Selecting Maciej Kubik, Samuel Kulczcki and Lukasz Sokolowski, a 3-1 margin of victory was the outcome for Poland in their semi-final encounter against the no.3 seeds, the Slovakian trio formed by Filip Delincak, Dalibor Diko and Adam Klajber.

A place in the final booked, Milosz Redzimski replacing Lukasz Sokolowski, facing the Russian combination of Maksim Bokov, Damir Akhmetsafin and Maksim Kaburkin, the same margin of victory posted.

Defeat for the Russian outfit but they could be more than pleased with their performance; they commenced play, the no.8 seeds.

Safely through to the main draw, fielding the same three players throughout, at the quarter-final stage they recorded a 3-1 win against the no.2 seeds, Slovakia’s Tomas Martinko, Radek Skala and Frantisek Onderka, before repeating the success in opposition to the no.7 seeds, the Belgian outfit formed by Louis Laffineur, Nicolas Degros and Gabriel Stanescu.

One step higher

Runners up spot contrary to expectations, in the junior girls’ team event, it was one step higher than had been anticipated.

The no.2 seeds, selecting Arina Slautina, Natalia Malinina and Vlada Voronina, a 3-0 quarter-final win was secured against the no.7 seeds, the Czech Republic trio formed by Linda Zaderova, Klara Hrabicova and Anna Klempererova, before in the penultimate round being stretched to the limit by the no.10 seeds, the combination of Japan’s Sachi Aoki and Miwa Harimoto alongside Norway’s Martine Toftaker.

Moreover, it was a fixture in which they almost came to grief. Miwa Harimoto, 11 years old, beat both Vlada Voronina (9-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-8) and Arina Slautina (11-8, 6-11, 11-3, 11-7), before in the very last match of the fixture, by the very narrowest of decisions, Vlada Voronina accounted for Sachi Aoki (11-9, 6-11, 6-11, 11-5, 13-11).

Hard earned success, a place in the final secured; a 3-1 margin of victory was the outcome against the no.3 seeds, the French combination of Isa Cok, Charlotte Lutz and Lucie Mobarek.

Earlier, fielding the same three players throughout, a 3-1 quarter-final win had been recorded by the French trio against the no.5 seeds, Serbia’s Reka Bezeg, Radmila Tominjak and Tamara Turkonje, prior to somewhat of an upset being caused in the penultimate round. A 3-0 success was the order of proceedings against the top seed Italian trio of Arianna Barani, Jamila Laurenti and Valentina Roncallo.

Third seeds

Gold when starting proceedings in the second seeded spot, in the cadet events it was the top prize when commencing matters one place lower.

In the cadet boys’ team event, selecting Vladislav Bannikov, Sergey Ryzhov and Alexey Perfilyev, a 3-0 win was recorded by Russia against the no.7 seeds, the Czech Republic’s Vit Kadlec, Stepan Brhel and Daniel Kostal. Soon after with no changes to the selection, a full distance 3-2 success was recorded in opposition to the no.2 seeds, Romania’s Andrei Teodor Istrate, Dragos Alexandru Bujor and Horia Stefan Ursut.

Tense moments, in the final life was less exacting; Aleksei Samokhin preferred to Alexey Perfilyev; a 3-0 win was recorded in opposition to the top seeds, the combination of Australia’s Nicholas Lum, Iran’s Navid Shams and Gabrielius Camara of the Netherlands.

A direct entry to the semi-finals, Nicholas Lum, Navid Shams and Gabrielius Camara has secured a 3-1 penultimate round win in opposition to Spain’s Marc Miro and Daniel Berzosa who joined forces with Puerto Rico’s Oscar Birriel.

Equally imposing

Impressive from Russia in the cadet boys’ team event, it was the same in the counterpart girls’ competition. Represented by Anastasiia Beresneva, Vasilisa Danilova and Anastasiia Ivanova, a 3-0 margin of victory was the outcome in the final against the no.6 seeds the Czech Republic’s Tereza Bartova, Helene Sommerova and Katerina Pisarova.

An imposing performance, somewhat different to the semi-final when a full distance 3-2 win had been the order of the day when facing the top seeded combination formed by Ireland’s Sophie Earley, Portugal’s Matilde Pinto and Anna Hursey of Wales. The player to cause the problems was Anna Hursey; she beat both Anastasiia Ivanova (11-3, 11-6, 17-15) and Anastasiia Beresneva (11-5, 11-5, 11-8).

In the opposite half of the draw, the same three players selected, the Czech Republic had recorded a 3-1 win against the no.8 seeds, Romania’s Bianca Mei Rosu, Evelyn Ungvari and Iuliana Daniela Gaina, before securing their place in the final courtesy of a further 3-1 success. They ended the adventures of the no.14 seeds Ukraine’s Veronika Matiunina, Sofia Sheredeha and Anastasiia Khachaturova.

The individual events in the cadet age group now follow, play concludes in Hodonin on Sunday 16th February.