English youth contingent face tough test in Italy

November 10, 2025 | Tim McGovern

Nine English players featured in WTT Star Contender Lignano in Italy last week across four different age categories.

In the Under-19s, Max Radiven, Rohan Dani and Kacper Piwowar all progressed from their groups having won one and lost one each against their respective opponents. Dani and Piwowar put up a good fight in their respective Round of 64 matches against Benjamin Girlinger of Austria and Lowis Vogler of Switzerland, but ultimately lost out. Max Radiven on the other hand had to dig deep to claim a positive result, winning the fifth end 11-9 over Italyâ€s Jacopo Cipriano. In the Round of 32, he couldnâ€t get into the match, and lost out 3-0 to the eventual U19 Boys†Singles winner, Felipe Arado of Brazil.

In the Under-17 event, seven players from the English contingent took part in the group stages with four progressing to the knockout phase. Aarav Parihar, Theo Kniep and Oscar Nikolli werenâ€t able to claim any vital wins despite strong performances against players that as far as the semi finals (Danilo Faso of Italy). Jake Davidson and Max Radiven split their groups with a win and loss each, while Rohan Dani and Kacper Piwowar swept their group stage opposition away to top their respective tables.

With all four players receiving a bye into the Round of 64, Radiven, Piwowar and Dani all progressed with wins over Ivan Kahn (Netherlands), Sasha Campagne (France) and Bryan Zheng (Belgium), while Jake Davidson was defeated by Spainâ€s Luca Khidasheli in straight sets. The Round of 32 was to be the end of the road for English representation in the U17s, as none of the remaining trio were able to see off Min Ming (China), Titouan Morel-Gonzales (France) or Dario Salcedo (Spain) despite close sets in each matchup.

Six English players took part in the Under-15 Boys†Singles event. There were group stage exits for Aarav Parihar, Oscar Nikolli and Rishaan Sawant, with Jake Davidson, Thoe Kniep & Dimitar Dimitrov all battling through their respective groups to make it right into the Round of 64. This round proved to showcase three very close fought contests for all the English youngsters as Davidson was knocked out by eventual quarter finalist Marin Jean of France, 3-2. Dimitrov missed out on a Round of 32 spot to Marcos Gomez of Spain (3-1), while Kniep also faced a narrow defeat to another Spaniard Mateo Lois, 3-2.

Finally, in the Under-13 Boys†Singles, Dimitar Dimitrov and Rishaan Sawant were the English entrants, and both sailed through the group stages, with Dimitrov even defeating Junior Aruna, the son of Nigerian superstar, Quadri Aruna. But the knockout stages provided two more big tests.  Dimitrov lost 3-0, but came about as close as you can get without taking a set, with the scorelines ending 14-12, 11-9, 11-9 to Singaporeâ€s Jonas Chia. Rishaan Sawant was able to take an end off of Pietro Campagna, but the Italian proved too strong, and ended up progressing to the semi finals before facing defeat.

Results

Under-19 Boys’ Singles

Qualifying group 10
Max Radiven
Jindrich Moravek (CZE) bt Max Radiven 3-2 (7-11, 3-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-4)
Max Radiven bt Matteo Fantoni (ITA) 3-2 (5-11, 11-7, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8)

Qualifying group 21
Rohan Dani
Rohan Dani bt Jakub Kabelka (CZE) 3-1 (11-9, 11-8, 7-11, 11-4)
Abishek Vepa (SUI) BT Rohan Dani 3-1 (11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 11-8)

Qualifying group 25
Kacper Piwowar
Kacper Piwowar bt Sirio Meloni (ITA) 3-2 (11-7, 7-11, 11-2, 10-12, 11-8)
Artur Gromek (POL) bt Kacper Piwowar 3-0 (11-6, 16-14, 12-10)

Round of 64
Benjamin Girlinger (AUT) bt Rohan Dani 3-1 (8-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-9)
Lowis Vogler (SUI) bt Kacper Piwowar 3-2 (11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 3-11, 11-5)
Max Radiven bt Jacopo Cipriano (ITA) 3-2 (14-12, 11-1, 7-11, 6-11, 11-9)

Round of 32
Felipe Arado (BRA) bt Max Radiven 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-5)

Under-17 Boys’ Singles

Qualifying group 3
Aarav Parihar
Danilo Faso (ITA) bt Aarav Parihar 3-0 (13-11, 11-3, 11-3)
Roger Quesada (ESP) bt Aarav Parihar 3-0 (11-5, 12-10, 11-9)

Qualifying group 6
Jake Davidson
Nazarii Solodkyi (UKR) bt Jake Davidson 3-0 (11-5, 11-1, 11-2)
Jake Davidson bt Agustin Asmu (ARG) 3-1 (12-10, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9)

