Young Spanish Talent Shines at WTT Youth Contender Havirov Tournament
The WTT Youth Contender Havirov tournament held on June 2, 2024, witnessed the remarkable performance of Pablo Ramirez Rioja, a Spanish under-13 player. Ramirez Rioja dominated his group matches, winning all four, and then defeated compatriot Ryan Goodier 3-1 in the quarter-finals.
“Ramirez Rioja’s impressive run continued as he secured a 3-1 victory over Poland’s Mikolaj Pilch in the semi-finals, setting up a final clash with the second seed, Ondrej Moravek of the host nation Czech Republic.”
Despite Ramirez Rioja’s strong performance, he was unable to match the world ranking of Moravek, who was ranked 25 places above him in the under-13 category. Moravek proved too strong, winning the final 3-0 to claim the gold medal.
Another English player, Oscar Nikolli, also made it to the quarter-finals in the under-13 event, where he lost to Pilch, who had earlier defeated the top seed, Louis Fegerl, in the group stage.
In the under-15 and under-17 categories, several English players, including Goodier, Ramirez Rioja, Jake Davidson, and Angad Saggu, reached the last 64, but their campaigns ended there. Nikolli was also eliminated in the group stage of the under-17 event.
The WTT Youth Contender Havirov tournament provided a platform for these young table tennis talents to showcase their skills and gain valuable experience on the international stage. As the sport continues to grow, events like this offer a glimpse into the promising future of table tennis.
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