Never in Danger, Top Seeds Secure Junior Boys' Team Title in El Salvador

August 19, 2012

Courtesy of ITTF

The top seeds and never in serious danger of defeat, the combination of Chinese Taipei's Lai Yi-Yao, Argentina's Pablo Saragovi and New Zealand's Kevin Wu won the Junior Boys' Team title at the El Salvador Junior and Cadet Open, staged in the Central American country's capital city of San Salvador, on Friday August 17, 2012.

At no stage of the competition were they ever seriously threatened; they recorded three-nil wins in every contest in the first stage of proceedings and they maintained that tradition in the second stage.

Matters went very much as predicted but in the counterpart Cadet Boys' Team event it was a different scenario; the title went to the fourth seeds.

Chinese Taipei, represented by Chen Yen-Heng and Huang Chien-Tu secured the top prize.

Always on Duty
Lai Yi-Yao was the backbone of the effort; he always played in the second singles match and the doubles.

Against Venezuela 'B' (Andres Montsalve, Pablo Navarro) in the quarterfinals, Pablo Saragovi was on duty in the opening singles contest with Kevin Wu joining Lai Yi-Yao for the doubles.

One round later against Colombia 'A' (Daniel Figueroa, Camilo Geraldo), it was Kevin Wu who opened proceedings, with Pablo Saragovi joining forces with Li Yi-Yao to secure doubles success; then in the final against Sweden 'A' (Simon Berglund, Jonas Stener), it was back to the quarter-final formula that had proved successful against Venezuela 'B'.

Impressive Swedes
An impressive performance by the top seeds and to reach the final, it was the same from the second seeds, Sweden.

At the quarterfinal stage Simon Berglund and Jonas Stener posted a three-nil win against Colombia 'B' (Juan Grisales, Ayrton Oviedo), before enjoying the same margin of victory against Venezuela 'A' (Daniel Fuenmayor, Jan Medina) in the penultimate round.

No Stopping Chinese Taipei
Meanwhile, in the Cadet Boys' Team event, there was no stopping the Chinese Taipei duo of Chen Yen-Heng and Huang Chien-Tu.

They accounted for Trinidad and Tobago (Arun Roopnarine, Aaron Wilson) in the quarterfinals by three matches to nil before putting an end to Indian aspirations.

Maintaining the form displayed in their opening encounter, they recorded three-one wins in both the semi-final and final rounds with Huang Chien-Tu unbeaten throughout.

Arun Roopnarine alongside Trinidad and Tabago colleague, Aaron Wilson experienced a quarter-final defeat
Photo By: Gerardo Lopez

Semi-Final
Against India 'A', the top seeds, in the semi-finals he accounted for Lairin Puia (11-7, 11-9, 11-9) and Utkarsh Gupta (11-7, 11-6, 11-5), while teaming with Chen Yen-Heng to secure the doubles (11-6, 5-11, 11-3, 11-5).

Similarly in the final, he was the man of the moment.

Final
In opposition to India 'B', he defeated Ayush Tayal (9-11, 11-7, 14-12, 11-6) and Anirban Ghosh (11-8, 11-9, 11-6), with sandwiched in between joining forces with Chen Yen-Heng to secure a doubles success against Ayush Tayal and Lalhunlua (11-6, 11-7, 13-11).

Chen Yen-Heng (left) and Huang Chien-Tu (right), the Cadet Boys' Team champions
Photo By: Gerardo Lopez

Two Defeats
The two reverses for the eventual champions were experienced by Chen Yen-Heng.

Against India 'A' in the semi-finals, he was beaten by Utkarsh Gupta (11-6, 11-6, 3-11, 11-8); in opposition to India 'B' in the final, he suffered against Anirban Ghosh (11-4, 11-7, 13-11).

Creditable Performance
Defeat for India 'B' in the final but nevertheless it was a most creditable performance; they were the 14th ranked team in the competition.

Furthermore in the second stage of proceedings they posted three-nil wins at both the quarter and semi-final stages. They overcame Sweden 'B' (William Apelqvist, William Olivius) in the round of the last eight; before, in the penultimate round, defeating the United States (Krishnateja Avvari, Theodore Tran).

Step Too Far
However, in the final against Chinese Taipei it was a step too far; Chen Yen-Heng and Huang Chien-Tu emerged worthy winners.

It was third place in the Cadet Boys' Team event for Theodore Tran alongside American colleague Krishnateja Avvari
Photo By: Gerardo Lopez