Mari Baldwin and Charlotte Bardsley exited the European Under-21 Championships at the hands of higher-ranked players.

Baldwin (pictured above, picture by ETTU) was unfortunate to miss out on a place in the singles knockout stage as she won two of her three group matches, only to finish third in the group on countback.

Baldwin, ranked 45th of the 54 players in the draw, defeated Germany’s Sophie Klee, ranked 21st, in five games in her opening match – then followed up by beating 38th-ranked Iolanta Yevtodii of Ukraine in four straight.

However, a 4-0 defeat to Matilda Hansson of Sweden, ranked 19th, saw Baldwin exit due to Klee’s 4-1 win over Hansson.

Bardsley was ranked 50th of the players competing and she also started with a win, in six against Sara Devos of Belgium, ranked 25. However, a 4-0 reverse followed at the hands of Kornelija Riliskyte of Lithuania, ranked 52.

Bardsley raced the 16th-ranked player, Rebecca Muskantor of Sweden, in her final group match and led 3-1, only for her opponent to up her game and win 4-3.

In the Mixed Doubles, the two English players faced each other, and it was Bardsley who prevailed as she and partner Samuel Arpas of Slovakia (ranked 46th of the 48 pairs) beat Baldwin & Barish Moullet of Switzerland (ranked 32nd) 3-2 (9-11, 11-2, 5-11, 11-6, 11-2).

Arpas & Bardsley lost in the next round – the round of 32 – to the 10th-ranked pair Csaba Andras & Helga Dari of Hungary. Again, it went to a decider as the Hungarians won 3-2 (1-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5, 11-9).

In the Women’s Doubles, Baldwin and Slovakian partner Dasa Sinkarova, ranked 16th, went through to the last 16 courtesy of a walkover against a Norwegian pair.

They faced sixth-ranked Hana Arapovic (CRO) & Linda Zaderova (CZE) and were defeated in four games.

Bardsley & Naomi Pranjkovic (GER), ranked 20th, were beaten in the last 32 by Matilda Hansson & Rebecca Muskantor of Sweden, the 10th-ranked pair.

Results

Women’s Singles
Qualifying group 8
Charlotte Bardsley bt Sara Devos (BEL) 4-2 (6-11, 11-7, 11-2, 9-11, 11-8, 11-9)
Kornelija Riliskyte (LTU) bt Bardsley 4-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-7, 11-6)
Rebecca Muskantor (SWE) bt Bardsley 4-3 (12-10, 10-12, 5-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5)

Qualifying group 11
Mari Baldwin bt Sophie Klee (GER) 4-1 (11-7, 11-7, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6)
Baldwin bt Iolanta Yevtodii (UKR) 4-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-8, 12-10)
Matilda Hansson (SWE) bt Baldwin 4-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9)

Women’s Doubles
Round of 32
Mari Baldwin & Dasa Sinkarova (SVK) bt Sabina Musajeva & Rikke Skattet (NOR) w/o
Matilda Hansson & Rebecca Muskantor (SWE) bt Charlotte Bardsley & Naomi Pranjkovic (GER) 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-6)

Round of 16
Hana Arapovic (CRO) & Linda Zaderova (CZE) bt Baldwin & Sinkarova (SVK) 3-1 (8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-3)

Mixed Doubles
Round of 64
Samuel Arpas (SVK) & Charlotte Bardsley bt Barish Moullet (SUI) & Mari Baldwin 3-2 (9-11, 11-2, 5-11, 11-6, 11-2)

Round of 32
Csaba Andras & Helga Dari (HUN) bt Arpas & Bardsley 3-2 (1-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5, 11-9)