Lucy
Turmel spearheaded a dramatic comeback to retain her GU19 British Junior
Championship title in a tough encounter with No.2 seed Sussex’s Jasmine
Hutton, a repeat of last year’s final.
Suffolk’s Turmel, who has a PSA ranking of 71, started brightly winning
the first game 11/8 before Hutton notched up the intensity taking the
second and third 11/9 and 13/11.
However, Turmel, who reached the quarter finals of the European
Individual Championship earlier this year fought back winning the fourth
and fifth 11/6 and 11/5.
Speaking after her consecutive BJC GU19 victory, No.1 seed Turmel
expressed her delight at the way she fought back as well as praising the
performance of her opponent.
“I am proud of my performance today, not because I was playing my best
squash but because I found a way to fight through,” Turmel said.
“Jas played really well today, she really upped her game and made me
fight for that.”
Former world champion and world No.1 Laura Massaro, who has been
mentoring Turmel, was impressed with both competitors and tipped both
players for future success.
“It was definitely a little bit different sat on the other side of the
glass, but I am really proud of Lucy she has done amazingly well to
retain her title. Jasmine has improved a lot since the last time I saw
her play,” Massaro said.
“Lucy has a bright future ahead of her and Jas has too. With the
dedication that Lucy puts in and with her attention to detail, you just
have to keep having those experiences, and they will pay off in the
future.”
Meanwhile, Georgia Adderley etched her name into the BJC history books
after becoming the first ever Scottish female to win the GU17 title and
simultaneously the first Scot since 1993 to win a BJC competition.
The Edinburgh teenager and No.1 seed was made to work hard for her debut
BJC title in a tough encounter with Essex’s Alice Green - fighting back
from 9/4 down in the fourth set to take the GU17 crown.
Speaking after her victory, Adderley expressed her delight at becoming
only the fifth Scottish female to claim a BJC title across any category.
“I’m over the moon, I can’t really put it into words to describe how it
feels. I came here wanting to win and I’ve come away with it - I am
absolutely buzzing,” Adderley said.
“It was a really tight match we have always had really big battles,
especially in the last two and it was really difficult to overcome 9/4
down in the fourth.
“I just had to try to keep my head and I managed to get back into it. I
just had to rethink my game plan and I think it worked.”
Adderley, who quit playing football for Scotland earlier this year to
focus on her squash, tussled through three sets, winning 11/8, 11/5
before being pegged back 7/11.
No.2 seed Green, looked set to force the match into a fifth set before a
spirited Adderley regained her composure to secure her GU17 crown with a
13/11 fourth game victory.
Elsewhere, tournament top seed Katie Malliff overcame the challenge of
second seed Torrie Malik to regain her GU15 title in straight games,
winning 11/6, 11/4, 11/9.
Sussex’s Malik competed admirably after her eye protection was smashed
in the first game, but a battling Malliff performance ensured that the
Buckinghamshire teenager won her third BJC title in three years.
In the GU13 final, No.1 seed, Yorkshire’s Asia Harris completed an 11/6,
11/9, 9/11, 11/7 victory over second seed Amelie Haworth to be crowned
champion of her age group.
After the match, England Squash High Performance Coach Tania Bailey
commended the efforts of both players for their high physicality and
forecasted bright futures for both competitors.
“The level of squash for the GU13 was so high we were really impressed,
and I didn’t want it to end because I was enjoying it so much,” Bailey
said.
“Asia is nearer to 13 and Amelie is only just 11, so Amelie will have
her chance next year.
“The whole match was just such high quality, both have a really good
future ahead of them.”
Warwickshire’s
Lewis Anderson admits he had to muster every ounce of concentration as
he powered through an enthralling five-game thriller to secure his
maiden title at the Dunlop British Junior Championships.
In a sensational advert for the junior game, the 16-year-old clinched a
11/7, 14/12, 7/11, 9/11, 11/8 victory over Scotland’s Alasdair Prott to
become the first Warwickshire player in over three decades to taste
success at the BJC.
Anderson burst out of the blocks and dictated the first two games at a
furious pace, racing into a 2-0 lead as he opened up his Scottish
opponent.
But Prott proved why he was the top seed in this tournament and matched
Anderson in the third, winning 11/7.
In a physical game interspersed with unforced errors from both players –
a testament to the high intensity showcased by both – Solihull-born
Anderson was in the driving seat after a 5-1 lead in the fourth, but a
determined Prott battled back, producing a brilliant volley en route to
fighting back to levelling at two games apiece.
And in a nail-biting last game, it was Anderson who kept his cool at 9-9
to power to a two-point victory and become the first Warwickshire player
since Gary Robinson in BU19 win in 1985 to claim BJC silverware.
It was a mammoth result for the leftie, who lost to Prott in the Welsh
Junior Open last year and looked a different player to his runner’s up
performance at this year’s English Junior U17 Championship in March.
“I had to regroup for the last game and I kept composed when it
mattered. I’m just so happy,” said a relieved Anderson.
“It was neck in the fourth and then I hit a frame which I thought was
good but the ref thought otherwise, so that put him game ball up and I
lost my head a bit which made me lose it.
