Durham University
Saturday/Sunday, 30th November-1st December 2024
STOP PRESS Players from the City of Durham Fives, the University Club and the Edinburgh Academy contested this year’s Durham Women’s Championships. The event was played out in festive mood, with ample sustenance and characteristic good spirits.
The Open Singles was dominated by the two players from the University Club, and was won by first-year student Phoenix Fleming, who learned her Fives at Marlborough College, at the expense of Club captain Megan Wells. As is traditional, competitions were staged at U16 and U14 level, which allowed for victory for young players from the Academy, Amelie Hurwitz and Zoe Armstrong respectively.
Doubles was played initially as two round robins comprising 10 pairs. Thereafter semi-finals and a final were contested, from which the University pair of Phoebe Fleming & Megan Wells emerged as winners against the Edinburgh Academy first pair, Isabella Davidson & Amelie Hurwitz. The Academy carried off both the Plate and the Bowl.
Hector McFarlane reports: Two days of superb Women’s Fives took place at the Racecourse Courts in Durham. ‘Singles Saturday’ was split into an Open knock-out competition and round-robins within the Adult, U16 and U14 age categories.
15 competitors from the City of Durham Club, Durham University and The Edinburgh Academy were in the draw. The match of the first round was an all E.A. affair as Isabella D (U16) came back from 14-11 down to edge out Zoe A (U14) 16-15. The quarter-finals all went to seedings to leave two University of Durham vs E.A. semi-finals. Experience won the day in both as students Phoenix F and Megan W both won 15-3 against Isabella D and Amelie H (U16). The sweating courts led to very challenging conditions, with slippery floors and unconventional bounces off the walls requiring quick reactions and adjustments.
The final between Phoenix and Megan saw a clash between the placed lobs of Megan and the flat power of Phoenix. Long rallies ensued, but it was Phoenix who won out 15-4. A thoroughly deserved winner but a scoreline that didn’t represent the game itself. Phoenix dropped only 9 points across her four first-to-15 bouts.
In the age-categories Amelie H won the U16s, scoring a cumulative total of 56 points, whilst only conceding 6. Zoe A, from E.A., won the U14s contest. The points in the group stage highlighted how even the contest was — Zoe A (45), Daisy F (38), Charlotte S (35) and Sofia M (29).
Sunday Doubles saw the 15 competitors from Saturday joined by a crack bunch of City of Durham players. Two groups of five pairs battled it out to see who qualified for the Cup, Plate and Bowl competitions. The match of the group stage was undoubtedly organiser Julie McIntyre & U16 UK Singles Champion Eleonora V versus Amelie & Isabella from E.A. — a gruelling contest was edged 11-9 by the Scottish pair to see them top the group.
The Cup semi-finals saw Amelie & Isabella dispatch youngsters Daisy & Zoe 15-2, whilst Megan & Phoenix were made to work for a tight 15-11 victory over the increasingly impressive Eleonora & Julie. The students raced to a 7-0 lead in the final before a brief fightback from the school-girls had the match poised at 7-5 for some time. Experience won out as the University pair produced fewer unforced errors and deservedly won the final 15-7. The Plate and the Bowl went back to Edinburgh with wins for Charlotte S & Sofia M and Anya R & Connie L.
Huge thanks must go to Julie McIntyre and Tom Wakelam for organising the event!
Championship Singles
1st round: I Davidson bt Z Armstrong 16-15; A Robertson bt M McQuin 15-5; M Wells bt D Fox 15-8; J McIntyre bt B Strang 15-4; C McWilliam bt C Lonie 15-1; P Fleming bt S McWilliam 15-1; C Smith bt I Derry 15-6
Quarter-finals: Davidson bt Robertson 15-8; Wells bt McIntyre 15-4; Fleming bt C McWilliam 15-1; Hurwitz bt Smith 15-1
Semi-finals: Wells bt Davidson 15-3; Fleming bt Hurwitz 15-3
Final: Fleming bt Wells 15-4
U16 Singles final: A Hurwitz H bt I Davidson 11-0. U16 Singles Plate: C McWilliam bt B Strang 15-7
U14 Singles final: Z Armstrong bt D Fox 15-2. U14 Singles Plate: S McWilliam bt C Smith 12-10
Championship Doubles
Group A: 1st I Davidson & A Hurwitz 44 pts; 2nd J McIntyre & E Vallascas 42 pts; 3rd S McWilliam & C Smith 28 pts; 4th C Lonie & A Robertson 18 pts; 5th E Hodgson & E Terry 17 pts
Group B: 1st P Fleming & M Wells 44pts; 2nd Z Armstrong & D Fox 37 pts; 3rd C McWilliam & B Strang 33 pts; 4th I Derry & M McQuin 20 pts; 5th E Ranson & S Vallascas 19 pts
Semi-finals: Davidson & Hurwitz bt Armstrong & Fox 15-2; Fleming & Wells bt McIntyre & E Vallascas 15-11
Final: Fleming & Wells bt Davidson & Hurwitz 15-7
Plate: S McWilliam & Smith
Bowl: Lonie & Robertson
The assembled competitors
The Singles and Doubles Champions from the University Club
The Academy squad
Plate and Bowl just as important!
Fuel for the players
Action Photos
