France topping the European list

2015 World Junior Championships in La Roche sur Yon

The 2015 World Junior Championships which commences in La Roche sur Yon France tomorrow gathered 20 teams in Junior Boys and 19 in Junior Girls Team Events. Top seeded in both categories is China whilst France is the best seeded European team. In Boys category they are at the position no. four and in Girls category no. three.

Boys from Sweden are just one place above; whilst in Girls category Romania follows hosts closely at position no. four.

We can expect very close battle between the best European teams. In the final of the Boys’ Team event at the European Youth Championships the French trio formed by Alexandre CASSIN Can AKKUZU and Joe SEYFRIED recorded a three matches to one success in the final against the Swedish trio of Anton KÄLLBERG Malte MOREGARDH and Simon SODERLUND. Notably Alexandre CASSIN beat both Simon SODERLUND and Anton KÄLLBERG. All six players are on duty in La Roche sur Yon. Latter in Bratislava Anton KÄLLBERG clinched the title in singles. Further at the LIEBHERR Men’s World Cup in Halmstad he booked his place in the main draw whilst at the GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour Swedish Open in Stockholm he recorded a second round win over China’s YAN An before overcoming Russia’s Vasily LAKEEV.

In Girls Category Audrey ZARIF of France and Adina DIACONU of Romania will lead the European challenge. The top seed is China’s WANG Manyu. Beaten at the semi-final stage by LIU Gaoyang in Rabat one year ago in Shanghai the winner Wang Manyu attempts to do what has never been done before; that is to retain the Junior Girls’ Singles title at a World Junior Championships.

In fact it is a feat that has not been achieved in the counterpart Boys’ Singles event; if she can succeed in La Roche sur Yon when play in the eight day tournament concludes on Sunday 6th December she will have her own special place in the annals of sport.

She will match ZHU Yuling as having won the Junior Girls’ Singles title on two occasions; ZHU Yuling appeared in three consecutive finals.