Three Titles For Croatian
Photo by: Raul Calin
Raul Calin, Ian Marshall
Croatia’s Sanja PAUKOVIC proved to be the most successful player on duty at the ITTF World Junior Circuit event in Morocco (24th-29th March 2005); she won the Junior Girls’ Team event and the Junior Girls’ Doubles with her compatriot Suncica VUGRINEC and completed the tournament unbeaten by overcoming the latter to capture the Junior Girls’ Singles title.
The Croatian was naturally delighted with her success and was clearly determined from the onset to book a place in the World Junior Circuit Finals in Santo Domingo later in the year.
Sanja PAUKOVIC, winner of three titles in Morocco
“The World Junior Circuit event in Örebro, Sweden was a stronger tournament, there were many European players there and the competition was really hard�, said PAUKOVIC. “Here I had a good chance to gain points on the ITTF World Junior Circuit and this was important for me in order to try to qualify for the Grand Finals; also I intend to play in Spain and Poland and I hope to play well to be in Santo Domingo�.
PAUKOVIC and VUGRINEC beat Brazil’s Mariany NONAKA and Jordan’s Zeina SHABAN in the Junior Girls’ Doubles final but having to face each other in the singles final must have been a difficult experience. “It was a mental contest, we know each other very well, we are very good friends�, said PAUKOVIC. “We have played doubles together for two years, we practise with each other and we are good friends.�
Meanwhile, Germany’s Patrick BAUM captured the Junior Boys’ Singles title beating colleague Alexander KRIEGER in the final whilst in the Junior Boys’ Doubles event, victory went to the Russians Stanislav GOLAVANOV and Kirill SKACHIKOV; the duo overcoming the Croatians Tomislav KOLAREK and Domagoj MAGLIC at the final hurdle.
It was for BAUM his second title of the tournament; earlier in the proceedings he had won the Junior Boys’ Team event with Dimitrij OVTCHAROV and was understandably pleased to have won a further title. “I felt very good here in Casablanca�, he said. “I played well and I ‘m happy with my results.�
It was the first ITTF World Junior Circuit event to be held in Morocco and everyone left pleased with the organisation; the tournament finished in with traditional Moroccan dancing being the highlight of the closing ceremony.
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