Ace showings by young guns
Wexford Junior tennis open
THE SPECTACULAR setting of the Wexford Harbour Boat and Tennis Club played host to the annual Junior open.
This competition has always attracted young talent from both the locality and around the country.
Tuesday morning, August 7, was the start of three days of action-packed tennis. Children of all ages arrived with a certain energy and enthusiasm, in the expectation of an enjoyable few days of tennis in the August sunshine.
There were fiery matches from the off, as eager parents watched on in hope that their budding star would make it through to finals day on Thursday.
Of course, the competitive aspect is only one of the attractions of this tournament. For all participants, the enjoyment of hitting tennis balls in the 25C heat, or the sense of simply being a part of a sporting and social event, are the most memorable aspects of the week.
Any young competitor who has participated in this annual event over the past few years will have recognised the trend of local players featuring on finals day. Thus, it was no surprise to see five club players in action on Thursday.
Sarah McRedmond earned herself a place in the Under-16 girls’ singles final. The local first seed lost out to Jessie Fitzgerald of Kilkenny in a tight two-set affair.
The Under-18 boys’ singles round robin came right down to the wire, with Bill Cullen narrowly missing out on a top two finish.
With the singles taken care of, it was time for an afternoon of doubles. Max Stone and Mark Kavanagh made it to the Under-14 boys’ final. The Wexford pair lost in straight sets to their strong Dublin opponents.
Sarah McRedmond was again in action, this time in the Under-16 girls’ doubles. She and her partner, Trudie Goodman, finished off the round robin in style with a comfortable win, but unfortunately just missed out on top spot, settling for a much-deserved second place.
It was fitting that the last match of finals day produced our only local winner. Wexford player Sass Thompson, along with her Kilkenny partner Jessie Fitzgerald, took home the Under-14 girls’ doubles trophy, as they defeated their opponents 10-6 in an agonisingly close championship tie-break.
A recent addition to the Junior open has been the Phoenix event, a competition for less experienced players. This event ran on the subsequent Friday and Saturday, again with a strong Wexford contingent featuring in the finals.
The following Wexford players were Phoenix finalists: Charlie Conway, Jack Howell, Lukasz Goska, Gillian Kavanagh, Mark Kavanagh, Max Stone, Mark McGrath, Killian McKenna, Ella Kavanagh, Katie Beth Gaynor, Bill Cullen, Alfie McQuaid and David Doyle.
Huge congratulations to all those involved, as well as to tennis coach Ashley Wynne who got married on Friday, August 10. Let’s hope next year will provide more great tennis in equally spectacular sunshine.