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Daria Chernova oustanding in Madeira Photo By: Frantisek Zalewsky |
Courtesy of ITTF
Russia’s Daria Chernova dominated proceedings on the second day of play at the Funchal Junior Open on Thursday 6th September 2012.
She won both the Junior Girls’ Singles and Cadet Girls’ Singles titles.
A magnificent performance and one that is very much a watershed in her fledgling career; a quarter-finalist in the Ströck European Youth Championships earlier in the year at the Werner Schlager Academy, when beaten by England’s Tin Tin Ho, Daria Chernova made major strides forward in Funchal.
It is her first Junior Girls’ Singles title on the ITTF Junior Circuit.
Endorsed Status
The top seed in the Cadet Girls’ Singles event, she duly endorsed her status.
She beat Egypt’s Amira Yousry in the quarter-finals in what proved to be her most testing contest en route to gold; she won in five games (7-11, 11-3, 6-11, 11-4, 11-6).
Confidence Grew
Win a close match and confidence grows; unquestionably that was the situation for Daria Chernova.
At the semi-final stage she overcame Reem Morad, also from Egypt, in the semi-finals (11-3, 11-8, 12-10); before, in a similar manner, defeating colleague and second seed, Maria Malanina (11-3, 11-7, 11-8) to arrest the title.
Maria Malanina
In the round of the last eight, Maria Malanina had ousted Portugal’s Jessica Nobrega (11-3, 11-4, 11-4), before ending the hopes of Egypt’s Salma Khaled, the no.3 seed, in the penultimate round (11-6, 11-8, 11-5).
One closely fought contest in the Cadet Girls’ Singles event en route to gold; in the Junior Girls’ Singles event it was three. It was no easy passage.
Hard Fought Matches
Seeded no.2, at the quarter-stage she accounted for Portugal’s Mariana Gonçalves, the no.5 seed (11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 6-11, 9-11, 11-5) before overcoming the latter’s colleague, Rita Fins, the no.8 seed (11-9, 2-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-4) to book her place in the final.
A six games penultimate round, in the final is was a full distance duel, just as it had been in the round of the last eight against Mariana Gonçalves; only this time she was not the favourite to win.
