Results from the National Girls’ Championships at Marlborough

News

Marlborough College
Sunday, 23rd April 2017

65 girls contested this year’s event, just three down on last year’s record entry. We missed Sedbergh who were unable to send a contingent, but we welcomed two schools from Edinburgh (nearly 400 miles as the crow flies?). With masters and mistresses-in-charge, drivers, parents, friends and local enthusiasts it was a Fives-fest, a further vindication of Alex Smith’s initiative in founding this competition, now in its eighth year.

In the U18s it was a pity that Amelia Law’s partner from last year was unfit to defend their Doubles title, but her absence gave Christ Hospital’s Beatrix Crinnion & Phoebe Thornhill a chance to go one round further than last year. In the final they met Ibby Lee and Anna Laakkonen, a year young, who displayed a maturity of play that belied their years to win the title for Marlborough. In the Singles, contested by 16 players, Thornhill and Lee swept aside all opposition, including an out-of-sorts defending champion Law. In the final we saw two right-handers using their left hand to great effect, but in the end if was Lee’s greater range of shots that proved effective. We look forward now to seeing school-leavers Amelia, Phoebe, Beatrix and Lottie Harbottle from Rugby playing in women’s competitions.

The entry for the U16 was the biggest yet: 27 players on the day. The question was: Would the excellent U15 pair from Bedford Modern, Maddie Kent & Katie Sumner, be able to challenge defending champions Harriet Fagan and Freya Harrison from Rugby. Before we reached the expected final between these pairs the Fettes combination of Cheadle & Sutton gave the Rugby 2nd pair a stern challenge in the quarter-final, winning 12-10 in what the organiser described as “a fantastic game”. The same can be said of the final between Bedford Modern and Rugby I, where the BMS youngsters had one chance at game ball at 14-10, were unable to convert it, and then suffered an onslaught of big right hands from Fagan. Game and title to Rugby 16-14. In the Singles it was a Scottish player once more who caught the eye, the unheralded Meryl Smith from Edinburgh Academy dismissing the much fancied Freya Harrison in the semi-final but running out of steam against defending champion Fagan in the final.

16 girls fought out the U14 competition. Aiysha Alli of Christ’s Hospital, who had won the U13 Singles title twice before, was the clear favourite and duly won both the Singles and Doubles, with her partner Sophie Lambert, but the general standard was high in both events and this augurs well for the future. Just 6 players contested the U13 section, from two schools. No doubt these players from Alleyn’s and Christ’s Hospital will meet more numerous opposition as they progress through the years: from small acorns…..

 

Results

U18 Singles

1st round: P Thornhill (Christ’s Hospital) bt V King Forbes (Alleyn’s) 11-0 ; H Nugent (Alleyn’s) bt L Theaker (Rugby) 11-4 ; A Laakkonen (Marlborough) bt L Dan (Alleyn’s) 11-0 ; A Law (Malvern) bt I Wood (Eastbourne) 11-1 ; I Lee (Marlborough) bt M Harte (Rugby) 11-2 ; B Crinnion (Christ’s Hospital) bt L Calman-Grimsdale (Alleyn’s) 11-0 ; A de Clermont (Rugby) bt C Bugel (Marlborough) 11-5 ; L Harbottle (Rugby) bt O O’Dwyer (Eastbourne) 11- 1
Quarter-finals: Thornhill bt Nugent 11-0 ; Law bt Laakkonen 11-7 ; Lee bt Crinnion 11-0 ; Harbottle bt de Clermont 11-8
Semi-finals: Thornhill bt Law 11-1 ; Lee bt Harbottle 11-1
Final: Lee (Marlborough) bt Thornhill (Christ’s Hospital) 15-6
Plate: Harte (Rugby) bt Theaker (Rugby) 12-10

