Carelyn Cordero and Tania Almendariz Impress in Cancun Qualifiers
March 5, 2010

Carelyn Cordero on her way to a place in Singapore and to the main draw in Cancun Photo By: Fernando Aguilar

Courtesy of ITTF Puerto Rico’s 16 year old Carelyn Cordero and Ecuador’s 17 year old Tania Alemendariz were the players to catch the eye in the qualification stage of the Women’s Singles event at the Latin American Championships in the Mexican resort of Cancun on Thursday March 4, 2010. Carelyn Cordero, who booked her place at the Youth Olympic Games in August when she emerged successful at the Pan American Qualification Tournament in El Salvador in early February, excelled to beat Blanca Duran of Chile, the fifth highest world ranked player in action in the first stage of proceedings.

Top Place Secured
The Puerto Rican secured first place in her group; in addition to her success over Blanca Duran, she overcame Mexico’s Alejandrina Mendez and Costa Rica’s Carolina Chinchila to secure a place in the main draw.

Good form from Carelyn Cordero and there was an equally fine display from Tania Almendariz.

Peruvian Impressive
Runner up in the Girls’ Singles event at the ITTF Junior Circuit event in Ecuador in September 2009, Tania Almendariz overcame the very impressive, Angela Mori of Peru, the eighth highest world ranked player in action.

One year younger than Tania Almendariz, Angela Mori impressed at the Volkswagen World Junior Championships in Colombia in December 2009 and finished in second place in the group; thus progressing to the main draw alongside the Ecuadorian.

Angela Mori is a player to note, she could well cause higher ranked opposition problems in the second stage of proceedings.

Both players accounted for Andrea Herrera of Honduras, who has been a regular member of her national team since being the youngest player in action at the 2006 Liebherr World Team Championships, and Mexico’s Isabel Thevenin.

Colombian Coach Tested
Otherwise, for the leading ladies who were required to compete in the group qualification stage, there was a safe passage to the main draw; the one player to experience the most problems being Colombia’s Johana Araque, the fourth highest rated in action.

On duty for Colombia in a coaching role at the Volkswagen World Junior Championships in Colombia in December 2009, she was tested by two rapidly improving teenagers. Both the Dominican Republic’s Eva Brito and Ecuador’s Daniela Andrade extended the Colombian the full five games distance, the latter experiencing defeat by the very narrowest of fifth game margins.

Olympian Progresses
However for the top three there were no such heartaches.

Iizzwa Medina of Honduras, who became the first table tennis player from Central America to compete in the Olympic Games when she appeared in Athens in 2004, enjoyed success as did the next two in line: Venezuela’s Riaida Ezzeddine and Brazil’s Jessica Yamada.

Similarly, for Colombia’s Luisa Zuluaga and Venezuela’s Mariana Guanchez, the respective sixth and seventh highest world rated in action; there were safe passages to the main draw.

Results
Click here for Full Women's Singles Qualification Results
Click here for Full Men's Singles Qualification Stage Results