Fri 5th May, Day
FOUR:
Semi-Finals Day in St Clement
SEMI-FINALS
STREAMING & REPLAYS
[1] Milou van der Heijden (Ned) 3-2 [4] Julianne Courtice
(Eng)
11/9, 9/11, 11/9,
9/11, 11/7 (51m)
[Q] Lisa Aitken (Sco) 3-0 [3] Alison Thomson (Sco)
11/6, 11/7,
11/4 (34m)
[1] Iker Pajares (Esp) 3-2 [7] Emyr Evans (Wal)
9/11, 11/6, 11/4,
9/11, 11/5 (67m)
[2] Jaymie Haycocks (Eng) 3-2 [4] Rui Soares (Por)
11/6, 9/11, 16/18,
11/9, 11/7 (66m)
TWITTER UPDATES
Aitken joins top seeds in Jersey finals
Women's top seed Milou van der Heijden survived a tense
five-game encounter with Julianne Courtice, both players taking
and losing leads as the first four games were shared.
 Milou
recovered from 1-4 to take the first, Julianne levelled after
being 2-5 down in the second, Milou almost let a 9-3 and 10-7
lead slip in the third, then Julianne recovered from 1-4 and 3-7
to take the fourth. All four games finished 11-9, but it was
never 9-all!
The Dutch number one made a good start to the decider, leading
4-0, but again Julianne fought back to lead 5-4. From 6-all
Milou started to get the upper hand, and finished off the match
11-7 in 51 minutes.
“Really happy to come through that,” she said. “It was a very
good game, we were both trying to outhink each other tactically.
“After losing a lead in the fourth I was happy that I was able
to stay strong in the fifth and take that one.”
Milou will face Lisa Aitken for the women’s title
after the qualifier - who beat the second seed in her opening
match - won an all-Scottish match against Alison Thomson in
three tough games.
Aitken was full of energy and aggression as she forged leads in
all three games, third seed Thompson closing them down in the
first two but unable to quite get back on terms, and succumbing
at the end of the third.
“I’m just happy to be back playing after almost two years out,”
said Lisa. “I’ve made three semis in a row in my three
tournaments back so it’s good to reach a final at last.
“I love it her, the Island, the club, the people are all great,
so really looking forward to tomorrow.”
Men’s top seed Iker Pajares was equally tested, taken
all the way by Emyr Evans. The young Welshman took the game to
his higher ranked opponent from the outset, thoroughly deserving
to take the lead as he cotrolled affairs in the first game.
 Pajares
struck back to take the next two games but Evans found something
extra to fight back at the end of the fourth to force a decider.
From 4-all in the fifth it was the Spanish top seed who asserted
though, to reach the final with a series of crisp winners.
“It’s my third tournament in a row, so I’m feeling it a
little,” he said, “but I really didn’t expect Emyr to play that
well, he was very sharp, very confident. Everyone is so close,
you have to be at 100% to win these games.
“I couldn’t close it out in the fourth but was happy with how I
played at the end and pleased to reach another final.”
Second seed Jaymie Haycocks completed a third
successive five-game win as he survived another tough encounter,
coming from one-two down to consign Rui Soares to a second
consecutive five-game
Jersey semi-final defeat.
Haycocks looked comfortable as he took the first, then came from
1-8 down to 9-8 in the second before Soares levelled. The third
was a monster game, both having several game balls as Soares
took the lead 18-16.
 The
Englishman took the last two games, fighting back from 6-8 in
the fourth and 3-6 in the fifth to deny the Portuguese a place
in the final.
“Delighted to get there in the end,” said Jaymie. “He’s very
good around the middle and I was struggling to get him to the
back, so I had to just dig in and run around!
“I don’t feel I’ve played my best this week, but three three-two
wins and I’m in the final - I’ll take it!”
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