Twins Connor and Anna Green won matching Under-11 singles titles and Jamie Liu took two golds on the first day of the U10-U13 National Championships.
Liu won the Under-13 Boys’ Singles and then added the doubles alongside Louis Price – who he beat in the singles final – to end on a high before he steps into the Cadet ranks.
The Under-13 Girls’ crown went to sixth seed Sophie Chiang, while the doubles was won by Ruby Chan and Anaya Patel. Bethany Ellis won the Under-10 Girls’ event.
Attention at Arena Sports Kettering turns to the Under-12s tomorrow, plus the Under-10 Boys’ event.
Click here to view more pictures on Flickr (by Michael Loveder)
Under-13 Boys’ Singles
Jamie Liu was in peerless form, justifying his top seeding to add the Under-13 title to the Under-12s he won last year.
He had to come from 1-0 down to second seed Louis Price in the final, winning it 5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-4.
Liu’s path to the final was without alarm as he saw off Nicholas Miller (2, 8, 5), Felix Thomis (7, 7, 7) and Thomas Rayner (6, 7, 9) in turn.
Price’s first knockout match saw him defeat Luke Bennett in three (4, 7, 8), followed by Nikit Sajiv in three closer sets (14, 6, 9).
His semi-final was a tough clash against No 3 seed Naphong Boonyaprapa and, having thrown away game points in the third to go 2-1 down, he found his form again to come back and seal a 3-2 (11-8, 11-13, 10-12, 11-5, 11-6) victory.
The preliminary round saw some protracted battles. Miller set up his clash against Liu with a 3-2 (11-5, 12-10, 8-11, 13-15, 11-8) victory over Luke Davies-Stokes, while Toby Ellis ended Adam Szabo’s competition with a 3-2 (11-4, 11-13, 12-14, 11-4, 11-3) margin. Bennett was also a winner in five against Lewis Ellams – the scoreline in that one 11-8, 11-6, 8-11, 7-11, 11-8.
Group stage
There were no major upsets in terms of the seeds not making it through – all the highest-ranked ranked players in the 12 groups ended up in top position.
But some of the second-ranked players were eliminated, including Oliver Bryant in Group 1, where Luke Bennett came through from fourth place to join Jamie Liu in the knockout stages.
He was set up by a tremendous come-from-behind win against Bryant, prevailing 3-2 (7-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9) and then made sure by defeating No 3 in the group, Todd Stanmore, in four games.
Alex Attew got above Olly Cornish into second place in Group 3, beating him in three (8, 3, 4), having earlier needed five to beat the lowest-ranked player, Zach Hodges (11-9, 5-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-7).
In Group 4, Oliver Michell overcame Liam Bibby in four to get above him into second place, while in Group 12 it was Luke Manning who went through from the third ranking, at the expense of Mahmood Kelani. Kelani had extended group winner Adam Szabo into a fifth before the top-ranked player won it 14-12, 11-5, 8-11, 11-13, 11-4).
Second seed Louis Price started slowly before topping Group 2, trailing Gene McGhee 2-0 in his opening match before powering back to win 3-2 (10-12, 8-11, 11-3, 11-7, 11-2).
In Group 10, top-ranked Ben Piggott was taken to five by both Shem Lejarde (11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-1) and Jake Grayson (13-11, 9-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8) before he confirmed first place, Grayson following him into the knockout stage.
Under-13 Girls’ Singles
Sophie Chiang took out the top three seeds on her way to claiming the title.
The sixth seed, who will defend her U12 crown tomorrow, got the better of second seed Mari Baldwin in five in the final, twice coming from behind to win 3-2 (6-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-5, 11-8).
Chiang had defeated top seed Ruby Chan, winning their semi-final 3-1 (11-9, 12-10, 3-11, 11-7), and third seed Anaya Patel in the quarters in three (8, 9, 10).
Baldwin won her semi-final against Angharad Beman 3-1 (11-4, 7-11, 11-2, 11-4) – Beman having earlier upset the seedings when she ended the campaign of No 4 Erin Green in the last 16 in a quality encounter, coming from 2-1 down to triumph 3-2 (16-14, 4-11, 10-12, 11-9, 11-6).
