Toby Ellis reached the main draw in both under-17 and under-19 competitions at the WTT Youth Contender Helsingborgs in Sweden, while James Hamblett went through in the younger age group.

Ellis (pictured above) won two of his three group matches in the under-19s, beating Thai and Danish opponents and losing to a South Korean, to go through to the last 32. There, he was defeated in three by Max Hedbom of the host nation.

Hamblett was beaten by opponents from South Korea and Finland in his three-player group.

In the under-17s, Hamblett was drawn against the same Korean – world No 20 Oh Junsung – who had beaten him in the under-19s, and he was again defeated. But he made it into the last 32 with a victory over a Danish opponent.

Ellis won his two group matches against Daish and Ukrainian opponents to also reach the last 32.

However, both English boys were defeated, Hamblett by a Japanese opponent and Ellis by a player from India.

James Hamblett in action at the event

Results

Under-19 Boys’ Singles
Qualifying group 5

Oh Junsung (KOR) bt James Hamblett 3-0 (11-3, 11-1, 11-5)
Aleksi Rasanen (FIN) bt Hamblett 3-0 (11-2, 11-5, 11-6)

Qualifying group 11
Toby Ellis bt Nithit Preechayan (THA) 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-5)
Lim Yunoh (KOR) bt Ellis 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-6)
Ellis bt David Lund Heinig (DEN) 3-1 (6-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7)

Round of 32
Max Hedbom (SWE) bt Ellis 3-0 (11-7, 13-11, 11-7)

Under-17 Boys’ Singles
Qualifying group 3

Oh Junsung (KOR) bt Hamblett 3-0 (12-10, 11-6, 11-2)
Hamblett bt Erik Hoeier (DEN) 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-3)

Qualifying group 6
Toby Ellis bt Janus Bedsted (DEN) 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-9)
Ellis bt Yehor Borshchevskyi (UKR) 3-1 (11-5, 11-13, 11-3, 11-5)

Round of 32
Tamito Watanabe (JPN) bt Hamblett 3-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-4)
Balamurugan Rajasekaran (IND) bt Ellis 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-3)