Fifteen year old Cristina Hirici (Foto de Dr. Stephan Roscher) concluded matters as the most successful player at the Joola German Youth Open in Seligenstadt on Tuesday 8th January 2008.

A silver medallist in the Girls’ Team event earlier in the week, she won the Girls’ Singles crown on the final day of play and, with compatriot Anamaria Sebe, emerged with gold clasped firmly in her hands in the Girls’ Doubles event.

The form that the Romanian teenager displayed in Seligenstadt was a continuation of the outstanding form she had displayed in Palo Alto in December 2007 in the ITTF World Junior Championships.

Crucial Win
Playing alongside Elizabeta Samara and Irina Hoza, she played an invaluable role in Romania gaining the silver medal in the Girls’ Team event; the youngest member of the team, she was the heroine of the hour at the semi-final stage against Poland.

The score in the fixture level at two-all, she beat Natalia Bak to secure a place in the final for Romania.

Added to Experience
At the Joola German Youth Open it was clear that her efforts on the west coast of the United States had added to her bank of experience.

In the Girls’ Singles final she beat colleague Camella Postoaca in six games; Camella Postoaca put up a brave fight and a silver medal was more than she could have dreamt of winning four days ago but at the end of the day the telling factor was surely experience.

Cristina Hirici had been there before, she had won in pressure cooker situations; for Camella Postoaca it was a comparatively new experience but no doubt much better for that experience.

Hard Fought
Meanwhile in the Girls’ Doubles event it was a hard fought success for Cristina Hirici and Anamaria Sebe.

Not too many problems in the semi-finals where they beat the Czech Republic’s Hana Matelova and Aneta Kucerova in four games but it was quite different in the final. The contest went the full five games distance against Romania’s Andrea and Michaela Dospina; a pair who at the penultimate stage had ended the possibilities of an all-Romanian final by overcoming Camella Postoaca and Andrada Vincze in a gruelling five games duel.

Girls’ Singles
Final
Cristina Hirici (ROU) bt Camella Postoaca (ROU) 11-2, 14-12, 6-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-6

Girls’ Doubles
Semi-Finals
Andrea Dospina/Michaela Dospina (ROU) bt Camella Postoaca/Andrada Vincze (ROU) 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 14-12
Cristina Hirici/Ana maria Sebe (ROU) bt Aneta Kucerova/Hana Matelova (CZE) 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7

Final
Cristina Hirici/Anamaria Sebe (ROU) bt Andrea Dospina/Michaela Dospina (ROU) 11-7, 7-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-7

Articol publicat de Ian Marshall (ITTF Publications Editor) pe site-ul Federatiei Internationale de Tenis de Masa, www.ittf.com.