England will play-off for positions 19-22 after winning two of their five group matches in the Mixed Team competition at the European Under-13 Championships.

England, ranked at No 18, were drawn in Group B for the first phase, where they faced second seeds Romania in their first match.

Dimitar Dimitrov & Amber Lemmon lost a close four-game doubles match to Mihai Iordan & Kariss Serban, and Lemmon later led Serban 2-1 before losing in five as England were beaten 5-0 – although never outclassed.

England then beat Estonia 5-0, dropping only one game across the five individual matches. This set up a key match against 11th-ranked Croatia to decide second place in the group.

Sinan Surensoy & Lemmon were beaten in four in the opening doubles, and Assil Sarri’s defeat by Sara Rivetti left England with a lot to do.

Dimitrov pulled one back with a fine 3-2 (11-5, 8-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-6) win over Matija Zohil, but Lemmon’s defeat by Karla Ivcic meant England could not win – though Surensoy did put a gloss on the final scoreline with a 3-0 win over Ivan Smiljanic.

The second group phase of the competition in Kosta, Sweden, saw England up against Portugal and Slovenia.

Portugal took a 2-0 lead but Dimitrov kept England hopes alive as he won staved off a comeback by Rodrigo Lourenco and then held his nerve in the decider to claim a 3-2 (11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 7-11, 16-14) victory.

Nuria Madeira’s win over Lemmon meant Portugal could not lose, though once again Surensoy won the final match.

England did taste success against Slovenia, with Sarri making the key contribution by coming back from 2-0 down to beat Klara Rahotin Pavic 3-2 (10-12, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-2).

That made it 2-2, Lemmon having won her singles earlier in match two, and Surensoy kept up his good run of match five victories to seal a 3-2 scoreline in England’s favour.

The individual competitions start on Friday with a busy day including singles and doubles. The positional play-offs for the team event are at the end of the day, with England to face Luxembourg in the bracket for positions 19-22.

Two tables at the event are being live-streamed – watch at ETTU.TV.

Results

Mixed Team – first stage
Group B
Romania 5 England 0
Mihai Iordan & Kariss Serban bt Dimitar Dimitrov & Amber Lemmon 3-1 (11-6, 12-14, 11-8, 11-9)
Nadalia Ionascu bt Assil Sarri 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-9)
Matei Nita bt Sinan Surensoy 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-8)
Serban bt Lemmon 3-2 (9-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-5)
Iordan bt Dimitrov 3-0 (15-13, 11-5, 11-5)

England 5 Estonia 0
Dimitrov & Lemmon bt Marat Fjodorov & Arina Sokolova 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-7)
Sarri bt Anastassia Boglova 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 11-9)
Surensoy bt Matvei Sotskov 3-0 (11-7, 11-3, 11-2)
Lemmon bt Sokolova 3-1 (10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 11-2)
Dimitrov bt Fjodorov 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-4)

Croatia 3 England 2
Ivan Smiljanic & Karla Ivcic bt Surensoy & Lemmon 3-1 (11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9)
Sara Rivetti bt Sarri 3-0 (15-13, 11-8, 11-5)
Dimitrov bt Matija Zohil 3-2 (11-5, 8-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-6)
Ivcic bt Lemmon 3-0 (11-3, 11-8, 11-4)
Surensoy bt Smiljanic 3-0 (11-8, 14-12, 11-4)

Second stage
Group 6
Portugal 3 England 2
Tiago Morais & Nuria Madeira bt Surensoy & Lemmon 3-1 (6-11, 11-7, 11-5, 13-11)
Matilde Sousa bt Sarri 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-9)
Dimitrov bt Rodrigo Lourenco 3-2 (11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 7-11, 16-14)
Madeira bt Lemmon 3-1 (14-12, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5)
Surensoy bt Morais 3-1 (7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8)

England 3 Slovenia 2
Tai Bac & Klara Rahotin Pavic bt Surensoy & Sarri 3-1 (6-11, 11-9, 12-10, 12-10)
Lemmon bt Pia Kundih 3-1 (11-8, 11-9, 5-11, 11-6)
Ziga Abraham bt Dimitrov 3-2 (10-12, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9)
Sarri bt Rahotin Pavic 3-2 (10-12, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-2)
Surensoy bt Bac 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-4)