Europe Youth Top-10 | 9 Oct 2016

Tomas POLANSKY clinched the title at home

LEVENKO clinched silver, bronze for SEYFRIED

 

Top seeded in the Junior Boys Singles Event at the JOOLA European Top 10 in Prague, Tomas POLANSKY was spared from agonizing wait for the last round to be sure he is the winner. Already in the opening round of the day, in round 7, host nation ace secured the title in Czech Republic, by recording the seventh victory at the tournament against Cristian PLETEA of Romania. Andreas LEVENKO of Austria is second and Joe SEYFRIED of France is third.

 

The winner of the Top 10 tournament in 2013 as cadet repeated the success by clinching the top prize as junior. Earlier this year, he won silver in Team’s Event and Mixed Doubles Event at the European Championships in Zagreb, as well as bronze in Singles. He was also three times champion at the European championships as cadet and once he won silver. In 2014 he won bronze in doubles also at the Continental gathering.

 

His good results did not go unnoticed. From August he is the member of Germany’s 1. FC Saarbrucken.

 

“I made a great step forward. I am very happy the way that the things are going now. Having the opportunity to play and to work with the top players in Bundesliga is wonderful thing,” said POLANSKY.

 

Tomas was very happy with his performance in Prague as well.

 

“I was challenged in two matches, but for the rest, I think I did not faced great obstacles. In the first match against Tobias HIPPLER of Germany, I was little nervous. It is always hard to play the opening match at the tournaments. In addition, I was not used to the venue and playing in front of home crowd added some extra pressure,” admitted POLANSKY.

 

The pressure did not eased on in the next duel against Irvin BERTRAND.

 

“It is always hard for me to play against him. Only at the European championships I beat him in straight games, all other duels were much longer. I was down 0:2 and 4:7, when I called for time out. It proved to be good decision. Everything changed after that. He lost his momentum; I played much better.”

 

Carlos VEDRIEL of Spain was next in line.

 

“It was not very close match. I beat him at the World Junior Championships and I knew what to do,” said POLANSKY.” The most important and worthy win was against Andreas LEVENKO. We were both unbeaten up to that point and he proved he is in splendid shape. We were the major contenders to the title. He managed to put every ball on the table from the beginning of the match. When I beat him, it was very important for me.”

 

Alexandru MANOLE of Romania lost recently against POLANSKY at the European Championships.

 

“He does not like playing against me, but I love to play against him,” laughed Tomas.” After that victory I had to play against Rares SIPOS the last match on the second day. It was very hard and exhausting match. Sipos was two games up and he played fantastic match. I had to work hard to level the score, and after that I played ball for ball. I succeeded and that was very important win. I made it in a very hard match; went full distance, but it gave me extra confidence for the ultimate day. I started as unbeaten player.”

 

However, the beginning of the third day was by no mean easier.

 

“Both, Cristian PLETEA and me started very bad. We were cautious and we just took care to make as fewer mistakes as it was possible. I got confused; I lost the game because I gave too much easy balls… We forgot about tactics, we just wanted to play safe and to try to win.”

 

The victory in the seventh round, against PLETEA, meant POLANSKY secured the crown. The duels against Aliaksandr KHANIN of Belarus and Joe SEYFRIED of France could not change anything.

 

“Against KHANIN I won the opening game 11:0 and that is dangerous situation for me. The lack of motivation cost me a lot few times. That is why KHANIN managed to find his way back into the match. Luckily I woke up before it was late and won.”

 

In the last duel against Joe SEYFRIED of France , POLANSKY had a shaky start.

 

“I had a problem with his service game. When I managed to receive better I managed to control the duel.”

 

Next stops for POLANSKY are the European Championships in Budapest and World Junior Championships in cape Town.

