Men’s Band One
Mike O’Driscoll and Chris Main met in the Band 1 final after having previously faced up in the group stages in the early afternoon.
Their first meeting saw a terrific turnaround from O’Driscoll who lost the first two games 11-9 and 11-4 before managing to power through the next three 11-4, 11-8, 11-8.
In the semi-finals Main pulled out his own comeback after trailing Irishman Ashley Robinson 2-0. The Scot, just like O’Driscoll had done earlier, blew through the final three games 11-2, 11-5, 11-4 to make the final.
O’Driscoll meanwhile had a much simpler passage through his last four encounter as he cruised past Sean Docherty 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 11-5).
When the pair met again in the final it was O’Driscoll who drew the important first blood with a tight 11-9 opening game. In the second game it was O’Driscoll who again won the close encounter, despite Main saving two game points at 10-8, the experienced Englishman took it 12-10 for a 2-0 lead.
O’Driscoll then ensured Main would not repeat his efforts of earlier by holding his nerve to win the third game 11-5 and take the title home.
Women’s Band One
Karina Le Fevre survived a semi-final scare against Ireland’s Amanda Mogey to eventually win the Band 1 final against Sussex youngster Yolanda King.
After both girls won their groups and reached the semi-finals it was King who made the final first with a confident 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-7) victory over Gillian Edwards.
Le Fevre, meanwhile fell 2-0 behind to Mogey and was seemingly dropping out but a 6-0 lead in the third game was converted into an 11-6 game before she completed the comeback with two more confident games.
The final was locked at 1-1 before the more experience Le Fevre made her move – winning an important third game 12-10 before sealing the title with an 11-7 fourth game.
Men’s Band Two
Scott Barton avenged his Bribar Guildford Grand Prix final defeat to Daniel Lawrence by claiming the title at the Tees Sport Newcastle Grand Prix with a comprehensive 3-1 victory over Adam Harrison.
Both players had made the final with successive 3-0 knockout stage victories. Harrison beat Richard Smith and Laurence Sweeney after he had overcome Zoltan Hosszu 14-12 in the fifth of their group game while Barton, who only lost one game in his group, then beat Jake Collins and Hosszu in straight games.
It was the Scot in the final who was victorious 3-1 (12-10, 11-6, 10-12, 11-4) – dropping only two games en route to the title.
Women’s Band Two
Corrina Whitaker won the Women’s Band 2 event the hard way after having to come through three five-game matches before winning an all-Scottish final against Lynda Flaws.
Firstly, in her group, Whitaker had to beat Modesta Vaitkeviciute 3-2 (11-8, 11-2, 13-15, 11-13, 11-6) before beating Yuki Wat in the quarter-final 3-2 (15-13, 8-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-4) and Zoe Cheesman in the semi-final 3-2 (3-11, 11-6, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8).
Flaws meanwhile won an excellent semi-final 3-1 (11-9, 11-4, 9-11, 11-2) against Gillian Edwards before succumbing in the final to Whitaker’s sheer will-power 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 13-11).
Men’s Band Three
Sam Mabey’s second title of the day (after his Band 4 triumph) was a comfortable 3-0 victory over Steve Joslin in Men’s Band 3.
Mabey made the final by dropping just two games en route. The first in his group and the next in his quarter-final against Graeme Barella.
After that it was plain sailing for the boy from Northants as he beat Alec Ward 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-9) and then Joslin 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-7) who succeed once more.
Women’s Band Three
Yuki Wat was outstanding in the Band 3 competition with a clean sweep of straight-games victories after winning a one-sided final with Modesta Vaitkeviciute.
Yuki stormed to the final with seven successive 3-0 wins. After being dominant in her group with five straight-games wins she then beat Emily Bolton 3-0 (11-7, 11-3, 14-12) and Nicole Finn 3-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-3) to make the last stage.
Modesta made the final after winning a topsy-turvey semi-final with Zoe Cheesman. To Cheesman’s credit she herself had come through a dramatic 3-1 ( 8-11, 11-7, 15-13, 15-13) quarter-final win over Janine Bromley.
Then in the semi-final Cheesman saved match points in the third game and the fourth game before opening up her own at 10-9 in the fifth. However, the fairytale story wasn’t to be as Modesta won the next three points for victory.
Men’s Band Four
The Men’s Band 4 event was won by Sam Mabey after a victory over Graeme Barella in the final.
Mabey was waiting on the result of the other semi-final between Barella and Sepehr Bidari after the youngster had won his match with Alec Ward 3-1 (11-6, 3-11, 11-6, 12-10). He then sealed the final in similar fashion – working through the gears to win in four games 3-1 (11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8).
Women’s Band 4:
The Women’s Band 4 event consisted of a round-robin which was comprehensively won by youngster Emily Bolton after three successive 3-0 victories saw her march to the title.
In second place was Rebecca Bayley but she was no match for Bolton when they met as it was 3-0 (11-2, 11-7, 11-8).
Men’s Band Five
Gabriel Achampong and Omar Khassal (who met in the Band 6 final) were again the pair in the Band 5 final in another all-London Academy fixture.
After Achampong won the previous match 3-0, Khassal would have been hoping for a positive start in this final but he fell 5-0 behind in the first game which he went onto drop. However, he replied with his own game in the second to level matters – something he failed to do previously.
In the end, however, there was no avenging the earlier defeat as Achampong picked up his second banded title of the day with a 3-1 victory.
Men’s Band Six
In a repeat of the Bribar Guildford Grand Prix where Gabriel Achampong was unstoppable en route to the band 5 title, it was in band six this time where the youngster was dominant as he didn’t drop a game on his way through the band six knockout stages.
After successive 3-0 wins he also powered through a one-sided final against Omar Khassal that ended 3-0 (16-14, 11-7, 11-6).
Tees Sport Newcastle Grand Prix
Final Results:
Men’s Band 1:
Mike O’Driscoll bt Chris Main 3-0 (11-9, 12-10, 11-5)
Women’s Band 1:
Karina Le Fevre bt Yolanda King 3-1 (11-3, 5-11, 12-10, 11-7)
Men’s Band 2:
Scott Barton bt Adam Harrison 3-1 (12-10, 11-6, 10-12, 11-4)
Women’s Band 2:
Corinna Whitaker bt Lynda Flaws 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 13-11)
Men’s Band 3:
Sam Mabey bt Steve Joslin 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-7)
Women’s Band 3:
Yuki Wat bt Modesta Vaitkeviciute 3-0 (11-6, 13-11, 11-3)
Men’s Band 4:
Sam Mabey bt Graeme Barella 3-1 (11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8)
Women’s Band 4:
Round-robin: Emily Bolton 1st, Rebecca Bayley 2nd
Men’s Band 5:
Gabriel Achampong bt Omar Khassal 3-1 (11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9)
Men’s Band 6:
Gabriel Achampong bt Omar Khassal 3-0 (16-14, 11-7, 11-6)