All six U.S. junior boys are out of the main draw following defeats in the first and second rounds of the World Junior Men’s Individual Championship in Windhoek, Namibia.
The first round saw mixed success for the U.S. contingent with four out of six players advancing to the second round. Mason Ripka and Thomas Kingshott continue their individual campaigns in the Plate after exiting the main draw in the first round.
Kingshott (pictured above) lost to Canadian David Baillargeon 11-5, 11-8, 4-11, 11-5, while Ripka fell in three games against Indian Velavan Senthilkumar 11-3, 11-3, 11-6.
Ripka eased through his first Plate match Monday against Ireland’s Nikita Gilevskiy 11-3, 11-4, 11-5.
David Yacobucci, occupying the U.S. developmental spot, advanced to the second round due to his opponent withdrawing from the tournament. Spaniard Iker Pajares consigned Yacobucci to the Special Plate defeating the Greenwich, CT-native 11-6, 10-12, 11-5, 11-3, in the second round.
After recording victories in the first round, Max Reed, Derek Hsue, and Timmy Brownell narrowly lost against seeded opposition in the second round.
Reed defeated South African Justin Wesson 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 in the first round Sunday, before Malaysian [13/16] seed Mohammad Kamal knocked out Reed in the second round 7-11, 11-9, 11-2, 11-5, Monday.
After a four-game first round victory Sunday, Hsue battled back from 2-0 down against Irish [13/16] seed Michael Craig to level the match 2-2 before Craig sealed the match 11-5 in the fifth game.
Seventeen-year-old Brownell nearly upset Egyptian [9/12] seed Omar El Atmas, but El Atmas turned around a 2-1 deficit to win the fourth and fifth games 11-2, 11-3.
Two Americans were in action Monday in the Individual Junior Women’s competition.
Sixteen-year-old Casey Wong squandered a 2-0 lead against English international Amelia Elizabeth Henley who went on to win the first-round match 7-11, 6-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-7.
Seventeen-year-old Kayley Leonard was also on the losing end against an English international in the first round as Alison Thomson defeated Leonard 4-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-7.
American seeds Sabrina Sobhy [5/8], Olivia Fiechter [13/16], and Reeham Sedky [13/16] begin their campaigns Tuesday.
Stay tuned to the 2014 World Junior Championships page for the latest news, blog posts from Team USA, tweets, and player and coach profiles.
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