England will send seven athletes to the European Championships in Ljubljana, Slovenia, beginning on Sunday, with Liam Pitchford preparing to wear the national shirt for the first time in more than a year following hip surgery last December. The squad’s campaign will include direct main-draw places for Tom Jarvis and Tin-Tin Ho, qualifying assignments for several team-mates and a set of doubles partnerships that combine established pairings with newer combinations.
Table Tennis England reported that Pitchford had been training at the Elite Training Centre in Sheffield alongside Sam Walker and Ella Pashley. Pitchford arrived from the China Smash earlier than Jarvis, Ho, Green and coaches Carlo Agnello and John Murphy, while Jarvis returned to Sheffield for a couple of days.
For Pitchford, the championships represent another competitive step after his operation. He told Table Tennis England that he was moving well and felt his hip was in good condition, while also saying he needed more matches, particularly in serve and receive. He reported that a recent sequence of four Bundesliga wins and two China Smash victories had helped his confidence.
That recent run does not remove the difficulty of qualifying, but it gives context to his assessment that he is playing well enough to progress if he remains focused. Pitchford, Walker and Green are all required to come through qualifying to join Jarvis in the men’s singles main draw. Jarvis has said he feels in good shape and expects the European field to provide a demanding test.
Singles routes give England different starting points
The draw positions create two distinct routes for England’s players. Jarvis is seeded into the men’s main draw and Ho into the women’s main draw; Pitchford, Walker, Green, Pashley and Yu start in qualifying.
Pitchford, Walker and Green have qualifying matches before they can join Jarvis. In the women’s event, Pashley and Tia Yu must also come through qualifying to reach the main draw alongside Ho. The five players in qualifying must progress to join Jarvis or Ho in the relevant main draw.
Pashley will make her first appearance in European Senior singles. She previously played at last year’s European team event and told Table Tennis England that she was looking forward to experiencing the individual championships. Her preparation included winning the Cleveland Junior 4* tournament, according to the governing body.
The make-up of the squad also illustrates the different stages of competition facing England’s players. Jarvis and Ho begin with secured main-draw positions, while five team-mates have a preliminary task in singles. That does not establish how far any player will go, but it makes qualification the immediate competitive objective for Pitchford, Walker, Green, Pashley and Yu.
Doubles partnerships add another route
England will have two men’s doubles combinations in Ljubljana. Pitchford and Walker will play together, while Jarvis and Green form the other pair. Walker said the first partnership had not had extensive time together because Pitchford had more often played doubles with Paul Drinkhall, though Walker reported that practice in Germany had gone well.
Pitchford similarly said that he and Walker had represented England alongside each other for a long time but had not played a great deal of doubles together. Their event therefore offers a chance to develop a partnership in competition, rather than relying on a long-established pairing.
Jarvis and Green arrive with some evidence of progress together. Table Tennis England reported that they reached the semi-finals at the WTT Star Contender London in October last year. In women’s doubles, Pashley will partner Yu, while Ho will play with Wales’ Anna Hursey.
Green and Ho are England’s mixed-doubles pair, described by Table Tennis England as well established and performing well on the world stage. Walker and Yu make up the other mixed partnership. Across singles and doubles, the championships will therefore give the seven England athletes several opportunities to compete, even though their opening routes differ.
For Pitchford, the event is scheduled to be his first England appearance in more than a year, and he said each match during his comeback is positive. For Pashley, it marks a first European Senior singles campaign. The immediate task for the players in qualifying is clear, while Jarvis and Ho can concentrate on making their direct entries into the main draws count.