Alexandra Oprisan enjoyed the best senior international of her career with a run to the semi-finals of the VICTOR Croatian International.
The 20-year-old won two qualifying matches and then three in the women’s singles main draw to make the final four for the first time in Zagreb.
Oprisan then came unstuck with a 21-5 21-10 defeat to Taiwanese top seed Lin Hsiang Ti but could reflect on a fine week at her fifth international of the year.
Elsewhere, English hopes ended at the quarter-final stage.
Hope Warner and Estelle van Leeuwen claimed a hard-fought win over Swedish rivals but they were beaten in the quarters, by fourth seeds Liu Chiao-Yun and Wang Yu Qiao.
Van Leeuwen also featured in the mixed doubles draw alongside Alex Green as they went down 21-17 21-16 to Chiu Hsiang Chieh and Lin Xiao Min, also of Taiwan.
Warner and Steven Stallwood also went down in three to China’s Shang Yi Chen and Qiao Shi Jun, winning the first 21-15 but letting it slip 21-11 21-13.
Gauri Shidhaye played out a compelling first-round clash with Heli Neiman of Israel and she was narrowly beaten 21-17 7-21 21-14 in 48 minutes.
Seeded fourth in women’s singles, Emily Beach lost out in the rubber to Sweden’s Cecilia Wang in the second round of qualifying.
Nadeem Dalvi and Ben Hammond saw their men’s singles campaigns end in the qualifying rounds.
