The inaugural English Junior Championships came to a conclusion tonight at Nottingham SRC after three days of highly competitive and long days.
Girls Under 13
Georgina Kennedy proved far too strong for the rest of the pack in the GU13. The No1 seed from Kent made it through to the finals without dropping a game and carried that form through to the finals against Amelia Henley (Kent). Kennedy took just 15 minutes to claim the title with a 3-0 victory.
Boys Under 13
This final saw the No1 and 2 seeds battle it out. No2 seed Patrick Rooney seed from Merseyside took the first game 13/11. Then No1 seed James Peach (Yorkshire) fought back and took the second game 11/9. Rooney then came out determined, took the third game 11/1 and took the third 16/14. Peach put up a great fight with both players gaving it their all, Rooney coming out on top, 3-1 in 33 minutes. Girls Under 15 Another final that saw the top 2 seeds pitted against each other. No2 Lucy Beecroft (Northumbria) took on the current British Junior Champion and No1 seed Eleanor Lake (Glos). A 44 minute 5 set match took place with the British Champion adding the English Champion title to her trophy cabinet.
Boys Under 15
One of the longest finals of the day took place with the Boys Under 15 finalists keeping each other on court for 68 minutes. Richie Fallows (Essex) the current British Junior Champion and favourite went a game down as Hamish Falconer (Lincolnshire) came out fighting. Neither player wanted to give much away and both battled hard, Fallows fought back and took the next 3 games 11/8 11/8 11/7 to claim the first Under 15 English Junior title. However the game scores do not do justice to the effort and determination both players gave in this 68 minute match.
Girls Under 17
Issie Norman Ross was the only unseeded player to make it to a final this weekend. She had been on an excellent run so far defeating a seeded player each round to reach the final and then came up against the toughest test of all, the No1 seed Emily Whitlock (Cheshire). Whitlock had been on a superb run of her own this weekend and cruised through to the final without dropping a game. It was to be Whitlock’s run that continued, too quick and powerful for Norman Ross today and took the title with a 3-0 victory in just 20 minutes.
Boys Under 17
5/8 seed Tom Ford (Glos) was up against 3/4 seed Matthew Sidaway (Lancashire). Sidaway moved into an early lead taking the first 11/3 and then the second 11/5. Ford came out in the 3rd full of determination, with Sidaway keeping things tight and basic and Ford fighting to stay in the game – this match turned into a real battle. Ford took the 3rd game 11/9 and both boys continued with the same game plan in the 4th, Ford took that one 16/14 to level it at 2-2. This battle then turned into a war, after a very hard 97 minutes it was Sidaway who would come away the victor, 12/10 in the 5th!
Girls Under 19
The Girls Under 19 Final got off to a great start. Millie Tomlinson the No1 seed from Derbyshire took on Carrie Ramsey, the 3/4 seed from Yorkshire. In the first Tomlinson shot into an 8-3 lead, only for Ramsey to fight back and get to 10-9 game ball. Ramsey couldn’t take advantage and let Tomlinson back in to steal the game 13/11. Tomlinson again came out blazing and took the second game 11/2 in 8 minutes. Unfortunately at the start of the 3rd game there was an injury to Ramsey as she was caught by the racket of Tomlinson on the shin. The injury forced Ramsey to concede the match leaving Tomlinson to add the title of English Junior Champion to her long list of British Junior Championship titles.
Boys Under 19
This final was a rematch of the Under 17 British Junior Championship finals 2 years ago as James Earles (Yorkshire) once again took on the top seed in Charles Sharpes (Surrey). Earles was out for revenge as it was Sharpes who claimed that U17 British Championship on his home turf at Wimbledon in ‘08. Sharpes had been in excellent form of late and had not dropped a game the whole tournament, the longest he had been kept on court all weekend was 32 minutes. Sharpes started the final well, racing into a 7-2 lead and not long after took the first game 11/5. Earles made it harder for him in the second, got to game ball at 10-9 but then received a no let from the referee to take it into a tie breaker. Sharpes seized his chance and took the game 12-10. Sharpes kept to his game plan and worked hard, Earles fought to stay in it but Sharpes proved too strong, taking the 3rd game 11/8, denying Earles his revenge and claiming the inaugural Boys U19 English Junior title.
The English Junior Championships may be a new event but on the evidence of this weekend it has already made a huge splash and looks set to become one of the highlights of the junior calendar for many years to come.