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Finals at Surrey Sports Park:
G15: [1] Lucy Beecroft bt [3/4] Georgina Kennedy
12/10, 11/9, 11/7 (25m)
B15: [1] George Parker bt [2] Adam Turner
11/6, 11/7, 12/10 (32m)
G19: [1] Emily Whitlock bt [2] Katy Smith
11/2, 11/3, 11/5 (17m)
B19: [2] Declan James bt [1] Nathan Lake
6/11, 11/4, 11/9, 11/9 (61m) Finals
at Colets
G13: [3/4] Grace Gear bt [2] Elin Jones
11/7, 11/8, 11/5 (21m)
B13: [2] Robbie Keefe bt [3/4] Charlie Lee
11/9, 11/7, 11/5 (25m)
G17: [2] Victoria Temple-Murray bt [1] Chloe Pearson
9/11, 12/10, 12/10, 11/5 (m)38
B17: [1] Matt Sidaway bt [2] Olly Holland
11/8,
4/11, 11/4, 11/6 (50m)
Beecroft adds the English
Top seed Lucy Beecroft added the English championship to the British
title she picked up last October with a straight-games win over
Georgina Kennedy that was anything but straightforward.
 The
Northumbria girl made a great start to each of the three games,
leading 6/2 each time, but Kennedy, ever-willing to run down
anything and everything, pulled back to 9-all in the first, 8-all in
the second, and 6-all in the third, but each time Beecroft pulled
away again.
Beecroft had the greater range of shots, but many of those were
nullified by the retrieving og Kennedy, who forced enough errors
from Beecroft's racket to keep her more than on her toes.
In the end though it was errors that cost Kennedy dear - Beecroft
clinched the first two games with outright winners, and moved ahead
9/7 in the third with a lovely counter-counter-drop, but two
dropshots into the middle of the tin sealed Kennedy's fate as
Beecroft picked up another title.
"It was just tension," explained Lucy, "there's a bit of pressure
being top seed, and she'd beaten me the only time we played before
so that was on my mind too.
"When I went ahead in the games I wanted to keep the lead but she
kept getting back into it. She gets everything back and she'll rally
all day if you let her, so I had to try to keep the ball tight to
the wall wait for the opportunity.
How does it feel to be English Champion? "Brilliant!"
Another one for Parker
The Boys U15 final was between two of the tallest competitors in the
firld, and top seeds George Parker and Adam Turner put on a display
that would have graced older age-group finals - which they both
almost certainly will, very soon.
Parker was in control for the first two games, keeping Turner mostly
behind him as the second seed struggled to play catchup as Parker
took the lead 11/6, 11/7.
In the third Turner managed to edge ahead, pulling away from 5-all
to lead 9/7, but his obvious delight in taking the lead was
nullified by two errors and a stroke to give Parker match ball.
That was saved, but a dropshot and a straight drive, both glued to
the wall, gave the top seed the victory and a second National title.
 "It
might have been three-nil but that wasn't a fair reflection," said
the new champion, "that was a really tough match.
"I made a good start but then got tired towards the end of the
second, I started crosscourting too much and he was picking them
off. I needed to straighten up, and fortunately he was making more
errors than me, which always helps.
"It fels great to pick up another title, I won one in the U13 and
I'll be moving up to the U17s now. I need to get used to playing
people a couple of years older than me, and and of course continue
the training with my brother Luke, which brings me on a lot.
A first for Emily
Emily Whitlock has a lot of trophies and titles already, but today
she collected her first U19 national title with another
comprehensive win, this time taking just 17 minutes to despatch
second seed Katy Smith.
Overwhelmed in the first two games, Smith fought well in the third
but, as if often the case, the scoreline didn't do her much justice.
In fact the five points she got were the most Whitlock conceded in
any game in the tournament!
In truth Whitlock was head and shoulders above the rest of the
field, and collected the title without coming close to dropping a
game and spending a little over an hour on court for her four wins.
"It's really great to win another National title," said Emily,
especially my first U19 as I'm actually in that age group now.
"It's all kicking off this year, with me winning the British and my
Dad coaching Laura [Massaro] to the Nationals too - it seems
everyone he coaches wins, so I had to keep that run going!"
James fights back
In the Boys U19 final the first two games were shared, with first
Nathan Lake and then Declan James taking one each, fairly
comfortably.
The battle really kicked in from there though, with the next two
games fiercely contested all the way. James just edged the third,
then, with Lake become increasingly frustrated, worked himself into
a 10/7 lead in the fourth.
 Two
long, intense rallies ensued, both won by Lake with drives too deep
for James to reach, but on the third attempt James fired in a low
crosscourt that gave Lake no chance, and a the Nottingham lad had a
first National Title to collect.
"Very happy," he said, "very happy."
"I was a bit slow coming out in the first, but I knew that you have
to keep the pace high against Nathan. I did that well in the second,
but the third and fourth were tough all the way.
"At 10/7 I got a bit nervous, and he was getting closer so I just
had to go for it and thankfully I put in that winner. All credit to
Nathan though, we've had some great battles and I'm sure we'll have
many more. |
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