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NSC:
G17: [1] Emily Whitlock
bt [2] Victoria Temple-Murray
11/5, 11/5, 11/1 (20m)
B17: [1] Ollie Holland
bt [2] Matt Sidaway
12/10, 11/8, 11/5 (41m)
G19: [1] Julianne Courtice bt [2]
Tesni Evans
11/4, 8/11, 11/6, 11/0 (35m)
B19: [1] Charles Sharpes
bt [2] Nathan Lake
11/7, 11/4, 11/3 (36m)
NORTHERN:
G13: [1] Elin Harlow bt [2] Amelia Henley
11/3, 11/8, 14/12 (23m)
B13: [1] Harry Falconer bt [2] Robbie Keefe
11/8, 10/12, 12/10, 9/11, 12/10 (52m)
G15: [2] Lucy Beecroft bt [3/4] Lily Taylor
11/5, 11/7, 11/4 (18m)
B15: [2] James Evans bt [1] Hamish Falconer
7/11, 11/5, 6/11, 11/5, 11/8 (66m)
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Emily makes it three
The first final at the NSC saw Emily Whitlock claim her third
National title as she retained her U17 title with a commanding
performance against second seed Victoria Temple-Murray.
Temple-Murray started well enough, opening up a 3/0 lead in the
first, but Whitlock was soon into her stride, stroking the ball into
the four corners, eliciting weak returns which were put away with
aplomb as she took the game 11/5.
 A
2/0 deficit in the second was soon turned around, reaching 10/3 with
a series of precise shots before Temple-Murray found a couple of
winners of her own to pull a couple of points back, 11/5 again.
The third showed Emily at her best, pinning her opponent deep in the
back corners for an outright winner or a loose return which was put
away, usually with a volley drop.
She reeled off ten points in a row, all winners or forced errors as
Victoria struggled to make an impression. She finally got a point
smashing the first match ball serve crosscourt, but on the next
point Emily returned the favour with a dropshot off the serve to
claim the title.
"That was nerve-wracking," said a delighted winner. "Like I said,
this is a big thing for me personally, so I was nervous going into
the match, and especially after a shocking start. I just told myself
there were people watching, don't mess this up!
 "All
credit to Victoria, she had a much harder day than me yesterday but
never gave up, even in the third.
"I won the U13s but missed out on the U15, so getting two U17 titles
is special. The aim is to go on and win the U19s now, hopefully!
"Thanks to my Dad, he's off to the Northern now to coach Elin in the
U13 final - it would be some achievement if a little club in North
Wales could have two National Champions! And to my sponsor, Prince -
I just got a new contract so this should make Peter Nicol happy ..." |
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Ollie retains too
 The
Boys U17 final gave us another repeat winner as Ollie Holland
retained his title in a tough three-game win over local favourite
Matt Sidaway.
Sidaway started the stronger, opening up leads of 5/2 and 7/4 in the
first, but Holland fought his way back, levelling at 8-all and
saving a game ball at 9/10 before taking it 12/10, much to Sidaway's
disappointment.
It was never easy, but Holland managed to maintain a two or three
point cushion throughout the second, taking it 11/8.
 The
third was point for point up to 5-all, but then momentum shifted
dramatically Ollie's way as his tiring opponent made a string of
unforced errors at the end of tough rallies, finishing with a weak
return straight back at himself to give Ollie a stroke and another
National title.
"I'm really happy to win," said Ollie. "It maybe wasn't my best
performance, but he played well, he attacks really well and managed
to get in front of me in the first.
"I just kept at it and clawed my way back into it. He was probably
unlucky not to take a game but I managed to wear him down and he
started slipping away in the third.
"I've not felt confident on this court all week, there's quite a lot
of pressure when you're number one seed, it was much easier last
year, there was no pressure at all then. |
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Just in time for Julianne
 "I
can throw my goggles away now," declared a delighted Julianne
Courtice after claiming the U19 title in her last match as a
junior - it's her 19th birthday on Wednesday.
Up against Wales' second seed Tesni Evans, Courtice made a fine
start, going 5/0 up in the first, consolidating to take it 11/4.
Evans fought back in the second, catching her opponent out with
several boasts that had Courtice struggling at the front. Julianne
got back as close as 8/9 but another boast then a volley drop put
Evans on level terms.
The third was crucial, level up to 6-all, but then the English girl
pulled ahead, dominating the rallies now as she regained the lead
11/6.
The domination continued into the fourth, with Evans doing the
chasing now, and getting no joy as she went 8/0 down to a ball that
died in the back corner.
