The Indian challenge came to an end with Archana Kamat losing to top seed Romanian Adina Diaconu in straight sets in the quarter-finals of the 11even Sports ITTF World Junior Circuit Finals, being played at Abhay Prashal, Indore on Saturday.
Archana kamath
Having done well to defeat France’s Pauline Chasselin in the last of the league matches to make the quarter-final grade, Archana could not replicate her form and lost rather tamely to the Romanian, ranked No. 13 in the world, 6-11, 6-11, 4-11, 6-11.
Archana will now fight it out for a place among the 4 to 8 slots, still a creditable showing for the 15-year-old from Bengaluru.
Joining Adina in the semi-finals were Korea’s Seri Park, Romania’s Andrea Dragoman and Hong Kong’s Chenzhu Zhu. While Seri had a straight sets win over Taipei’s Chia-Hsuan Lin, 5th seed Andrea had a tough fight on her hands before getting the better of Spain’s Xuan Zhang in a match that went the distance before winning 4-3. Also made to giht hard was third seed Chengzhu Zhu before getting the better of Japan’s third seed Miyuu Kihara 4-2
Adina Diaconu
In the morning, the diminutive Archana was on the top of her game as kept plugging at Pauline’s backhand and attacking at every opportunity on both flanks to keep the taller opponent guessing. Backed by loud cheering from the young crowd that flocked the stands, Archana always had her nose ahead in her 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 6-11, 11-6 victory.
Girls QF Results:
DIACONU Adina (ROU) bt KAMATH Archana Girish (IND) 4-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-4, 11-6); PARK Seri (KOR) bt LIN Chia-Hsuan (TPE) 4-0 (12-14, 11-13, 11-13, 12-14); DRAGOMAN Andrea (ROU) bt ZHANG Xuan (ESP) 4-3 (11-5, 11-13, 4-11, 15-13, 11-5, 6-11, 11-5); ZHU Chengzhu (HKG) bt KIHARA Miyuu (Japan) 4-2 (8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 11-9)
Girls juniors Singles (League)
Group 1
ZHANG Xuan (ESP) bt LIN Po-Hsuan (TPE) 4-2 – 8-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-4, 11, 13-11, 11-9,
DIACONU Adina (ROU) bt YOUSRY Amira (EGY) 4-1 -11-6, 13-15, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7
Group 2
KIHARA Miyuu bt LIN Chia-Hsuan (TPE) JPN 4-2- 11-5, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10, 6-11, 11-6
KHETKHUAN Tamolwan (THA) bt WU Jiamuwa (AUS) 4-1 – 16-14, 7-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-9,
Group 3
TAKAHASHI Bruna (BRA) bt PARK Seri (KOR) 4-3 -11-3, 5-11, 11-9, 6-11, 7-11,13-11, 11-8
ZHU Chengzhu (HKG) bt GUAN Angela (USA) 4-2 -4-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-5,12-14,11-4,
Group 4
DRAGOMAN Andreea (ROU) bt NAKADA Leticia (BRA) 4-1 -11-9, 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-2
KAMATH Archana Girish (IND) bt CHASSELIN Pauline (FRA) 4-2 – 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7, 6-11, 11-6
Boy’s Juniors Singles (League)
Group 1
ZHANG Kai (USA) bt SCHLIE Jonah (GER) 4-2 (7-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-9, 11-6), AN Jaehyun (KOR) bt DANI Mudit (IND) 4-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9).
Group 2
VEDRIEL Carlos (ESP) bt WEERASINGHE Helshan (ENG) 4-0 (11-4, 11- 8, 11-4,-11-7),
JORGIC Darko (SLO) bt PANDE Siddhesh (IND) 4-2 (11-4, 8-11, 15-13, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7)
Group 3
TSAI Chun-Yu (TPE) bt ALKHADRAWI Ali (KSA) 4-1 (11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-5), HARIMOTO Tomokazu (JPN) bt ABDULWAHHAB Mohammed (QAT) 4-0 (11-4, 11-9, 11-2, 11-9)
Group 4
IZUMO Takuto (JPN) bt ABDEL-AZIZ Youssef (EGY) 4-0 (11-6, 17-15, 11-4, 11-7), PLETEA Cristian (ROU) bt ZAULI Isaac (BRA) 4-2- (9-11, 11-4, 11-2, 13-11, 10-12, 11-9)
Girls Consolation
KHETKHUAN Tamolwan (THA) bt YOUSRY Amira (EGY) 4-0 (11-2, 11-8, 11-4, 12-10)
CHASSELIN Pauline (FRA) bt TAKAHASHI Bruna (BRA) 4-2 (11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9)
LIN Po-Hsuan (TPE) bt NAKADA Leticia (BRA) 4-2 (12-10, 10-12, 11-8, 2-11, 16-14, 11-5)
GUAN Angela (USA) bt WU Jiamuwa (AUS) 4-3 (11-13, 11-7, 11-5, 4-11, 7-11, 11-9, 4-11)
Boys Consolation
Pletea Christin (ROU) bt Dani Mudit (IND) 4-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-5, 11-9)
Schlie Jonah (GER)bt Pande Siddesh (IND) 4-2 (7-11, 2-11, 11-5,11-6,11-7,11-9)
?; ?Alkhadrawi Ali (KSA) bt WEERASINGHE Helshan (ENG)4-3 (9-11, 5-11,11-3, 3-11,11-5,12-10,11-6)