Back at the start of the knockout stages, two matches went the distance in the preliminary round – Helena Dicken beating her doubles partner Lucy Vernon (11-5, 11-8, 6-11, 3-11, 11-7) and Sophie Rinnhofer overcoming Niamh Scarborough (5-11, 11-5, 13-11, 8-11, 11-5).
Group stage
All but three of the top seeds duly won their groups – the exceptions were Amilia Baker, Helena Dicken and Millie Rogove, all of whom went through in second place.
Baker was overtaken by Samadhi Udamulla in Group 8, who beat her in three relatively easy sets (4, 7, 9) – though Udamulla needed to dig deep against Lauren Loosemore to confirm top spot, beating her 3-2 (11-3, 10-12, 5-11, 11-3, 12-10).
Dicken’s conqueror in Group 10 was Romy Sawyer, who came out on the right side of a five-setter when the two met (12-10, 2-11, 11-9, 12-14, 11-8).
And it was Alana Mansfield who supplanted Rogove in Group 12 in three tight sets (11-9, 12-10, 12-10).
Katie Bates got above Anya Milne into second place behind Erin Green in Group 4 courtesy of a tight 3-0 (13-11, 11-8, 17-15) win over Milne.
And in Group 5, third-ranked Rebecca Savage of Durham overcame Cleveland’s Lola McGhee to finish second behind Scarlett O’Neil.
Sophie Rinnhofer, ranked second behind Ruby Chan in Group 1, needed five games (8-11, 12-10, 11-6, 3-11, 12-10) against Genevieve Holchaks to make sure she advanced to the knockout stage.
Amy Marriott, top seed in Group 9, needed five to see off both Chloe Ambridge and Nadia Zoppos and win the group.
Under-11 Boys’ Singles
Connor Green upgraded last year’s Under-10 title to the Under-11 version with a three-set win over Jakub Piwowar.
Green was too strong for his opponent, who is still playing at Under-10s, winning it 11-0, 11-7, 11-8.
Green had also only needed three to defeat Oliver Maric-Murray in the last four, by a scoreline of 11-4, 13-11, 11-3).
Piwowar earned his final spot with a four-game defeat of second seed Gene McGhee in the semi-finals, claiming an 11-9, 6-11, 11-4, 11-9 triumph.
Back in the preliminary round, Ben Poulter earned a five-game victory over Larry Trumpauskas (9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 8-11, 11-9) – he went on to lose to McGhee in four in the quarters.
Group stage
Two of the top-ranked players were beaten to top place in their groups, although both did advance as runners-up to the knockout stage.
Ben Poulter saw Thomas Palmer overtake him in Group 5, Palmer winning their clash with a straightforward scoreline of 11-6, 11-3, 11-8). However, Palmer did need to hold off Georgios Gerakios in five (11-9, 11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 11-8) to seal his top place.
In Group 6, Harry Yip was the player who leapfrogged the top seed, beating Charlie Nabarro 3-1 (10-12, 12-10, 11-5, 11-7).
In Group 1, Larry Trumpauskas rose from No 3 to No 2, ahead of Tom Powlesland, while Mark Balon did the same in Group 3, at the expense of Nathaniel Saunders.
Under-11 Girls’ Singles
Anna Green matched her twin brother’s feat minutes after his victory by completing a four-game triumph over Isabelle Lacorte.
Having lost to her opponent in the group stage, Green turned it around to register a scoreline of 3-1 (11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 11-4).
Green got to the final courtesy of 3-0 wins over Maliha Baig (5, 3, 8) and Katie Bates (5, 10, 8).
Lacorte’s path was more bumpy as she defeated Saskia Key 3-2 (11-7, 6-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5) and then Jessica Moggeridge 3-1 (11-3, 11-9, 8-11, 8-11).
Group stage
Isabelle Lacorte upset Anna Green in Group 2, the top two making it through the group but in the reverse order. It was a tight clash, Lacorte shading it 3-2 (11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-5).
In the three-player Group 3, Katie O’Dwyer came through from third place to take top spot, beating the No 1 Bethany Ellis 3-2 (9-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 11-5).
Katie Bates won Group 1, as seeded, but needed a mighty comeback against No 2 Jessica Moggeridge to do so, winning their clash 3-2 (13-15, 7-11, 11-4, 11-3, 11-4). Moggeridge also made it through.
