|
31st CHESHAM BOIS JUNIOR OPEN TOURNAMENT 2009
Owen Richards and Jordan Angus are the Shining Stars
With over 300 entries it was fortunate that apart from a short period on Wednesday the week was blessed with fine weather and the Chesham Bois LTC 31st Open Junior Tennis Tournament finals was a day of glorious sunshine which was matched by both the competitiveness of the tennis and the sportsmanship of the participants.
In terms of sheer quality the pick of the finals were the boys 18 &16 & Under Singles which were both competed for by Owen Richards (Win Tennis) and Jordan Angus (Halton). The aggressive but accurate tennis was played at a fierce pace with no quarter given or taken. In the first match, the 16 & Under having lost the first set 8-10 to the second seed in a tight tiebreaker, the number 1 seed Owen Richards fought back to take the second set 6-3, then the third set championship tiebreaker 10-6 and with it the title. In the second contest played similar style the result was reversed with Jordan Angus seeded 6 taking the 18 & Under title in straight sets from the number 1 seed 6-4, 6-4.
Jordan Angus had further success when he teamed up with George Irwin (Windsor) and seeded 1 defeated the second seeds Philip Silkman and Anthony Veryard in 2 sets to take the 18 & Under Boys Doubles Title.
The 14 & Under boys title was an all Halton affair but proved rather one-sided with Dean Michael Keller defeating Michael Patch with the loss of only one game. In the 12 & Under Nicholas Nugent appeared to be coasting past Jack Macfarlane taking the first set 6-1 but was made to really fight in the second eventually winning it 7-5. Barney Smith was the 10 & Under Champion with runner-up Sam Gough.
In the remaining two Boys Doubles, the 14, 12, 10 & Under titles were won by Alexander Fage & Calum Mckinlay, Jack Macfarlane & James Vogel and Matthew Cameron & Cameron Price respectively.
The premier Girls event the 18 & Under Singles was contested by two unseeded players, Claudia Marsala (Halton) and Lisa Losseva (Surrey). Claudia showed the more aggression but her error level allowed Lisa to win in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. The 16 & Under final followed the same pattern with Georgina Todd (4) making the shots but with them too many mistakes and so the result followed the seeding with Rianka Patel (1) from Middlesex winning 6-2, 6-4.
In the 14 & Under event, with the top 4 seeds all going out, Natalie Haden-Scott (5) had a straight forward 2 sets win against Jessica Stone (8) as did Hannah Brett over Uma Koshi in the 12 and Under. The 10 & Under was won by Olivia Ray, runner-up Mollie Naylor.
In the 18 & Under Girls Doubles, having lost the first set, Katrina Smith and Rebecca Tricks had two points to level in the second but eventually lost set and with it the match in a tie breaker to Claudia Marsala and Grace Russell.
The 14 & Under Girls Doubles saw Beth Marriot and Louise Ronaldson, having lost the first set to Alice Patch and Annabel Westerman, fight back to win the second set and the third set tiebreaker to take the title. In the 12 & Under Elizabeth Johnson and Anna Popescu had to fight hard to take the first set from Nancy Francis-Jones but having won it 7-5 took the second 6-2.
In the two mixed doubles events the 18 & Under trophy was won by Jack Mordey and his partner Kathryn Sharples with a straight sets victory over George Irwin and Katrina Smith while the 14 & Under crown went to Michael and Alice Patch also in two sets versus Oliver Levi and Hannah Russell.
While the home club did not take any of the major titles that were presented by Keith Dewick, Chairman of Bucks County LTA, it was gratifying that it 31 members entered the tournament making up 10% of total entries. In the singles Christian Slater was again the Chesham Bois player who progressed furthest in the tournament and so retained the Schweppes Award which he won last year. The Awards for sportsmanship and general good behaviour were presented to India Sanders (Gill Nunn Trophy) and Jordan Angus (Stackhouse Trophy) taking his total to three.
Again a huge vote of thanks is due to the Junior Tournament committee headed by the indefatigable Liz Slater and her number 2 Helen Spurling, the firm but patient Tournament Referee Sarah Tricks ably supported by her assistant Sheila Smith, the team of Umpires and of course all the volunteers who provide the continuous supply of catering required to satisfy the needs of the ever hungry competitors.
Photographs.
- Winners and Finalists with Keith Dewick (Chairman Bucks LTA).
- Jordan Angus in Action
>> TOURNAMENT PHOTO GALLERY
|
