England’s cadet girls will finish in the top 20 at the European Youth Championships in Croatia, while the boys have ended in 31st place.

Bethany Ellis and Maliha Baig finished second in their group in the Cadet Girls’ Team competition, coming from 2-1 down to beat Israel 3-2 in their opening match, with two wins for Baig and one for Ellis, before a 3-0 defeat by Slovenia.

It put them into the bracket for positions 17-24 and they began with a 3-2 win over Moldova, both girls winning a singles match and combining for the doubles.

They took a 2-1 lead in their next match against Austria, through Baig and the doubles, but their opponents came back to win 3-2. England will face Greece in their final match for 19th and 20th positions.

The boys’ team of Joseph Hunter and Adam Dennison were somewhat unfortunate to finish third in their group on a three-way countback, having opened with a 3-0 defeat by Bulgaria but bouncing back to defeat Belarus 3-1, Hunter claiming a double and the boys also taking the doubles.

It left them in the battle for 29th-35th positions and they started with a 3-0 victory over Latvia. A defeat to Greece by the same scoreline followed, but they finished on a high with a 3-1 win over Finland, with another double for Hunter, alongside the doubles.

The singles and doubles competitions begin today.

Results

Cadet Boys’ Team
Group H
Bulgaria 3 England 0
Yoan Velichkov bt Adam Dennison 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-6)
Stefan Dimitrov bt Joseph Hunter 3-2 (9-11, 11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8)
Dimitrov & Velichkov bt Hunter & Dennison 3-1 (11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 16-14)

England 3 Belarus 1
Hunter bt Daniil Vitorski 3-2 (13-11, 8-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8)
Nikon Shutov bt Dennison 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-8)
Hunter & Dennison bt Daniil Savastyan & Shutov 3-2 (11-8, 8-11, 12-10, 6-11, 11-5)
Hunter bt Shutov 3-1 (11-4, 12-14, 11-5, 12-10)

Positions 29-35
England 3 Latvia 0
Dennison bt Arturs Spalis 3-1 (9-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-7)
Hunter bt Haralds Fjodorovs 3-2 (7-11, 11-5, 8-11, 13-11, 11-9)
Hunter & Dennison bt Fjodorovs & Spalis 3-0 (12-10, 11-8, 11-9)

Positions 29-32
Greece 3 England 0
Andreas Karampelias bt Dennison 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-9)
Alexandros Alexopoulous bt Hunter 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 11-5)
Konstantinos Milikoudis & Alexopoulos bt Hunter & Dennison 3-2 (11-9, 9-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-9)

Positions 31-32
England 3 Finland 1
Hunter bt Matias Vesalainen 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-7)
Rasmus Vesalainen bt Dennison 3-1 (11-13, 11-9, 11-7, 11-6)
Hunter & Dennison bt Vesalainen & Vesalainen 3-1 (12-14, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7)
Hunter bt Rasmus Vesalainen 3-0 (11-7, 11-3, 11-8)

Cadet Girls’ Team
Group F
England 3 Israel 2
Elinor Davidov bt Bethany Ellis 3-1 (11-9, 21-19, 6-11, 11-6)
Maliha Baig bt Romi Tilkin 3-1 (6-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8)
Tilkin & Davidov bt Ellis & Baig 3-1 (11-7, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9)
Baig bt Davidov 3-1 (11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6)
Ellis bt Tilkin 3-2 (11-9, 9-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-7)

Slovenia 3 England 0
Sara Tokic bt Ellis 3-0 (11-3, 11-3, 17-15)
Enya Moltara bt Baig 3-2 (8-11, 11-2, 11-2, 9-11, 11-2)
Tokic & Moltara bt Ellis & Baig 3-0 (11-8, 15-13, 11-9)

Positions 17-24
England 3 Moldova 2
Valeria Vieru bt Ellis 3-0 (11-5, 13-11, 11-2)
Baig bt Victoria Mihailov 3-2 (11-6, 11-13, 11-8, 10-12, 11-8)
Baig & Elllis bt Mihailov & Vieru 3-1 (11-5, 11-7, 5-11, 11-6)
Vieru bt Baig 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-6)
Ellis bt Mihailov 3-1 (11-5, 4-11, 13-11, 11-7)

Positions 17-20
Austria 3 England 2
Baig bt Celine Panholzer 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-7)
Kiara Segula bt Ellis 3-2 (11-7, 6-11, 11-2, 3-11, 11-8)
Baig & Ellis bt Panholzer & Segula 3-2 (11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-3)
Segula bt Baig 3-2 (11-7, 8-11, 13-11, 8-11, 11-7)
Panholzer bt Ellis 3-1 (3-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-5)