Second place in the group was the end result, after suffering a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the international formation comprising Italy’s Nicole Arlia, Finland’s Ramona Maarit Betz and Romania’s Patricia Ianau.

Backbone of the success was Nicole Arlia; she beat both Radmila Tominjak (11-4, 11-9, 11-5) and Kalina Hristova (8-11, 13-11, 6-11, 13-11, 11-8). The one further success for the victors was achieved by Ramona Maarit Betz, in the second match of the engagement she overcame Kalina Hristova (13-15, 11-8, 11-9, 11-7).

Nicole Arlia, Ramona Maarit Betz and Patricia Ianau duly remained unbeaten to top the group, for Kalina Hristova, Radmila Tominjak and Reka Bezeg, runners up spot meant progress to the main draw.

Principal outfits succeed

Problems for the second seeds in the junior girls’ team event, in the counterpart junior boys’ team competition there were no such heartaches for the principal outfits.

Top seeds, Croatia’s Ivor Ban, Leon Santek and Lavro Zovko duly ended their initial phase fixtures unbeaten and thus in first place; it was the same for the next in line in an event where there were three groups in the initial stage as opposed to two in the junior girls’ team event.

The trio formed by Brazil’s Kenzo Carmo and Shim Joon alongside Belgium’s Nicolas Degros reserved top spot as did the combination of Slovakia’s Dalibor Diko and Adam Klajber who joined forces with the Czech Republic’s Radim Moravek.

Leading teams unbeaten

Meanwhile in both the cadet boys’ team and cadet girls’ team events, the leading teams ended the day unbeaten in first group place.

It was pole position in the cadet boys’ team event for Belgium’s Tim Giltia and Nlan Lerat as it was for the next in the order of merit, the Czech Republic’s Vit Kadlec and Martin Sip. Likewise in the cadet girls’ team competition, the top seeded Brazilian pairing of Guilia Takahashi and Laura Watanabe reserved first place, a feat also achieved by their nearest rivals, the Polish partnership of Zusanna Pawelec and Anna Brzyska.

Play in the team events concludes on Thursday 3rd October.