No fewer than nine players boast 100% records at the end of day one of the Cadet and Under-12 National Cup in Preston.
Forty of the best young players in England battled out over five rounds of matches at the Sir Tom Finney Sports Centre at the University of Central Lancashire, with the older age group playing seven sets and the young ones five.
Cadet Boys
Jamie Liu and Ethan Walsh lead the way, the top two seeds keeping their 100% records intact.
The top seeds had a largely trouble-free opening round, though Liu had to come from 2-1 down to defeat No 10 Jonathan Heslop in six.
But round two saw No 4 seed Louis Price defeated 4-1 by the sixth-ranked Reece Chamdal.
Chamdal was at it again in round 3, beating third seed Josh Weatherby in six, and it was also six as Joe Cope maintained his 100% record by defeating Price. Heslop broke his duck with a five-game victory over Ben Fillingham.
Ethan Walsh had not dropped a set during the opening three rounds but that changed in round four – though the No 2 seed came out on the right side of a 4-2 scoreline against Chamdal, who was scenting a famous comeback after winning games four and five.
Sam Chesterman, who faced the top three seeds in his first three matches, got himself on the board with a six-game victory over Fillingham.
And we had our first deciding set of the Cadet events – and a thriller it was too as Heslop and Price had a prolonged, see-saw struggle before the former won it 4-3 (10-12, 11-13, 12-10, 11-2, 11-9, 11-13, 11-7). Weatherby defeated Cope in six to move level with his opponent on three wins.
The last round saw a first victory for Fillingham, who overcame Thomas Rayner 4-2. Weatherby beat Price to hold on to the coattails of the top two.
Results
Round 1
Jamie Liu bt Jonathan Heslop 4-2 (5-11, 12-10, 3-11, 11-4, 11-3, 11-3)
Ethan Walsh bt Ben Fillingham 4-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8)
Josh Weatherby bt Sam Chesterman 4-2 (11-7, 5-11, 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4)
Louis Price bt Thomas Rayner 4-2 (11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-4)
Joe Cope bt Reece Chamdal 4-2 (12-10, 4-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8)
Round 2
Liu bt Fillingham 4-1 (11-9, 8-11, 11-3, 11-5, 11-6)
Cope bt Heslop 4-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 13-11, 11-8)
Chamdal bt Price 4-1 (11-7, 11-7, 12-10, 9-11, 11-9)
Weatherby bt Rayner 4-1 (11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 11-4, 15-13)
Walsh bt Chesterman 4-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-6, 12-10)
Round 3
Liu bt Chesterman 4-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-5, 11-4)
Walsh bt Rayner 4-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-8, 12-10)
Chamdal bt Weatherby 4-1 (11-7, 11-5, 11-9, 10-12, 11-8)
Heslop bt Fillingham 4-1 (11-2, 11-9, 13-11, 15-17, 11-7)
Cope bt Price 4-2 (11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 3-11, 12-10, 11-9)
Round 4
Heslop bt Price 4-3 (10-12, 11-13, 12-10, 11-2, 11-9, 11-13, 11-7)
Weatherby bt Cope 4-2 (11-8, 11-9, 14-12, 4-11, 7-11, 12-10)
Chesterman bt Fillingham 4-2 (11-9, 6-11, 11-5, 11-3, 7-11, 11-6)
Walsh bt Chamdal 4-2 (14-12, 11-7, 14-12, 9-11, 8-11, 12-10)
Liu bt Rayner 4-1 (11-5, 6-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-6)
Round 5
Liu bt Chamdal 4-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4, 11-9)
Fillingham bt Rayner 4-2 (11-5, 11-7, 3-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-3)
Weatherby bt Price 4-0 (11-8, 12-10, 11-7, 11-8)
Chesterman bt Heslop 4-2 (8-11, 15-17, 12-10, 11-6, 12-10, 11-6)
Walsh bt Cope 4-0 (15-13, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7)
Cadet Girls
Three 100% records in the Cadet Girls as top two Charlotte Bardsley and Megan Gidney recorded five matching 4-0 wins each, and No 4 seed Mollie Patterson dropped only one set all day.
There were no upsets in the first round, though No 5 seed Ruby Chan had to come from 2-0 down to defeat No 6 Alice Dillon in six sets, and No 3 Jasmin Wong also needed six to get the better of No 8 Danielle Kelly.
Katie Holt, ranked 10th, had an impressive 4-1 win over fifth seed Ruby Chan in the second round of matches. The top four all had 4-0 wins.
