Following her opening match triumph in overtime at the World Junior Championships, Alberta’s Evelyn Beaton had high hopes of going the distance in the under-52 kg draw on Tuesday in Odivelas, Portugal.

After taking advantage of a bye, the Canadian defeated Switzerland’s Binta Ndiaye in overtime. It was a crucial victory for Beaton, as it was this same opponent who ended her run at last years’ World Juniors.

However, Beaton’s day came to an end in the third round when she lost to Israel’s Ruth Vay.

“The girl Evelyn had to beat to go a long way in the competition was a Swiss who was a two-time bronze medallist at the World Junior Championships. We knew it would be a tough battle and Evelyn did what she had to do to win. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as swiftly in the next bout. Maybe she was too excited after beating the best competitor in her draw”, stated Canadian coach Sasha Mehmedovic.

“She followed the game plan well and could potentially have fought for a medal. But at the World Championships, it doesn’t matter who you’re up against. Whether your opponent is a top-10 player in the world or not, you have to win your fight if you want to advance,” added the coach about his protégée, who claimed gold at last month’s Pan-American and Oceanic Junior Championships in Calgary.

“It’s so tough to remain mentally strong and confident, to stay on course with your game plan and execute it well.”

In the under 48 kg category, Charlize Isabelle Medilo (Quebec) and Heidi Quach (Quebec) both lost their only contest. Of the two, it was Medilo who came closest to advancing to the next round.

“The match could have gone in her favor, but she made a tactical error and the Georgian took advantage of it,” admitted Mehmedovic of the Albertan, who was opposed to Mariami Potshverashvili.

Meanwhile, Quach lost to Azerbaijan’s Konul Aliyeva, who would finish the day in fifth place.

“Her opponent was physically stronger and she couldn’t find any solutions to counter her. It was a tougher match for her.”

Mahée Savoie (-57 kg) and Lasha Tsatsalashvili (-73 kg) will be the country’s two representatives in Portugal on Thursday.