Stronger from Defeat, Adriana Diaz Wins in Slovak Republic

Courtesy of ITTF
2016 Slovak Junior Open – ITTF Junior Circuit

The winner eight months ago in Croatia, Puerto Rico’s Adriana Diaz collected the second ITTF Junior Circuit Girls’ Singles title of her career when she emerged successful on Sunday May 22nd at the Slovak Junior Open in Senec.

A determined 15-year-old from the Caribbean island entered the arena on the concluding day of play.

Pain of Day Earlier
Defeats hurts; more than most, whatever outward bright smile you may witness it hurts China’s Ding Ning, the reigning World champion; it is exactly the same for Adriana Diaz, the ache of a reverse is a major motivator.

In the group stage, on the penultimate day of action, Adriana Diaz had suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of India’s Varuni Jaiswal (11-8, 11-4, 8-11, 11-7); on the last day of play there was no charity from the Puerto Rican, she surrendered just one individual game.

Little Charity
After beating Kausharu Nath, also from India in four straight games (11-9, 11-7, 15-13, 11-9) and Thailand’s Monaposorn Saritapirak by a similar margin (11-5, 11-4, 11-7, 11-9), Adriana Diaz needed five games to overcome the host nation’s Tatiana Kukulkova, the no.5 seed, at the semi-final stage (12-10, 11-8, 7-11, 12-10, 11-5).

A place in the final booked, there was no further charity on offer; a straight games win over the Czech Republic’s Marketa Sevcikova, the no.6 seed, sealed the title (11-1, 11-9, 11-8, 11-2) sealed the title.

Marketa Sevcikova 
Meanwhile, in the opposite half of the draw, Marketa Sevcikova had beaten Hungary’s Kitt Korda (11-8, 11-5, 11-3, 11-0) and the Slovak Republic’s Karolina Furkova (11-7, 11-6, 11-4, 11-3), prior to recording a semi-final success in opposition to Thailand’s Jinnipa Sawettabut, the no.12 seed (11-5, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3).

Early Departures 
Success for Adriana Diaz but for three notable names there were unexpected early departures.

Hungary’s Leonie Hartbrich, the no.2 seed, was beaten in the second round by the Slovak Republic’s Ema Labosova, the no.7 seed (12-14, 11-9, 7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8) who departed in the very next round losing to colleague Tatiana Kukulkova (11-7, 12-10, 6-11, 12-10, 11-8).

Similarly, the Czech Republic’s Nikita Petrovova experienced a second round defeat at the hands Jinnpa Sawettabut (11-2, 11-3, 9-11, 11-4, 11-8) who then promptly ended the adventures of Varuni Jaiswal (11-2, 11-7, 11-2, 11-7), the nemesis one day earlier of Adriana Diaz.

Surprises, likewise Germany’s Selja Fazlic, the no.4 seed, experienced a second round defeat at the hands of Karolina Furkova (11-9, 11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 11-6).

Junior Girls’ Doubles 
A fine effort from Jinnipa Sawettabut in the Girls’ Singles event, it was the same in the Girls’ Doubles, where she partnered colleague Monapsorn Saritapirak, to gold.

At the final hurdle the duo accounted for Germany’s Anne Bundesmann and Lotta Rose (11-7, 11-8, 11-13, 13-11).