2/28/2010 2010 Swedish Junior & Cadet Open - ITTF Premium Junior Circuit

Alexandre Robinot of France and Japan’s Miyu Maeda won the respective Cadet Boys' and Cadet Girls’ Singles titles at the Safir International Open in Örebro on Sunday 28th February 2010.

In the final Robinot beat Korea’s Jang Woo Jin in a five games, having one round earlier defeated the latter's colleague, Kim Min Hyeok.

The young Frenchman was somewhat the surprise winner of the Cadet Boys’ Singles event with Japan’s Masataka Morizono, the no.1 seed, being beaten in the early stages.

 2/27/2010 2010 Swedish Junior & Cadet Open - ITTF Premium Junior Circuit

Thoughts of home are very much in the mind of 17 year old Felipe Olivares who is competing in the Safir International Tournament in Örebro, Sweden.

Currently he is playing in Germany but his home is Chile, the country that was hit by a massive earthquake in the early hours of Saturday 27th February 2010

 2/27/2010 2010 Swedish Junior & Cadet Open - ITTF Premium Junior Circuit

Russia has always been most competitive in the European Youth Championships and from the evidence gained at the Safir International Tournament in Örebro, of which the ITTF Junior Circuit event was a part on Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th February 2010, it would seem that the tradition will continue.

Seven girls out of the eight girls on duty for Russia, at the ITTF Hopes Tournament on Saturday 27th February 2010 and have progressed to the main draw. Ksenia Andreeva, Maria Malanina and Anastasiya Lekomtseva finished in first place in their respective groups.

 2/25/2010 2010 Swedish Junior & Cadet Open - ITTF Premium Junior Circuit

Japan emerged as the dominant force at the Swedish Junior Open in Örebro, when matters in the individual events came to a conclusion on Thursday 25th February 2010.

They won three of the four titles on offer, the one to prove elusive being the Boys’ Singles crown, won by the no.2 seed, the Czech Republic’s Pavel Sirucek.

Otherwise, it was success after success for Japan. Miyu Maeda captured the Girls’ Singles crown with Asuka Machi and Taiyo Nomura joining forces to win the Boys’ Doubles event.

 2/25/2010 2010 Swedish Junior & Cadet Open - ITTF Premium Junior Circuit

England’s Liam Pitchford, closely followed by compatriot Gavin Evans, was the player to cause the major upset on the second day of play, Thursday 25th February 2010, in the Boys’ Singles event at the Swedish Junior Open in Örebro.

Furthermore, there was no Entente Cordiale as both overcame players from the country that is historically England’s traditional foe. It was the French who suffered.

Gavin Evans recorded a third round win against Thomas Le Breton, the no.4 seed, whilst one round later Liam Pitchford defeated Simon Gauzy, the no.3 seed.

 2/25/2010 2010 Swedish Junior & Cadet Open - ITTF Premium Junior Circuit

The top three seeds in the Girls’ Singles event at the Swedish Junior Open in Örebro all booked semi-final places following victories in the round of the last eight on Thursday 25th February 2010.

It was success for Japan’s Ayuka Tanioka, the no.1 seed, as it was for Poland’s Magdalena Szczerkowska, the no.2 seed and Miyu Maeda, also from Japan, the no.3 seed.

However, it was defeat for Magdalena Szczerkowska’s compatriot, the no.4 seed, Klaudia Kusinska.

 2/25/2010 2010 Swedish Junior & Cadet Open - ITTF Premium Junior Circuit

Japanese names were very much to the fore in the Girls’ Singles event at the Swedish Junior Open in Örebro on Wednesday 24th February 2010.

No less than six members of their national team progressed in style to the third round of proceedings.

Displaying model technical skills Ayuka Tanioka, Yui Sato, Rika Suzuki, Hiroko Nakagawa, Miyu Maeda and Mizuki Morizono booked third round places.