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Pontefract Junior Open 2014
27-30 Dec, Pontefract |
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30-Dec, Day FOUR:
G17 : Andrea Lee 3-1 Aifa
Azman
B17 : Eain Yow Ng 3-0 Brett Schille
G19 : Teh Min Jie 3-0 Siva Sivasangari
B19 : Oliver Harris 3-0 Adam Turner
Under 17 and 19 finals day
Terry Dudley reports
Aifa Azman, under 13 British Open Champion faced
Andrea Lee.
A scrappy game with a multitude of lets. Azman winning a
tight first game 14-12. Lee dominated the second and closed
at 11-4. Azman raced into a 7-2 lead only to be pegged back
to 7-all, 9-all 10-all then Lee took the last two points and
the game.
Again in the fourth Azman raced into a lead, and lead 7-4
another let and Azman lost concentration and did not win
another point. Lee the champion.
 Surprise
finalist Canadian Brett Schille up against top seed
Eain Yow, lost the first two games 11-4, 11-5.
Schille started to show his form of yesterday and took a 7-0
lead in the third. Yow pulled back to 5-7, Schille now
playing with confidence took the next two points 9-7 Yow
came back 8-9.
Next point to Schille 10-8 game ball could this be the first
game lost by Yow at pontefract in three years?
No, British open champions are made of sterner stuff 3
points on the bounce to win the game 12-10 and the match
3-0.
Eight seed Teh Min Jie, who has spent the last
month training and playing at Pontefract with Malcolm
Willstrop, took the court against fellow Malaysian
Sivasanga, the British open under 15 champion.
Teh looked completely at home on the court and with a good
following from the home crowed dominated the game and won in
three.
The boys under 15 final between Oliver Harris and
Adam Turner was played in good spirit but Harris was
just too good for Turner on the day winning the match in
three.
   
   
Lee Beachill presented the
prizes with Harris making a nice little speech thanking
everyone on behalf of the players.
Just a little matter of new year's eve to get out of the way
before up and off to the British in Sheffield.
Photo Gallery
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Photo Gallery
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Photo Gallery
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Malaysia finish with six of the
eight titles |
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29-Dec, Day THREE:
 Quarter
and semi Finals day for the Boys 17 and 19,Girls under 17and
19 semi-finals day, and Finals for the under 13 and 15.
B13 : Sam Todd 3-0
Kevin Shanmugan
B15 : Hafiz Zhafri 3-0 Oscar Beach
G13 : Ainaa Ammpand 3-0 Aria Azman
G15 : Aliah Nur 3-2 Alice Green
Coming Home
Andrew Cross reports
 The
end of the year is usually the busiest time of the year
Malaysian squash with a lot of tournaments all ending in a
trip to England for the prestigious British Junior Open.
Prior to the British Junior Open we have been very fortunate
to play in the Pontefract Junior Open for the last five
years thanks to the best tournament organiser Terry Dudley.
Terry is helped every year by Gill Topliss, Tony Brennan and
Barry Chaplin that give up their spare time for four days to
chase kids to referee matches.
The tournament is the perfect platform to get ready and
sharp for the bigger tournament next week, it allows the
players from both countries to play new people. For the
players its also a great chance to make new friends learning
new cultures and for our kids becoming more confident to
talk in English.
Mick Todd who has transformed the club in recent years
always welcomes us to the club with open arms and its great
to see how his son young Sam is progressing so rapidly.
 As
a coach I feel its important to get input from other coaches
about players, often getting another perspective can help
you see things in a different way and Pontefract has a man
that has been there and seen everything.
Malcolm Willstrop one of the most respected coaches in the
game who I was lucky enough to have as my mentor for many
years now offers me his opinions on the Malaysian kids and
how he feels they should play and progress.
Of course I couldn't run this trip without the help of my
family who give up their time and put in so much effort so
that we can just get focus on squash without having to worry
about transport, laundry and cooking.
Day THREE of the Dunlop
Pontefract Junior Open
Terry Dudley reports
Quarter and semi Finals day for the Boys 17 and 19,Girls
under 17and 19 semi-finals day, and Finals for the under 13
and 15.
Canadian Brett Schille and Malaysian Eain Yow won their
under 17 quarter final matches three love.
The next two quarters where a different tail both went to
five. Both winners where two games to one down and secured
their place in the semi-finals by winning the last two
games.
Eugene Heng beat Issac Rawcliffe 10/12 12/10 9/11 11/7 11/5.
Nick Wall seeded 14 continued is great run by beating Jesse
Foo 8/11 11/8 6/11 11/2 11/9.
The final of the Girls under 17 will be contested by team
mates Aifa Azman and Andrea Lee. Azman beat Emily Westall
3-0 while Lee beat Charlotte Fish with same score.