Under-10 Girls’ Singles
Bethany Ellis took the gold medal in the three-way round-robin competition against Maliha Baig and Kate Watkinson.
The Morecambe player beat Watkinson 3-1 (11-6, 10-12, 11-6, 11-8) in the first match and Baig then defeated Watkinson 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-4) to set up a decider.
It went the distance as Ellis staved off an impressive comeback by her Essex opponent to win 3-2 (11-5, 11-6, 4-11, 6-11, 11-9).
“It feels spectacular,” said the victor, who is under-11 county champion in Lancashire. “My tactics were short serve to the forehand then smash it to the backhand.”
Baig took the silver medal and Watkinson, also from Lancashire, the bronze.
Under-13 Boys’ Doubles
Big drama in the final as Jamie Liu & Louis Price saved six match points on their way from 2-0 down to take the title.
Opponents Naphong Boonyaprapa & Rhys Davies led 10-6 in the third, and had two more match points at deuce only for their opponents to fight their way back and take the gold 3-2 (9-11, 5-11, 14-12, 11-9, 11-4).
It was mostly plain-sailing through to the final for both pairs – particularly Davies & Boonyaprapa, who beat Jake Grayson & Marco Plate (4, 3, 7), Shem Lejarde & Arthur Bracken (2, 3, 9) and Thomas Rayner & Ben Piggott (6, 9, 7) in their run to the final.
Liu & Price saw off Lennon Maughan & Ehsan Jawadi (6, 2, 5) before Alex Attew & Luke Davies-Stokes took them to four in the quarter-finals (12-10, 11-4, 9-11, 14-12). But the semi was emphatic as they dispatched Charlie Turner & Che Goulbourne for the combined loss of eight points (3, 1, 4).
Turner & Goulbourne had ended the hopes of Adam Szabo & Connor Green in the last eight in a close four-game clash. It was 12-10, 11-8, 6-11, 14-12 to the winning pair.
In the preliminary round, Thomas Palmer & Charlie Nabarro needed five close games to overcome determined brothers Samuel and Joseph Cooper (13-11, 11-9, 11-13, 9-11, 11-6).
There were also a couple of cracking ties in the first round, Lejarde & Bracken defeating Nikit Sajiv & Felix Thomis 3-2 (6-11, 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8) and Oliver Bryant & Nicholas Miller coming from 2-1 down to see off Harry Yip & Mikaeel Toosy (14-12, 8-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9).
Under-13 Girls’ Doubles
Ruby Chan & Anaya Patel took the title after staving off a thrilling comeback by Millie Rogove & Samadhi Udamulla in the final.
It was the top seeds who prevailed by a 3-2 margin (11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 9-11, 11-3).
Chan & Patel had progressed to the final in a serene manner fitting of top seeds. It was three straight all the way against Rebecca Rigg & Genevieve Holchaks (4, 2, 5), Erin Richards & Angharad Beman (4, 8, 4) and Kirsty Maull & Amilia Baker (6, 10, 3).
Rogove & Udamulla started in the same fashion, beating Amy Mold & Anya Milne (2, 4, 6). It was then four games in the quarter-final as they overcame Jasmine Williams & Alana Mansfield 3-1 (7-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-7). And it went up to five in the semis as they held off a comeback from second seeds Amy Marriott & Moke Warburton to seal it 3-2 (11-5, 11-8, 8-11. 9-11, 11-6).
Results
Under-13 Boys’ Singles
Jamie Liu bt Louis Price 3-1 (5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-4)
Under-13 Girls’ Singles
Sophie Chiang bt Mari Baldwin 3-2 (6-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-5, 11-8)
Under-11 Boys’ Singles
Connor Green bt Jakub Piwowar 3-0 (11-0, 11-7, 11-8)
Under-11 Girls’ Singles
Anna Green bt Isabelle Lacorte 3-1 (11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 11-4)
Under-13 Boys’ Doubles
Jamie Liu & Louis Price bt Naphong Boonyaprapa & Rhys Davies 3-2 (9-11, 5-11, 14-12, 11-9, 11-4)
Under-13 Girls’ Doubles
Ruby Chan & Anaya Patel bt Millie Rogove & Samadhi Udamulla 3-2 (11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 9-11, 11-3)