by Ian Marshall, Editor

The one outfit to experience problems was the combination formed by Ecuador’s Cristhian Moran Ladines and Kai Zarehbin, the no.3 seeds in the junior boys’ team event; they needed the full five matches to overcome Sweden’s Marcos Ericsson and Jens Holmqvist.

Mainstay of the victory was Kai Zarehbin, hero of the hour was Cristhian Moran Ladines. Kai Zarehbin beat both Marcos Ericsson (11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 9-11, 11-4) and Jens Holmqvist (11-8, 11-9, 14-12); in the very last match of the fixture, Cristhian Moran Ladines overcame Marcos Ericsson (11-13, 11-7, 11-8, 11-6) to seal the victory.

Otherwise in the junior boys’ team event, without due alarm, it was top spot for the leading outfits; Canada being very much to the fore. Edison Huang and Terence Yeung topped their group, as did Alexander Bu and David Xu; likewise in the one remaining group it was first place for the Dominican Republic’s Pedro Cabrera and Hiram Morillo.

Similarly, in the junior girls’ team competition, where there were two groups in the initial phase of proceedings, top seeds, Guatemala’s Lucia Cordero and Hidalynn Zapata topped their group as did the next in line, El Salvador’s Monica Mendoza and Karen Constanza.

Meanwhile, in the cadet boys’ team event, a competition with seven groups in the initial phase; the leading outfits duly reserved first positions and thus advanced directly to the quarter-finals.

Sweden’s Ludwig Erenius and Alve Sjoeveld, the top seeds, secured first place as did the next in line, the combination of Mexico’s Rogelio Castro and Guatemala’s Diego de la Cruz. Similarly, it was first place for the no.3 seeds, the Ecuador selection formed by Jeremy Cedeño, Diego Piguave and Paul Ponce Cedeño; a situation that applied also to the United States combination of Ved Sheth and Aziz Zarehbin.

No major upsets but in the cadet girls’ team competition there were surprises. The top seeded pairing of Ecuador’s Maybelline Menendez and Chile’s Sofia Perez duly secured first place but in the two remaining group surprise partnerships reserved first positions. Chile represented by Romina Barrentos and Fernanda Araneda claimed top spot contrary to predictions, as did the pairing of Brazil’s Beatrix Flore and Linda Shu of the United States.

Alas for the no.2 seeds, Peru’s Alessia Colfer and Alejandra Prieto, it was fourth place in the group, for the no.3 seeds, El Salvador’s Samirah Muñoz and Angie Orellana, it was runners up spot.

Play in the team events concludes on Thursday 15th August.