Holt notched her second win in round three as she saw off ninth seed Charlotte Weatherby in four straight, while Wong was taken to six by Dillon.
Bardsley, Gidney and Patterson kept up their records of not having dropped a game in round three and that pattern continued in round four. That was also the round when Kelly got her first victory, though it was a struggle as she recovered from 2-0 down to overcome Weatherby 4-2, taking the sixth 15-13.
While Bardsley and Gidney were completing perfect days, Patterson was not far behind, only dropping a set in her final match, in which she defeated third seed Wong 4-1.
Proud brought up her first victory, in four over Weatherby, while Holt ended a great day in fifth place thanks to her third win, over Kelly in five.
Results
Round 1
Charlotte Bardsley bt Katie Holt 4-0 (13-11, 13-11, 11-6, 11-8)
Megan Gidney bt Charlotte Weatherby 4-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 11-4)
Jasmin Wong bt Danielle Kelly 4-2 (7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 11-6)
Mollie Patterson bt Darcie Proud 4-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-6, 11-8)
Ruby Chan bt Alice Dillon 4-2 (9-11, 6-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-7, 11-6)
Round 2
Bardsley bt Weatherby 4-0 (11-6, 11-2, 11-7, 11-5)
Holt bt Chan 4-1 (11-9, 11-6, 11-5, 5-11, 11-7)
Patterson bt Dillon 4-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-8, 14-12)
Wong bt Proud 4-0 (16-14, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9)
Gidney bt Kelly 4-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-5, 14-12)
Round 3
Bardsley bt Kelly 4-0 (11-6, 11-1, 11-3, 11-6)
Gidney bt Proud 4-0 (11-7, 11-3, 11-3, 11-9)
Wong bt Dillon 4-2 (6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-3, 8-11, 11-3)
Holt bt Weatherby 4-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6)
Patterson bt Chan 4-0 (11-5, 11-3, 11-4, 11-5)
Round 4
Patterson bt Holt 4-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8)
Wong bt Chan 4-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-4, 13-11)
Kelly bt Weatherby 4-2 (9-11, 2-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-9, 15-13)
Gidney bt Dillon 4-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-7, 11-3)
Bardsley bt Proud 4-0 (11-3, 11-5, 11-2, 11-8)
Round 5
Bardsley bt Dillon 4-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-2, 11-9)
Proud bt Weatherby 4-0 (11-4, 11-8, 14-12, 11-8)
Patterson bt Wong 4-1 (11-8, 11-8, 12-10, 10-12, 11-6)
Holt bt Kelly 4-1 (11-5, 11-9, 3-11, 11-8, 11-5)
Gidney bt Chan 4-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-8, 11-7)
Under-12 Boys
Top seed Naphong Boonyaprapa completed a perfect day with five wins out of five, without dropping a game.
And with previously undefeated No 2 Felix Thomis and No 4 Jake Grayson losing their records in their last matches of the day, it left Boonyaprapa in front on his own.
The day started comfortably enough for the top five, all making winning starts. The closest match was not surprisingly the one between the No 5 and No 6 ranked players, in which the higher-placed Kelly defeated Gene McGhee 3-2 (11-9, 4-11, 5-11, 11-5, 11-5).
The first seed to falter was in round two when No 3 Ben Piggott lost a close match to seventh-ranked Lewis Ellams 3-1 (9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9).
Benjamin Greve got off the mark in round three as he defeated Arthur Bracken 3-1, while Kelly’s unbeaten record was ended by Jake Grayson, ranked one place above him at No 4.
Bracken broke his duck in round four, in three against Jakub Piwowar, and there was a rare deciding set in the match between Piggott and Kelly, won by the former 13-11 in the fifth having been 10-6 down.
Round five saw some potentially pivotal results as Kelly bounced back to defeat Thomis in three close sets, while Piggott sunk Grayson in four to move level with his opponent and Thomis, one win behind Boonyaprapa.
Piwowar picked up his first victory, over Greve, leaving only McGhee without a win – though as he has played all of the top five, that is a somewhat misleading statistic.
