The English Junior Open is underway in Nottingham with all the top juniors eager to become the first English Junior Champions. Friday’s early rounds progressed smoothly without too many casualties to report on. In the Boys Under 13, the top 8 seeds all progressed to the second round safely, as did the top seeds from the Girls Under 13 first round.
The Boys Under 15 quarter finals are nicely set up with all the top 8 seeds through. The Girls Under 15 category saw an upset with Lily Taylor the 9/16 seed from Leicestershire defeating the 5/8 seed Kip Quiney (Glos) 3-1. Taylor’s reward is now a quarter final match with the No 1 seed Eleanor Lake (Glos).
The Boys Under 17 also saw a 9/16 seed upset a 5/8 seed. Jacob Robinson (Lancs) went two games up against George Wileman (Yorkshire), before letting the next two games slip away and the scores levelling at 2-2. However Robinson quickly regrouped and after 65 minutes ran out the winner 11-9 in the 5th. Robinson now faces the 3/4 seed, his friend and fellow county player Matthew Sidaway. The longest match of the day came courtesy of the 5/8 seed Nicholas Mulvey (Herts) who was 0-2 down against 9/16 Scott Young (Glos) before he staged a fight back to take the match 3-2 in a staggering 72 minutes!
The Girls Under 19 and Under 17 are progressing according to the seedings apart from Under 17 player Issie Norman Ross (Hampshire) who defeated 5/8 seed Jemma Ockwell (Herts) to gatecrash the Quarters. She will now face a much sterner test against the U17 No 2 seed Katie Smith (Yorkshire).
In the Boys Under 19, 9/16 seed Phil Waller (Herts) was 2-1 up against the 5/8 seed Nick Hopcroft (Surrey). Not only was Waller two games to the good, he also had match ball at 10/9 in the fourth. However it was at this point that his luck ran out, receiving a stroke which gave Hopcroft a chance, which he duly took, taking it 12-10. Hopcroft then pushed on and claimed the 5th game and the match 3-2 in 64 minutes. Hopcroft now moves on to meet the number 1 seed Charles Sharpes in tomorrow’s Quarter Finals.
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Play starts at both Nottingham SRC and Nottingham University at 9.00am on Saturday with two both the Quarter and Semi Finals to look forward. Any spectators will be welcomed free of charge.