Romania A represented by Cristina Hirici and Andrea Dospina won the Girls Team title at the Bahrain Junior Open in Manama on Friday 7th March 2008 beating Korea in the semi-finals and Hong Kong in the final.

Gold for Romania in the junior event but not in the cadet event where they had to settle for silver.

The duo of Andreea Rosca Caleonescu and Bernadette Szocs losing to the Koreans, Cheon Se Eun and Bang Ji Ae at the final hurdle.

The victory in the final of the girls event was sweet revenge for Romania having lost to the Asian team by three matches to two in the group stage of proceedings.

Cristina Hirici
In the first encounter, Cristina Hirici had won both her singles matches; in the final she repeated that success and with Andrea Dospina won the doubles.

Cristina Hirici beat both Lee Ho Ching and Ng Wing Nam with the one Hong Kong victory coming from Lee Ho Ching in the opening match of proceedings over Andrea Dospina.

Backbone
Similarly at the semi-final stage Cristina Hirici had been the backbone of Romanian success against Korea.

She beat both Kim A Young and Lee Pil Rang, whilst teaming with Andrea Dospina to clinch the doubles against Kim Seul Ki and Lee Pil Rang. The one Korean success came from Lee Pil Rang against Andrea Dospina.

Defeat
Success for Romania A at the penultimate stage but for Romania B it was defeat; they lost three-one to Hong Kong.

Lee Ho Ching was the mainstay of Hong Kongs success defeating Anamaria Sebe and Camelia Postoaca whilst teaming with Ng Wing Nam to win the doubles.

The one win for the Romanians came from Camelia Postoaca in the second match of the duel against Ng Wing Nam.

Korea
Meanwhile, in the Cadet Girls Team event Bang Ji Ae and Cheon Se Eun were unstoppable. They beat Yana Drykina and Katsiayna of Belarus three-nil before handing out the same punishment to Andreea Rosca Caleonescu and Bernadette Szocs of Romania in the final.

Only one of the six encounters was not decided in straight games; the duel in question was between Bernadette Szocs and Bang Ji Ae, a contest that went the full five games distance.

Semi-Final
At the semi-final stage Romania had beaten Hong Kong with Bernadette Szocs once again in good form. Hong Kong made the better start. Ng Ka Yee defeated Andreea Rosca Caloenescu but Ng Ka Fung and Ng Ka Yee both lost the Bernadette Szocs and the doubles went to Romanias to ensure victory for the Europeans.

Articol publicat de Ian Marshall pe pagina oficiala a Federatiei Internationale de Tenis de Masa, www.ittf.com.