Jiawang Song was once again the standout player at the Preston Grand Prix, living up to his top seeding by winning both the Men’s Singles and Under-21 Men’s Singles titles.
The Women’s Singles was won by the young Anna Hursey, who defeated the number one seed on her way to the title. Danny Bajwa was named Player of the Weekend.
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Men’s Singles
Top two seeds Jiawang Song and Tian Yuan Liu met in the final and it went with the seeding as Song took the title with a 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-8) scoreline.
Second seed Liu beat the number four seed, Sam Mabey 3-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-6) in the semi-finals, and Song beat Sing Wong also with a 3-0 scoreline. Both players only dropped one game across all 8 of their matches.
Women’s Singles
Anna Hursey held off the challenge of the number one seed, Haoyu Liu 3-1 (11-9, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7) in the semi-final before defeating Diruiqi Yang in the final to take the title 3-1 (11-9, 3-11, 11-9, 11-8).
Yang needed five games to beat the number two seed Hui Tay, coming back from 2-1 down to win 3-2 (10-12, 11-8, 4-11, 11-6, 12-10) in the semi-finals.
Veterans
Top seed Rory Scott held on to beat Mike Browne 3-1 (13-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-7) in the final.
Mike needed five in his semi-final having been 2-0 down to take it 3-2 (1-11, 7-11, 13-11,11-9, 11-6) against Raymond Hurst, while Scott only needed four for victory against Jody Bevington taking it 3-1 (8-11, 11-6, 11-2, 11-9) to make it to the final.
Under-21 Men
In a repeat of the men’s singles semi-final, top seed Jiawang Song defeated Sing wong. Wong fought hard to take it to five games after being 2-1 down (8-11, 11-7, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5).
Song beat Joseph Clark 3-0 (1, 5, 8) in his semi while Wong overcame number two seed James Hobson in four (11-3, 6-11, 11-3, 11-3)
Under-21 Women
Second seeded Mollie Patterson claimed the title over Anna Hursey in four games to take it 3-1 (5-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-5) in the final.
Both players having topped their respective groups earlier in the day, only needed three to make it through their semi-final matches, Patterson defeated Megan Gidney (5,8,8) and Lydia John beaten by Hursey.
Open Doubles
Tianyuan & Haoyu Liu were victorious winning all of their matches in the round-robin of five pairs. Ning Jing & Diruiqi Yang took second only losing to Liu/Liu in a closely fought 3-1 loss (11-6, 6-11, 12-10, 11-6).
Banded events
Men’s Band 1
Sing Wong beat the number one seed, Sam Mabey 3-1 (9, 5, -6, 9) to win the final. He also needed four to beat Hippolyte Levy in the semi-final, also winning 3-1 (11-6, 11-3, 9-11, 11-6).
Sam topped his group and saw off Israel Awolaja in straight games (11-2, 11-4, 11-5) in his semi-final.
Women’s Band 1
Elena Todirca came out on top of this group, winning all three of her matches in the round-robin.
Number one seed, Mollie Patterson took second place, her only loss to Todirca 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-9).
Men’s Band 2
Sing Wong made it two out of two, defeating Graeme Barella 3-1 (11-8, 11-4, 8-11, 11-4) to take the Band 2 title.
He needed five to beat the number one seed, Israel Awolaja, coming back from 2-1 down to win his semi-final 3-2 (6, -10, -8, 8, 9).
Barella fought a tight 3 set semi against Chun Yin Yu winning 11-7, 11-8, 11-9.
Women’s Band 2
In a repeat of Band one, Elena Todirca (number two seed) got the better of top-seeded Mollie Patterson, clinching the title 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-9).
The beaten semi-finalists both lost in three – Swetha Khatri to Patterson and Megan Gidney to Todirca.
Men’s Band 3
Billy Shilton needed five to beat Will Dobinson to win the band 3-2 (5-11,11-7,7-11,11-9,12-10).
Dobinson beat the number one seed in a five-setter 3-2 (10-12, 11-9, 2-11, 12-10, 11-9) in the quarter final, before beating the number three seed in four (-8,12,6,6) to make it into the final.
Women’s Band 3
Grace Edwards got the better of Lisa Rinnhofer, taking it 3-0 in the final, having made it through two five-set matches to get there, making a comeback after going 2-0 against number two seed Natalia Ianau to win her quarter final 3-2 (8-11, 10-12, 11-5, 11-5, 11-9) and defeating Lydia John 11-13, 11-9, 5-11, 11-9 in the semi.
Rinnhofer also needed five to beat Jo Keighlehy3-2, (10, -8, 7, -5, 8) in her semi-final.
Men’s Band 4
Billy Shilton (number three seed) prevailed once again to take the title from the number one seed, Danny Bajwa in five sets, winning 3-2 (5-11,11-9,11-3,10-12,11-3).
Both players needed four to win their semi-finals, beating Phil Snelson and Lukasz Lewandowski respectively.
Women’s Band 4
Lydia John took a convincing victory 3-0 against Christine Scaysbrook (11-8, 11-5, 11-7).
John beat the number two seed, Medha Verma 3-0 on her way to the final, while Scaysbrook needed five to defeat the persistent Gracie Edwards 3-2 (4-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-8, 12-10) in her semi-final.
Men’s Band 5
James Patterson fought back from 2-1 down to beat Octavian Aparaschieve 3-2 (-8, 6, 7, -8,5) in the final.
Octavian comfortably saw-off Keith Dale 3-0 (11-6, 11-2, 11-6) and James Patterson beat Ade Fabola in four (3, 9, -4, 5) in their semi-finals.
Men’s Band 6
Ade Fabola came out on top in this final, eventually winning 3-0, although each game was extremely close (15-13, 11-9, 11-8).
Fabola saw-off the number three seed, Dan Hogan in his semi-final winning 3-0 (2,8,9). Patterson also only needed three to beat Robert Majkut 11-5,11-3,11-5.