Never a previous home winner of the Junior Boys’ Singles event at the Swedish Junior and Cadet Open; on Thursday 22nd February in Örebro, the barren period came to an end.
Truls Moregard justified his top seeded position to emerge as the champion and claim his first ever ITTF World Junior Circuit Boys' Singles title.
At the final hurdle he beat Japan’s Hiroto Shinoska (11-3, 12-10, 14-16, 11-8, 9-11, 6-11, 11-3), having at the semi-final stage ousted Germany’s Meng Fanbo, the no.11 seed (4-11, 11-2, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 13-15, 11-5); in the opposite half of the draw, in the penultimate round, Hiroto Shinoska had accounted for fellow qualifier, China’s Gao Yuan (11-5, 11-9, 9-11, 10-12, 11-6, 14-12).
Success for Truls Moregard, for Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz, the top seed in the Junior Girls’ Singles event it was the same scenario as one year ago. On that occasion she was beaten in the final by Maki Shiomi; this year once again it was at Japanese hands, she lost to Yumeno Soma, the no.4 seed (11-8, 14-12, 9-11, 17-15, 11-1).
One round earlier at the semi-final stage, both players had beaten qualifiers; Yumeno Soma had accounted for colleague, Haruna Ojio (11-5, 9-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-8, 11-6), in the same round Adriana Diaz had overcome Prithika Pavade of France (11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-7).
“This is my first victory in an international competition and I’m very glad I could win,” Yumeno Soma.
Gold for Yumeno Soma but in the Junior Girls’ Doubles event, she had to settle for silver; in partnership with colleague Yukari Sugasawa, the no.3 seeds, after beating the host nation’s Ellen Holmsten and Christina Källberg, the no.10 seeds (11-9, 9-11, 13-11, 11-6), the duo experienced defeat in the final when facing the combination formed by Camille Lutz of France and Portugal’s Celia Silva, the no.11 seeds (10-12, 2-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7). At the semi-final stage Camille Lutz and Celia Silva had overcome Germany’s Anastasia Bondareva and Tu Wenna, the no.13 seeds (11-6, 11-3, 11-6).
Second place for Japan; not in the Junior Boys’ Doubles event where Aoto Asazu and Takeru Kashiwa claimed the top prize, the top seeds, they beat Singapore’s Beh Kun Ting and Pang Yew En Koen, the no.6 seeds, to claim gold (11-4, 11-6, 11-7).
Earlier, at the semi-final stage, Aoto Asazu and Takeru Kashiwa had beaten Germany’s Sven Hennig and Cedric Meissner, the no.9 seeds (11-3, 11-7, 11-7), Singapore’s Beh Kun Ting and Pang Yew En Koen had beaten Japan’s Kazuki Hamada and Hiroto Shinosuka, the no.5 seeds (11-3, 11-9, 8-11, 9-11, 12-10).
Play completed in the junior events, attention now turns to the Elite Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles events.