Yuan captures silver at national tournament
Only player from Atlantic region to make a final
Sam Yuan returned home with a silver medal from a national junior tournament recently.
The annual 2017 Yonex Atlantic Elite event featured 88 players from across Canada, including four from the Champion club in Charlottetown. Yuan won his opening two matches in under-15 boys’ singles to advance to the final. Yuan, the only player from the Atlantic region to make a final, obtained a silver medal after dropping a match that went three games against Ontario’s Minh Cheng.
Yuan partnered with Alex Zheng to beat rivals Trevor Hayne and Thomas Ashton of Nova Scotia in the under-17 boys’ doubles consolation final. Spencer Gallant partnered with Tommy Yang from Ontario and brought home a bronze medal in under-15 boys’ doubles.
In under-17 girls’ singles, Karla McCallum went 0-3, but had a credible showing, losing a tight match to Ontario’s Aarushi Chandel in extra points. She had a game point in the second game, but was unable to convert.
In a confrontation against Sydney Arsenault from New Brunswick, she won the first game and led the second 20-16, reaching the match point, but was unable to capitalize and lost the match in three games. Yuan and McCallum then teamed up in under-17 mixed, eventually losing in the consolation final.
This marked P.E.I.’s best showing at this tournament in recent years.