Junior Boys’
The top two seeds reached their alloted semi-final berths’ but, the departure of third seed Igor Morais (Midd) at the first stage following the group matches, was one of the tournament’s big upsets. The England number 7 junior, who, 24 hours earlier had taken the Cadet Boys title, faced Emre Ibatoglu (Sy) who finished second in his group and stands at 36 in the junior list. Morais took the opening game, Ibatoglu, though, surprising him by winning the next couple to forge a 2-1 lead. Morais levelled matters in the fourth 11-9 but, the Surrey man, stepping up a gear, swept to a fine victory winning 11-8. Had Morais made it to the next round he’d have faced brother William who then ousted Ibatoglu 3-1 after dropping the first game to qualify for the quarter-finals where he went out to Adam Nutland (Wo).
England 6 Junior Lewis Gray (S2) conceeded just one game en-route to the final and only a total of 14 points in his two rounds prior to the semi’s. He lost the first game is his quarter-final meeting with Nutland before taking the next two 6 and 12 – then easing to victory 11-4 in the fourth. Danny Lowe (S1) cruised through to the last four without dropping a game but came unstuck (2-3) against Dash Zhang (Sx) who accounted for James Ward (St) 3-0 in the quarters’. The opening game in the final didn’t live up to expectations, Zhang forging a 2-0 lead although the next game developed into a tightly fought affair, the pair-trading blow for blow up to 11 all. With tension creeping in, Gray served off which gave Zhang the impetus to clinch it 13-11, the set and the title.
Cadet Boys’ Band 1
Top seed Paul Smith (Cv) couldn’t have designed his route to the final any better and the draw seemed to suit him well, dropping just two games en-route to a meeting with Daryl Gee (Y) to decide the title. The England number 5 Cadet dropped the second game to Scotland’s Blair Fowler in the semi’s before edging home in a tight game 12-10 and then 11-5. Gee’s opponents in the last 32 and 16 were seen off in straight games, Adam Harrison (Li) taking the third in Gee’s 3-1 success in the quarter’s. Gee’s last four clash with England 9 cadet Edward Freeman (St) was a strange affair, when after winning the opening games 6 and 2, Freeman hit back with a couple of 9’s which left the outcome evenly balanced – Gee, though, wnning 11-9. Standing seven places lower than Smith in the cadet listings, Gee opened up a 2-0 lead in the final, but saw Smith levelling matters to force a fifth game decider which went Gee’s way, 11-9.
Junior Girls’
Three of the top four seeds made the semi’s of the event the lone casualty, fourth seed Evangeline Collier(E). She fell in the quarters’ to Derbyshire’s Abbie Milwain (S2) who, after finishing as group runner-up, dismissed top seed Chloe Whyte (Cv). Charleigh Kirby (Mi) beat Lucy Zhu (Sk) in three close games before having to face in-form Maria Tsaptsinos who took the second and fourth games – Miss Kirby sealing her semi-final place, 11-8 in the decider. She, then bowed out 3-1 to Jessica Dawson (Cv) the first game she had let slip. Miss Dawson opened up a 2-0 lead in the final – lost the next but sealed victory and the title, 11-3 in the fourth.
Junior Girls’ Band 1
Top seed Evangeline Collier, Jessica Birbeck (S2), Charleigh Kirby (S3), Sophie Neil (S4), Emma Torkington, Majada Yasmin, Naomi Jackson and Maria Tsaptsinos, qualified for the knock out stages as group winners’ and all successfully negotiated their first round encounters’ to reach the quarter-finals. Collier, Kirby and Birbeck though, required five games to qualify for the semi’s, the exception being Jasmin, who dropped the third in a 3-1 win over Sophie Neil (Ng). Miss Birbeck cut it finely against Jackson, recovering well after losing the first two to come through 9, 5, 10 to earn a place in the semi’s where, in an odd encounter, at one game all with Jasmin, she lost the next two, 11-6, 11-0. In the top half of the draw, England ranked 14 Miss Kirby (Mi) lost the first to Torkington (Sk) but took three of the next four to face Collier who forged a 2-0 lead and looked bound for the final. Kirby, though, dropping only 13 points in the next three games, stormed into the final. There, she made no mistake in polishing off Jasmin, 6, 6, 9 to collect the title.
