Burton Uxbridge Junior Two Star Tournament
Victoria (Vicky) Coll is shooting for the stars … and knocking over some of those who lie in her path! She had a dramatic Sunday at Burton, swopping wins and losses against three of the top ten ranked Under 13 girls in England, Sophie Barlow (Cleveland, ranked 3rd), Katie Holt (Hants, 5th) and Jemma Walker (Bucks, 9th).
In the Cadet (Under 15) singles, she fought back from 0-2 down to beat Lisa Rinnhofer (Warks) and then suffered an agonising loss against old rival Katie Holt, managing to squander a 10-1 lead in the third game! She recovered to score a stunning 3-1 win over Sophie Barlow, thus eliminating the top seeded player at the group stage. Vicky went on to reach the semi-finals, where she lost 0-3 to Holly Williams (Cleveland), who proceeded to win the event.
Vicky won her group in the Under 13s, beating Charlotte Weatherby (Durham) 3-1, then reversing her earlier defeat against Katie Holt with a 3-0 victory, and also dispatching Jemma Walker in straight games. She sped on into the semi-final, where she beat Danielle Kelly (Surrey), but this time had to give best to Sophie in the final, losing 0-3.
Vicky lies 16th in the rankings, but on current form clearly has the top ten in her sights. Katie and Jemma both represented English schools in the Home Nations tournament held in Dublin in April, but Vicky has been bridging the gap since then.
Written by John Birkin (September 18, 2013)