Connor Green battled back from within a point of elimination in the last 64 to reach the quarter-finals of the WTT Youth Contender Spa in Belgium with two landmark victories.

Green, currently ranked No 96 in the world junior rankings, defeated Slovakia’s Samuel Palusek (WR 48) 3-2 (11-7, 8-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-9) in the last 32 of the Under-19 Boys’ Singles.

He followed it up with an even better victory – 3-1 (11-9, 13-11, 3-11, 11-8) against world No 24 and third seed Celian Besnier of France.

That put him into the quarter-finals, where he faced No 33 Lee Hoyun of South Korea. Green was well in the first two games, leading the first 5-3 and then coming back from 10-7 down to force deuce, but his left-handed opponent ultimately had too much and won 3-0 (12-10, 11-9, 11-5).

Before all this, back in the first round, Green had almost gone out at the hands of Jung Daeyoung of South Korea (WR 518). Jung led 2-0 and had a match point at 11-10 in the third before Green recovered to win 3-2 (5-11, 9-11, 14-12, 11-6, 11-5).

Meanwhile, Dimitar Dimitrov (pictured top of page) has another trophy for his mantelpiece, having won the round-robin Under-11 Boys’ Singles.

He won all three of his matches against opponents from Belgium, Ukraine and Mongolia, dropping only one game on the way, as he topped the podium.

Abraham Sellado (WR 327) was the best performer in the under-15s, reaching the last 16 where he was defeated by Gorkem Ocal of Turkey (WR 228). He had earlier registered a good comeback to defeat Tobias Tischberger of Austria 3-2 (4-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-8) in the last 64, before defeating the higher-ranked Volodymyr Nevizhyn (WR 302) of Ukraine in the last 32.

Max Radiven (WR 425) reached the last 32, going out to Dinis Ye (WR 362) of Portugal by a 3-2 (11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9) scoreline. Ye had earlier defeated Pablo Ramirez Rioja (WR 711) in the last 64.

Kacper Piwowar (WR 301) was agonisingly beaten 3-2 (8-11, 11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 14-12) in the last 64 by Onur Guluzade of Azerbaijan (WR 469), while Theo Kniep (WR 1,033) went out in the groups.

Dimitrov and Ramirez Rioja reached the knockout stage of the Under-13 Boys’ Singles, going out in the last 16 – Dimitrov to the top seed Nolan Johnston of France.

Kniep went out in the group stage, though he did win two out of four matches, including a fine comeback to defeat Arsenii Halai of Ukraine 3-2 (8-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7, 12-10).

In the Under-17 age group, Sellado and Piwowar reached the round of 64, going out to higher-ranked players. Piwowar lost to Dario Salcedo of Spain (WR 260) and Sellado to Davi Fujii of Brazil (WR 190), whom Piwowar had given a good game in the groups before going down 3-2 (12-14, 11-5, 11-13, 12-10, 11-5).

Radiven went out in the group stage following two defeats, including in three close games to world No 112 Petr Hodina of Austria.

Results

Under-19 Boys’ Singles
Qualifying group 23
Connor Green bt Martin Sip (CZE) 3-1 (11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 14-12)
Green bt Foos Ferber (LUX) 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 11-8)

Round of 64
Green bt Jung Daeyoung (KOR) 3-2 (5-11, 9-11, 14-12, 11-6, 11-5)

Round of 32
Green bt Samuel Palusek (SVK) 3-2 (11-7, 8-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-9)

Round of 16
Green bt Celian Besnier (FRA) 3-1 (11-9, 13-11, 3-11, 11-8)

Quarter-finals
Lee Hoyun (KOR) bt Green 3-0 (12-10, 11-9, 11-5)

Under-17 Boys’ Singles
Qualifying Group 13
Petr Hodina (AUT) bt Max Radiven 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 12-10)
Mark Usov (SWE) bt Radiven 3-1 (11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8)

Qualifying group 21
Noah Vitel (FRA) bt Abraham Sellado 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-6)
Sellado bt Oliver De La Torre (MEX) 3-0 (13-11, 11-2, 13-11)