Cadet Girls
Only two of the top four seeds won their group the only upset was when Chrissie Slott finished behind Lucy Zhu (Sk). Top seed Emma Torkington (Sx) won her first group match 3-0 against Ellen Auty but in her next outing, enjoying a 2-0 lead against Maria Tsaptsinos (Bk) she came within a couple of points of a three straight success when they stood level at 15 all. The next two points, though, went the way of Miss Tsaptsinos as did the remaining games which cemented her place at the top of the group earning her a last eight clash with Miss Slott who won 11-7 in the fifth. Her run was ended by Megan Knowles (Bk) who had chalked up a 3-0 victory over Emily Bolton (Cu) who proved too strong, the Berkshire girl winning 3-1 to earn a crack at Isobel Ashley (the August Band 3 Liverpool GP champion) in the final. Ashley overcame a 12-10 first game reversal against Emma Torkington before sweeping home, 2, 7, 7.
The final brought together England number 3 Ashley and Knowles, who stands one place lower but, on her 14th birthday Miss Ashley celebrated the occasion by conceeding a total of just 12 points to record her third title in Liverpool within the space of six weeks.
Cadet Girls’ Band 1
Emma Torkington led Isobel Ashley by just a single point in the Computer Rating List prior to start of play this weekend and with the pair meeting each other on two occasions in the tournament, a significant gap would be opened should one of them chalk up two victories. Both players qualified for the final without the loss of a game and it was the former who drew first blood, taking the opening game, 14-12. It was as if Miss Ashley was teasing her Sussex foe when she again let the first game slip, 14-12 but, as in their previous clash, the Derbyshire birthday girl almost re-enacted her other contest with her opponent by dropping 17 points in the next three games having conceeded 16 just 30 minutes earlier.
Junior Boys’ Band 1
The event went according to plan with the top two seeds reaching the final, England 11 junior Dash Zhang (S1) enjoying a tremendous couple of hours, emerging unscathed having won every set without dropping a game up to the final. Liam McTiernan, Paul Smith, Luca Mariano and William Morais all fell to the Sussex man with only two of the twelve games reaching nine points. Second seed Adam Nutland (Wo) experienced a similar route to the final beating Joseph Ferriera, Jarred Knowles, Ashley Facey-Thompson and Ryan Maynard were all, with the exception of Knowles who picked up one, dismissed in straight games. Nutland came close to taking a game from Zhang when they stood at 10 all in the opening game of the final, Zhang, though taking the two points and the next couple of games to become champion.
Cadet Boys’
A very strong line-up which included nine of the top 15 Cadets in England with only two from the top ten, absent. Igor Morais the number one in the country and top seed was due to meet England 4 Sam Mabey (Np) (S2) in the final while Paul Smith (Cv) (S3) and Adam Harrison (Li) seeded at 4 completed the line-up. Morais kicked off with a comfortable win over Luke Savill and followed up with a 3-1 win over Daryl Gee (Y), leaving him to beat Scotland’s Blair Fowler, which he did 3-0, to see him into the last four. Sam Mabey chalked up a couple of 3-1 wins before bowing out, also 3-1, to Tyrone Wells (Mi) 15-13 in the fourth who then met Adam Harrrison (S4) in the other semi. The top end of the draw went as expected with Morais taking on Jack Bennett (S9) who earlier chalked up wins over Paul Smith (3-2) in the last 32 and Vince Stacey 3-2, from a 2-0 deficit to win 6, 5, 7. That was the end of Bennett’s challenge, the top seed cruising into the final 3-0. Harrison’s semi’ clash proved more tricky, Wells pushing him all the way before going down 10, 6, 10. Morais, whose mother comes from former trouble torn Angola, took the first – Harrison, although, lying way behind on points in the listings, surprised the number one when taking a 2-1 lead. This spurred Morais into action, who dropped just ten points in the next three games to come out on top.
