Final R1 results, including excellent win by qualifier Oliver Richards over the third seed:

(q) Archie GRAHAM (GBR) 6-3 7-6(3) (q) Zubin OMAR (BAN)
(q) Oliver RICHARDS (GBR) 6-1 6-4 Abd Elrahman HASSAN (EGY) [3]


Four out of six wins in the dubs too

Certainly good to see a new name doing well. Quite a few 2004's looking promising

Hannah is obviously one of our top 2004s which is shaping into a decent group with particularly Matilda (6 months younger) and Jasmine Conway (almost 12 months younger) already well established in the ITF U18 rankings.

Its very good to see the two girls progressing well here and so convincingly, both are well positioned to succeed with Hannah at a very strong tennis school (Talbot Heath) linked to West Hants and Charlotte part of a tennis family, both her parents are good players ie county level and some (mum at University of Mississippi) father Pete is also a performance coach.

It does make the fact that we have the worlds highest ATP ranked U14 male player (but with no junior rank) even more remarkable. He may well be my little fav for some time!

Hannah lost out in a close match. Wins for Charlotte and Matt though.

Girls QF:

Charlotte RUSSELL (GBR) [1] 6-3 6-3 Aisling O'CONNOR (IRL) [5]

Lou BAUDOUIN (FRA) 7-5 7-5 Hannah SMITH (GBR)


Boys QF:

Matthew RUTTER (GBR) [2] 6-3 6-0 Victor PAGANETTI (FRA) [6]



In the doubles, Archie is through to the final:

Boys Dubs SF: Alexandre DE VILLEPIN (FRA) / Archie GRAHAM (GBR) 7-6(9) 6-3 Eshaan LUMBA (IND) / Rik MULLER (NED) [2]


Charlotte and partner lost their SF in a MTB.

I am surprised that we don't have a home junior tournament in this half term at this level, a trip to Bahrain I think would stretch the purse of most.

This is the age group and level of competition that needs to be really accessible, the bit of the pyramid of potential talent that needs real expansion, there are quite a number of players who score junior ITF points but play only one or two tournaments in their junior career usually Nottingham sometimes Edinburgh to re-emerge later as adults Sean Hodgkin (still a teenager until this week) being an example.

I know nothing of personal circumstances but just from following the forum and looking at results. He played two weeks back to back lost in the first round, first week and then progressed to the second the next week loosing in three sets in the second the following. Admittedly a very strong tournament lots of good well resources 2001 players but that was it as a junior. As a teenager where you can get yourself to adult tournaments he played extensive British tour and now 35 futures events! That strikes me as stifled opportunity through lack of equity of access. Any other sport there would be opportunity to play and test yourself if you made progress.

And the young Brits wrap that one up nicely:



Girls' FINAL: Charlotte RUSSELL (GBR) [1] 6-0 6-4 Lou BAUDOUIN (FRA)



Boys' FINAL: Matthew RUTTER (GBR) [2] 6-1 6-2 Rik MULLER (NED) [8]