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Junior Girls' 1 Singles
Wales provided the top seed in Chloe Thomas who,
after topping her group chalked up a 3-0 win over Isobel Ashley (Dy) -
the 3-2 victor over Janay Gibson (Ch) in the last 16. Miss Thomas then had
to face her
Wales team mate Megan Phillips whom she dismissed for the loss of a
singles game to reach the final. In the other half of the draw, Sophie
Neil scored
straight games wins over Sally Hoang (Mi) and Laura Robinson (YS) which
earned a semi-final meeting with Helen Rutherford who had dismissed
Charlotte Spencer 10-8 in the fifth. Miss Rutherford from
Sussex, coached by her father Peter who, in turn was coached by
Liverpool's legendary John O'Sullivan at De La Salle, the pair meeting up
at the weekend for the first time in 35 years. It was
Miss Neil, though, who triumphed via the surprising score line of 11-8,
11-6 10-12. 11-0. The final required all five games, the Nottinghamshire
girl making sure the title remained in England, beating Miss Phillips
3-2.
Cadet Boys' Singles
Helshan Weerasinghe (Sx) was in fine form throughout the tournament -
annexing a couple of titles over the weekend. He recovered from 2-1 down
in the last 16 but claimed the next two from Lewis Williams (Wal) before
sweeping into the final thanks to 3-1 wins over Liam McTiernan (Irl) and
Sam Mabey (Np). Jared Patel trod a similar path to the final dropping
just one game via wins over Josh Robinson (Bd) 3-0 and Tyrone Wells (Mi)
3-1 after dropping the opening game. Yet another comfortable victory
followed in the penultimate round, Ross Wilson (K) going down 3-0.
Patel suffered a heavy beating in the opening game of the final,
collecting just a single point but, managed to turn it around in the
second, winning 11-9. Although he pushed Weerasinghe all the way in the
next two, he lost 9 and 9 and the title to the England number 20 junior.
Cadet Girls' Singles
Harriet Taylor (Mi) stands at 25 in the Cadet list but, after qualifying
for the last eight as group runner-up, she surprised Megan Knowles (Bk)
25, with a 12-10, 1-11, 11-5, 11-9 success - those odd scores leaving both
players having scored 35 points! Miss Taylor dropped a total of just 13
points in her 3-0 semi-final win over Sayeeda Miah (Mi) who had received a
walk over when Chrissie Slot (Ha) conceded. Isobel Ashley won 3-1 against
Annabelle Gibson (E) and then dismissed another Essex girl, Ifunanya
Okafor 3-0. Miss Ashley took a 2-0 lead in the final but let the third
game slip at 8 but made sure in the fourth winning 11-3.
Cadet Girls' 1 Singles
Six of the last eight players also featured in the quarter-finals of the
Cadet event but, this time Miss Ashley was beaten in the final in what was
a evenly fought contest. After winning her group, Miss Slot accounted for
Janay Gibson (Ch) 5, 2, -11 and 3 and then registered a 3-0 win over Megan
Knowles which left her facing Miss Ashley for the title. Slot claimed the
first 11-7, lost the next 6 before restoring the lead winning 11-6 again.
Miss Ashley wouldn't lie down, though, forcing a decider with another game
to 6. The title was now up for grabs when they stood at 10 all but it was
Miss Slot who secured the two vital points to claim the crown.
Under 13 Boys' Singles
The top two seeds duly qualified to meet in the final, Weerasinghe
justifying his position at one with a clinical display in the
quarter's dropping just 15 points to Hugo Pang before disposing of Daniel
Lawrence 4, 4 & 2 in the semi's. Sam Mabey overcame Matthew Fields 9, 9 &
3 and in the semi's Tyrone Wells 3-1. Weerasinghe, having beaten Mabey in
the Cadet semi-finals, was in no mood to let up in the final, crushing the
less powerful but, talented Northamptonshire 12 year old who will, I'm
sure, come good, 11-5, 11-2, 11-3.
Cadet Boys' 1 Singles
Adam Harrison (La) overcame Jack Styring (Wa) and Rafi Conn-Kowlessar (Mi)
in his opening two sets but, the top seed didn't bargain for the in-form
Jarred Knowles. The Berkshire youngster dispatched him in straight games
in the semi-final although the first was a tightly fought 15-13
affair. Lewis Williams (Wal) breezed through to the final beating Mabey
3-0 in the last eight and Ashley Facey-Thompson 3-1 in the next round.
Knowles maintained his impressive run polishing off the man from Wales 6,
10 & 8 for the title.
Don Davies
Liverpool League Chairman |
