Top-three finish for Beasley at West Midlands 2-star event

Emily Beasley played in a very high standard junior girls’ round-robin event and recorded three impressive victories.

Isobella Khan of Avon was dispatched 3-1, Isabel Webb of Kent fell in straight games and the same fate befell Oxfordshire’s Victoria Coll.

Defeat to Scarlett Anders of Middlesex in four sets was followed by defeat to the eventual winner, Samadhi Udamilla of Hertforshire.

However, Beasley took the England number 33 to five and held match point before going down.

Her excellent performances resulted in a very creditable third-placed finish.

Ricardo Bolanos won two of his three group matches in the junior boys’ singles against Reece Chand of Staffordshire and Alex Emms which qualified him for the knockout stages.

In round one he beat Tom Watson 3-2 but lost in the quarter-finals to the experienced Hawley Ellicott, a Worcestershire county player.

Josh Yarrow won one of his three group matches, against Adam Stochlinski, and Eduardo Bolanos emulated him with a victory over Michael Dennison.

The younger Bolanos went on to reach the semi-final of the junior consolation event where he went down to Kiaresh Shaddel.

In the cadet boys’ singles, Eduardo Bolanos lost in straight games to England number nine Bertie Kelly of Somerset but wins over James Donald of Essex and Henry Clarke propelled him to the knockouts.

England number 37 Shem Lejarde of Kent stopped his run.

Nicholas Ho also won two from three in his group, taking England number 45 Benjamin Grieve of Gloucestershire to four but defeating Luke Fisher in straight games and Tommy Lyons in five.

Ho fell in the knockouts to Gloucestershire’s Tom Powlesland.

Chris Ho claimed two wins in his group, over Damien Mutch, ranked 99, and Emmanuel Morozario. In the knockouts he was beaten by Cornwall’s Jarvis Lee.

Chris Ho also contested the under-13 singles and despite defeat against England number four Jakub Piwowar of Devon, was mighty close in two of the sets, losing -3, -11, -9.

He then had the confidence to overcome Bailey Page of Devon 3-1 and Cyrus Harris of Warwickshire, also in four.

In round one of the knockouts, James Donald of Essex was beaten 11-8 in the fifth before Ralph Pattison of Essex lowered his colours in four. It was an impressive run from the unranked Lillington youngster, however.

Erin Darwen lost her three group matches against highly ranked girls in the under-13 singles but her performances augured well for the future as did those of Jun Chung who also met strong opposition in his first tournament in the under-11 boys’ singles.