Hungary’s Adam SZUDI clinched the title at the Croatia Junior and Cadet Open in Varazdin. The no. 3 seed, the 17 year old won the Junior Boys’ Singles title overcoming Belgium’s Martin ALLEGRO, the no.5 seed at the final hurdle. Mateja JEGER was the host ,
Hungary’s Adam SZUDI clinched the title at the Croatia Junior and Cadet Open in Varazdin. The no. 3 seed, the 17 year old won the Junior Boys’ Singles title overcoming Belgium’s Martin ALLEGRO, the no.5 seed at the final hurdle.
Mateja JEGER was the host nation’s heroine. She won the Junior Girls’ Singles title after earlier in the day having partnered colleague, Lea RAKOVAC to Junior Girls’ Doubles success.
Occupying the third seeded position in the Junior Girls’ Singles event, she overcame Slovenia’s Zala VERONIK, the no.12 seed, in the quarter-finals (11:4, 6:11, 11:9, 9:11, 11:9, 12:14, 11:4), before ending the hopes of Romania’s Arina SINGEORZAN, the no.8 seed (5:11, 11:4, 11:5, 11:8, 7:11, 11:7) in the semi-final to book a place in the gold medal contest.
At the final hurdle she accounted for Russia’s Valeria SHCHERBATYKH to clinch gold (12:10, 10:12, 11:5, 11:9, 12:10).
It was for Mateja JEGER her second ITTF Junior Circuit Girls’ Singles title, her previous success was one year ago in Tata when she succeeded in Hungary, one year later she succeeded in Varazdin.
In the final Adam SZUDI succeeded in five games (3:11, 11:9, 11:8, 11:5, 11:5) to collect the second ITTF Junior Boys’ Singles title of his career; in 2012 he won in Velenje when he struck gold at the Slovenian Junior and Cadet Open.
In the round of the last eight, Adam SZUDI beat Tomislav PUCAR by the narrowest of margins in a tense full distance seven games duel (11:4, 9:11, 6:11, 11:4, 11:8, 7:11, 12:10), before rather more comfortably defeating Nador ECSEKI in the penultimate round (11:3, 11:5, 12:10, 8:11, 11:7).
The bronze medal for Nandor ECSEKI in the Junior Boys’ Singles event, in the Junior Boys’ Doubles in harness with colleague Bence MAJOROS it was gold. Tomislav PUCAR who partnered Filip ZELJKO was forced to withdraw from the final through injury; the match was awarded to Nandor ECSEKI and Bence MAJOROS; thus Hungary completed the second day of play with two gold medals, honour maintained.
