02/24/2012        2012 Swedish Junior & Cadet Open - ITTF Premium Junior Circuit

Defeat for Masaki Yoshida, the defending champion but, once again, the Junior Boys’ Singles title at the Swedish Junior and Cadet Open finished in Japanese hands.

The successor to the crown is Asuka Machi, who on Thursday 23rd February, in Örebro, not only ended the reign of the defending champion in the semi-finals; also, he joined forces with his victim, Masaki Yoshida, to clinch the Junior Boys’ Doubles title.

Quite simply, the day and Örebro belonged to Asuka Machi who, by securing gold, won his third career ITTF Junior Circuit Boys’ Singles crown but his first for over a year.

In 2010 he won at the French Junior and Cadet Open in Vern sur Seiche and at the German Junior Open in Seligenstadt.

Road to Final
Seeded no.5, Asuka Machi, 17 years old, accounted for Luxembourg’s Jim Cloos (11-6, 11-2, 11-9, 11-9), Paul Gauzy of France (5-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-3, 11-7) and Brazil’s Vitor Ishiy (11-8, 12-10, 11-7, 6-11, 9-11, 11-8) before causing a string of surprises.

At the quarter-final stage he caused France more pain by beating Antoine Hachard (11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 12-10), before ending the year long reign of Masaki Yoshida in the penultimate round (11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-3, 7-11, 11-6).

Maintained Good Form
A place in the final duly reserved, he maintained his good form to secure gold; in the final he accounted for colleague beat Yuta Higashi in an event dominated by Japan (11-7, 3-11, 12-10, 11-5, 9-11, 7-11, 11-6).

One round earlier, Yuta Higashi, the no.3 seed, had caused an upset; he beat compatriot, Yuto Mramatsu, the no.1 seed (12-10, 6-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-6, 11-9) to book his place in the final.

Maintained Good Form
A surprise winner in the Junior Boys’ Singles event but that was not the situation for Asuka Machi in the Junior Boys’ competition where he was the top seed with Masaki Yoshida.

It was an event where matters went very much to plan in the top half of the draw but not in the lower half.

Later Rounds
At the semi-final stage Asuka Machi and Misaki Yoshida beat Enzo Angles and Alexandre Robinot of France (11-6, 12-14, 8-11, 11-8, 11-2), before overcoming colleagues Yuto Muramatsu and Tonin Ryuzaki in the final (11-9, 11-4, 6-11, 7-11, 11-7).

Seeded no.4, Yuto Muramatsu and Tonin Ryuzaki, at the semi-final stage, they also caused France pain.

They beat Benjamin Brossier and Antoine Hachard (11-6, 11-6, 11-9) to book their place in the final where life proved too difficult; a well-earned silver medal was their reward.

Masaki Yoshida who surrendered his singles crown but enjoyed doubles success with Asuka Machi
Photo by Petter Koubek