The Estonia International represented the first overseas tournament action of 2022 for English players and there were plenty of positive performances in Tallinn.
Georgina Bland made the quarter-finals of the women’s singles, overcoming Catlyn Kruus of the home nation in straight games before emerging victorious in a decider against Heli Neiman.
American Esther Shi lay in wait in the last eight and three games were again required after Bland responded strongly to losing the opener.
This time, however, the decider went the other way as Shi triumphed 21-17 to progress to the semi-finals.
Two doubles pairings also made it to the quarter-finals, with Abbygael Harris and Hope Warner pushing top seeds Kati-Kreet Marran and Helina Ruutel all the way in the women’s doubles.
Having been edged out 21-19 in the opener, Harris and Warner – who came through the first two rounds without dropping a game – hit back to claim the second game 21-8 before going down 21-16 in the third.
Warner also reached the last eight in the mixed doubles alongside Jonty Russ, the pair winning two matches in straight games only to find Ruttanapak Oupthong and Chasinee Korepap in irresistible form, the Thai duo coming out on top 21-6, 21-15.
The men’s doubles draw saw both English pairs fall at the first hurdle, with Alex Green and Samuel Jones losing a decider against Portugal’s Duarte Nuno Anjo and Gabriel Rodrigues while Zack Bobrowski and Nadeem Dalvi went down against sixth seeds Tanadon Punpanich and Wachirawit Sothon.
The same fate met Lisa Curtin in the women’s singles and doubles, where she and Bland lost out in a decider against French pair Malya Hoareau and Camille Pognante.
