GB Junior Squad members Anna Hursey & Sophie Earley reached the semi-finals of the WTT Youth Contender Vila Nova de Gaia in Portugal.

After starting with victory over a host nation pair, they beat second seeds Elena Zaharia & Hana Arapovic to reach the last four, where their run ended at the hands of a pair from Chinese Taipei.

In the singles, Hursey got through the groups with a 100% record and then beat the higher-ranked Portuguese Ines Matos. She was defeated in the quarter-finals by top seed and world No 2 Junior Hana Goda of Egypt. Earley exited in the group stage.

Mixed doubles matches begin on Friday, with the third member of the Gb Junior Squad, England’s Connor Green, due to be in action alongside Earley. The boys’ singles starts on Saturday.

Results

Under-19 Girls’ Singles
Qualifying group 6
Yeh Yi-Tian (TPE) bt Sophie Earley (IRL) 3-0 (13-11, 14-12, 11-9)
Earley bt Annett Kaufmann (GER) 3-0 (w/o)
Arantxa Cossio Aceves (MEX) bt Earley 3-1 (11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7)

Qualifying group 8
Anna Hursey (WAL) bt Prithika Pavade (FRA) 3-2 (11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7)
Hursey bt Ainhoa Cristobal (ESP) 3-0 (11-3, 14-12, 11-2)
Hursey bt Bianca Mei Rosu (ROU) 3-1 (1108, 11-9, 11-13, 11-9)

Round of 16
Hursey bt Ines Matos (POR) 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-5)

Quarter-finals
Hana Goda (EGY) bt Hursey 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-7)

Under-19 Girls’ Doubles
Round of 16
Sophie Earley (IRL) & Anna Hursey (WAL) bt Matilde Pinto & Ines Matos (POR) 3-1 (8-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-8)

Quarter-finals
Earley & Hursey bt Elena Zaharia & Hana Arapovic 3-1 (7-11, 12-10, 11-2, 11-7)

Semi-finals
Huang Yu-Jie & Tsai Yun-En (TPE) bt Earley & Hursey 3-1 (7-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-4)