England’s Max Radiven and Dimitar Dimitrov both reached semi-finals at WTT Youth Contender Tunis.

Radiven, playing alongside Yu Zheng Cheah of Malaysia in the Under-19 Mixed Doubles, won three succesive rounds in a deciding fifth game to make it to the last four, where they faced Li Ko Ho & Mak Ming Shum of Hong Kong.

They gave a decent account of themselves but were rarely ahead in a game, and never by more than a point, as they bowed out 3-0 (13-11, 11-9, 11-6), saving two game points in the first but never having one of their own.

Radiven (pictured above) is one of five English youngsters competing in the Tunisian capital and, in the Under-13 Boys’ Singles, Dimitar Dimitrov reached the semi-finals. Seeded three, he won his group and made it through the last 16, all against Tunisian opponents, without dropping a game.

He then defeated Ryan Almnjoomi of Saudi Arabia 3-1 (11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5) in the quarter-finals to set up a last-four tie against second seed Louis Fegerl of Austria. Although Dimitrov took the first game 13-11, Fegerl came back to take the next three and went on to win the tournament.

In the Under-17 Boys’ Singles, Radiven reached the last 32, losing out in four games to Ladimir Mayorov of Spain, one of the brightest under-15 prospects in Europe.

Oscar Nikolli reached the last 64, losing out 3-2 (9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-4) after a fine comeback by Amir Essid of the host nation. Brothers Janak and Nishil Shah went out in the group stage.

In the Under-19s, Radiven made it through to the last 64 as a group runner-up and then defeated Maris Miethe of Germany, ranked three places below him at No 239 on the Junior list, in four games.

His run ended in the last 32 at the hands of eighth seed and world No 68 Junior, Li Ki Ho of Hong Kong. Janak Shah went out in the group stage.

In the Under-15s, Nikolli and Dimitrov made it through to the last 32 as group runners-up. Dimitrov was knocked out by Stefan Bonchev of Bulgaria and Nikolli by Muhammad Faiz of Malaysia, both higher ranked.

Nishil Shah went out in the group stage, despite a good 3-2 (9-11, 10-12, 11-7, 12-10, 11-7) win over Sweden’s Anton Johansson. He was beaten in five by Yousuf Hanifa of Saudia Arabia and also lost out to Bonchev.

Dimitrov will now move on to the WTT Youth Star Contender Tunis which follows this event.

Results

Under-19 Boys’ Singles
Qualifying group 12
Giacomo Izzo (ITA) bt Max Radiven 3-0 (11-8, 14-12, 11-6)
Radiven bt Harald Norburg (SWE) 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-5)

Qualifying group 21
Ignas Sisnovas (LTU) bt Janak Shah 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-3)
Shah bt Yashwin Gade (IND) 3-0 (w/o)
Gavin Yuan (SCO) bt Shah 3-1 (12-10, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5)

Round of 64
Radiven bt Maris Miethe (GER) 3-1 (11-7, 9-11, 11-5, 11-9)

Round of 32
Li Ki Ho (HKG) bt Radiven 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-6)

Under-17 Boys’ Singles
Qualifying group 9
Aaron Sahr (LUX) bt Oscar Nikolli 3-0 (11-8, 11-3, 11-5)
Nikolli bt Filip Nagy (SVK) 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 13-11)

Qualifying group 20
Max Radiven bt Youssef Dridi (TUN) 3-0 (11-4, 11-3, 11-8)
Radiven bt Quentin Sandona (FRA) 3-1 (5-11, 11-4, 13-11, 11-2)

Qualifying group 21
Martin Frizel (LTU) bt Nishil Shah 3-1 (10-12, 12-10, 11-2, 11-8)
Shah bt Yashwin Gade (IND) 3-0 (w/o)
Maris Miethe (GER) bt Shah 3-0 (11-4, 11-7, 11-9)

Qualifying group 22
Albin Ingestrom (SWD) bt Janak Shah 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-9)
Shah bt Khaled Touainia (ALG) 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-9)
Noah Tessier (FRA) bt Shah 3-1 (11-4, 11-5, 8-11, 11-5)

Round of 64
Amir Essid (TUN) bt Nikolli 3-2 (9-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-4)

Round of 32
Ladimir Mayorov (ESP) bt Radiven 3-1 (11-6, 11-6, 6-11, 11-8)

Under-15 Boys’ Singles
Qualifying group 1
Lai Yong Ren (MAS) bt Oscar Nikolli 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-2)
Nikolli bt Fares Essid (TUN) 3-1 (13-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6)

Qualifying group 12
Nolan Johnston (FRA) bt Dimitar Dimitrov 3-0 (11-8, 11-4, 11-9)
Dimitrov bt Dominik Andersson (SWE) 3-2 (12-10, 8-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-2)

Qualifying group 15
Yousuf Hanifa (KSA) bt Nishil Shah 3-2 (11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6)
Shah bt Anton Johansson (SWE) 3-2 (9-11, 10-12, 11-7, 12-10, 11-7)
Stefan Bonchev (BUL) bt Shah 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-2)

Round of 32
Stefan Bonchev (BUL) bt Dimitrov 3-1 (10-12, 11-6, 12-10, 11-6)
Muhammad Faiz (MAS) bt Nikolli 3-0 (11-5, 16-14, 11-5)

Under-13 Boys’ Singles
Qualifying group 3
Dimitar Dimitrov bt Tahar Azzouz (TUN) 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-2)
Dimitrov bt Ahmed Nalaoua (TUN) 3-0 (11-3, 11-7, 11-6)
Dimitrov bt Youssef Najjar (TUN) 3-0 (11-9, 11-3, 11-8)

Round of 16
Dimitrov bt Iyed Tayachi TUN) 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-6)

Quarter-finals
Dimitrov bt Ryan Almnjoomi (KSA) 3-1 (11-9, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5)

Semi-finals
Louis Fegerl (AUT) bt Dimitrov 3-1 (11-13, 11-8, 11-8, 11-5)

Under-19 Mixed Doubles
Round of 32
Max Radiven & Yu Zheng Cheah (MAS) bt Enrique Rios (PUR) & Hanka Kodet (CZE) 3-2 (6-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5)

Round of 16
Radiven & Yu bt Serafim Orlov & Eseniia Shirokova (AIN) 3-2 (7-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-3, 11-8)

Quarter-finals
Radiven & Yu bt Aaron Sahr & Enisa Sadikovic (LUX) 3-2 (11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-9)

Semi-finals
Li Ko Ho & Mak Ming Shum (HKG) bt Radiven & Yu 3-1 (13-11, 11-9, 11-6)