29 September, 2024
Leona Lee reached the final of the Croatian International 2024 after a fine week in Samobor.
The 19-year-old has been in good form, with a quarter-final appearance in Slovenia in the Future Series earlier this month.
She enjoyed a brilliant run in Croatia, getting all the way to the final before losing to Indian rising star Raksha Kandasamy.
Lee did not drop a set in her first three matches, getting the better of Tunde Takacs of Hungary, Katrin Neudolt from Austria and then Serbia’s Marija Sudimac in the quarter-finals.
The No.4 seed then had to battle in her semi-final, coming through 21-10 14-21 21-10 against Julie Franconville of Switzerland. That clinched a place in the final, but Kandasamy proved too strong, winning 21-9 21-5.
Elsewhere in Croatia, Nadeem Dalvi made it to the quarter-finals in the men’s singles, beating compatriot Sid Palakkal in his opening match before a straight-sets win over Romeo Makboul.
His run came to an end after a battling defeat to Belgium’s Charles Fouyn, beaten 21-16 10-21 21-9.
Robin Harper and Harry Wakefield also made it to the quarter-finals in the men’s doubles, beating Bulgarian duo Stanimir Terziev and Krasimir Todorov in their opening match.
They were then beaten by French pair Timeo Bourgin and Orphe Queton-Bouissou 21-19 21-16 to miss out on a place in the last four.
