3/17/2007 2007 ITTF WJC Chile Junior Open

Victory at the Venezuelan Junior Open in the first week of March and a quarter-final place at the Chile Junior Open five days later sees Australia’s Trent Carter move into top place in the ITTF World Junior Circuit Boys’ Singles Standings. He replaces Indonesia’s Gilang Malauna in top spot.

Meanwhile, in the Girls’ Singles Standings Romania’s Elizabeth Samara, who did not compete in the ITTF World Junior Circuit events in South America, retains the number one place with Brazil’s Jessica Yamada the player to make the most progress.

 3/13/2007 2007 ITTF WJC Chile Junior Open

Viña del Mar, the `Vineyard of the Sea’ known locally as La Ciudad Jardín, `The Garden City’, is a thriving coastal city in central Chile in the Valparaíso Region.

Furthermore, from 8th to 14th March 2007 it was a metropolis for table tennis. The Chile Junior Open was held 8th to 11th March 2007 and was followed by an ITTF Elite Training Camp under the direction of Canadian National Coach, Marles Martins with the assistance of Venezuela’s Francisco `Pancho’ Seijas.

 3/11/2007 2007 ITTF WJC Chile Junior Open

Paraguay’s fourteen year old Marcelo Aguirre won his first ever Boys’ Singles title on the ITTF World Junior Circuit when he clinched gold at the Chile Junior Open on Sunday 11th March 2007.

In Viña del Mar, on the last day of play, he was in excellent form and underlined his undoubted potential.

He beat Venezuela's Domingo Cordero in the semis and El Salvador’s Josué Donado in the final, the latter having beaten Brazil’s Eric Mancini at the penultimate stage.

 3/11/2007 2007 ITTF WJC Chile Junior Open

Fifteen year old Karin Fukushima from São Paulo in Brazil won the Girls’ Singles title at the Chile Junior Open in Viña del Mar on Sunday 11th March 2007.

In the semi-final she beat Chile’s Natalia Castellano before accounting for compatriot, Jessica Yamada in the final.

Seeded two she overcame top seed Natalia Castellano 11-7, 11-4, 11-9, 10-12, 13-11 before defeating third seed, Jessica Yamada, 10-12, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-6

 3/11/2007 2007 ITTF WJC Chile Junior Open

Brazil’s Eric Mancini and Humberto Manhani emerged as the Boys’ Doubles champions at the Chile Junior Open on Sunday 11th March 2007 beating Australia’s Trent Carter and Paraguay’s Marcelo Aguirre at the final hurdle.

One week earlier at the ITTF World Junior Circuit event in Venezuela they had lost in the semi-finals to the Dominican Republic’s Emil Santos and Juan Antonio Víla; one week later the Brazilians teenager stood proudly on the top step of the medal podium.

 3/11/2007 2007 ITTF WJC Chile Junior Open

Seventeen year old Natalia Castellano and fifteen year old Karen Rojas won the Girls’ Doubles title at the Chile Junior Open in Viña del Mar on Sunday 11th March 2007 to clinch their first ever title at an ITTF World Junior Circuit event.

In an all Chilean final they beat compatriots Blanca Duran and Paula Avalos to capture gold.

The contest went the full five games distance with Natalia Castellano and Karen Rojas winning 8-11, 11-3, 11-13, 11-9, 11-7.

 3/10/2007 2007 ITTF WJC Chile Junior Open

The host nation’s Natalia Castellano kept her nation’s flag flying high on Saturday 10th March 2007 at the Chile Junior Open in Viña del Mar.

She reached the semi-final stage of the Girls’ Singles event and with compatriot Karen Rojas the final of the Girls’ Doubles. Natalia Castellano is the one non Brazilian player to reach the penultimate round of the Girls’ Singles event, the other three players being Livia Mizobuchi, Jessica Yamada and Karin Fukushima.