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TODAY 2008 in Nottingham - Sun 24th, Day Three

Finals:

G15: [1] Sophie Lemom bt [3/4] Emily Whitlock
                  9/3, 9/4, 4/9, 9/2 (40m)
B15: [1] David Wardle bt [2] Oliver Holland
                  0/9, 9/5, 9/1, 10/9 (58m)

G19: [3/4] Victoria Bell bt [3/4] Sarah-Jane Perry
                 10/8, 9/1, 9/6 (35m)
B19: [2] Joe Lee bt Neil Cordell
                 9/3, 9/2, 9/0 (29m)

Victoria Bell bt Sarah-Jane Perry      10/8, 9/1, 9/6 (35m)
Joe Lee bt Neil Cordell                      9/3, 9/2, 9/0 (29m)

Graduation Day ...

Both had previously won the Under 17 title, but today Joe Lee and Victoria Bell graduated to become the Under 19 British Junior champions.

Joe's final against Neil Cordell didn't live up to expectations, mainly because Joe had already finished his 45-minute semi-finals before Neil went on to play his 94-minute marathon against defending champion Adrian Waller.

Neil was understandably flat, but as Joe said, "his shots were all there even if his movement wasn't, and I really had to concentrate not to let him into the match."

His concentration was good enough, and at 8/0 in the third Neil decided against one more trek into the back corner, preferring to take Joe's hand there and then.

The Girls' final was pretty much the same story, with Victoria having the easier, and earlier, semi-final, and having too much in the thank for Sarah-Jane Perry, who nonetheless put in a spirited performance, but losing a tight first game was a blow, and Victoria snuffed out a comeback from 6/1 in the third to close out the match.

"I was out injured for a long time and I'm only just back, so I didn't know how I would perform here, although I did beat Sarah-Jane and had a winning lead against Kim last week in France, so I knew I had a good chance.

"This one is nicer than the Under 17 win, especially after being out for so long, to be British Champion is just awesome ..."

"It's always been like this between me Adrian and Neil - two of us meet in one really hard semi-final, and the other one comes through more easily to beat the winner in the final!

"It feels really good to win this one though, very proud."

David Wardle bt  Oliver Holland    0/9, 9/5, 9/1, 10/9 (58m)

A first for David

You don't often win finals after losing the first game 9/0, but that's what top seed David Wardle did in the second final of the day.

Oliver Holland was certainly playing well in that game, but both of these move so well, attack and defend so well, and hit the ball so well that it's hard to see how either of them could lose a game 9/0.



"I was a bit slow to get started, I was very nervous," said David straight after the match.

He certainly got started from the second game on though, taking a 2/1 lead and then edging ahead in a really tight 21-minute fourth game.

He got his first match ball at 8/5, spurned that and two more opportunities, then had to save a game ball at 8/9. He levelled, and at the fourth attempt put a simple volley down the wall with Olly on the floor in the middle of the court.

A first final, a first title - even he didn't expect that after the first game ...

Sophie Lemom bt Emily Whitlock   9/3, 9/4, 4/9, 9/2 (40m)

Sophie makes it two
 
The first final was a meeting between two former Under 13 champions, Sophie winning that title in 2005, Emily in 2006.

A couple of tricky drops saw Emily take the first two points, but once Sophie got up to speed, covering the court with great speed and with a greater weight of shot than her opponent, she powered past Emily, taking the first 9/3 and quickly going 6/0 up in the second.

Emily's normally precise shots weren't as accurate as normal, as she was being rushed into loose shots and errors. She managed to steady the ship for a while, slowing the pace as she got a few points back in the second before taking and holding a good lead in the third.

In the fourth it was Sophie dominating again though, and it was she who claimed her second National title.

