Anna Hursey guaranteed World Youths medal after another amazing match

November 26, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

Wales and GBâ€s Anna Hursey is a guaranteed medallist at the ITTF World Youth Championships!

Hursey and her Mixed Doubles partner Iulian Chirita of Romania today won their quarter-final against French duo Flavien Coton and Leana Hochart in the Under-19 Mixed Doubles – saving three match points on the way.

It means they will win at least bronze having reached the semi-finals, where they will face Ryuusei Kawakami & Sachi Aoki of Japan this evening.

The match is scheduled at 7pm UK time – watch on the WTT YouTube channel.

The French pair led at the business end of the first game, but still took four game points to get over the line 13-11.

The second saw Chirita & Hursey level, coming from 6-3 down to win 11-9, but it was another 13-11 reverse in the third game, both sides missing one game point in that one.

The fourth saw the French duo in the lead for most of the way, and they got to 10-7 to stand on the threshold of the semis themselves.

Chirita & Hursey showed amazing resilience to save those match points and, after missing a game point themselves, they took their second chance – the scoreline again 13-11.

The teams turned around at 5-4 to Chirita & Hursey. It was soon 5-5 but four successive points moved Chirita & Hursey closer to the last four. They conceded two points but brought up three match points, the second of which saw them victorious.

In the Under-19 Girls†Doubles, European Under-21 champions Hursey & Mia Griesel of Germany were only behind after the first handful of points of their last-16 match against Sally Moyland of the USA & Kheith Cruz of Philippines.

From 2-1 down in the first game, the fourth seeds were never again headed as they completed a routine 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-4) victory.

The win takes them into the quarter-finals, where they will face Sachi Aoki & Yuna Ojio of Japan, the sixth seeds.

Englandâ€s Kacper Piwowar & Mark Gergely of Hungary were up against second seeds Zhou Ghuanhong & Yu Haiyang of China in the Under-15 Boys†Doubles and started slowly, losing the first 11-4.

However, they competed well after that, remaining in contention though never leading the second game and saving a game point before losing it 11-9.

The third saw them ahead in a game for the first time and they had a game point at 10-9, only for the seeded pair to win the next three points and complete their victory.

Results

Under-19 Mixed Doubles
Quarter-finals
Iulian Chirita (ROU) & Anna Hursey (WAL) bt Flavien Coton & Leana Hochart (FRA) 3-2 (11-13, 11-9, 11-13, 13-11, 11-8)

Under-19 Girls†Doubles
Round of 16
Anna Hursey (WAL) & Mia Griesel (GER) bt Sally Moyland (USA) & Kheith Cruz (PHI) 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-4)

Under-15 Boys†Doubles
Round of 16
Zhou Ghuanhong & Yu Haiyang (CHN) bt Kacper Piwowar & Mark Gergely (HUN) 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 12-10)

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