Present at the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, Islem Laid led Algeria to victory in the Junior Girls’ Team event at the Tunisia Junior and Cadet Open in Hammamet on Wednesday 10th October 2012.
Unbeaten throughout the whole event, the 17 year old was the mainstay of success in the decisive concluding contest against Tunisia ‘A’.
She accounted for Jiwar Toumi (11-8, 11-4, 11-2) and for Sarra Ben Slama (11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9), to steer Algeria home safely to port.
The one further success for the Algerians came in the doubles with Katia Kessaci and Yasmie Nasri gaining success.
They combined to beat Sarra Ben Slama and Fidel Toumi (11-8, 12-10, 7-11, 11-9).
Meanwhile, the one win for the host nation was secured by Sarra Ben Slama in the second match of the contest. She accounted for Yasmine Nasri (5-11, 11-6, 14-12, 11-6).
Final Positions
Tunisia ‘A’ finished in second place with Tunisia ‘B’ (Mariem Ben Chiekh, Cheima Elletaief, Sahar Othman) in third spot.
Gold for Chinese Taipei
Success for Algeria in the Junior Girls’ Team competition, in the counterpart Cadet Girls’ Team event it was success for Chinese Taipei and in the most emphatic manner possible; not a single individual match was surrendered in the second stage of proceedings.
Victors over Spain in the first phase of proceedings, they repeated the success by beating the Iberian Peninsula outfit in the final.
Harsh on Spain
In the group stage of proceedings they had recorded a three matches to one victory; in the final it was three-nil but it was a close affair with the result being somewhat harsh on the Spaniards.
Every contest was decided in three straight games and in the deciding game by the very minimal two point margin.
The Match
Chen Yen-Hsin beat Nora Escartin to set the Asian visitors on the golden road (7-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-8, 11-9); Tsai Yu-Chin followed with success against Zhang Xuan (9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6, 12-10) leaving Chen Yen-Hsin and Tsai Yu-Chin the task of securing matters.
In the first phase of proceedings the doubles had been the one contest to elude grasping Chinese Taipei hands. In the final it was success but only just; Chen Yen-Hsin and Tsai Yu-Chin beat Nora Escartin and Zhang Xuan 11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 12-10, 12-10.
Defeated Poland in Semi-Finals
A three-nil win in the final, one round earlier it had been the same margin of victory against the third seeded Polish outfit of Karolina Lalak and Julia Slazak; whilst, at the same stage, Spain had ended the hopes of Egypt ‘A’ the second seeds by three matches to one.
Salma Khaled the One Egyptian Winner
The one Egyptian to cause the eventual silver medallists problems was Salma Khaled.
In the opening match of the fixture, she beat Nora Escartin (11-6, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9) but that was the end of Egyptian success.
Spanish Win Secured
Wins for Zhuang Xuan against Reem Morad (11-3, 12-14, 6-11, 11-3, 11-5) and over Salkma Khaled (11-5, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8) coupled with a doubles win in harness with Nora Escartin over Salma Khaled and Reem Morad (11-8, 11-6, 11-9) secured a Spanish victory.
