by Ian Marshall, Editor
The 18 year old is the most prominent member of a formidable group of Indian female players present in the northern Portuguese city; she is by some distance the most successful of the contingent.
Notably in 2016 she won the Junior Girls’ Singles events in both Qatar and in Jordan, whilst this year progressing to the semi-final stage in the Ivory Coast and on her return to Jordan.
Next in line to Selena Selvakumar are colleagues Swastika Ghosh and Prapti Sen with Anusha Kutumbale completing the Indian squad and occupying the no.6 seeded position.
Anusha Kutumbale, a Cadet Girls’ Singles quarter-finalist in 2017 on home soil, has yet to make her presence felt in the higher age group. Significantly, both Swastika Ghosh and Prapti Sen have reached such heights. Earlier this year Swastika Ghosh advanced to the quarter-final round of the Junior Girls’ Singles event in Oman, whilst in Cadet Girls’ Singles competitions, she progressed to the semi-final stage in Jordan.
Somewhat similarly, in Jordan last year Prapti Sen was the Junior Girls’ Singles runner up; this year a semi-finalist.
Undoubtedly, the tournament presents an opportunity for players to make their mark; certainly that is the situation for the host nation’s Celia Silva and Raquel Martins, as it is for Spain’s Andrea Perez and Jennie Edvinsson. Celia Silva is the no.4 seed, Raquel Martins, immediately follows; Andrea Perez and Jennie Edvinsson complete the top eight names.
All competed earlier this year in Cluj-Napoca at the 2018 European Youth Championships but like Anusha Kutumbale, they have yet to make an international impact.
Play commences with the individual events.
