All four England teams made winning starts to their campaigns as the European Youth Championships got under way in Belgrade today.

The Cadet Boys line-up had a terrific win over hosts Serbia in the group stage, with Ralph Pattison (pictured above) winning his two matches, sealing a 3-2 overall win after the hosts had fought back from 2-0 down to level.

Larry Trumpauskas’ saving of a match point on his way to winning the second tie was also key to the result for the team, who face Luxembourg tomorrow.

The Cadet Girls started with a 3-0 win over Norway, Maliha Baig saving a match point at 10-9 in the fourth as she took her singles tie against Beate Haraldseid 3-2 (8-11, 8-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-8).

However, the line-up of Baig, Sienna Jetha and Ella Pashley subsequently lost 3-1 to Moldova, Jetha earning England’s win to make it 1-1. England play Italy in their final group match tomorrow.

England’s Junior Girls had 3-0 wins over Bosnia and Herzegovina and then Iceland, with Mari Baldwin and Jasmin Wong picking up victories in both matches, Anaya Patel adding the third point in the opening match and Amy Marriott doing so against Iceland. The team plays Finland tomorrow.

The final team in action was the Junior Boys and they recorded a 3-0 win over Lithuania, with individual singles victories for Connor Green, Louis Price and Felix Thomis.

Results

Cadet Boys’ Team
Group F
England 3 Serbia 2
Ralph Pattison bt Uros Ninkovic 3-0 (15-13, 11-7, 11-9)
Larry Trumpauskas bt Borislav Rajic 3-2 (9-11, 8-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-3)
Ninkovic & Rajic bt Jakub Piwowar & Pattison 3-2 (5-11, 11-7, 3-11, 11-9, 11-8)
Ninkovic bt Trumpauskas 3-1 (9-11, 11-7, 11-2, 11-8)
Pattison bt Rajic 3-2 (11-7, 10-12, 11-8, 4-11, 11-6)

Cadet Girls’ Team
Group G
England 3 Norway 0
Sienna Jetha bt Susanne Flor Wilhelmsen 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 13-11)
Maliha Baig bt Beate Haraldseid 3-2 (8-11, 8-11, 11-9, 13-11, 11-8)
Jetha & Ella Pashley bt Elsa Sander Borno & Haraldseid 3-0 (11-8, 15-13, 11-6)

Moldova 3 England 1
Alexandra Duminic bt Baig 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-7)
Jetha bt Victoria Mihailov 3-2 (6-11, 4-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-4)
Duminic & Mihailov bt Pashley & Jetha 3-1 (11-4, 7-11, 11-7, 11-3)
Duminic bt Jetha 3-0 (11-7, 11-2, 11-7)

Junior Boys’ Team
Group F
England 3 Lithuania 0
Connor Green bt Rokas Kisielius 3-0 (11-6, 12-10, 14-12)
Louis Price bt Aleksandras Chmelevskis 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-8)
Felix Thomis bt Lukas Laketcenko 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-8)

Junior Girls’ Team
Group I
England 3 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0
Mari Baldwin bt Marija Gnjatic 3-1 (11-3, 10-12, 12-10, 11-4)
Jasmin Wong bt Dzana Biogradlic 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-9)
Anaya Patel bt Harisa Mesetovic 3-0 (11-7, 13-11, 11-2)

England 3 Iceland 0
Wong bt Sol Kristinardottir Mixa 3-0 (11-3, 11-5, 11-4)
Baldwin bt Kristin Magnusdottir 3-0 (11-9, 11-3, 11-4)
Amy Marriot bt Puridur Bjarnadottir 3-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-5)