Eight titles for five compass supported players
During the month of November, six compass supported youngsters won a total of eight titles at various WTT Youth Contender events in Europe and South America.
Three of them won twice – Emanuel Otalvaro from Colombia, Steven Moreno from Puerto Rico and Alexander Malov from Spain.
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Josephina Neumann made a stunning comeback in November, defeating European U19 singles champion Bianca Mei-Rosu in the final of the U19 event at the WTT Youth Contender in Szombathely, Hungary. Photo: WTT
The biggest comeback, however, was not made by any of the South Americans but by ‘Josi’ Neumann from Germany, born in 2010. Josi has been nursing a shoulder injury since July of this year, when she was forced to pull out of the European Junior Championships. Before she went to the WTT Youth Contender in Senec, Slovakia (30.10.-05.11.), she had three weeks of careful training with her coach Chen Zhibin.
In the U19 event in Senec, she defeated top seed Nina Guozheng of France 3:2 in the quarter-finals before losing 3:1 to Clea Stoppeleire, also of France, in the semi-finals.
“I like to play Nina and I have no problems with her pimples,” Josi said afterwards. “I was very happy to win, but I also felt that I had to improve my endurance. Unfortunately, I did not have enough power in the semi-final. I need to work on my fitness.”
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Josephina “Josi” Neumann goes full power with her strong backhand. Photo: WTT
Top performance in Hungary
It was in Szombathely, Hungary (03.-09.11.) that Josi showed that she is back to full strength. In the U19 category for players born in 2005 or later, she, born in 2010, defeated Maria Berzosa from Spain in the semi-finals and the U19 European Champion Bianca Mei-Rosu in the final – 11:9 in the fifth and deciding game!
“I played my best table tennis and was able to beat players I had never beaten before. In the final I felt like I had nothing to lose, I was just happy to be there. Bianca is such a good player, but I felt I had a chance to win if I could play with different spin on the ball.”
Ladimir beats three French players
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Ladimir Mayrov won U13 in Hungary. Photo: WTT
In the same competition, Spain’s Ladimir Mayorov also won a title, in the U13 category. Along the way, he defeated three young French players – Noah Tessier in the quarter-finals, Quentin Sandona in the semi-finals and Nolan Johnston in the final. The toughest match was against Sandona, where Ladimir was down 1:2, but turned the match around to win the last two games 11:6 and 11:4.
Ladimir’s recipe for victory?
“He spent countless hours in the warm-up hall, where he had the opportunity to train with almost everyone, further refining his skills,” commented his father and coach Eduard Mayorov.
In Lignano, Italy (07.-13.11.), Ladimir was stopped in the quarter-finals, which Sandona won in three straight games. Italy’s Danilo Faso also won a medal, beating Nolan Johnston in the quarter-finals but losing 3:1 to his compatriot Francesco Trevisan in the semi-finals.
Steven wins U19 and Emanuel wins U17
Now we cross the Atlantic to report on the action in South America at the end of October and November.
In Rionegro, Colombia (27.-30.10.) Steven Moreno won the U19 title beating Sebastian Bedoya, Colombia, 3:1 in the semi’s and 3:1 against his compatriot Enrique Rios in the final. In the U17s Steven reached the semi-finals where he lost 2:3 to Bedoya after leading 2:1 after three games.
Here another compass supported player, Emanuel Otalvaro, stepped up to the plate. Emanuel beat Bedoya 3:1 in the final – 11:8, 11:7, 9:11, 11:8. In the semi-finals, Emanuel beat Rios 3:1 and in the quarter-finals he beat Otto Ton Li from Colombia in straight games.
Steven Moreno and Emanuel Otalvaro in action. Photos: WTT
Otalvaro also won the U15 title. Here he met another compass player in the final, Alexander Malov, and won 3:1. Malov followed up his U15 silver with a U13 gold, beating Araujo of Brazil in the final and Velez of Colombia in the semi-final.
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Steven Moreno and Brazilian Victoria Strassburger after their mixed doubles win in Asuncion, Paraguay. Photo: WTT
Mixed gold in Asuncion
In Asuncion, Paraguay (09.-12.11.), Steven Moreno led 2:1 against Felipe Doti of Brazil in the U19 semi-finals, but lost the decider 11:8. In the quarter-finals, however, he won 11:9 in the fifth and deciding game against Ivan Pastore of the host nation. Moreno won the mixed doubles with Brazilian Victoria Strassburger. They beat Beatriz Fiore and Victor Iwamoto of Brazil 3:2 in the final, coming back from 1:2 down to win the decider 11:9.
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Alexander Malov. Photo: WTT
In the U15 event, Alexander Malov had to take his quarter-final against Benjamin Carrasco from Chile to a decider, but “Sasha” was never really threatened and won 11:4. The semi-finals and the final against Matthew Cao from Puerto Rico and Muhammad Faiz from Malaysia both went in straight games. In the mixed draw Alexander played Barbora Guassardo from Slovakia in the semi-finals. In the U13 category, “Sasha” lost 3:1 to Koh Wei Yeow from Malaysia in the round of the last 16.
“Maybe the accumulation of travel days and the long stay away from home affected him a bit in this contender tournament. Despite not playing his best, Sasha managed to finish in the top four in the U15 Mixed and win the U15 Singles title,” said Alexander’s mother and coach Nuria Castro.