Under 13 Boys’
Of the four seeds from the group stages, only Vince Stacey failed to top his respective group, that honour going to Alec Ward (Cv). Stacey, in fact left the competition at the first knock out round, Luke Savill (K) doing the damage the other group winner to fall being Tom Jarvis after taking a 2-1 lead against Josh Bennett (Sx). Top seed Hugo Pang (Do) kicked off with a 3-1 success over Rob Barker (La) but, the top under 13 in the country, left the scene beaten 3-1 by Marcus Giles (Sy) in the semi’s. Daniel McTiernan (Bk) (S4) lodged wins over Liam Grant (Sy) and Bennett 3-1 and maintained form when ousting Billy
Forster (Cv) 3-0 to stake his place in the final. Giles, ranked at three in the U13 list, facing fourth in the country, Dan McTiernan from Berkshire. Third seed, Giles enjoyed a great start, developing a 2-0 lead only to crash in the next two, 3-11, 7-11. In a tense finale, it was touch and go in the decider, Giles pulling rank when edging home 12-10.
Under 13 Girls’
Only five girls’ entered the event which was played in a ‘Round Robin’ format, four of them coming from the top seven place in the list. The leading player of the quintet was Emily Bolton (Cu) ranked at 2 in the country and the obvious favourite to top the group. Derbyshire’s Jayden Budworth set the pace winning her first three sets while Miss Bolton, a set behind had two wins to her credit. When the pair met in the eighth set of the ten, a Budworth win would ensure she took the honours. It started well for the girl from Chesterfield who took the first 11-8, her rival, though, stepped up her game to win the next three. Miss Bolton, from Askam – in – Furness was, however, guaranteed the title even if she lost to Letitia McMullan (Ha) in the final set of the competition by virtue of having beaten the Cumbrian girl. Surprisingly, the favourite was beaten in the opening two games but, with pride and ranking points at stake, she pulled it around to win the next three and take the crown boasting a 100% record. Budworth finished second, McMullan third, Eda Aydin fourth with Imogen Barbar
in fifth spot.
Boys’ Last 16
D Lowe bt R Lo 9, 8, 9; L McTiernan bt J Molloy -15, -9, 4, 4, 8; D Zhang bt D Moses 3, 7, 8; J Ward bt J Knowles 9, 9, 10; I Morais bt E Obatoglu-6, 11, 10, -9, 8;
A Nutland bt P Smith 8, -6, 9, 4; P Ho bt B Fowler 3, 5, 8; L Gray bt B Tuttle 7, 1, 6;
Q/F Lowe bt McTiernan 7, 8, 10; Zhang bt Ward 9, 9, 1; Nutland bt Morais 4, 4, 8; Gray bt Ho 5, 8, 1;
S/F Zhang bt Lowe 7,-9, 5, -7, 5; Gray bt Nutland -6, 6, 12, 4;
Final: Zhang bt Gray 5, 6, 11;
Girls’ Last 16
C Whyte bt H Rutherford 6, 6, 6; M Knowles bt J Gibson 5, 8, -7, 9; A Milwain I Ashley 6, 11, 5; E Collier bt J Birbeck 5, 3, 9; J Dawson bt S Miah 8, 8, 6;
M Jasmin bt S Neil -7, 7, 7, 9; C Kirby bt L Zhu 9, 8, 8; M Tsaptsinos bt C Spencer 5, 8, 9;