 A
rather harsh conduct stroke for bashing her bat in frustration made
it 9/0, a drop into the nick 10/0, and Tesni finished the match on
the floor in the front corner after a final despairing dive after
Julianne's last shot as a junior, a dropshot into the nick.
"I'm so delighted to win," said Julianne, "that's a nice birthday
present for Wednesday.
"I started well then lost direction in the second, I let her get in
front of me too much.
"In the fourth I was just thinking take it point by point - it's
always good to get a lead but don't think about the finishing line
too early!" |
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Sharpes powers through
It was a clean sweep for the top seeds when Charles Sharpes won his
second National title with an impressive display against second seed
Nathan Lake.
For a game and a half it was a good, even contest, with Lake more
than holding his own. It was Sharpes, though, who took the crucial
points at the end of the game.
Then, from 4/3 in the second, the top seed took control, exerting
relentless pressure on his opponent, forcing errors and hitting
outright winners.
 Seven
points in a row sealed the second, and a 4/0 lead in the third
brought the title closer. "Errors" shouted Lake - yes, he made a
few, but they were more forced than unforced.
At 10/3 Sharpes fried in a low drive and said "oh, sorry mate" as it
caught the nick at the front and died. "Not the best way to finish
the match," he said afterwards, but in truth it was only a matter of
time.
"I felt good on there," said the winner afterwards. "I've played
Nathan a few times and I know he's very steady at the start. I knew
that if I made the first tough it would pay dividends, and I was
able to really push on in the second and third.
"It feels really good to win a second title here - I've just got the
BJO now before I'm out of juniors so hopefully I can go out with a
bang!"
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Finals Day at The Northern
Day 3 at the Northern kicked off with
the two exciting girls U13 plate semi finals. Both matches went to
four games Paige Kay (Warkwickshire) beat Lucy Turmel
(Suffolk) and Jordan Russell (Hampshire) beat Gabriella
Mawson (Yorks).
The Girls U15 plate was a more straightforward affair with Nia
Kenwood (Wales) beating Joanna Lord (Warkwickshire) 3-0
and Aisling Guerzoni (Oxfordshire) beating Olivia Huxtable
(Wales).
The boys U15 plate semi finals saw two vey competitive games both
going to five sets. Matthew Bedwell (Gloucestershire) beat
Jack Bearpark 12/10 in the fifth after 32 minutes. Andrew
Taylor (Middlesex) prevailed against namesake Owain Taylor
11/1, in the fifth after 35 minutes.
The pick of the playoff matches in the morning session was for the
15/16 playoff in the Boys U15’s. This saw the biggest tie breaker of
the tournament at the Northern with Charlie Gamble (Somerset)
beating Louis Penkett (Gloucestershire) 22/20 in the fifth.
The Girls Under 13 Final saw Elin Harlow (Wales) claim
her first British Title. Elin has looked unstoppable from the first
round and had not dropped a game so far, that didn’t change as her
opponent Amelia Henley (Kent) couldn’t quite push her far
enough. Henley gave her all and forced a tie breaker in the 3rd, but
it was Harlow who took that tie breaker 14/12 and with it the match
3-0.
The Boys Under 13 final saw the number 2 seed Robbie Keefe
(Hampshire) take on the number 1 seed Harry Falconer
(Lincolnshire). Falconer started well and took the first game 11-8,
Keefe replied in the second taking a tie breaker 12-10. Back to
Falconer who took the third 12-10! Both players were giving their
all and with neither giving much away. Keefe snatched the fourth
game 11-9 to take the Final into the fifth game, which of course
went to a tie breaker. Another 12-10 in the fifth, Harry Falconer
the victor after an impressive 52 minutes of play!
Girls Under 15 final saw the number 2 seed Lucy Beecroft
(Northumbria) take on the 3/4 seed Lily Taylor
(Leicestershire). Taylor ranked an impressive win against the number
1 seed in her semi final but didn’t have enough to go all the way.
Beecroft too strong and punished her with some clinical shots to
claim her first national title, 11/5 11/7 11/4 in 20 minutes.
The Boys Under 15 final was the complete opposite of the Girls Under
15’s as the top 2 seeds went to war. Hamish Falconer
(Lincolnshire) the top seed faced James Evans (Kent) in a
final that went past the hour mark. 66 minutes of squash entailed
with each player taking a game at a time to send it into the fifth
and final game. Evans took the lead and managed to hold on to it to
win his first National title, 11-8 the final game score.
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