2016 French Junior and Cadet Open in Metz,
Russia and Japan won the gold medals in their respective Junior Girls and Boys’ Events at the 2016 French Junior and Cadet Open in Metz. Russia’s cadet boys also clinched the title, whilst cadet girls won silver.
Silver medallist in the Junior Girls’ Singles event earlier in the week it was one step higher for Daria CHERNORAY. Alongside Maria MALANINA and Valeria SHCHERBATYKH, the third seeded trio won the Junior Girls’ Team title. At the final hurdle they accounted for the Hong Kong combination of Leung KA Wan, LIU Qi and MAK Tze Wing by three matches to nil. Valeria SHCHERBATYKH beat LIU Qi (11-8, 7-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-5), before Daria CHERNORAY doubled the lead by overcoming MAK Tze Wing by the very narrowest of margins (9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 8-11, 13-11). Matters concluded with Maria MALANINA’S defence proving secure to beat LEUNG Ka Wan (11-7, 5-11, 11-6, 13-11).
In the semi-final Russia overcame the top seeded Japanese trio of Yuko KATO, Miyu NAGASAKI and Kana TAKEUCHI. Maria MALANINA beat both Yuko KATO (11-3, 12-10, 2-11, 12-10) and Miyu NAGASAKI (3-11, 11-9, 11-9, 15-13). The one further Russian win came from Valeria SHCHERBATYKH, in the third match of the fixture; she defeated Kana TAKEUCHI (11-5, 11-8, 13-11).
Russia’s Lev KATSMAN and Vladimir SIDORENKO won the Cadet Boys’ Team title. Occupying the top seeded position in the competition, the duo surrendered just one individual match en route to the top prize; the one player to dent the perfect record being Azerbaijan’s WANG Chenxi. In the final he accounted for Vladimir SIDORENKO in the second match of the fixture (11-9, 11-8, 17-15). YANG Xinyu was beaten by both KATSMAN (11-2, 16-14, 11-8) and by SIDORENKO (8-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8); the one further win for the Russians came in the doubles. KATSMAN and SIDORENKO recorded a straight games success (11-2, 11-8, 11-2).
At the quarter-final stage, the Russian duo had beaten the German ‘A’ Team pairing of Kirill FADEEV and Kay STUMPER by three matches to nil, before following with the same result against the United States combination of Gal ALGUETTI and Sharon ALGUETTI.
Top seeds in the Cadet Girls’ Team event the Hong Kong’s LEE Ka Yee and WONG Chin Yau justified their exalted status to emerge as champions. In the final they overcame the Russian trio of Elina RUB, Kristina KAZANTSEVA and Ekaterina ZIRONOVA, the no.2 seeds, to claim the title. LEE Ka Yee. She beat Elina RUB in the opening match of the fixture (11-4, 11-7, 11-8) before bringing matters to a conclusion by overcoming Kristina KAZANTSEVA in the fourth match of the duel (12-14, 13-11, 11-6, 11-9).She partnered WONG Chin Yau to doubles success against Kristina KAZANTSEVA and Ekaterina ZIRONOVA (11-8, 11-5, 11-6). In the second match Kristina KAZANTSEVA accounted for WONG Chin Yau in a full five distance contest (6-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-7).
In the penultimate round LEE Ka Yee and WONG Chin Yau overcame the Czech Republic ‘A’ Team duo of Zdena BLASKOVA and Gabriela STEPANOVA by three matches to nil; Elina RUB, Kristina KAZANTSEVA and Ekaterina ZIRONOVA posted the same margin of victory against the France ‘A’ Team pairing of Camille LUTZ and Prithika PAVADE.
