AFTER a hectic first two days when more than 280 games were played, the Creasey’s Junior Open Badminton Tournament climaxed with a day of thrilling finals. The early matches were in a round-robin format. Each entrant played one game to 21 points against the others in the group.
All the under-13 titles went to new winners. In the boys’ singles, one player in each of the four groups won a place in the semi-finals by winning all of his games – Matthew Ceresa, Matt Thoume, Alexander Hutchings and Harry Watson.
The semi-finals were won by Ceresa and Watson and the latter eventually won a close final 15-12, 15-6.
Harriet Thoumine and Abby Bisson dominated the under-13 girls’ singles, which was won decisively by Bisson.
Watson and Ceresa also reached the under-13 boys’ doubles final, this time partnered by Declan Smith and Nick Abbott respectively. This Guernsey-Jersey clash was won by Watson and Smith.
The under-13 girls’ doubles final was an all-Guernsey affair. Kate Champion and Bisson took the title, Bisson’s second.
The under-13 mixed doubles final saw the local pairing of Ceresa and Thoumine beating Alexander Hutchings (Jersey) and Kate Champion in a nail-biting three-set match, 14-15, 15-13, 15-13.
The entry in the under-15 boys’ singles was so large – 20 in all – that quarter-finals had to be played.
The final was another Guernsey-Jersey clash, with Stuart Hardy losing out to David Streets, who retained the trophy that he won last year.
Two Guernsey players, Kiara Green and Lorraine Koller, dominated the under-15 girls’ singles. The girls are close friends and there was little to separate them in the final, with Green winning 11-2, 6-11, 11-6.
Stuart Hardy and Pierre Gaudion were unlucky not to win the under-15 boys’ doubles against the Jersey pairing of Streets and James Le Moignan.
Gaudion has just moved up into this age group and the score of 5-15, 15-3, 17-15 reflects the closeness of the match.
The under-15 girls’ doubles was won by Green and Koller, who beat Eve Watson and Katherine Thornton of Jersey in another three-setter.
The two Guernsey girls also played in the under-15 mixed doubles final partnered by Hardy and Gaudion. The winners were Hardy and Koller.
There were some very close games in the early round of the under-17 boys’ singles.
The semi-finals saw Michael Stock (Jersey) and Jake Mann through to the final, beating local players Scott Romeril and Adam Thoumine respectively. Mann won the title.
There were no surprises in the under-15 girls’ singles, doubles and mixed doubles; Mariana Agathangelou reached the finals of all three, with Jersey partners in the doubles, a repeat of her success in 2002.
She also dominated the under-19 events, retaining the girls’ singles title and winning the girls’ and mixed doubles with Kim Ashton and Chris Agathangelou respectively.
The most exciting matches of the afternoon were the under-19 boys’ singles and doubles finals.
Ben Martin retained the singles title by beating Agathangelou in two sets. Martin was a little slow to start but once he had settled, he was very impressive.
In the boys’ doubles, Martin and Karl Abbott got off to a flying start, winning the first game 15-1.
Their opponents, Agathangelou and Michael Stock fought back in the second, but again Martin was too strong and deservedly retained this title as well.
Article posted on 3rd December, 2003 - 12.00am
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