Wales and GB’s Anna Hursey is guaranteed a TWO-TIME medalist at the ITTF World Youth Championships!
Hursey and her partner Iulian Chirita from Romania won their quarter-final against French duo Flavien Coton and Leana Hochart in the Under-19 Mixed Doubles today – saving three match points along the way.
Hursey later teamed with Mia Griesel of Germany to win the under-19 women’s doubles quarterfinal against Sachi Aoki and Yuna Ojio of Japan.
It means Hursey has at least two bronze medals after reaching the semi-finals in both competitions.
She and Chirita face Japan’s Ryuusei Kawakami and Sachi Aoki tonight in the Mixed. The match is scheduled for 6pm UK time on Table 1 – view on the WTT YouTube channel.
The semi-final of the girls’ doubles, against Hana Goda of Egypt and Veronika Matiunina of Ukraine, is Friday.
In the Mixed, Coton & Hochart led at the business end of the first game, but still took four game points to cross the line 13-11.
In the second game, Chirita & Hursey leveled, coming from 6-3 down to win 11-9, but it was another 13-11 reverse in the third game, with both sides missing one game point in that game.
In the fourth, the French duo were in the lead for most of the time and they made it 10-7, putting themselves on the doorstep of the semi-finals.
Chirita & Hursey showed amazing resilience to save those match points and after missing a game point themselves, they took their second chance – the score was again 13-11.
The teams turned around at 5-4 for Chirita & Hursey. It was soon 5-5, but four consecutive points brought Chirita & Hursey closer to the last four. They conceded two points, but collected three match points, the second of which they were victorious.
In the girls’ doubles, European under-21 champions Hursey & Griesel were only behind after the first handful of points of their last 16 match against Sally Moyland of the USA and Kheith Cruz of the Philippines.
After trailing 2-1 in the first game, the fourth seeds never managed again as they secured a routine 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-4) win.
The quarterfinal against sixth seeds Aoki & Yna Ojio had some nerve-wracking moments in a three-match win streak.
The Europeans never trailed in the first, but their opponents kept pace and saved two game points before Hursey & Griesel won the match 13-11.
The second saw the lead change hands a few times, but Hursey & Griesel won two points when it mattered most, from 9-9, to take the lead 2-0.
In the third inning, Hursey & Griesel took the most advantage, but saw their opponents see three match points at 10-7 and another at 11-10. The Europeans then had to save a game point before taking their next chance and securing the semi-final place and a place on the podium.
England’s Kacper Piwowar and Mark Gergely of Hungary took on second seeds Zhou Ghuanhong and Yu Haiyang of China in the under-15 boys’ doubles and started slowly, losing the former 11-4.
However, they fought well afterwards and stayed in contention, although they never led the second game and saved a game point before losing it 11–9.
The third saw them ahead for the first time in a match and they had a game point at 10-9, only for the seeded pair to win the next three points and complete their victory.
Results
Mixed doubles under 19 years
QuarterfinalS
Iulian Chiriter (ROU) & Anna Hursey (WAL) bt Flavien Coton & Leana Hochart (FRA) 3-2 (11-13, 11-9, 11-13, 13-11, 11-8)
Girls’ doubles under 19 years
Round of 16
Anna Hursey (WAL) & Mia GER (GER) & USA & Kheith Cruz 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-4)
Quarterfinal
Hursey & Gracel w/Sachi Aoki & Yuna Ojo 3-2 (13-11, 11-9, 14-12)
Boys doubles under 15 years
Round of 16
Zhou Ghuanhong & Yu Haiyang (CHN) vs Kacper Piwowar & Mark Gergely (HUN) 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 12-10)
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