“After I lost the English Closed final in March, my coach went away and
decided we had to keep mentally tough in those situations.
“I’ve worked on it over the past six months and for this one, I was
ready.”
In the BU19 competition, No.2 seed Tom Walsh powered to a 12/10, 11/6,
11/9 victory in a tense match against No.4 seed Nick Wall to attain his
first BJC victory.
The opening period was a classically tight affair, but it was Walsh who
showcased great agility around the court to take the first game 12/10,
before stretching his Yorkshire opponent to with a variety of shots to
lead 2/0.
The 2015 BU17 runner up maintained the same high-performance levels as
in the first two games, completing a 3-0 win over tricky opponent Wall,
who had previously knocked out No.1 seed Kyle Finch in the semi-finals.
Speaking after the final, Walsh, who didn’t drop a game all tournament,
expressed his delight at finally getting his hands on the illustrious
Don Sanderson trophy.
“I’m amazed I came through, Nick is a quality player. We have battled
since the younger age groups, so I am delighted I came through in three
games to win my first British title,” Walsh said.
“Whatever happened I was going to have a tough match in the final, but I
knew whoever I got it was going to be a tough final.”
“I had a game plan and I stuck with it, I don’t think I could have done
much better.”
Meanwhile Yorkshire’s Sam Todd saw off a spirited challenge from
Warwickshire’s Hassan Khalil to claim the BU15 title and put last year’s
semi-final heartache behind him.
Despite a bright start from second seed Khalil, the Pontefract talent
soon found his rhythm and orchestrated an effective game plan,
intelligently pin-pointing the ball across all corners of the court as
he wrapped victory 11/7, 11/7, 11/9.
Khalil matched him in the third, producing a string of stunning shots in
a game characterised by a series of patient rallies, before Todd opened
up a four-point lead en route to victory.
“It was an excellent game played in excellent spirit by two gentlemen on
court,” said Sam’s father Mick who confirmed his son would not be
defending his title at the US Junior Open in December, instead aiming to
be seeded number one at January’s Dunlop British Junior Open.
“The game far exceeded under-15’s play but Sam did well to concentrate
and come through 3-0.”
Elsewhere, top seed Jonah Bryant marked his last BU13 appearance in
style as he stormed to victory over Essex’s Yusuf Sheikh [2] 11/0, 11/1,
11/8 and consolidate on his English Junior Open win earlier this year.
The result saw the 12-year-old become only the second Sussex player to
triumph in the BU13 category and the first since Curtis Malik’s victory
in 2011.
The 2016 BU13 runner-up, who lost to Worcestershire’s Sam Osborne-Wylde
last time round, produced a dominant performance despite injuring
himself as he dived to a retrieve a shot in the second game.
“I’m really happy because I hit the ball quite well in the first two
games and I was just enjoying the fell of the glass court,” said the
12-year-old Sussex player, who admitted he would target his volleying as
he transitions to the BU15 category.
“In the third I started to lose my concentration a bit and it went
closer which maybe it shouldn’t have done, but I’m pleased to have won.”
Yorkshire’s
Nick Wall overcame a gruelling encounter to knock out defending BU19
champion Kyle Finch on the third day of the Dunlop British Junior
Championships, powering through to a 11/7, 11/8, 9/11, 11/9 victory over
his Hampshire opponent.
The epic four-game thriller saw Wall storm into a two-set lead as Finch
struggled to deal with the left-hander.
The momentum switched when the defending champion clawed his way in the
third set, in a tense game frequently interrupted by a series of lets.
But it was Wall – his first time playing in the category since his BU17
triumph last year – who maintained his composure and seal victory.
And the 17-year-old Sheffield man admitted having unique access to
fellow Hallamshire maestro Nick Matthew has catalysed his red-hot form.
“I’m playing some of the best squash of my life at the moment,” said
Wall.
“I was expecting it to be tough, I know Kyle plays at a high intensity
and I’m just really happy with my win.
“It’s a lot tougher in the BU19, but luckily I’ve been getting on court
with some top players which has brought me up to the pace that I need to
be playing at.
“Nick Matthew is around a lot. He’s a very busy man, so I don’t train
with him too often but I do get a lot of advice off him which I always
appreciate – it’s always great when you’ve got someone of that stature
in your corner.
“I think it definitely helps having someone who you can look up to on a
daily basis and see how professional they are – it brings you up to that
level a bit quicker.”
Wall will face Tom Walsh in Sunday’s final, after the third seed
overcame a stern test from Durham and Cleveland’s Mike Andrews, powering
through 11/8, 11/7, 11/4.
Having last made a BJC final in 2015 as a BU17 competitor, Walsh will be
gunning to go all the way this time round after his last-four heartache
in 2016.
“I made the semis last year, so it feels great to go one better this
time round and hopefully I can put up a good show in the final,” said
Walsh.
Meanwhile, in the BU17 category, third seed Lewis Anderson admitted it
was a bittersweet moment reaching his first ever BJC final after victory
over second seed Benjamin Sockett in the BU17 category.
