Top Seeds To Contest European Junior Finals

The top two seeds will contest both the men's and women's finals of the 16th European Junior U19 Championships after straightforward semi-final victories at the Bellevuestadion in Malmo, Sweden.

It was third time lucky for Germany's second seed Simon Rosner who beat 5/8 seed Tom Richards after losing to the Englishman in the event in each of the last two years. Richards, from Weybridge in Surrey, took the opening game - but the Wurzburg-born 17-year-old fought back to level the match, then cruised to victory after taking the following two games without dropping a single point.

Rosner will face England's top seed Chris Simpson, a semi-finalist last year. The Guernsey-born 17-year-old from Brighton in Sussex brushed aside compatriot James Wright, a 3/4 seed from Leicester, 9-6 9-1 9-3 to reach the final without dropping a game.

The women's semi-finals followed a similar path, with Belgian favourite Charlie de Rycke despatching her English opponent Rachel Willmott in straight games 9-4 9-0 9-1, while second seed Jenna Gates, from Brighton, needed four games to overcome her English compatriot Fiona Moverley 9-4 9-6 1-9 9-3.

The women's final is a true battle of champions, with de Rycke, the reigning European junior champion, taking on the recently-crowned British junior champion.

Men's semi-finals:
[1] Chris Simpson (ENG) bt [3/4] James Wright (ENG) 9-6, 9-1, 9-3
[2] Simon Rosner (GER) bt [5/8] Tom Richards (ENG) 6-9, 9-6, 9-0, 9-0

Women's Semi-finals:
[1] Charlie de Rycke (BEL) bt [5/8] Rachel Willmott (ENG) 9-4, 9-0, 9-1
[2] Jenna Gates (ENG) bt [5/8] Fiona Moverley (ENG) 9-4, 9-6, 1-9, 9-3