British U23 Champs 2016
08-10 April, Hunts County, Cambridgeshire

10-Apr, Day Three: Finals
Whitlock & James claim BU23 Titles

Top seeds Emily Whitlock and Declan James took the titles on finals day at the British Under 23 Championships at Hunts County.

World No17 Emily Whitlock showed her class with a dominant performance against the recently crowned European Under 19 Champion Amelia Henley. 22 year old Whitlock claimed the under 23 title 3-0 to add her full collection of British junior honours, only the senior title now to go for the full set!

Henley didn’t do anything wrong and was well in the first at 5-6 but she struggled to impose herself on the game as the vastly more experienced Whitlock took control and eased to a 11/7 11/3 11/1 victory in 27 minutes.

The men’s final was a tough encounter between two friends, Declan James and Richie Fallows, both desperate to claim the win. Fallows started the stronger and edged the first 11-9 before James took over and levelled it at one-all.

The third was tied at 6-apiece when Fallows put a run together and claimed five points in a row to take a two-one lead. However James again fought back to level and take it into a decider.

It remained close but as the game went on it was James’ game that seemed to have more rhythm and control and even though Fallows saved two match balls James eventually retained his Under 23 title taking it 11/8 in the fifth.

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Playoff Finals:
3/4: Lyell Fuller bt Ashley Davies                           11/6 11/8 11/3 (26m)
5/6: Rory Stewart bt Harry Falconer  12/10 10/12 10/12 11/9 14/12 (70m)
7/8: Matthew Broadberry bt Chris Leiper 6/11 8/11 14/12 11/6 13/11 (45m)
9/10: Scott Young bt Hamish Falconer                    11/9 11/6 11/4 (32m)
11/12: Robert Luke bt Ben Hedger                        11/2 12/10 11/6 (18m)
13/14: Ollie Turner bt Matthew Lees                      11/5 11/8 11/9 (21m)
15/16: Edward Shannon W/O

Playoffs:
Harry Falconer bt Matthew Broadberry 11/13 11/9 11/3 10/12 11/8 (65m)
Rory Stewart bt Chris Leiper                              12/10 11/5 11/3 (31m)
Scott Young bt Robert Luke                                11/6 11/3 11/6 (27m)
Hamish Falconer bt Ben Hedger                            11/4 11/6 11/9 (21m)
Ollie Turner bt Edward Shannon            3/11 16/14 11/3 6/11 11/9 (45m)

9-16 Play Offs
Scott Young bt Edward Shannon                   11/3 11/8 11/7 (25m)
Robert Luke bt Ollie Turner                 11/13 11/9 12/10 11/8 (42m)
Ben Hedges bt Matthew Lees          11/9 1/11 11/6 9/11 11/9 (39m)

08-Apr, Round One:
Edward Shannon 3-0 Craig Valente-Wallace    11/2, 11/2, 11/9 (22m)
Robert Luke 3-1 Yusef Forster              11/6, 11/8, 9/11, 11/7 (35m)
Ben Hedger 3-1 Scott Drewery             11/9, 11/8, 9/11, 11/9 (33m)
Matthew Lees 3-0 Oscar Hill                       11/8, 12/10, 11/2 (20m)

Play-off Finals:
3/4: Lucy Turmel bt Alison Thomson  7/11 11/3 11/7 8/11 11/8 (54m)
5/6: Jasmine Hutton bt Elise Lazarus              11/3 11/3 12/10 (20m)
7/8: Alicia Mead bt Grce Gear                 7/11 11/6 11/8 11/7 (31m)
9/10: Claire Gadsby by Elin Jones                   11/4 11/2 11/8 (16m)
11/12: Kirsty Lobban bt Katriona Allen           12/10 11/8 11/7 (18m)
13/14: Ali Hemingway bt Amber Peacey         12/10 11/7 11/5 (25m)
15/16: Emily Fuller bt Charlotte Davies    14/12 9/11 11/4 11/5 (22m)

Play Offs
Elise Lazarus bt Alicia Mead                           11/8 11/2 11/6 (19m)
Jasmine Hutton bt Grace Gear                 8/11 11/4 11/7 11/8 (31m)
Claire Gadsby bt Katriona Allen                       11/9 11/7 11/8 (16m)
Elin Jones bt Kirsty Lobban           11/4 5/11 7/11 12/10 12/10 (37m)
Ali Hemingway bt Emily Fuller                   11/3 11/5 8/11 11/7 (34m)
Amber Peacey bt Charlotte Davies                  11/7 11/9 11/6 (16m)

9-16 Play Offs
Katriona Allen bt Ali Hemingway   11/7 8/11 11/8 7/11 11/9 (39m)
Claire Gadsby bt Emily Fuller                     11/6 11/7 11/5 (16m)
Elin Jones bt Amber Peacey                11/3 11/4 8/11 11/7 (26m)
Kirsty Lobban bt Charlotte Davies              11/2 11/7 11/2 (14m)

08-Apr, Round One:
Jasmine Hutton 3-0 Alice Green              11/5, 11/9, 11/6 (23m)

09-Apr, Day Two: Semi-Finals
Top Seeds to Contest BU23 Finals

The semi-finals got off to a great start with Amelia Henley clashing with Lucy Turmel. Henley started the stronger and took the first fairly easily but Turmel found her rhythm in the second and they traded point for point. Henley was first to have game ball but Turmel kept fighting and after 21 minutes eventually edged it 18-16. It looked like it was game on but winning the second seemed to drain Turmel and Henley regained control and booked her place in the final with a 3-1 win.