 

Junior Boys Event

Round 1

Tomas POLANSKY (Czech Republic) - Tobias HIPPLER (Germany) 4:2 (11:7, 9:11, 11:7, 7:11, 11:6, 11:6)

Joe SEYFRIED (France) - Irvin BERTRAND (France) 4:2 (11:6, 9:11, 11: 8, 11:7, 2:11, 14:12)

Aliaksandr KHANIN (Belarus) - Carlos VEDRIEL (Spain) 1:4 (11:7, 10:12, 6:11, 6:11, 6:11)

Cristian PLETEA (Romania) - Andreas LEVENKO (Austria) 1:4 (10:12, 6:11, 11:8, 9:11, 8:11)

Rares SIPOS (Romania) - Alexandru MANOLE (Romania) 4:1 (11:8, 11:9, 10:12, 11:7, 12:10)

Round 2

Tomas POLANSKY (Czech Republic) - Irvin BERTRAND (France) 4:2 (9:11, 9:11, 13:11, 11:6, 12:10, 11:9)

Joe SEYFRIED (France) - Carlos VEDRIEL (Spain) 4:2 (12:10, 11:9, 8:11, 11:5, 8:11, 11:5)

Aliaksandr KHANIN (Belarus) - Andreas LEVENKO (Austria) 1:4 (11:7, 7:11, 12:14, 6:11, 8:11)

Cristian PLETEA (Romania) - Alexandru MANOLE (Romania) 4:2 (15:13, 4:11, 10:12, 11:5, 11:5, 11:9)

Rares SIPOS (Romania) - Tobias HIPPLER (Germany) 2:4 (12:14, 10:12, 15:13, 6:11, 6:11, 11:4, 9:11)

Round 3

Tomas POLANSKY (Czech Republic) - Carlos VEDRIEL (Spain) 4:1 (11:8, 7:11, 11:6, 11:8, 11:6)

Joe SEYFRIED (France) - Andreas LEVENKO (Austria) 2:4 (12:10, 9:11, 11:4, 9:11, 8:11, 7:11)

Aliaksandr KHANIN (Belarus) - Alexandru MANOLE (Romania) 4:0 (11:9, 11:9, 11:7, 11:7)

Cristian PLETEA (Romania) - Rares SIPOS (Romania) 4:1 (11:6, 11;3, 11:9, 10:12, 12:10)

Irvin BERTRAND (France) - Tobias HIPPLER (Germany) 4:1 (9:11, 11:5, 11:4, 11:6, 11:4)

Round 4

Tomas POLANSKY (Czech Republic) - Andreas LEVENKO (Austria) 4:3 (11:1, 11:5, 8:11, 11:8, 8:11, 9:11, 11:6)

Joe SEYFRIED (France) - Alexandru MANOLE (Romania) 4:0 (11:1, 11:4, 11:7, 11:5)

Aliaksandr KHANIN (Belarus) - Rares SIPOS (Romania) 1:4 (11:13, 12:14, 7:11, 11:5, 5:11)

Cristian PLETEA (Romania) - Tobias HIPPLER (Germany) 4:1 (7:11, 11:9, 12:10, 11:7, 11:7)

Irvin BERTRAND (France) - Carlos VEDRIEL (Spain) 4:0 (11:5, 11:6, 13:11, 11:3)

Round 5

Tomas POLANSKY (Czech Republic) - Alexandru MANOLE (Romania) 4:0 (11:6, 11:5, 11:8, 11:1)

Joe SEYFRIED (France) - Rares SIPOS (Romania) 3:4 (13:11, 8:11, 11:7, 10:12, 11:9, 7:11, 8:11)

Aliaksandr KHANIN (Belarus) - Tobias HIPPLER (Germany) 1:4 (9:11, 9:11, 2:11, 11:8, 14:16)

Cristian PLETEA (Romania) - Irvin BERTRAND (France) 4:2 (11:6, 6:11, 11:13, 11:7, 11:7, 11:8)

Andreas LEVENKO (Austria) - Carlos VEDRIEL (Spain) 4:2 (11:6, 11:7, 5:11, 11:7, 9:11, 11:7)

