06 Oct 2019

Two days completed, one to go at the 2019 European Youth Top 10 tournament in Noordwijk, Netherlands, the stand out names are those of Poland’s Anna Wegrzyn and Romania’s Elena Zaharia; in what to date has witnessed the most intense competition, they are the only players who remain unbeaten.

Anna Wegrzyn heads the order in the junior girls’ event, Elena Zaharia tops the cadet girls’ order.

by Ian Marshall, Editor

Impressively on the second day of action Anna Wegrzyn accounted for Slovakia’s Ema Lobosova (11-4, 13-11, 11-9, 11-5), followed by success in opposition to Isa Cok of France (6-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-3, 11-5) and Germany’s Franziska Schreiner (7-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-8, 11-4).

However, for Anna Wegrzyn there can be no hint of complacency, hot on her heels is Romania’s Tania Plaian. Only one defeat against her name, that being on the opening day against Franziska Schreiner (11-9, 9-11, 4-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-5), on the second day of action it was a highly focused Romanian. She overcame Poland’s Katarzyna Wegrzyn (11-5, 9-11, 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6), Emine Ernst of the Netherlands (14-12, 11-4, 11-6, 11-5) and Russia’s Olga Vishniakova (11-5, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5).

Major challengers

It is a somewhat similar situation for Elena Zaharia, with just one defeat against their names both Croatia’s Hana Arapovic and Russia’s Vlada Voronina are very much in the hunt to reserve the top step of the podium.

Elena Zaharia continued her good form by beating the Czech Republic’s Helena Sommerova (9-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-8, 11-5), followed by success against the German duo of Naomi Prnjakovic (11-3, 6-11, 17-15, 11-3, 11-8) and Annett Kaufmann (8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-7, 11-8).

Meanwhile for Hana Arapovic and Vlada Voronina, who alongside Annett Kaufmann had ended the first day unbeaten, life was more testing. Vlada Voronina beat Naomi Prnjakovic (11-9, 11-4, 11-9, 11-4) but lost to Annett Kaufmann (11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7); Hana Arapovic accounted for Annett Kaufmann (11-8, 11-7, 3-11, 5-11, 11-4, 14-12) but experienced defeat at the hands of Romania’s Alina Zavarkyn (5-11, 11-8, 11-8, 12-10, 7-11, 11-4).

No players unbeaten

Unblemished records, in both the junior boys and cadet boys’ events the situation is somewhat different; there are no unbeaten players.

In the junior boys’ competition, Hungary’s Csaba Andras started the day the one unbeaten player; he continued his good form by beating Frenchman Dorian Zheng (11-5, 7-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-4) and Lode Hulshof of the Netherlands (11-7, 11-7, 11-4, 9-11, 11-4) but sandwiched in between experienced defeat at the hands of Lilian Bardet, like Dorian Zheng from France (5-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5).

The result means that alongside Poland’s Samuel Kulczycki and Germany’s Kay Stumper, Csaba Andras has one defeat against his name.

On the opening day of play, Samuel Kulczycki lost to Lilian Bardet (7-11, 11-8, 6-11, 13-11, 6-11, 11-4, 11-8); Kay Stumper was beaten by Belgium’s Adrien Rassenfosse (11-9, 13-15, 7-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9).

One day later for each player it was three matches, three wins. Samuel Kulczycki beat Adrien Rassenfosse (11-7, 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5) before overcoming Frenchmen Vincent Picard (11-9, 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8) and Dorian Zheng (11-5, 7-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-8). In a similar manner, Kay Stumper accounted for Belgium’s Olav Kosolosky (12-10, 11-7, 11-6, 11-13, 11-4), prior to overcoming Dorian Zheng (11-5, 7-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-8) and Lilian Bardet (11-9, 9-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-5).

Two names at top of order

Three players level at the top of the junior boys’ order, in the cadet boys’ event it is two names; those being Romania’s Darius Movileanu and the Czech Republic’s Simon Belik.

Alongside Frenchman Hugo Deschamps, Darius Movileanu entered the second day unbeaten. He overcame Hugo Deschamps (11-4, 15-13, 12-10, 11-7), who also lost to Belgium’s Louis Laffineur (11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-6), before experiencing defeat at the hands of Poland’s Milosz Redzimski (11-8, 11-8, 11-7, 11-6) and then recovering to account for the host nation’s Gabrielus Camara (11-7, 11-2, 11-6, 11-8).

Somewhat differently, Simon Belik who the previous day had lost the Hugo Deschamps (11-4, 11-9, 13-11, 12-10) was very much a young man in form. He beat Milosz Redzimski (11-2, 2-11, 12-10, 10-12, 13-11, 6-11, 11-6) and Gabrielus Camara (11-7, 11-2, 11-6, 11-8), before ending the day with victory in opposition to Romania’s Eduard Ionescu (8-11, 11-5, 11-13, 11-2, 11-1).

Play in Noordwijk concludes on Sunday 6th October.

2019 European Youth Top 10: Results (Friday 5th & Saturday 6th October)

General News European Youth Top 10