-2, 11-4)
Walker/Weerasinghe bt Portelli/Camilleri 3-0 (11-4, 14-12, 11-2)
Semi-Final:
England 3-0 Slovakia
Sam Walker bt Adam Brat 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-8)
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Tomas Kopanyi 3-1 (5-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9)
Walker/Weerasinghe bt Brat/Kopanyi 3-2 (11-5, 11-5, 5-11, 7-11, 11-9)
Final
England 3-1 Norway
Sam Walker bt Espen Flaglien 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-6)
Helshan Weerasinghe bt Eskild Jorgensen 3-2 (9-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-5, 13-11)
Flaglien/Jorgensen bt Downing/Walker 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-8)
Sam Walker bt Eskild Jorgensen 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-7)
Junior Girls
England 3-0 Malta
Maria Tsaptsinos bt Therese Genovese 3-0 (11-8, 11-2, 11-3)
Lois Peake bt Amy De Gaetano 3-0 (11-2, 11-6, 11-7)
Tsaptsinos/Ho bt Genovese/De Gaetano 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-8)
England 3-1 Poland
Katarzyna Galus bt Maria Tsaptsinos 3-1 (11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4)
Tin-Tin Ho bt Sara Pytel 3-0 (14-12, 11-9, 11-2)
Tsaptsinos/Ho bt Galus/Pytel 3-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-7)
Tin-Tin Ho bt Katazyna Galus 3-1 (10-12, 11-8, 11-6, 11-4)
England 3-0 DEN-CZE
Tin-Tin Ho bt Sofie Egeholt 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-5)
Maria Tsaptsinos bt Veronika Tuslova 3-2 (11-5, 5-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9)
Peake/Ho bt Tuslova/Egeholt 3-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-4)
England 3-0 Sweden
Tin-Tin Ho bt Anette Lundh 3-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-5)
Maria Tsaptsinos bt Hedda Egerlid 3-1 (9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9)
Ho/Peake bt Lundh/Egerlid 3-1 (11-4, 9-11, 11-8, 11-6)
Cadet Boys
Group 3:
England 3-0 Sweden B
Marcus Giles bt Martin Friis 3-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-9)
Tom Jarvis bt Truis Moregard 3-1 (11-9, 12-10, 9-11, 11-8)
Giles/Jarvis bt Friis/Moregard 3-2 (7-11, 12-10, 11-7, 4-11, 11-9)
Greece 3-1 England
Tom Jarvis bt Nikolaos Antoniadis 3-1 (13-15, 12-10, 11-6, 11-7)
Andreas Tsopelas bt Marcus Giles 3-2 (9-11, 11-5, 15-13, 11-13, 12-10)
Antoniadis/Tsopelas bt Giles/Jarvis 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-7)
Nikolaos Antoniadis bt Marcus Giles 3-1 (8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9)
England 3-0 Malta C
Marcus Giles bt Ryan Camilleri 3-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-3)
Tom Jarvis bt Sacha Pace 3-0 (11-3, 11-3, 11-4)
Giles/Jarvis bt Camilleri/Pace 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-9)
Quarter-Final:
Belarus 3-1 England
Tom Jarvis bt Valentin Henin 3-1 (11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5)
Aliaksandr Khanin bt Marcus Giles 3-0 (12-10, 11-8, 11-3)
Khanin/Henin bt Giles/Jarvis 3-0 (12-10, 11-7, 11-7)
Aliaksandr Khanin bt Tom Jarvis 3-1 (11-9, 11-8, 4-11, 12-10)
Doubles Events
Junior Boys
Quarter-Final
Sam Walker/Helshan Weerasinghe bt Alex Wheeler/Chris Wheeler (SCO) 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-6)
George Downing/Claus Nielsen (DEN) bt James Camilleri/Andrea Portelli (MLT) 3-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-3)
Semi-Final
Sam Walker/Helshan Weerasinghe bt Adam Brat/Tomas Kopanyi (SVK) 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-4)
George Downing/Claud Nielsen (DEN) bt Johan Hesselgren/Hannes Iwarsson (SWE) 3-0 (11-7, 12-10, 11-5)
Final
Sam Walker/Helshan Weerasinghe bt George Downing/Claus Nielsen (DEN) 3-0 (12-10, 11-6, 11-9)
Junior Girls
Semi-Final
Tin-Tin Ho/Charlotte Carey (WAL) bt Katarzyna Galus/Sara Pytel (POL) 3-0 (11-4, 12-10, 11-7)
Lois Peake/Maria Tsaptsinos bt Hedda Egerlid/Anette Lundh (SWE) 3-2 (11-2, 11-7, 2-11, 9-11, 11-5)
Final
Tin-Tin Ho/Charlotte Carey (WAL) bt Lois Peake/Maria Tsaptsinos 3-1 (11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7)
Cadet Boys
Quarter-Final
Marcus Giles/Tom Jarvis bt Andreas Dilling/Nicolai De Voss (DEN) walkover
Semi-Final
Nikolaos Antoniadis/Andreas Tsopelas (GRE) bt Marcus Giles/Tom Jarvis 3-1 (11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5)