by Ian Marshall, Editor

The no.15 seed in the junior girls’ singles event, at the quarter-final stage she ousted Peru’s Alessandra Cisneros, the no.10 seed (11-6, 7-11, 11-3, 13-11, 11-5), before overcoming Canada’s Benta Zhou, the no.5 seed (12-10, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-7) to reach the final where Ecuador’s Nathaly Paredes, the no.2 seed awaited.

It was at that stage Giulia Takahashi excelled; she responded to the occasion, succeeding in four straight games (11-7, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4).

Defeat for Nathaly Paredes, it was one Brazilian too far; at the quarter-final stage she had beaten Laura Watanabe (7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 13-11, 11-6), followed by a penultimate round success in opposition to Tamyres Fuksase, the no.7 seed (11-9, 11-9, 11-9, 3-11, 11-7).

Success for Giulia Takahashi, in the cadet girls’ singles event it was a different scenario, the top seed, after beating Chile’s Josefina Lara, the no.7 seed, she experienced defeat at the hands of colleague Laura Watanabe, the no.2 seed (5-11, 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-4). In the counterpart semi-final, Laura Watanabe had ended the progress of Peru’s Delia Soria (6-11, 11-3, 11-5, 12-10).

Gold and silver for Guilia Takahashi, there was more gold on the concluding day of play; for Nathaly Paredes, there was more silver.

In the final of the cadet girls’ doubles event, Giulia Takahashi and Laura Watanabe, the top seeds, beat Peru’s Ana Aragon and Maria Maldonado, the no.2 seeds (11-5, 9-11, 11-13, 11-5, 13-11); Nathaly Paredes and colleague Mylena Plaza, the no.4 seeds, suffered at the hands Tamyres Fukase and Brazilian colleague Livia Lima (11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 11-9).

Matters concluded in Lignano, on the ITTF World Junior Circuit attention now turns to Accra; the Ghana Junior and Cadet Open commences on Monday 1st April.