London swept up four individual titles at the Inter-Regional Finals, to add to yesterday’s haul of four team golds.
Zoe Gonpot and Parsia Ahsani won the respective girls’ and boys’ under-11 titles, while Isabella Turner-Samuels and Phil Snell were the two under-13 champions.
Eva Eccles of East won the girls’ under-15s, while Zac Greenhough of North East took the under-15 boys’ title at the event at WV Active Wolverhampton.
Not surprisingly, London were runaway winners of the Tonge Trophy as overall best-performing region, ahead of East in second place and South East in third. Pictured above, the four London individual champions lift the Tonge Trophy.
Photos by Michael Loveder – click here to see more on our Flickr page.
Under-11 Girls
Zoe Gonpot of London fought back from 2-0 down to beat Dorian Fook Yi Cheung of North East 3-2 (8-11, 12-14, 11-6, 11-7, 11-5) in the final.
There were two other Londoners at the presentations as Evie Turner-Samuels and Astrid Chaingneau won bronze.
The 10-year-old winner, who was part of the team which won gold yesterday, said: “I feel amazing. I played against someone I don’t usually win against but I guess I got used to her style and that helped me.
“My coach (Maria Ingles) gave me lots of good tips about how to return serve and what I should do on my serves.”
The semi-finals saw Gonpot advance against Turner-Samuels in three (11-8, 11-2, 14-12), while Cheung defeated Chaingneau 3-1 (11-8, 11-4, 9-11, 11-4).
In the two matches at the quarter-final stage, Turner-Samuels beat London team-mate Estelle Domingo 3-0 (11-8, 13-11, 13-11), while Chaingneau defeated Emily Lyons (NW) 3-0 (12-10, 11-3, 11-5).
Under-11 Boys
Parsia Ahsani of London beat Wilson Zheng of East 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 11-6) to take the title – turning the tables after a 3-0 defeat to the same opponent in yesterday’s team final which was won by London.
Zaid Aldilimi (London) and Ryan Goodier (South East) were the bronze medallists.
Ahsani, aged 10 and from Hendon, said: “I feel great because yesterday I lost to him 3-0 and now I beat him 3-0.
“I’d never played him before yesterday and I found out what he was bad at and so I could do that today.
“I’m so happy my parents and sister and everyone was here to support me and my coach Marcel helped me a lot. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have won this match. Thank you for Greenhouse for helping me to get good, and thank you for my school St Edward’s for letting me have training.”
The two semi-finals were thrilling matches which saw frequent changes of fortune as the two winners both came from 2-1 down. Ahsani beat another Londoner, Aldilimi, 3-2 (11-8, 7-11, 3-11, 11-6, 11-3), while Zheng overcame South East’s Goodier 3-2 (11-2, 6-11, 7-11, 12-10, 11-7).
In the quarter-finals, Goodier progressed at the expense of Nathan Lindsay (E) by a scoreline of 3-0 (11-0, 11-7, 11-6) and Ahsani beat London team-mate Malek Shamakh 3-0 (14-12, 11-5, 11-4). Zheng overcame Joseph Walters (S) 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-4) and it was 3-0 (13-11, 11-4, 11-6) for Aldilimi against Yaqyb Ahmed-Ali (SE).
In the preliminary round, Ahmed-Ali overcame Daniel Chai (Y) 3-1 (13-15, 11-9, 11-6, 11-7), while Lindsay beat Rowan Kumar (NW) 3-0 (11-8, 11-5, 11-6).
In the group stage, Joseph Walters (South) was second in Group 4, having won two five-setters – beating Alexander Peretti (NW) 3-2 (11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-5) and Oscar Wan (E) 3-2 (10-12, 11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6).
In Group 1, Yaqub Ahmed-Ali (SE) went through in second place having beaten Harry Tomlinson (Y) 3-2 (3-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-7) and Gabriel Petito (L) 3-2 (11-13, 13-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-2).