Semi-Finals:

U15 Girls:
[1] Sophie Lemom bt [3/4] Katie Smith
         9/4, 9/7, 9/0 (26m)
[3/4] Emily Whitlock bt [2] Jemma Ockwell
         9/2, 9/3, 9/2 (27m)

U15 Boys:
[1] David Wardle bt [3/4] Declan James
        9/7, 3/9, 5/9, 9/2, 9/6 (67m)
[2] Oliver Holland bt [5/8] George Wileman 
       10/9, 10/9, 9/6 (49m)

U19 Girls:
[3/4] Sarah-Jane Perry bt [1] Victoria Lust
          7/9, 9/5, 9/6, 5/9, 10/9 (87m)
[3/4] Victoria Bell bt [2] Kimberley Hay
          9/2, 9/4, 5/9, 9/1

U19 Boys:
Neil Cordell bt [1] Adrian Waller
         7/9, 9/5, 9/5, 6/9, 9/1 (94m)
[2] Joe Lee bt [3/4] Andrew Widdison
         10/8, 9/1, 9/4 (44m)

Photo Galleries

Full Draws
& Results

G15 Semis:
No sweat for Sophie & Emily

Sophie Lemom bt  Katie Smith         9/4, 9/7, 9/0 (26m)
Emily Whitlock bt Jemma Ockwell     9/2, 9/3, 9/2 (27m)

Comfortable wins for Sophie Lemom and Emily Whitlock in the G15 semis to start the day. Both girls got on top early and maintained control throughout.

Katie made the second game tough, but was winded and had to take a time out after the game, and although she resumed play the third was never in doubt.

Jemma's strength is at the front of the court as she gets down low for those dropshots, but Emily is quick enough to retrieve them, and skilful enough to put away anything loose.

B15:
Comebacks from Wardle & Holland

David Wardle bt Declan James   9/7, 3/9, 5/9, 9/2, 9/6 (67m)
Oliver Holland bt George Wileman         10/9, 10/9, 9/6 (49m)

It will be the top two seeds in the Boys U15 final, but David Wardle and Oliver Holland had to stage comebacks of different natures to secure their places.

Wardle found himself 2/1 against home favourite Declan James in a match of long rallies on the showcourt, but came through to take the last two games, Declan making a despairing dive into the back corner on match ball down.

Holland won in three, but Wileman could easily have done so himself, after being 8/7 and 9/8 up in the first, 8/6 up in the second, and 6/1 up in the third before Oliver went through in a single hand to take the match.

G19:
Bell on the attack, Perry on top ...

Sarah-Jane Perry bt Victoria Lust 7/9,9/5,9/6,5/9,10/9(87m)
Victoria Bell bt imberley Hay       9/2, 9/4, 5/9, 9/1

Victoria Bell moved into the final with a powerful performance against second seed Kimberley Hay. The Cumbrian was quickly into her game, fast onto the ball and in the first two games just outpowered her opponent.

Kim established a measure of control to take the third, but Victoria was fast out of the blocks again in the fourth and there was no stopping her from there.

Top seed aVictoria Lust is engaged in a really tough match against Sarah-Jane Perry, her England defending champion and team-mate.

With Lust struggling with her goggles and playing too many loose balls, Perry's greater firepower took her into a 2/1 lead amid plenty of collisions and many appeals.

Victoria seemed to calm down as she took the fourth comfortably, but at 4/3 to Sarah-Jane in the decider an accidental slip sent Victoria sprawling, and she was allowed up to an hour for her injured ankle to recover ...

Back on court after 25 minutes, Victoria looked to be moving freely and in control of the match as she reeled off six straight points to reach match ball, 8/5.
But it wasn't over, as Sarah-Jane came back again, a few more collisions, lets and strokes, some precise squash and she was 9/8 up. She thought she'd won it when she thought Victoria's service return clipped the tin, but it was called good and a tin made it 9-all.

A couple more lets, one more sprawl on the floor for Victoria, a final long, frantic rally when as Victoria's final shot went out at the front a new champion was guaranteed.

87 minutes, plus 25 injury break - some match ... 

Neil Cordell bt Adrian Waller   7/9, 9/5, 9/5, 6/9, 9/1 (94m)
Joe Lee bt Andrew Widdison   10/8, 9/1, 9/4 (44m)

Joe Lee reached his second successive final with a straight games win over Andrew Widdison. 8/2 up in the first, he fended off a comeback to take it 10/8, then took the next two with some comfort.

Delayed by the length of previous matches on the showcourt, Adrian Waller and Neil Cordell went on to court five, and 94 minutes later the unseeded Yorkshireman emerged the winner, and a second defending champion was out.

Joe has won the U17 title, Neil the U13, so a new U19 champion is guaranteed ...

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