by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
All are in the quest for medals and you can watch their efforts on the Official ITTF YouTube Channel

Wang Chenxi and Yang Xinyu both reserved last eight places courtesy of success against fellow qualifiers, players who had been required to compete in the group stage of proceedings. Wang Chenxi accounted for Moldova’s Vladislav Ursu (11-9, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5); Yang Xinyu ended the hopes of the host nation’s; he overcame Matej Siwiec (8-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-6, 13-11).

Good form from Wang Chenxi and Yang Xinyu; it was the same from Maciej Kolodziejczyk and Kay Stumper; likewise each accounted for a qualifier to reserve a last eight place. Maciej Kolodziejczyk, the no.13 seed, overcame Ireland’s Alexander Gillen (11-4, 11-4, 11-8, 12-10); Kay Stumper, the no.11 seed, ended the progress of Italy’s John Oyebode, the first round winner over Hungary’s Istvan Molnar, the no.4 seed (5-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5).

No place in the quarter-finals for the fourth seed; for the top three names there were no such problems.

Live streaming Day Two – 2017 Czech Junior & Cadet OpenGerritt Engemann, like Kay Stumper from Germany, the top seed, recorded a third round win against the Czech Republic’s Vlastimil Buben (11-6, 8-11, 13-15, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8); the latter’s colleague, Jiri Martinko, the no.2 seed, kept the hopes of the host nation alive, by defeating the Slovak Republic’s Tibor Spanik, the no.12 seed (11-4, 11-3, 9-11, 12-10, 11-4). Likewise, Denmark’s Andreas Dilling justified his status; he overcame Romania’s Florin Spelbus (8-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8, 12-10).

Notably, in the Junior Girls’ Singles event; Dragana Vignjevic, the no.16 seed, belied her status to reach the last eight; she accounted for French qualifier, Romane Le Scour (15-13, 11-3, 11-5, 11-5) in her third round clash. Arguably the outcome of the contest was no great surprise, the win recorded by Ekaterina Zironova was an upset; the no.14 seed, she reserved her quarter-final place courtesy of success against Serbia’s Izabela Lupulesku in a dramatic seven games duel (5-11, 11-5, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 7-11, 12-10).

Meanwhile, amongst the top names, all from Japan, there were no third round hiccups as last eight places were booked.

Maki Shiomi, the top seed, beat a spirited Nolwen Fort of France (11-6, 8-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7, 10-12, 11-6); Miyu Nagasaki, the no. 2 seed, defeated Russia’s Elizabet Abraamian (11-7, 11-9, 11-1, 11-3).

Similarly, Kana Takeuchi, the no.3 seed, overcame Azerbaijan’s Deng Simeng, the no.13 seed (12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6, 12-10); Yuko Kato, the no.4 seed, ended the aspirations of Nadezhda Bogdanova of Belarus, the no.15 seed (11-6, 15-13, 11-6, 11-4).

Day Two at the 2017 Czech Junior and Cadet Open (Photos: Czech Table Tennis Association / Jan Brychta)