Schools Group 2010 and 2007 Age Group Tournament Report
Under 19s Boys’ Singles (2007)
The event featured 10 entries, divided into two pools. Max Law (Midland) had a standout performance, narrowly defeating Blair Whitson (Lothian) 23-21 in the pool stage to secure his spot in the A knockout. In the other pool, Adam Li (Midland) beat Kieran Tsang (G&NS) with a thrilling 28-26 win. This result set up a semi-final clash between Kieran and top seed Matthew Brown, which turned into an intense 50-minute battle. Matthew triumphed 21-19 in the third end. In the final, Matthew showcased his skills, winning decisively 21-14, 21-11.
Under 15s Boys’ Singles (2005)
The 2010 event saw 13 entries. With top seed Reyansh Arora withdrawing shortly before the competition, Avi Mittal (G&NS) emerged as the favourite. However, Avi lost 21-18 in the pool stage to Nathan Wong, who had a series of close matches. In the A knockout, Nathan defeated Arthav Sharma 21-12, 24-22 in the quarter-finals and overcame Vincent Li in three sets in the semi-finals. Avi, after beating Divyam Goyal in the quarters, also needed three sets to defeat Neev Lukhi in the semis, earning a rematch against Nathan. The final was tightly contested, but Avi held on to win 21-13, 21-19.
Under 19s Girls’ Singles (2007)
With only five players, the 2007 girls’ singles was played as a single pool. Matches were closely contested, though none went to three ends. Top seed Grace Macintosh defeating Esme Williamson (Cumbria) 21-19, 21-16 in a thrilling match to secure the title. Esme finished as the runner-up.
Under 15s Girls’ Singles (2005)
Eight players competed in two pools. Both A knockout semi-finals went to three ends, with Zoe Tait defeating top seed Layla Shaw and Maggie Wang overcoming Josie Columbine. In the final, Zoe claimed victory with a 21-15, 21-14 win.
Boys’ Doubles
The boys’ doubles events were played as single pools. The Under 19s event featured five pairs, with Matthew Brown & Max Law taking the top spot, followed by Adam Li & Kieran Tsang as runners-up. The Under 15s doubles event, with six pairs, was highly competitive, with many matches going past 20-all. Despite their last-place finish, Chris Agnew and Atharv Sharma—paired up on the day—put up strong fights, losing by narrow margins in all their games. The event was won by Divyam Goyal & Neev Lukhi (G&NS).
Girls’ Doubles
Both girls’ doubles events had three pairs and were played as best-of-three games. In the Under 19s event, Esme Burns & Nikita Gupta (Midland) emerged victorious, but matches were tightly contested, with even the third-placed pair, Kaiya Wilkes & Esme Williamson, pushing them to 21-19, 22-20.
The Under 15s girls’ doubles title went to Layla Shaw & Zoe Tait, with Eva Li & Maggie Wong finishing as runners-up.
By H. Ainsley