Round 6

Tomas POLANSKY (Czech Republic) - Rares SIPOS (Romania) 4:3 (9:11, 9:11, 11:8, 5:11, 11:5, 11:8, 15:13)

Joe SEYFRIED (France) - Tobias HIPPLER (Germany) 4:0 (12:10, 13:11, 11:3, 11:9)

Aliaksandr KHANIN (Belarus) - Irvin BERTRAND (France) 4:0 (11:9, 11:5, 11:7, 11:7)

Cristian PLETEA (Romania) - Carlos VEDRIEL (Spain) 3:4 (11:9, 8:11, 17:15, 7:11, 8:11, 8:11)

Alexandru MANOLE (Romania) - Andreas LEVENKO (Austria) 4:2 (11:9, 8:11, 13:11, 6:11, 11:8, 11:8)

Round 7

Tomas POLANSKY (Czech Republic) - Cristian PLETEA (Romania) 4:2 (11:6, 12:10, 7:11, 11:5, 9:11, 11:7)

Joe SEYFRIED (France) - Aliaksandr KHANIN (Belarus) 3:4 (7:11, 11:8, 14:12, 6:11, 5:11, 11:9, 8:11)

Rares SIPOS (Romania) - Irvin BERTRAND (France) 4:3 (8:11, 9:11, 12:10, 3:11, 11:5, 11:9, 11:4)

Alexandru MANOLE (Romania) - Carlos VEDRIEL (Spain) 0:4 (6:11, 9:11, 9:11, 4:11)

Andreas LEVENKO (Austria) - Tobias HIPPLER (Germany) 4:2 (1:11, 11:9, 11:8, 12:10, 11:8)

 

Round 8

Tomas POLANSKY (Czech Republic) – Aliaksandr KHANIN (Belarus) 4: 2 (11:0, 7:11, 8:11, 11:6, 11:7, 11:6)

Joe SEYFRIED (France) – Cristian PLETEA (Romania) 4:3 (11:8, 11:7, 3:11, 9:11, 3:11, 11:8, 11:8)

Rares SIPOS (Romania) - Carlos VEDRIEL (Spain) 3:4 (8:11, 14:12, 9:11, 11:8, 13:11, 9:11, 6:11)

Alexandru MANOLE (Romania) - Tobias HIPPLER (Germany) 3:4 (3:11, 11:9, 8:11, 11:8, 4:11, 11:2, 9:11)

Andreas LEVENKO (Austria) - Irvin BERTRAND (France) 4:1 (11:8, 11:7, 7:11, 11:4, 12:10)

Round9

Tomas POLANSKY (Czech Republic) – Joe SEYFRIED (France) 4:0 (12:10, 11:4, 11:6, 11:2)

Aliaksandr KHANIN (Belarus) - Cristian PLETEA (Romania) 3:4 (11:7, 9:11, 12:10, *;11, 8:11, 11:8, 8:11)

Rares SIPOS (Romania) - Andreas LEVENKO (Austria) 4:2 (14:12, 11:9, 11:5, 9:11, 8:11, 11:4)

Alexandru MANOLE (Romania) – Irvin BERTRAND (France) 3:4 (10:12, 11:9, 6;11, 8:11, 11:9, 12:10, 2:11)

Carlos VEDRIEL (Spain) - Tobias HIPPLER (Germany) 4:0 (11:9, 14:12, 11:5, 11:9)

 

 

Tomas POLANSKY (Czech Republic) 9/0

Andreas LEVENKO (Austria) 6/3

Joe SEYFRIED (France) 5/4

Carlos VEDRIEL (Spain) 5/4

Cristian PLETEA (Romania) 5/4

Rares SIPOS (Romania) 5/4

Aliaksandr KHANIN (Belarus) 3/6

Irvin BERTRAND (France) 3/6

Tobias HIPPLER Germany) 3/6

Alexandru MANOLE (Romania) 1/8