U18 Doubles

Pool A: 1st Marlborough ; 2nd Christ’s Hospital ; 3rd Rugby I ; 4th Alleyn’s II
Pool B: 1st Malvern ; 2nd Rugby II ; 3rd Alleyn’s I ; 4th Eastbourne
Semi-finals: Marlborough bt Rugby II 11-0 ; Christ’s Hospital bt Malvern 11-7
Final: Marlborough (Laakkonen & Lee) bt Christ’s Hospital (Crinnion & Thornhill) 15-7
Plate: Rugby I (Harbottle & Theaker) bt Eastbourne (O’Dwyer & Wood) 11-2

U16 Singles

1st round: Smith (Edinburgh Academy) bt Worlledge (Fettes) 11-1 ; Day (Rugby) bt Okeowo (Aldenham) 11-4 ; Kent (Bedford Modern) bt McWalters-Reed (Edinburgh Academy) 11-4 ; Cheadle (Fettes) bt Brown (Malvern) 11-7 ; Dutton (Fettes) bt Bell (Marlborough) 11-4 ; Denton (Rugby) bt Robson (Edinburgh Academy) 11-1 ; Barton (Marlborough) bt Stokes (Edinburgh Academy) 11-1 ; Doroshenko (Malvern) bt Minto (Fettes) 11-2 ; Woodley (Rugby) bt Simmons (Fettes) 11-7 ; Tofts (Edinburgh Academy) bt Gray (Fettes) 11-5 ; Gonder (Malvern) bt Conway (Aldenham) 11-6 ; Joseph (Christ’s Hospital) bye v. Stark (Edinburgh Academy)
2nd round: Smith bt Green (Christ’s Hospital) 11-4 ; Kent bt Day 11-6 ; Harrison (Rugby) bt Cheadle 11-3 ; Denton bt Sutton 12-10 ; Sumner (Bedford Modern) bt Barton 11-5 ; Doroshenko bt Woodley 11-4 ; Fagan (Rugby) bt Tofts 11-2 ; Joseph bt Gonder 11-3
Quarter-finals: Smith bt Kent 11-3 ; Harrison bt Denton 11-8 ; Sumner bt Doroshenko 11-2 ; Fagan bt Joseph 11-2
Semi-finals: Smith bt Harrison 11-7 ; Fagan bt Sumner 11-2
Final: H Fagan (Rugby) bt M Smith (Edinburgh Academy) 15-2
Plate: A Green (Christ’s Hospital) bt E Conway (Aldenham) 15-5

U16 Doubles

Quarter-finals: Bedford Modern bt Fettes III 11-0 ; Christ’s Hospital bt Marlborough 11-4 ; Rugby I bt Edinburgh Academy I 11-0 ; Fettes I bt Rugby II 12-10
Semi-finals: Bedford Modern bt Christ’s Hospital 11-9 ; Rugby I bt Fettes I 11-1
Final: Rugby I (Fagan & Harrison) bt Bedford Modern (Kent & Sumner) 16-14
Plate: Fettes II (Gray & Minto) bt Aldenham (Conway & Okeowo) 11-9

U14 Singles

Semi-finals: Alli (Christ’s Hospital) bt Park (Eastbourne) ; Jenner (Eastbourne) bt Baxter (Christ’s Hospital)
Final: Alli bt Jenner
Plate: G Chambers (Marlborough) bt S Lambert (Christ’s Hospital)

U14 Doubles

Semi-finals: Christ’s Hospital II bt Eastbourne ; Christ’s Hospital I bt Marlborough
Final: Christ’s Hospital I  (Alli & Lambert) bt Christ’s Hospital II (Baxter & van de Berkmortel)
Plate: Marlborough I (Chambers & Connell) bt Eastbourne (Jenner & Park)

U13 Singles

Final Order: 1st M Nugent (Alleyn’s) ; 2nd K Innes (Alleyn’s); 3rd G Lane (Christ’s Hospital)

U13 Doubles

Final: Alleyn’s (Innes & Nugent) bt Christ’s Hospital (Anyanwu & Lane)