The Warwickshire right-hander battled to a three-game triumph over his
Yorkshire opponent 11/8, 11/8, 11/9 but had to muster every ounce of
concentration in doing so.
“I’m so happy to get to my first ever BJC final,” said the 16-year-old.
“Getting through that match in three games felt really good – if it had
gone on any longer, I think I would have struggled because Ben’s a
strong fighter, so I’m really chuffed.
“We played the match in a great spirit – which is nice because we’re
best mates.
“That made it harder psychologically. We were calling double bounces
together and it just puts that psychological edge on the game.
“But to be in the final representing Warwickshire feels really good.”
Joining Anderson in the final is Alasdair Prott, who ended a heroic run
in the competition for Lincolnshire 13th seed Ben Smith with an 11/4,
119, 11/4 triumph.
And as the only Scottish male left in the BJC, the Inverness youngster
paid tribute to the healthy state of the game in his country, hailing
the upsurge in the junior game driven by Alan Clyne’s recent highest PSA
ranking of 25.
“It’s great flying the flag for the Scots at the BJC. I’m so glad to be
in the final,” said Prott, who joins GU17 national Georgia Adderley in
the last round of the competition.
“The juniors are really coming on in Scotland. There’s a lot of people
getting involved and it’s been really driven by the pros doing really
well.
“I want it so much. Not many Scots have won this before so it would just
be fantastic.
“You don’t get a glass court up in Scotland and with all the seating
around it’s a great atmosphere to play in.”
Elsewhere in the boys’ competition, BU15 double US Open Junior champion
Sam Todd (Yorkshire) saw off a spirited challenge from Worcestershire's
Sam Osborne-Wylde.
Todd will face Warwickshire’s Hassan Khalil, who was pushed all the way
by Essex’s Oliver Green 9/11, 11/9, 11/3 ,13/11.
The BU13 final features a showdown between the top two seeds Sussex’s
Jonah Bryant and Yusuf Sheikh going head to head in Sunday’s final.
Georgia
Adderley wrote her name in the history books by becoming the first
Scottish female in British Junior Championship history to reach a GU17
final.
The Edinburgh teenager overcame fifth seed Margot Prow in straight sets
to secure her place in Sunday’s final, cruising to a 11/6, 11/2, 11/5
over her spirited Middlesex opponent.
It sees 16-year-old Adderley become the first Scot to reach a BJC final
in over two decades – with Laura Hamilton's 1996 second place in the
GU19 final being the last time Scotland enjoyed representation in any
final two.
And the ecstatic top seed says she is relishing the prospect of bringing
the GU17 BJC title back to her home country.
“I feel really, really good, I’m really happy to win, I’m over the moon
to be in the final,” said Adderley.
“It’s my first final so I’m really excited. It feels amazing, I love
representing Scotland, it’s my favourite country and it’s nice to be
away with such a big squad and having all the support.”
Standing between Adderley and BJC glory is Essex’s Alice Green, who
overcame a valiant display from third seed Eve Coxon to progress to her
second final in consecutive years.
The 16-year-old right hander overturned a five-point deficit in the
first game and held on to a nervous lead in the second, before Oxford’s
Coxon pulled a game back in the third.
Yet Green’s power and stamina saw her through to the finish, winning the
match 11/9, 13/11, 9/11, 11/3.
Adderley would become only the fifth Scottish female to claim the top
prize in any category should she beat Green in the final and she is
relishing the contest.
“I’ve played Alice a couple of times before, she’s a very, strong player
and I’m just really looking forward to the challenge. We’ll see what
happens and see if I can take the title back home to Scotland.”
Elsewhere the GU19 is set for a repeat of the 2016 final as reigning
champion Lucy Turmel and Sussex’s Jasmine Hutton both sailed into the
final two.
Suffolk’s Turmel, playing in her third final in three years, hopes to
duplicate her previous successes but is wary Hutton isn’t the easiest of
opponents.
“I’m looking to retain my title from last year and I’ve got to play Jas,
whose one of my best mates, last year it went my way so hopefully it can
happen again,” said the 18-year-old, who cited her coach Rob Owen as the
difference in her mature performances as she hopes to go one better this
year.
“We’ve had a rivalry through juniors, we often face each other in the
semis or the finals of tournaments, it’s always a good match and I’m
looking forward to it,” said Hutton.
“Last year I just got way too edgy but I’ve been with my new coach
through quite a lot recently and he’s taught me a lot with regards to
not getting nervous as much, just keeping relaxed and learning how to do
the same thing after each match just to keep it going.”
The GU15 saw the top two seeds reach the final as Sussex’s Torrie Malik
saw off Lancashire’s Saran Nghiem 11/7, 12/10, 11/4 and Katie Malliff
from Buckinghamshire beat Hampshire’s Maia Pannell 11/4, 11/4, 11/6.
Meanwhile, second seed Amelie Haworth defeated Dorset’s Amy Campbell-Wynter
in a five-set thriller that ended 11/9, 9/11, 11/7, 8/11, 11/7 to reach
the GU13 final.
She was joined by top seed Yorkshire’s Asia Harris, who was victorious
over fourth seed Alyx Kelleher.
