The mixed doubles event got under way at 9am this morning with several shocks in the early rounds. The junior dynamic duo of Sam Walker and Tressa Armitage took a brilliant second round five set victory against Matt Ware and Karina Le Fevre putting them into the last eight. Danny Reed and his partner Lindsey Reynolds also suffered a loss at the hands of Alim Hirji and Emily Bates (who had just endured a previous tough five setter over John Dennison and Sanja Clements) in the first round. Alim and Emily now safely into the quarters. Another shock also came in the second round with an unexpected loss for the partnership of Damien Nicholls and Emma Vickers losing out to the Cleveland pairing of Chloe Whyte and Mark Simpson with the latter due to face 3rd seeds Chris Doran and Hannah Hicks for a place in the last four.
Top seeds Paul Drinkhall and Jo Parker are safely through to the semi final after displacing Richard Andrews and Megan Knowles and quarter finalists David Meads and Jessica Dawson to await their last four opposition.
This turned out to be the junior partnership of Sam Walker and Tressa Armitage who took another huge scalp in the form of Alim Hirji and Emily Bates with a 3-0 scoreline putting them into the lion’s den to face Paul and Jo.
The second seeding pair of Darius Knight and Kelly Sibley have eased their way into the last four by courtesy of wins over first round opponents James Ward and Abbie Milwain and quarter finalists Mike Marsden and Lauren Spink and will play Chris Doran and Hannah Hicks for a place in the final staged later today.
So the semi final line up is as follows and to be played at 1pm.
Paul Drinkhall and Jo Parker v Sam Walker and Tressa Armitage
Darius Knight and Kelly Sibley v Chris Doran and Hannah Hicks.
By Geoff Ware