Junior Badminton Report 12.04.10
Junior Nationals at Glyndwr University a great success
There were good entries from the North Wales players but the South provided most of the winners.
In the U11 boys singles Drew Jones (Deeside) beat Tomos Sudder (Mold) 21-17,21-11 in the Quarters but lost to the eventual winner Thomos Whiteman (Gwent) 5-21, 3-21 in his Semi. In the other Quarters Jamie Noble (Flint) lost to Joe Cottrill (Conwy) 13-21, 8-21 and Andrew Oates (Deeside) beat James Morris (Gwent) 21-13, 21-7. Oates then beat Cottrill in the Semi 21-14, 21-11 but lost the final to Whiteman 7-21, 12-21. Oates and Jones were runners-up in the doubles to Whiteman and Morris losing 14-21, 15-21.
In the girls singles Cerys Brackenbury (Buckley) lost to Katie Whiteman (Gwent) 6-21, 7-21 and Amy Jukes (Castell Alun) lost to the eventual winner Gean Sou Mo (Mid Glam) 8-21, 7-21. Jukes and Brackenbury lost the doubles final to Whiteman and Gean Sou Mo 8-21, 7-21.
The entry in the U13 boys singles was huge but was dominated by the Southern players. A Oates lost to Ben Bradbury (S Glam) 10-21, 6-21. Scott Oates (Deeside) first beat Robin Freeland (Gwent) 21-19, 21-11 but lost his Quarter 14-21, 14-21 to James Ellaway (Gwent). Martyn Smith-Aldous (Deeside) lost his Quarter 10-21, 6-21 to Matthew Pritchard (S Glam). In the doubles S Oates and Bradbury played well to come 3 rd .
In the girls singles Tonicha Font (Mold) lost 5-21, 8-21 to Sophie Arrigi (Cardiff) who then beat Mold's Bethan Sudder 21-6, 21-4 in the Quarter. Beth McLellan(Deeside) lost her Quarter to Gean Sou Mo, the losing finalist 12-21, 14-21.McLellan and Emily Gwilt (Welshpool) came 3 rd in the doubles.
In the U15s Adam Stewart (Wrexham) and Denbigh's Matthew Vacher played particularly well. In the singles Stewart beat Hugo Williams (Prestatyn) 21-6, 21-8 then just edged out Venkat Mummidi () in a very exhausting and competitive Quarter 21-16, 19-21, 22-20 but lost the Semi to eventual winner Michael Kinnear (Mid Glam) 14-21, 12-21. Vacher went one round further; he beat Elliot Wheeler (Flint) 21-9, 21-9, then James Ellaway in the Quarter 21-9, 21-12 and Matthew Barrell (S Glam) in the Semi 21-16, 21-13. He lost 13-21, 19-21 in the Final to Kinnear. Vacher and Stewart are developing an excellent partnership in doubles; They lost a very skilful and desperately close Final to Kinnear and Barrell 21-19, 18-21, 19-21.
In the girls singles Isabelle Cain (CQ) beat county team-mate Jessica Faulkner 21-16, 21-12 in the Quarter but lost the Semi to 1 st seed and eventual winner Ellen Mahenthiralingam (Mid Glam) 13-21, 17-21. CQ's Ellen Liddle lost to Hannah Freeman (Mid Glam) 21-17, 11-21, 17-21 but went on to win the Plate Final 21-17, 21-13 against Faulkner. In the doubles Cain and Liddle raised their game to beat the favourites Mahenthiralingam and Elena Richards (Mid Glam) in a great doubles Final winning 21-13, 21-19.
In the mixed doubles Flint's Dan Ellis and Liddle only narrowly lost their Quarter to Matthew Pritchard and Richards 26-24, 14-21, 19-21. Vacher and Freeman beat Wheeler and Cain 21-10, 21-10 in the Quarter, then Stewart and Faulkner 21-13, 21-19 in the Semi but lost an exciting Final 10-21, 13-21 to Kinnear and Mahenthiralingam.
In the U17 boys singles Stewart lost to Oliver Gwilt (Welshpool) 14-21, 17-21 in the Quarter. Mold's Dan Font had a brilliant tournament beating Vacher in the Quarter 21-4, 21-9 then Kinnear in the Semi 21-8, 21-7 but lost a pulsating final of the highest quality 18-21, 21-29, 16-21 to Daniel van Hooijdonk (W Glam). Font and Gwilt were in superb form in the doubles beating Joseph Alloway and Tom Buckland (S Glam) in the Semi 21-7,21-3 and dominated the Final against Kinnear and Rob John (W Glam) winning 21-6, 21-11. Font partnered Jordan Hart (Pembroke) in the mixed doubles and won a three set Final, beating Gwilt and Georgia Hughes (Conwy) 16-21, 21-19, 21-17.
In the U19 boys singles Quarters Jonathon Savory (Mold) lost to Jamie Hooijdonk 5-21, 6-21, Font beat Jordan Ellis (Mold) 21-5, 21-6 and Alun Wilson (Mold) lost to Gwilt 0-21, 3-21. In his Semi Font had another three setter only to lose to J Hooijdonk 19-21, 21-19, 8-21. The Hooijdonk brothers were too strong and fast in the Final of the doubles and beat Font and Gwilt 21-18, 21-15. In mixed doubles Gwilt and Hughes reversed the U17 result, this time beating Font and Hart 14-21, 21-18, 21-19. South Wales girls dominated – first in the singles when Hart beat Aimee Moran (W Glam) 21-17, 21-15 and in doubles Hart and Louise Breen (S Glam) beat Alice Palmer (Gwent) and Hannah Killick (Gwent) 21-13, 15-21, 21-18.
Recent breaking News:
Font and Gwilt won the U 17 doubles at the Olve international tournament in Denmark.
CQ stars Liddle and Cain, along with Vacher and Stewart, have been selected for the Wales U15 team in the forthcoming Quadrangular Championships in Llanelli.
l-r Ellen Liddle, Isabelle Cain, Matt Vacher, Adam Stewart
l-r Dan Font, Olliver Gwilt, Eddie O'Neill (Welsh Manager/Coach)