Qualifying group 14
Rohan Dani
Rohan Dani bt Luciano Medrano (NED) 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-8)
Rohan Dani bt Miroslav Schmidt (BUL) 3-2 (5-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-2, 11-7)

Qualifying group 19
Kacper Piwowar
Kacper Piwowar bt Liam Bouchoir (FRA) 3-2 (4-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9)
Kacper Piwowar bt Lior Seref (ISR) 3-1 (9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-4)

Qualifying group 24
Max Radiven
Erik Paulina (ITA) bt Max Radiven 3-1 (11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9)
Max Radiven bt Lee Ao Ling (MAS) (11-2, 13-11, 11-2)

Qualifying group 27
Theo Kniep
Yali Mor (ISR) bt Theo Kniep 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-5)
Giulio Campagna (ITA) bt Theo Kniep 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-2)

Qualifying group 31
Oscar Nikolli
Alvaro Gimeno (ESP) bt Oscar Nikolli 3-2 (4-11, 12-1-, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7)
Natanel Abramov (ISR) bt Oscar Nikolli 3-0 (11-3, 11-7, 11-4)

Round of 64
Max Radiven bt Ivan Kahn (NED) 3-2 (11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7)
Kacper Piwowar bt Sasha Campagne (FRA) 3-1 (11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 11-5)
Luca Khidasheli (ESP) bt Jake Davidson 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-8)
Rohan Dani bt Bryan Zhang (BEL) 3-1 (11-9, 4-11, 11-4, 11-6)

Round of 32
Min Ming (CHN) bt Max Radiven 3-1 (12-14, 11-6, 11-4, 11-3)
Titouan Morel-Gonzales (FRA) bt Kacper Piwowar 3-2 (11-6, 7-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8)
Dario Salcedo (ESP) bt Rohan Dani 3-0 (11-2, 11-4, 12-10)

Under-15 Boys’ Singles

Qualifying group 16
Jake Davidson
Titouan Morel-Gonzales (FRA) bt Jake Davidson 3-1 (11-4, 11-4, 8-11, 11-7)
Jake Davidson bt Ilay Davidov (ISR) 3-2 (9-11, 11-7, 11-3, 8-11, 11-7)

Qualifying group 18
Aarav Parihar
Miroslav Schmidt (BUL) bt Aarav Parihar 3-1 (7-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-4)
Riccardo Grulliero (ITA) bt Aarav Parihar 3-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-6)

Qualifying group 21
Theo Kniep
Louis Fegerl (AUT) bt Theo Kniep (11-6, 11-5, 11-8)
Theo Kniep bt Kevin Ahlers (NED) 3-1 (10-12, 11-3, 11-8, 11-8)

Qualifying group 22
Oscar Nikolli
Lucas Simon (FRA) bt Oscar Nikolli 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-3)
Marcos Gomez (ESP) bt Oscar Nikolli 3-2 (6-11, 11-8, 11-13, 11-6, 11-7)

Qualifying group 24
Dimitar Dimitrov
Dimitar Dimitrov bt Alessandro Peluso (ITA) 3-1 (2-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-3)
Dimitar Dimitrov bt Bryan Zhang (BEL) 3-2 (11-8, 11-9, 7-11, 6-11, 11-6)

Qualifying group 26
Rishaan Sawant
Roger Quesada (ESP) bt Rishaan Sawant 3-0 (12-10, 11-5, 14-12)
Rishaan Sawant bt Nathanael Singer (FRA) 3-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-8)
Alan Bryk (POL) bt Rishaan Sawant 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 11-8)

Round of 64
Marin Jean (FRA) bt Jake Davidson 3-2 (12-10, 9-11, 12-14, 11-7, 11-6)
Marcos Gomez (ESP) bt Dimitar Dimitrov 3-1 (8-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-5)
Mateo Lois (ESP) bt Theo Kniep 3-2 (11-8, 4-11, 10-12, 11-5, 11-3)

Under-13 Boys’ Singles

Qualifying group 4
Dimitar Dimitrov
Dimitar Dimitrov bt Federico Casula (ITA) 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-5)
Dimitar Dimitrov bt Junior Aruna (NGR) 3-1 (11-7, 10-12, 11-4, 11-7)

Qualifying group 10
Rishaan Sawant
Jan Slavec (ITA) bt Rishaan Sawant 3-1 (11-3, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8)
Rishaan Sawant bt Nathaniel Lim (SGP) 3-1 (9-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-2)

Round of 32
Jonas Chia (SGP) bt Dimitar Dimitrov 3-0 (14-12, 11-9, 11-9)
Pietro Campagna (ITA) bt Rishaan Sawant 3-1 (11-9, 11-3, 4-11, 11-3)

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