Results
Round 1
Naphong Boonyaprapa bt Benjamin Greve 3-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-4)
Felix Thomis bt Arthur Bracken 3-1 (8-11, 11-4, 11-8, 11-3)
Ben Piggott bt Jakub Piwowar 3-1 (11-3, 11-6, 10-12, 11-6)
Jake Grayson bt Lewis Ellams 3-1 (11-7, 6-11, 11-3, 11-6)
Bertie Kelly bt Gene McGhee 3-2 (11-9, 4-11, 5-11, 11-5, 11-5)
Round 2
Kelly bt Greve 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-7)
Grayson bt McGhee 3-1 (7-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-7)
Ellams bt Pigott 3-1 (9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9)
Thomis bt Piwowar 3-0 (11-4, 11-6, 11-8)
Boonyaprapa bt Bracken 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-3)
Round 3
Boonyaprapa bt Piwowar 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-8)
Thomis bt Ellams 3-1 (11-13, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4)
Piggott bt McGhee 3-0 (11-6, 11-4, 11-7)
Greve bt Bracken 3-1 (11-4, 4-11, 11-4, 12-10)
Grayson bt Kelly 3-0 (12-10, 11-8, 11-7)
Round 4
Grayson bt Greve 3-1 (11-6, 13-11, 9-11, 11-6)
Piggott bt Kelly 3-2 (5-11, 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 13-11)
Bracken bt Piwowar 3-0 (12-10, 11-8, 11-3)
Thomis bt McGhee 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-7)
Boonyaprapa bt Ellams 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-3)
Round 5
Boonyaprapa bt McGhee 3-0 (11-3, 11-9, 12-10)
Ellams bt Bracken 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-8)
Piggott bt Grayson 3-1 (11-3, 11-9, 8-11, 12-10)
Piwowar bt Greve 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-9)
Kelly bt Thomis 3-0 (12-10, 11-8, 11-8)
U12 Girls
Three lead the way, with top seed Sophie Chiang enjoying a faultless day.
Top seed Chiang did not concede a game, but second seed Amy Marriott and fourth-ranked Romy Sawyer are keeping pace with five wins of their own.
The top five all got themselves safely off the mark in round one, though No 2 Amy Marriott lost the first set 11-1 to fast-starting Lara Gimbuta before quickly turning it around, taking the second 11-2 and going on to win 3-1.
And all five were again impressive in round two as Lola McGhee was the only one to drop a set, to Alana Richardson.
Something had to give in round three, and it was McGhee’s 100% record, which was taken away by No 4 seed Romy Sawyer in four sets. Gimbuta got off the mark with a victory over Richardson in three straight, and she notched a second win in round four, this time over Molly Rhodes.
Round five saw both seventh seed Isobel McGerty and No 10 Richardson get off the mark – McGerty defeating Gimbuta and Richardson overcoming Rhodes.
The No 3 and No 4 seeds served up a mighty battle. Chloe Ambridge and Romy Sawyer, both based in Paris but attached to Joola Plymouth, know each other’s games inside-out and it showed before the lower-ranked Sawyer edged it 3-2 (10-12, 12-10, 14-12, 8-11, 11-8).
Results
Round 1
Sophie Chiang bt Alana Richardson 3-0 (11-2, 11-4, 11-5)
Amy Marriott bt Lara Gimbuta 3-1 (1-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-8)
Chloe Ambridge bt Molly Rhodes 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 11-7)
Romy Sawyer bt Isobel McGerty 3-1 (9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-5)
Lola McGhee bt Megan Jones 3-1 (11-5, 8-11, 11-3, 11-8)
Round 2
Chiang bt Gimbuta 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-2)
McGhee bt Richardson 3-1 (13-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-8)
Sawyer bt Jones 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-0)
Ambridge bt McGerty 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-4)
Marriott bt Rhodes 3-0 (11-7, 11-2, 11-3)
Round 3
Chiang bt Rhodes 3-0 (11-3, 11-5, 11-3)
Marriott bt McGerty 3-0 (14-12, 11-4, 11-4)
Ambridge bt Jones 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-8)
Gimbuta bt Richardson 3-0 (11-3, 12-10, 11-8)
Sawyer bt McGhee 3-1 (8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 12-10)
Round 4
Sawyer bt Richardson 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 11-3)
Ambridge bt McGhee 3-1 (11-6, 4-11, 11-7, 12-10)
Gimbuta bt Rhodes 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-8)
Marriott bt Jones 3-0 (11-6, 12-10, 11-8)
Chiang bt McGerty 3-0 (11-7, 11-0, 11-1)
Round 5
Chiang bt Jones 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-4)
McGerty bt Gimbuta 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-8)
Sawyer bt Ambridge 3-2 (10-12, 12-10, 14-12, 8-11, 11-8)
Richardson bt Rhodes 3-1 (11-13, 11-6, 11-9, 11-4)
Marriott bt McGhee 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-9)