In Group 5, there was a three-way tie on two wins each. Malek Shamakh (L) won, Rowan Kumar (NW) was second and Reuben Greve (SW) was the unlucky one to miss out.
Three matches went the distance – Greve beat Kumar 3-2 (13-11, 7-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-5), Kumar beat Shamakh 3-2 (11-6, 11-2, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9) and Greve also beat James Reeves (NE) 11-13, 11-8, 11-3, 9-11, 12-10.
Under-13 Girls
Isabella Turner-Samuels of London beat Calina Dawson of South East 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-1) to add the individual title to the team gold she helped London to win yesterday.
Bronzes went to Anisha Kant of Yorkshire and Kate Smith of South East.
The 12-year-old Turner-Samuels, from Notting Hill, said: “I feel proud that I’ve achieved two medals throughout the weekend and played to my best ability.
“The team events are really fun because you get to work with other people, and the individuals are also good because you have to depend on yourself and that helps to push yourself.
“I’d like to say thanks to the Greenhouse community for supporting me today, and my older sister Eleanor for coaching me.”
Dawson had the longer semi-final, going the distance with Kant before winning 3-2 (10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 11-9). In the other half of the draw, Turner-Samuels beat Smith 3-0 (11-4, 12-10, 11-2).
The quarter-finals also saw Dawson extended to five games before overcoming Catherine LV of East Midlands, the winner taking it 3-2 (11-8, 11-4, 3-11, 6-11, 11-1).
In the other quarter-finals, Smith defeated Martha Wild (EM) 3-0 (11-9, 13-11, 11-9), while Kant beat Cindy Xiao (E) 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-7) and it was 3-0 (11-1, 11-5, 11-3) for Turner-Samuels against Chantelle Leather (NW).
The preliminary round saw four matches decided in three games as Leather beat Lucy Hetherington (NE) 2, 5, 7; Smith defeated Millie Ufton (EM) 5, 5, 6; Lv overcame Lucy Jones (NE) 2, 2, 5; and Kant saw off Ava Manders (NE) 8, 7, 3.
In the group stage, the tightest matches were in Group 6. Ava Manders (NE) won the group and Chantelle Leather (NW) was second – both beat Zimo Fu (South) in five – Manders won 10-12, 12-10, 11-6, 7-11, 11-5 and Leather saved four match points in winning 11-5, 6-11, 11-9, 7-11, 15-13.
Under-13 Boys
Phil Snell of London beat Sam Davies of North West 3-1 (8-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-6) to make up for the disappointment of losing the team final yesterday.
The beaten semi-finalists, taking bronze medals, were Spencer Wardell (NE) and Albert Hyseni of London.
Snell, aged 12 and from Westminster, said: “I’m actually impressed with how I played today. I didn’t expect to get the gold, I thought I’d get to the semi-finals, or maybe the final.
“My coach (Josh Amanor) supported me the whole way through, and my friends in the back were clapping and that helped me.”
In the semi-finals, Davies defeated Wardell 3-1 (8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9) and Snell edged his London team-mate Hyseni in three tight games (12-10, 12-10, 14-12).
The quarter-finals saw victory for Davies over Sahil Tekurkar (S) by a 3-1 (11-7, 10-12, 11-8, 11-5 margin, while Hyseni won the all-London clash against Sultan Adeleke 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-5).
The other two matches at that stage went all the way as Snell’s fine comeback overcame Charles Donald 3-2 (8-11, 9-11, 13-11, 11-9, 11-6), and Wardell got past Daniel Caroe (SE) 3-2 (8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-13, 11-3).
In the preliminary round, one game was decided in four games as Caroe defeated Micah Smith (EM) 3-1 (11-3, 7-11, 11-9, 11-4). The others were done in three – Tekurkar beat Callem Pace (SE) 11, 7, 10, while Adeleke got through against East’s Elliott Lugg (6, 9, 7) and Snell progressed against Oliver Tong, his London team-mate by a scoreline of 2, 11, 6.
