Four English boys reached the knockout stages at the WTT Youth Contender Metz in France.

Josh Bruce (pictured above, photo by Michael Loveder) came from 2-0 down in his second under-19s group match to beat Slovakia’s Oliver Novicky. He went into the last 64, where he was defeated by Australian third seed and world No 10, Nicholas Lum.

Joseph Hunter and Jakub Piwowar went out in the round of 128, while Larry Trumpauskas was eliminated in the group stage.

In the under-17s, Trumpauskas again went out in the groups, having drawn the higher-ranked Li Hechen from China and South Korea’s Kang Hyunseong, while Piwowar also went out at that stage to higher-ranked Mateusz Sakowicz of Poland and South Korea’s Park Junhee.

Hunter and Ralph Pattison both made it through – the former beating world No 84 Ivan Hencl of Croatia – but both went out in the round of 64 to lower-ranked opponents from Ukraine and Sweden respectively.

Results

Under-19 Boys’ Singles
Qualifying group 4
Alan Kurmangaliyev (KAZ) bt Josh Bruce 3-1 (11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7)
Bruce bt Oliver Novicky (SVK) 3-2 (5-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-7)

Qualifying group 9
Iulian Chirita (ROU) bt Joseph Hunter 3-2 (11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 9-11, 11-2)
Hunter bt Facundo De Leon (ARG) 3-2 (12-10, 11-7, 6-11, 9-11, 11-7)

Qualifying group 17
Finn Luu (AUS) bt Larry Trumpauskas 3-1 (8-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-6)
Per Gevers (BEL) bt Trumpauskas 3-2 (6-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9)

Qualifying group 20
Samuel Arpas (SVK) bt Jakub Piwowar 3-0 (11-7, 12-10, 11-7)
Piwowar bt Pert Marten Lehtlaan (EST) 3-1 (11-9, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9)

Round of 128
Samuel Palusek (SVK) bt Hunter 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-9)
Khai Noah Lam (NOR) bt Piwowar 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-9)

Round of 64
Nicholas Lum (AUS) bt Bruce 3-0 (11-3, 11-4, 11-8)

Under-17 Boys’ Singles
Qualifying group 14
Joseph Hunter bt Ivan Hencl (CRO) 3-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-9)
Hugo Urquizar (ESP) bt Hunter 3-1 (13-11, 4-11, 11-9, 14-12)

Qualifying group 31
Kang Youde (CHN) bt Ralph Pattison 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-7)
Pattison bt Leon Viherlaiho (FIN) 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 15-13)

Qualifying group 37
Li Hechen (CHN) bt Larry Trumpauskas 3-0 (12-10, 11-5, 11-4)
Kang Hyunseong (KOR) bt Trumpauskas 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-5)

Qualifying group 40
Mateusz Sakowicz (POL) bt Jakub Piwowar 3-1 (11-5, 10-12, 11-3, 12-10)
Park Junhee (KOR) bt Piwowar 3-1 (11-8, 11-9, 4-11, 11-5)

Round of 64
Nazarii Solodkyi (UKR) bt Hunter 3-1 (11-8, 11-9, 10-12, 11-7)
Adam Wallin (SWE) bt Pattison 3-1 (7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8)