by Ian Marshall, Editor

The top seeds, they secured first place in their group without conceding a single individual match; it was a situation that applied to all four outfits that gained first places, a most unusual occurrence.

In the same manner, Germany’s Anastasia Bondareva, Laura Tiefenbrunner and Franziska Schreiner, the no.2 seeds, reserved first place in their group as did the no.3 seeds, the combination formed by Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Yu-Chin and Huang Yu-Jie, alongside Hong Kong’s Poon Yat.

However, pride place went to Russia’s Natalia Malanina who paired with the Czech Republic’s Liubov Tentser and Tereza Pytlikova; the no.5 seeds, they secured first place in their group ahead of the outfit comprising Berenice Marteau of France, Nandeshwaree Jalim from Mauritius and Tunisia’s Fadwa Garci, the no.4 seeds.

Success for Russia in a competition in which only first place in the group assured progress; it was the same the cadet girls’ team event where likewise only top spot gained a main draw place.

Anastasia Berezneva and Vlada Voronina, the no.11 seeds, reserved first place in their group ahead of the top seeded combination formed by Brazil’s Giulia Takahashi and Puerto Rico’s Brianna Burgos.

Similarly, colleagues, Svetlana Dmitrienko and Arina Zavarykina, the no.2 seeds, claimed first place as did the next outfits in the order of merit. It was top spot for Portugal’s Ines Matos and Patricia Santos, as it was for Chinese Taipei’s Chen Tsai-Nin and Liu Ru-Yan.

However, in addition to Anastasia Berezneva and Vlada Voronina, there was one further somewhat surprise pole position. The host nation selection of Yanira Sanchez, Eugenia Sastr and Elvira Fiona Rad, the no.8 seeds, ended the day at the top of the list ahead of the no.5 seeds, the German pairing of Naomi Pranjkovic and Jele Stortz.

Play in both the junior girls’ team and cadet girls’ team events concludes on Saturday 4th May.