YPSF 2010

Created by Graham Trimming

an accredited ETTA EXCELLENCE PremierClub

Two finals, two losses each for Salmon and Hagen

Micah Salmon and Ross Hagen shared an unenviable record at the Cippenham Young Players’ Summer Festival at the weekend. Both were beaten in two finals on the same day and by two different opponents in this 1-star open tournament.

Salmon was beaten by Daniel Barna in the U18s and by Jesse Kendrick-Hill in the U16s on Sunday while a day earlier Hagen had been beaten by Joseph Langham-Ferreira in the U14s and by Daniel McTiernan in the U12s.

The top seed in the U18s failed to arrive and second seed Antoney Patten was beaten into second place in the preliminary stage group by Murray Wilson. Wilson thus took the place at the bottom of the draw but, after leading Salmon by two games to nil in the quarter-final, eventually lost out to the player who went on to beat fourth seed Jesse Kendrick-Hill in the semi-final before losing out to Barna in the final.

Barna’s route to the final included a win over the higher ranked Patten in the quarters and then against Cippenham’s own Anthony Gardner in the semi. Anthony, a member of the Cippenham Outlaws team that won the Slough League this season, had enjoyed a good event, topping his group after a 11-3, 11-5, 11-6 demolition of eventual finalist Salmon and then defeating U14 champion Joseph Langham-Ferreira in the quarters.

The U16 event was another to suffer from the non-appearance of the top seed and second seed Daniel Barna fell in the quarter-final 3-0 to Micah Salmon, a player he went on to defeat in the U18s later in the day. Salmon took advantage to go on to beat Josh Kashdan in the semis before losing to Jesse Kendrick-Hill in the final. The latter, seeded three, won his group and then went on to eliminate Joseph Langham-Ferreira 3-2 and Bradley Copus 3-0 on his way to the final.

Ross Hagen was another who took full advantage of a missing top seed in the U14 Boys’ Singles, winning his group and then accounting for Jac Jenkins, Lorand Gashi and Andre Dunkley as he moved into the final round. Hagen was seemingly in control of the final, with his slightly defensive style spoiling Joseph Langham-Ferreira to take the first two games, but the more attacking player, using his slow topspin loop well, came back to win the next three and take the title. En route to the final Langham-Ferreira had dismissed Charlie Austen, Daniel McTiernan and, in the semi-final, Gabriel Achampong. The best performance from a local player came from Alex Nagle who won his group but was then eliminated by Zachary Bull in the last sixteen.

Daniel McTiernan was peerless in the U12 event, sailing through the knock-out stages without dropping a game. Ryan Williams, Jac Jankins and finally Ross Hagen were his victims while Hagen had beaten Leo Long and Callum Evans to reach the final.

The only girls’ event to be played was at U14 level. Six players competed in a round-robin with Lara Esquivel taking the honours with Soffi Jenkins in second place.

Link to results of open tournaments

U14 Girls’ Singles