European Under-13 Championships: England Face Tough Start in Romania
In the opening three team matches of the European Under-13 Championships in Romania, England’s young table tennis talents experienced a mixed bag of results, winning one and losing two.
England’s campaign began against Azerbaijan, where they fell 3-2 despite Villet-Lily Marquis and Pablo Ramirez Rioja securing singles victories to put them 2-1 ahead. However, Hannah Saunders and Dimitar Dimitrov were unable to clinch the overall win.
The team quickly bounced back, edging Estonia 3-2. Saunders, Dimitrov and Marquis all won their singles matches, while Ramirez Rioja and Marquis suffered defeat in the doubles.
In their final group encounter, England struggled against a strong Austrian side, losing 4-1. After Ryan Goodier and Marquis were beaten in the doubles, Saunders leveled the tie, but a crucial 3-1 defeat for Dimitrov against Seung Jin Chen proved pivotal as Austria sealed the victory.
“The next stage of the team competition will see England face Slovenia, Kosovo and Croatia today, before the individual events commence. With lessons learned from the opening matches, England’s young table tennis players will be determined to bounce back and make their mark on the remainder of this prestigious European tournament.”
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