The pick of the boys under 19 quarter finals was a mammoth
93 minutes. Adam Turner seeded 6 beat three seed Matthew
Broadberry 4/11 8/11 11/9 11/6 13/11. Laurence Green (7)
came from one game down to beat Harry Falconer (2) 3-1 11/13
11/7 12/10 11/8.
The Min Jie continued her run by beating Elin Jones 3-0.
Sivasanga winner of the British under 15 in January beat
team mate Zoo Foo 3-0.
Eain Yow booked his place in the final by beating Eugene
Heng 3-0/
Nick Wall's fine run eventually came to an end, but not
without a fight going down to Brett Schille 3-2. Schille
took the first two and it looked like this morning’s five
setter was taking its toll on Wall. Wall replied by taking
the next two but faded in the fifth and lost it 11/4.
Oliver Harris toppled top seed George Willis 3-1 in a highly
competitive semi final, both players where in fine form not
losing a game on their way to the semis. Willis took the
first game 11/9 Harris the next two and a run of 6 points in
the third secured his final place.
Adam Turner who had the mammoth semi-final struck the first
blow against Laurence Green winning the first game 11/5,
Green Rallied by winning the second aided by taking six
straight points.
Green had three game points in the third only for Turner to
take the game 12/10. 8 all in the fourth Turner secured the
next three points and a final place against Harris in
tomorrow's final.
Day THREE photos in the Gallery
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Photo Gallery
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Photo Gallery
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Day TWO of the Dunlop
Pontefract Junior Open
Terry Dudley reports
 On
a cold frosty morning day two started at 9.00am with the
lower part of the draw playing for positions.
The Boys and Girls under 17 and 19 started their tournament
and no real first round upsets all the top eight seeds
progressing to round two.
Two Malaysian girls will contest tomorrow’s final, third
seed Aiza Azman beat Yorkshire s Lydia Robinson 3-0 while on
the next court Ainaa Ammpand beat fourth seed Katie Malliff
3-0.
 Pontefract’s
Sam Todd delighted a big crowed with a comfortable win
against Panos Liatis. Third seed Adam Goad took the second
seed Malaysian Kevin Shanmugan all the way. Leading two
games to one he just lost the fourth 13-11 and the decider
11-7.
Aliah Nur third seed beat second seed Jessica Khang 3-0. And
Alice Green (8) fine form continued when beating Laura Neil
3-0.
 Hafiz
Zhafri secured his final place with a tight three games to
love win against Ben Sockett. Second seed Oscar Beach did
likewise in another tight three games against Harry
Anderson.
Second round of the girls under 17 saw two cracking matches,
both going to five, Emiley Westall (4) led Emily Fuller 2
games to love, Fuller levelled at two all and Westall took
the fifth 11-9. Charlotte Fish who has not been in the best
of form lately, played her best match for a long time.
Coming back from two one down to beat Gabriella Mawson three
two.
Second seed Stuart MacGregor retired in the second round
with an injury which allowed Canadian Brett Schille to
progress to the next round.
Nick Wall produced the result so far in the tournament when
he beat third seed Jamie Todd 3-1.
Like the under 15 quarters’ of yesterday the eight seed beat
the one seed, Min Jie(8)beat Jessica Davies (1) in three
games.
No upsets in the boys under 19 where all the top seeds went
through.
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Day one of the Dunlop
Pontefract Junior Open
Terry Dudley reports
The England Squash and Racketball Silver event, the last
major junior competition held before the commencement of the
British Open in January, got under way today.
The first day is for the boys and girls under 13 and 15 age
groups, joined tomorrow by the under 17 and 19s.
No upsets today in the first two rounds in all the groups.
Ophelia Watson (8 seed) won a tight four game match against
Olivia Besant (9seed) 11/8 5/11 11/7 11/7. Marialena
Iacovides (7) recovered from two games to one down to beat
Lyala Johnson (10) 3-2. 9/11 11/9 6/11 13/11 11/7. Both in
the girls under 13.
The boys under 13 seeds had little difficulty progressing to
the semis as did the girls under 13 except Katie Malliff (4)
who just overcame Amber Copley (12) 3-2 11/6 4/11 11/7 7/11
11/1.
The competition came alive in the quarter finals of the
girls under 15, In the bottom half draw Jessica kheng(2)
beat Eve Driver (7) 3-1 and likewise Aliah Nur (3) beat her
Malaysian team mate Ma Si Yi (6)
Top seed and local girl Ellen Cooper was beaten 3-2 by eight
seed Alice Green. Green started the better and took a two
games to love lead Cooper replied by winning the next two to
level at two all. A tight fifth saw each player swap the
lead 1all, 2 all 4-2, 4all right to 9 all for Green to win
the last two points and secure a place in tomorrow’s semi
final against five seed Laura Neil.
Laura Neil game against Amber Marshall was a mirror image of
the green Cooper game. Neil two games lead Marshal replied
two all, 7-7 all before Neil pulled away to win 11/9 in the
fifth.
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