Q/F Whyte bt Knowles 6, 6, 7; Milwain bt Collier 5, 8, -8, 4; Dawson bt Yasmin 6, 9, 9; Kirby bt Tsaptsinos 9, -4, 10, -3, 8;
S/F Milwain bt Whyte 6, 7, -8, 7; Dawson bt Kirby 10, -3, 9, 8;
Final: Dawson bt Milwain 8, 10, -8, 3;
Girls’ Band one Last 16
E Collier bt N Finn 4, 8, 5; M Tsaptsinos bt L Zhu 6, 7, 6; E Torkington bt L Higham 0, 7, 9; C Kirby bt H Taylor 11, 3, 5; S Neil bt C Slott 9, 9, 9; M Jasmin bt S Miah -7, 5, 5, 9;
N Jackson bt D Gray -6, 6, 8, -9, 7; J Birbeck bt M Slatter 8, -10, -5, 9, 4;
Q/F Collier bt Tsaptsinos 6, 9, -7, -7, 6; Kirby bt Torkington -7, 7, 5, -6, 7; Jasmin bt Neil 7, 8, -3, 9; Birbeck bt Jackson -10, -8, 9, 5, 10;
S/F Kirby bt Collier -8, -9, 5, 2, 6; Jasmin bt Birbeck 7, -7, 6, 0 (nil)
Final: Kirby bt Yasmin 6, 6, 9;
Cadet Boys’ Last 32
I Morais bt L Savill 3, 6, 1; D Gee bt S Owusu 3, 7, 4; B Fowler bt A Zolnai-Lucas 7, 8, 6; M Chan bt L Thomson 3, 9, 7; E Freeman bt T Jarvis 1, 3, 7;
V Stacey bt J Bousfield 8, 2, 11; J Bennett bt R Roychoudhury 8, 6, 3; P Smith bt M Rutherford 6, 4, 9; A Harrison bt B Forster 5, 8, 6; D McTiernan bt C Baines 9, 7, 6;
H Pang bt B Wood -9, 6, 6, -8, 6; D Lawrence bt D Wright -7, 9, 7, 6; T Wells bt D Lewis -8, 5, 8, -6, 8; L Lama bt O Buddell 7, -8, 3, 4; M Giles bt S Ward 10, 10, -9, 5;
S Mabey bt R Jarvis -10, 4, 4, 4;
Last 16
Morais bt Gee 9, -9, 8, 6; Fowler bt Chan -11, 6, 8, -4, 9; Stacey bt Freeman 9, -9, -1, 8, 9; Bennett bt Smith -5, 9, 13, -11, 8; A Harrison bt McTiernan 7, -9, 8, -9, 8;
Lawrence bt Pang 4, 7, 10; Wells bt Lama 7, 10, -6, 3; Mabey bt Giles 9, -8, 10, 9;
Q/F Morais bt Fowler 8, 5, 8; Bennett bt Stacey -13, -6, 6, 5, 7; Harrison bt Lawrence -5, 7, 10, 9; Wells bt Mabey 8, -7, 7, 13;
S/F Morais bt Bennett 6, 9, 6; Harrison bt Wells 10, 6, 10;
Final: Morais bt Harrison 5, -8, -12, 3, 5;
Cadet Boys’ Band One
Last 32
P Smith bt J Ferriera 5, -10, 6, 3; Ryan Farrell bt S Owusu 4, 6, 5; V Stacey bt R Jarvis 11, 7, 8; T Wells bt G Falcus -10, 9, 7, 5; M Chan bt O Buddell 3, 9, 10;
L Lama bt L Savill 8, 5, 7; B Fowler bt H Gwilliam 7, 7, 9; D Lawrence bt D Wright 6, -8, -10, 6, 8; E Freeman bt B Wood 8, -9, 1, 9; L Grant bt J Collins -8, 7, -6, 14, 10;
K Hutchinson bt C Baines 4, -11, 10, -10, 5; J Bennett bt J Bousfield -8, 7, 7, 11; D Gee bt D Lewis 2, 5, 9; M Rutherford bt R Barker 8, -9, -7, 6, 5;
S Ward bt R Hagan -9, 8, -9, 6, 8; A Harrison bt L Rowson -8, 4, 6, 7;
Last 16
Smith bt Farrell 8, 11, 5; Wells bt Stacey 7, 8, 10; Chan bt Lama -9, 3, 8, 7; Fowler bt Lawrence -8, -8, 4, 4, 6; Freeman bt Grant -1, 8, 9, 7; Bennett bt Hutchinson 7, -4, 5, 7;
Gee bt Rutherford 5, 9, 8; Harrison bt Ward 7, -13, 8, 8;
Q/F Smith bt Wells 4, 7, 8; Fowler bt Chan -10, 8, 4, 4; Freeman bt Bennett 12, 9, 8; Gee bt Harrison 5, 10, -3, 9;
S/F Smith bt Fowler 9, -9, 10, 5; Gee bt Freeman 6, 2, -9, -9, 9;
Final: Gee bt Smith 6, 8, -8, -4, 9;
By Donald Davies