Qualifying group 25
Davi Fujii (BRA) bt Kacper Piwowar 3-2 (12-14, 11-5, 11-13, 12-10, 11-5)
Piwowar bt Tianxiang Zou (ESP) 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-6)

Round of 64
Davi Fujii (BRZ) bt Sellado 3-1 (11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6)
Dario Salcedo (ESP) bt Piwowar 3-0 (11-6, 11-2, 11-9)

Under-15 Boys’ Singles
Qualifying group 3
Noah Vitel (FRA) bt Theo Kniep 3-0 (11-3, 11-3, 11-5)
Manoe Jasinski (BEL) bt Kniep 3-0 (12-10, 11-5, 11-9)

Qualifying group 10
Dario Salcedo (ESP) bt Pablo Ramirez Rioja 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-4)
Ramirez Rioja bt Sam Vandenbulcke (BEL) 3-1 (14-12, 4-11, 12-10, 11-5)

Qualifying group 12
Kacper Piwowar bt Edouard Gerson (BEL) 3-0 (11-2, 11-5, 11-4)
Daniel Nagy (GER) bt Piwowar 3-1 (11-8, 11-6, 13-15, 11-9)

Qualifying group 14
Abraham Sellado bt Tarvachinbo Buyan (MGL) 3-1 (11-8, 12-14, 11-9, 11-8)
Maxime Degive (BEL) bt Sellado 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-4)

Qualifying group 19
Max Radiven bt Arsenii Halai (UKR) 3-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-1)
Radiven bt Melker Sjosvard (SWE) 3-1 (11-8, 2-11, 11-3, 11-6)

Round of 64
Sellado bt Tobias Tischberger (AUT) 3-2 (4-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-8)
Onur Guluzade (AZE) bt Piwowar 3-2 (8-11, 11-4, 11-6, 9-11, 14-12)
Dinis Ye (POR) bt Ramirez Rioja 3-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-3)
Radiven bt Rodrigo Andrade (POR) 3-1 (9-11, 11-5, 13-11, 11-7)

Round of 32
Sellado bt Volodymyr Nevizhyn (UKR) 3-1 (11-7, 11-6, 8-11, 11-9)
Dinis Ye (POR) bt Radiven 3-2 (11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9)

Round of 16
Gorkem Ocal (TUR) bt Sellado 3-1 (11-7, 4-11, 11-4, 11-6)

Under-13 Boys’ Singles
Qualifying group 2
Theo Kniep bt Joppe Moorkens (BEL) 3-1 (10-12, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6)
Kniep bt Arsenii Halai (UKR) 3-2 (8-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-7, 12-10)
Peadar Sheridan (IRL) bt Kniep 3-0 (11-6, 11-3, 11-5)
Francisco Serrano (ESP) bt Kniep 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-3)

Qualifying group 4
Dimitar Dimitrov bt Suld Enkherdene (MGL) 3-0 (11-5, 11-2, 11-4)
Dimitrov bt Jari Van Gameren (NED) 3-2 (6-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6, 11-9)
Dimitrov bt Bryan Zhang (BEL) 3-1 (11-5, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8)
Daniel Gschanes (AUT) bt Dimitrov 3-2 (14-16, 11-4, 11-9, 3-11, 11-9)

Qualifying group 7
Pablo Ramirez Rioja bt Luciano Medrano (PER) 3-1 (11-7, 13-11, 10-12, 11-9)
Ramirez Rioja bt Noa Warrand (BEL) 3-0 (11-5 11-8, 11-5)
Ramirez Rioja bt Edouard Gerson (BEL) 3-0 (11-7, 11-6, 14-12)

Round of 16
Rodrigo Andrade (POR) bt Ramirez Rioja 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-6)
Nolan Johnston (FRA) bt Dimitrov 3-0 (11-4, 11-2, 11-8)

Under-11 Boys’ Singles
Group 1
Dimitar Dimitrov bt Florian Cambier (BEL) 3-0 (11-7, 11-1, 11-8)
Dimitrov bt David Drobov (UKR) 3-1 (3-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-6)
Dimitrov bt Tuvshinsaikhan Ganbaatar (MGL) 3-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-6)