22 Feb Westwood Clontarf Junior Spring Championships 2009
The Westwood Clontarf Junior Spring Championships concluded this weekend (22nd February) with what was a very competitive and enjoyable event for all involved during the week. The 
2009 Spring Championships event structure saw the tournament streamlined to four competitions – Boys/Girls U18 and Boys/Girls U16 – and this resulted in a high standard of play throughout the four days. At the end of the weekend it was Roman Grogan (U18 Boys), Susan McRann (U18 Girls), Jamie Bourne (U16 Boys) and Sinead Kennedy (U16 Girls) who were the last players standing, taking home the 2009 Westwood Clontarf Junior Spring Championships crown in their respective age groups.
Westwood Clontarf Junior Spring Championships – Under 16 Girls Event
The Girls U16 event threw up a very competitive draw with many of Irelands strongest players making an appearance including the top seeds Jane Fennelly (1), Becky O’Hanlon (2), Sinead Kennedy (3) and Zoe Ryan-Flynn (4). Day one saw no major upsets with all eight seeds advancing comfortably through to day two. The seeded players all advanced once more in Round 2 however Carrickmines’ Jenny Maguire came close to overturning the No. 4 seed Zoe Ryan-Flynn taking the Riverview player to three sets before finally losing out 3-6, 6-3, 4-6. In the Quarter-finals Jane Fennelly advanced to the semi finals with a comfortable win over Monkstown’s Kate Lloyd, Sinead Kennedy gave a solid performace against Rushbrooke’s Siobhan Ryan-Bovey winning in straight sets while Becky O’Hanlon came out on top with a good 6-3, 6-3 win over Amy Ryan. The quarter-final did manage to throw up a surprise as No. 5 seed Sally McHugh delivered an excellent performance over Zoe Ryan-Flynn, the Wicklow junior progressed after a marathon three set-tie winning 3-6, 6-0, 6-4.
Further surprises were to follow in the semi-final as the No.3 seed Sinead Kennedy won through against Clontarf’s Becky O’Hanlon. Sinead’s opponent in the final would be between Jane Fennelly and Sally McHugh, Sally was unable to create another upset however with Jane progressing into the final in straight sets 6-3, 6-2.
Although winning the first set 6-3 Fennelly wasn’t to have it all her own way as Kennedy kept her cool and fought back in the second to level the match at one set apiece, as she won the set 6-2. This set up a grandstand finish between the two and bouyed by winning the second set Sinead built on this to take full advantage over the no.1 seed eventually grinding out a hard-fought and well-won victory 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Westwood Clontarf Junior Spring Championships – Under 16 Boys Event
The U16 Boys competition was a very interesting event that saw several good performances from unseeded players and plenty of upsets along the way. No. 1 seed Jamie Bourne advanced through to the final in comfortable, fashion without dropping a set along the way. This wasn’t to be the case for the three other seeded entries, No.2 seed Killian McCarthy being the only other seeded player to reach the semi-final. First to fall was No.4 player Robert Burke who was knocked out in straight sets in Round Two by Stackallen’s Peter Mimnagh-Fleming who will be delighted with his 6-2, 6-0 win. No.3 seed Arin Boyalikli was the next to go, this time at the quarter-final stage dropping two sets to Ben Dillon of Sandycove TC 2-6, 1-6. Unseeded John Tougher was the player to advance through the final with Jamie Bourne. John had recorded good wins over both Harry Crowe and Peter Mimnagh-Fleming in previous rounds and was equally impressive in his win over No. 2 Killian McCarthy coming out on top in a tough three-set tie 4-6, 6-0, 7-5.
The final was settled in two sets with Jamie Bourne coming out on top, however Tougher, the battling Templeogue junior, worked hard throughout the match fighting for every game but in the end Greystones’ Jamie Bourne took home the title, winning 6-3, 7-6.
Westwood Clontarf Junior Spring Championships – Under 18 Girls Event
David Lloyd Riverview’s Susan McRann came home with the Girls U18 title in what was the smallest draw of the competition but no less competitive than the rest of the Junior Spring Championship draws. Susan enjoyed good wins over the likes of Donnybrook’s Maeve Crowley and Kells player Aoibheann Tully before advancing onto the final to meet Christine Duffy. Christine (pictured left), from Castleknock LTC, also enjoyed some good wins on her passage to the final with a 6-0, 6-0 defeat over Riverview’s Alice Margetson and a 6-0, 6-2 semi-final victory over Stephanie Rogers.
Although Christine enjoyed a good run all the way to the final she couldn’t stop Susan from comfortably winning out in the final taking the Junior Spring Championships U18 Girls title in straight sets 6-2, 6-1.
Westwood Clontarf Junior Spring Championships – Under 18 Boys Event
The U18 Boys event also attracted a large draw for the event which included National Tennis Academy player Roman Grogan as no.1 seed as well as Andrew O’Connor (2), Mike Johnston (3) and Brian Reidy (4) as the remaining seeds. The first day saw little in the way of upsets – as did the day two – with all seeded players progressing to the quarter-finals of the tournament unscathed. The first of the four seeds to fall was that of no.2 seed Andrew O’Connor who was squeezed out in an extremely close contest against Sutton’s Tom Lawless 7-5, 7-6.
With Grogan cruising into the final with a comfortable 6-1, 6-1 victory over third seed Mike Johnston in the semi-final it was down to the aforementioned Tom Lawless and 2008 U16 Junior Spring Championships winner Brian Reidy to complete the final draw. Once again Lawless showed great form stealing the first set from the no.4 seed 3-6 and came agonisingly close in the second to wrapping up the match before Reidy fought back to win the second 7-5. The third set was just as tense with both players giving it their all to advance to the final. It soon transpired that Reidy now had the upper hand over the north Dubliner pulling away from Lawless in the third to win 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
After such a tough semi-final the young Kilkenny native was always going to find it tough to add the U18 title to last years U16 crown against Grogan, and the Sutton junior was quick to take advantage of the situation before eventually coming through the tie with a comfortable 6-1, 6-2 win.
For a full rundown of all the results from the Westwood Clontarf Junior Spring Championships please click here.
For more pictures from the Westwood Clontarf Junior Spring Championships click here.