Eaton in a Rich vein of form as he makes final
BADMINTON
THE third Northumberland Senior Bronze Tournament attracted 76 players to the Tyneside Badminton Centre.
The event is the lowest grade of Badminton England’s tournament circuits in that players graded nationally A to C cannot enter.
That meant Northumbria and ex -Tyne Met student Garrylee McMullen could not defend his title as his improvement since last season means he is now a C grade, as is local rival Philip Pahatouridis.
That left the way clear for Northumberland’s Richard Eaton to become top seed - and he duly justified that by reaching the final without the loss of a set.
There he came up against Durham Uniersity’s Pak Yu Ng and, despite many competitive rallies Pak gradually assumed control to take the title in two sets.
In the women’s singles, Durham’s Ella Hodgson prove too strong for the field - and defending champion Laura Muir from Lothian - as she secured the title without losing a set.
The men’s doubles saw more success for Eaton who, partnered by Eddie Burgess, made the semifinals, before going down to second seeds Scott Sankey and Joe Steele form Lancashire.
Frequent Scottish visitors and top seeds Mark Mackay and Craig Lamb made it through the other half of the draw pretty much untroubled until it came to the final.
A close match saw neither pair able to assert control until the business end of the sets when the Lancastrians seemed to find that bit extra - easing away form 15-15 in both to prevail 21-19, 21-17.
Each of the women’s doubles finalists won their group without the loss of a set and a close final looked in prospect.
So it was to prove with Northumberland’s Eleanor Laws and Catherine Thomas coming from 17-13 down in the first set to edge it 21-19 over top seeds Wanwimon Lloyd and Laura Wall from Yorkshire.
A determined start from Lloyd and Wall saw them race to an 11-4 lead at the interval of the second set - only for the locals to rally again and catch them at 15-15l.
They could not push on from there this time, though, and went down 21-17 to set up a deciding set.
Again the Yorkshire pair went ahead 13-8 and then 16-11 but Laws and Thomas were digging deep and pulled it back to trail only 17-15.
Alas, it was not to be in the end as Lloyd and Wall hung on to clinch the match 21-17.
The mixed doubles honours went to Tom Davies and Joshmyn Bong (Durham) who overcame Yu Ting Cheung and Natalie Jones (Yorkshire) in a close contest 21-19, 21-17.