It was a glorious double for Asia as it retained the Global Cadet Challenge in both the boys and girls sections of the 2010 edition at the Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy indoor stadium on Wednesday.
The host continent got the better of Europe in both categories, the boys winning 3-2 and the girls triumphant with a 3-1 verdict. Spearheading Asia's campaign to retain the title were world No. 15 Linfeng Zhu among the boys and world No. 3 Xi Liu on the distaff side.
Zhu upstaged world no. 7 Tristan Flore and then No. 9 Tamas Lakatos. Xi first defeated No. 16 Olga Bliznet and then No. 4 Bernadette Szocs. Japan's Eka So accounted for Mateja Jeger, while Kem Hoi Doo lost to Bernadette.
The results:
Boys: Final:Asia bt Europe 3-2 (Jin Woo Jang lost to Tamas Lakatos 10-12, 5-11, 11-9, 6-11, Linfeng Zhu bt Tristan Flore 11-9, 8-11, 11-3, 11-7, Yuto Muramatsu bt Leonardo Mutti 11-8, 11-8, 11-9, Jang lost to Tristan 11-7, 7-11, 6-11, 11-5, 4-11, Linfeng bt Tamas 11-4, 11-9, 11-7).
Semifinals:Europe bt Africa 3-0 (Leonardo Mutti bt Thameur Mamia 11-7, 11-1, 11-5, Tristan Flore b Shady Magdy 11-8, 11-8, 11-8, Tamas Lakatos bt Azeez Ogunlade 11-3, 11-5, 12-10); Asia bt Pan America 3-0 (Lingfeng Zhu bt Hugo Calderano 11-7, 11-8, 11-3, Yuto Muramatsu bt Sebastian Aguirre 11-6, 11-4, 11-3, Jin Woo Jang bt Charles Deng 11-9, 11-3, 11-5).
Quarterfinals:Pan America bt Oceania 3-0 (Hugo bt Dillon Cathcart 11-8, 11-7, 11-8, Sebastian bt Roger Rao 11-8, 11-5, 11-4, Charles bt Fabien Lai Van 11-6, 11-7, 11-8); Africa bt India 3-2 (Shady lost to Abhishek Yadav 10-12, 6-11, 6-11, Thameur bt Utkarsh Gupta 11-6, 8-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-2, Azeez bt Sihubhamkar Renavikar 14-12, 7-11, 5-11, 14-12, 11-9, Thameur lost Abhishek 6-11, 8-11, 6-11, Shady bt Utkarsh 13-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7).
Girls: Final:Asia bt Europe 3-1 (Xi Liu bt Olga Bliznet 11-2, 11-2, 11-9, Kem Hoi Doo lost to Bernadette Szocs 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 14-13, 11-13, Eka So bt Mateja Jeger 11-7, 11-6, 11-7, Xi bt Bernadette 12-14, 11-9, 11-3, 12-10).
For positions 3 & 4: India bt Pan America 3-2 (Manika Batra lost to Ariel Hsing 11-7, 12-10, 9-11, 8-11, 8-11, Mallika Bhandarkar bt Anqi Luo 11-3, 11-8, 9-11, 11-2, Reeth Tennison lost to Caroline Kumahara 9-11, 7-11, 1-11, Mallika bt Ariel 12-10, 11-6, 11-5, Manika bt Anqi 11-9, 12-10, 11-5).
Semifinals: Europe bt Pan America 3-1 (Bernadette lost to Ariel 8-11, 11-13, 6-11, Olga bt Anqi 11-4, 14-12, 11-6, Mateja bt Caroline 11-8, 3-11, 11-7, 12-10, Olga bt Ariel 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-5, 11-7); Asia bt India 3-0 (Xi bt Manika 11-3, 11-5, 11-6, Kem bt Mallika 11-9, 11-5, 11-9, Eka bt Reeth 11-8, 6-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-3).
Quarterfinals: Europe bt India 4-1 (Bernadette bt Manika 11-7, 11-6, 11-6, Mateja lost to Mallika 12-14, 9-11, 10-12, Laura Pfefer bt Reeth 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 15-13, Bernadette bt Mallika 12-14, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8, Mateja bt Manika 11-6, 11-7, 16-14). Asia bt Pan America 3-2 (Hoi Kem Doo lost Ariel 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 6-11, Xi Liu xi bt Anqi 11-5, 11-8, 11-7, Eka bt Caroline K 11-6, 9-11, 11-2, 11-9, Xi bt Ariel 11-6, 7-11, 15-13, 9-11, 11-8, Hoi Kem lost to Anqi 8-11, 11-3, 6-11, 6-11).
Cadet boys (third round): Group B: Asia bt Africa 5-0 (Jin Jang Woo bt Shady Magdy 11-4, 11-4, 11-1, Yuto Murmatsu bt Thameur Mamia 11-4, 11-5, 11-6, Linfeng Zhu bt Grace Babekidio 11-5, 11-4, 11-5, Jin Jang bt Thameur 11-3, 11-4, 11-6, Yuto bt Shady 11-5, 11-7, 11-9). Group A: Europe bt Pan America (Leonardo Mutti bt Hugo Calderno 14-12, 11-7, 11-9, Tamas Lakatos bt Sebastian Aguirre 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-7, Jakub Dyjas bt Charles Deng 11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-9, Tamas lost to Hugo 11-5, 9-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-13, Leonardo bt Sebastian 11-5, 11-13, 11-4, 11-8).