More information about the tournaments and all results can be found at:
Eight titles for five compass supported players
Eight titles for five compass supported players
During the month of November, six compass supported youngsters won a total of eight titles at various WTT Youth Contender events in Europe and South America.
Three of them won twice – Emanuel Otalvaro from Colombia, Steven Moreno from Puerto Rico and Alexander Malov from Spain.
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Josephina Neumann made a stunning comeback in November, defeating European U19 singles champion Bianca Mei-Rosu in the final of the U19 event at the WTT Youth Contender in Szombathely, Hungary. Photo: WTT
The biggest comeback, however, was not made by any of the South Americans but by ‘Josi’ Neumann from Germany, born in 2010. Josi has been nursing a shoulder injury since July of this year, when she was forced to pull out of the European Junior Championships. Before she went to the WTT Youth Contender in Senec, Slovakia (30.10.-05.11.), she had three weeks of careful training with her coach Chen Zhibin.
In the U19 event in Senec, she defeated top seed Nina Guozheng of France 3:2 in the quarter-finals before losing 3:1 to Clea Stoppeleire, also of France, in the semi-finals.
“I like to play Nina and I have no problems with her pimples,” Josi said afterwards. “I was very happy to win, but I also felt that I had to improve my endurance. Unfortunately, I did not have enough power in the semi-final. I need to work on my fitness.”
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Josephina “Josi” Neumann goes full power with her strong backhand. Photo: WTT
Top performance in Hungary
It was in Szombathely, Hungary (03.-09.11.) that Josi showed that she is back to full strength. In the U19 category for players born in 2005 or later, she, born in 2010, defeated Maria Berzosa from Spain in the semi-finals and the U19 European Champion Bianca Mei-Rosu in the final – 11:9 in the fifth and deciding game!
“I played my best table tennis and was able to beat players I had never beaten before. In the final I felt like I had nothing to lose, I was just happy to be there. Bianca is such a good player, but I felt I had a chance to win if I could play with different spin on the ball.”
Ladimir beats three French players
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Ladimir Mayrov won U13 in Hungary. Photo: WTT
In the same competition, Spain’s Ladimir Mayorov also won a title, in the U13 category. Along the way, he defeated three young French players – Noah Tessier in the quarter-finals, Quentin Sandona in the semi-finals and Nolan Johnston in the final. The toughest match was against Sandona, where Ladimir was down 1:2, but turned the match around to win the last two games 11:6 and 11:4.
Ladimir’s recipe for victory?
“He spent countless hours in the warm-up hall, where he had the opportunity to train with almost everyone, further refining his skills,” commented his father and coach Eduard Mayorov.
In Lignano, Italy (07.-13.11.), Ladimir was stopped in the quarter-finals, which Sandona won in three straight games. Italy’s Danilo Faso also won a medal, beating Nolan Johnston in the quarter-finals but losing 3:1 to his compatriot Francesco Trevisan in the semi-finals.
Steven wins U19 and Emanuel wins U17
Now we cross the Atlantic to report on the action in South America at the end of October and November.
In Rionegro, Colombia (27.-30.10.) Steven Moreno won the U19 title beating Sebastian Bedoya, Colombia, 3:1 in the semi’s and 3:1 against his compatriot Enrique Rios in the final. In the U17s Steven reached the semi-finals where he lost 2:3 to Bedoya after leading 2:1 after three games.
Here another compass supported player, Emanuel Otalvaro, stepped up to the plate. Emanuel beat Bedoya 3:1 in the final – 11:8, 11:7, 9:11, 11:8. In the semi-finals, Emanuel beat Rios 3:1 and in the quarter-finals he beat Otto Ton Li from Colombia in straight games.
Steven Moreno and Emanuel Otalvaro in action. Photos: WTT
Otalvaro also won the U15 title. Here he met another compass player in the final, Alexander Malov, and won 3:1. Malov followed up his U15 silver with a U13 gold, beating Araujo of Brazil in the final and Velez of Colombia in the semi-final.
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Steven Moreno and Brazilian Victoria Strassburger after their mixed doubles win in Asuncion, Paraguay. Photo: WTT
Mixed gold in Asuncion
In Asuncion, Paraguay (09.-12.11.), Steven Moreno led 2:1 against Felipe Doti of Brazil in the U19 semi-finals, but lost the decider 11:8. In the quarter-finals, however, he won 11:9 in the fifth and deciding game against Ivan Pastore of the host nation. Moreno won the mixed doubles with Brazilian Victoria Strassburger. They beat Beatriz Fiore and Victor Iwamoto of Brazil 3:2 in the final, coming back from 1:2 down to win the decider 11:9.
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Alexander Malov. Photo: WTT
In the U15 event, Alexander Malov had to take his quarter-final against Benjamin Carrasco from Chile to a decider, but “Sasha” was never really threatened and won 11:4. The semi-finals and the final against Matthew Cao from Puerto Rico and Muhammad Faiz from Malaysia both went in straight games. In the mixed draw Alexander played Barbora Guassardo from Slovakia in the semi-finals. In the U13 category, “Sasha” lost 3:1 to Koh Wei Yeow from Malaysia in the round of the last 16.
“Maybe the accumulation of travel days and the long stay away from home affected him a bit in this contender tournament. Despite not playing his best, Sasha managed to finish in the top four in the U15 Mixed and win the U15 Singles title,” said Alexander’s mother and coach Nuria Castro.
More information about the tournaments and all results can be found at:
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