World No17 Emily Whitlock reached her first British Under 23 final with a comfortable victory over Alison Thomson. Whitlock proved too strong and experienced for Thomson who struggled to find a rhythm and gain a foothold in the game. It was a well contested match but Whitlock had too much and took it 11/4 11/5 11/1 in 30 minutes.

No1 seed Declan James looked good as he defeated ¾ seed Ashley Davies to reach the final. Davies started brightly and led for much of the opening game but James always stayed in it and then from 8-9 down won three points in a row to take a 1 nil lead. The match remained competitive but James showed why he is the favourite and calmly finished it off 11/9 11/6 11/5 in 35 minute.

Richie Fallows ensured it will be the top seeds contesting the finals after he defeated ¾ seed Lyell Fuller in the final semi-final of the day. After taking the first Richie seemed to be in trouble in the second at 2-6 down but a quick bloody injury break seemed to stem the flow and he returned to court to take the next 9 points unopposed to extend his lead to 2-0. Fuller rallied to take the third but Fallows regained control and wrapped up the match and day 11/8 11/7 4/11 11/4 in 53 minutes.

Quarter-Finals:

Amelia Henley got the quarters kicked off with a straight games win over the younger Jasmine Hutton. However it was far from easy with Hutton leading the first 9-6 and fighting back to 8all in the second, before Henley was able use her experience to pull away and take control of the match.

The following quarter final was a battle between the English U19 No5 & 6, Grace Gear & Lucy Turmel. Both opening games were just edged by the lower ranked Turmel 11-9 and this seemed to take its toll on Gear who succumbed the third easily 11-3, taking Turmel through to face Amelia Henley in the semi-finals.

Hot favourite Emily Whitlock eased her way into the semi’s with a comfortable 4,4 & 5 win over Warwickshire’s Alicia Mead and in the last quarter final Elise Lazarus continued her recent return to form with a great effort against the 3/4 seed Alison Thomson.

Lazarus stormed into a 5-0 lead in the first and took it 11-4 before being pinned back by Thomson in the second. Lazarus had game ball in the third but failed to capitalise allowing Thomson to sneak it and take a 2-1 lead. The fourth was close but Thomson always looked to have the advantage and after 35 minutes of good squash triumphed with a 3-1 win.

Ashley Davies looks to be playing well and although he dropped the third always looked in control against Matthew Broadberry and ran out a 11/6 11/9 6/11 11/3 winner in 35 minutes.

Reigning champion and World No41 Declan James kept his title defence on track with a professional 3-0 win over Harry Falconer who was conceding 5 years to James who turns 23 in just over a week’s time.

Lyell Fuller has recently moved up to Manchester to join the England Squash Academy full time and looked to be keen to show his worth with a solid performance to see off Scot Rory Stewart in 3 to set up a semi-final with Richie Fallows.

After yesterday’s walkover Fallows finally got his tournament up and running with a straight games win over Chris Leiper of Scotland.
 

04-Apr, Draws released:
James & Whitlock Top Seeds

World #41 Declan James, and World #17 Emily Whitlock top the 2016 British Under 23 National Championship Draws at Hunts County SC, Cambridgeshire.

James is the Men's defending champion and plays the event for the final time before moving out of the age group, whilst Whitlock contests the Women's event for the first time.

Richie Fallows (2015 Men's Runner-Up) will be aiming to go one step further in this years Championships, with Amelia Henley and Alison Thomson (2015 Women's Runner-Up) looking to challenge for the Women's title.

Friday 8th - Sunday 10th April will see The Sports Academy team host the 8th consecutive year of the event, and the club is looking forward to welcoming the finest young British talent to battle for the last age group title available.

PREVIEW:
2016 British U23 Champs
Equal Prize Money, Equal Tins ............

This season's Under 23 National Championships has been updated to reflect the key improvements that have been made in the women’s game on the PSA circuit  - equal prize money, and both categories playing on a 17” tin.

Hunts County SC will again draw the finest young talent Britain has to offer to the tiny village of Hemingford Grey in Cambridgeshire.

Our aim with the contemporary format is to create the most exciting and fair Championships to date, and really encourage the best female players to compete this April.

U23 Champs 2015

Hunts County Info

Contact: colin@theuksportsacademy.co.uk