Under-15 Girls
The title went to Eva Eccles of East, who beat Millie Noble of East Midlands 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-8) in the final.
The bronze medallists were Yorkshire’s Mia Longman and London’s Parmis Ahsani.
Noble came from 2-1 down in the semi-finals to beat Longman 3-2 (11-7, 10-12, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6). The other semi saw Eccles defeat Ahsani 3-1 (11-9, 10-12, 14-12, 11-7).
Eccles, 13, from Norwich, said: “I played well in the semi-final and opened up more, and I tried to do that in the final too.
“I just played one point at a time because I didn’t want to get ahead of myself, and it feels great to win the gold.”
The closest quarter-final was a 3-2 (12-10, 9-11, 11-7, 2-11, 11-6) victory for Noble over fellow East Midlander Melissa Withers.
The other quarters were all done in three – Eccles beat Jadeine Augustine of London (11-7, 11-7, 11-7); Ahsani beat Jessica Morris of North West (11-4, 11-6, 11-7) and Longman defeated Lianna Shilani-Tousi of London (11-4, 11-5, 11-9).
The preliminary round saw Ahsani through 3-1 (11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 11-7) against Caron Charles (SE), while Shilani-Tousi saw off Emily Cheung (SE) 3-1 (11-7, 13-15, 11-4, 11-7). Eccles beat Sienna Minton (SW) 3-0 (11-9, 11-3, 11-5), and Withers defeated Georgina Hunter (SE) 3-0 (11-7, 11-4, 11-1).
Under-15 Boys
The title belongs to Zac Greenhough of North East, who beat Adam Alibhai of East 3-1 (6-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-9) in the final.
The two bronze medallists were Alexander Graham (East) and Lukas Keys of London.
Greenhough, 14, who is from Middlesbrough and plays for the Nomads club in Darlington, said: “I’m quite happy and a bit relieved because I wasn’t playing great this morning. But I started playing better over the day.
“I thought I had a chance of winning but I knew there were some good players. I don’t like to celebrate when I win a point, because it keeps me level, and I don’t really listen to people outside the court – I just try to relax.”
Alibhai had won a see-saw semi-final 3-2 (11-6, 9-11, 11-2, 6-11, 11-7) against Graham, while Greenhough was through in three straight against Keys (10, 6, 4).
Two of the quarter-finals went to a decider. Graham came storming back from 2-0 down to defeat Charlie Williams (North West) 3-2 (11-13, 8-11, 11-1, 11-8, 11-1), while Greenhough also recovered a deficit, in this case 1-0 and 2-1, to beat Teagan Khazal of London 3-2 (10-12, 12-10, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9)
The other two quarters saw Keys beat Ben McKay (SE) 3-1 (11-8, 3-11, 12-10, 11-6) and Alibhai defeat Theo Kniep (S) 3-1 (5-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4).
Back in the preliminary round, two matches went to five. Khazal beat Anand Raviprakash (NE) 3-2 (9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6) and Williams triumphed over James Donal (E) 3-2 (11-4, 8-11, 11-9, 10-12, 11-8).
McKay beat Louis Fell of Yorkshires, going through 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-9), while at the same stage, Kniep overcame Prateek Divakarla (Y) 3-0 (11-6, 11-7, 11-1).
There were some dramatic outcomes in the group stage, including in Group 2 where there was a three-way tie with two wins each for James Donald (E), Lukas Keys (L) and Tom Wardell (NE) – Wardell missed out on countback.
In Group 5, Theo Kniep (S) and Anand Raviprakash (NE) emerged from a three-way countback with Etman D’Abreu (L) after all of them won two matches. The results included a 3-2 (11-6, 8-11, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7) win for D’Abreu over Raviprakash and a 3-2 (11-4, 8-11, 11-5, 5-11, 14-12) victory for Raviprakash against Kniep.