by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
A three-nil margin of victory was the outcome with Himnakulthpuingheta Jeho being the player to cause the victors problems.
After Li Hsin-Yu had beaten Payas Jain in the opening match of the fixture (11-5, 11-5, 11-8), Himnakulthpuingheta Jeho accounted for Wang Yi-Fan to level matters (11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9). However that was to be last success for India, the doubles was secured by Li Hsin-Yu and Wang Yi-Fan (11-3, 11-7, 11-6), before Wang Yi-Fan returned to the table to end matters. He beat Payas Jain in a full distance five games contest (17-15, 7-11, 1-11, 12-10, 11-6).
Second position for the second seeds and no progress to the main draw, only the first placed team advancing; it was the same scenario for the combination formed by Romania’s Horia Stefan Ursut and Tunisia’s Youssef Ben Attia, the no.5 seeds.
Both teams unbeaten, in the crucial contest to determine first place, they experienced a three-nil defeat at the hands of the Korea ‘A’ Team pairing of Park Gyuhyeon and Oh Junsung.
Otherwise, for the leading outfits it was first place in the group. Hungary ‘A’ with Oliver Both and Norbert Terek in action, the top seeds, secured pole position, as did the partnership formed by Ireland’s Owen Cathcart and Russia’s Ilia Anokhin, the no.3 seeds.
Likewise, for the Croatia ‘A’ combination of Ivor Ban and Filip Borovnjak, the no.4 seeds, it was first place in the group stage.
The Cadet Boys’ Team event concludes on Thursday 21st September.
