Adriana Diaz Repeats Success of Previous Week, Wins in Wladyslawowo

2016 Polish Junior and Cadet Open
Courtesy of ITTF

Top step of the podium the previous week in the Slovak Republic, Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz won the Junior Girls’ Singles title at the 2016 Polish Junior and Cadet Open in Wladyslawowo on Thursday May 26th and thus collected the third such title of her career.

Additional to her win in Senec, eight months ago she had prevailed at the 2015 Croatian Junior and Cadet Open in Zagreb.

First Match the Hardest
The top seed in Wladyslawowo, the 15 year old from the Caribbean underlined the reasons why she merited that status; it was only on her first visit to the table that she was really tested.

Players will tell you time and again that the hardest match in a tournament is often the first; so it proved to be the situation with Adriana Diaz.

A direct entry to the main draw, not required to compete in the group stage of affairs, In her opening contest she had to recover from a two games to nil deficit against Russia’s Ekaterina Zironova, eventually recording a seven games success (9-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6) to start her journey.

Confidence Grew
Win a close contest and confidence blossoms, is another well-worn phrase; it would appear that was the situation with regards to the Puerto Rican.

After a testing opening encounter, she surrendered just two more games en route to gold.

In her next contest she accounted for Thailand’s Monapsorn Saritapirak (11-5, 12-10, 11-7, 11-5), before overcoming Germany’s Anne Bundesmann (11-3, 11-4, 11-8, 8-11, 14-12) to book her place in the penultimate round.

Ended Romanian Hopes
It was at that stage she ended Romanian hopes; she beat Andreea Dragoman, the no.3 seed (8-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9) followed by Adina Diaconu, the no.2 seed (11-8, 11-7, 11-9, 11-6) to arrest the title.

Adina Diaconu
In the opposite half of the draw, Adina Diaconu had beaten Thailand’s Jinnipa Sawettabut (12-10, 11-4, 11-1, 7-11, 11-6), German’s Janina Kammerer (13-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-3) and Serbia’s Izabela Lupulesku (11-9, 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 9-11, 11-5) to reserve her place in the semi-finals where Daria Trigolos of Belarus awaited.

Never extended the full distance en route to the title deciding contest, it was the same the penultimate round; she emerged successful in five games (11-6, 13-11, 19-17, 9-11, 11-8).

Junior Girls’ Doubles
Alas for Adina Diaconu it was the runners up spot, the same finish as was experienced in the Junior Girls’ Doubles event.

In partnership with Andreea Dragoman, the pair suffered defeat in the final against the combination of Serbia’s Sabina Surjan and Daria Trigolos of Belarus.

Team Events
Play in the Junior Girls’ Singles and Junior Girls’ Doubles over; attention now turns to the Junior Girls’ Team and Cadet Girls’ Team events, which start on Friday May 27th.

RESULTS

• Junior Boys Singles
• Junior Girls Singles
• Junior Boys Doubles
• Junior Girls Doubles
• Cadet Boys Singles
• Cadet Girls Singles
• Cadet Boys Doubles
• Cadet Girls Doubles

Visit ITTF for complete coverage of the 2016 Polish Junior and Cadet Open.