Rising stars from Lee-on-the-Solent dominate Hampshire Junior Squash competition

Lee-on-the-Solent Juniors dominated the Hampshire Junior Squash closed event held in Winchester.
By David Brawn
Published 9th Oct 2019, 18:46 BST
Updated 17th Oct 2019, 11:11 BST
Winners and runners-up, left to right: Toby Ponting, Matthew Hartley, Olivia Fry, Olivia Besant, Phoebe Griffiths, Joe Sutton-Welch, Hattie Broadbridge, Megan Light, George Griffiths, Alex Broadbridge, Jack Mascall and Alfie LawesWinners and runners-up, left to right: Toby Ponting, Matthew Hartley, Olivia Fry, Olivia Besant, Phoebe Griffiths, Joe Sutton-Welch, Hattie Broadbridge, Megan Light, George Griffiths, Alex Broadbridge, Jack Mascall and Alfie Lawes
Winners and runners-up, left to right: Toby Ponting, Matthew Hartley, Olivia Fry, Olivia Besant, Phoebe Griffiths, Joe Sutton-Welch, Hattie Broadbridge, Megan Light, George Griffiths, Alex Broadbridge, Jack Mascall and Alfie Lawes

There were 11 events in all and Lee youngsters won six of them, as well as being runners-up in six finals.

Head coach Tim Vail and assistant coach Martyn Ballands were delighted with the results.

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Vail said: ‘Most of our juniors started out on Sunday mornings and 90-per-cent have progressed onto county squads and the younger ones have formed a formidable group, pushing each other along.

Hampshire Junior Squash tournament winners and runners-up. Left to right: Olivia Keefe,, Joseph Whittingham, William Stapley, Sophie Vail, Cameron Vail, Seb Cairns-Allen, Phoebe GriffithsHampshire Junior Squash tournament winners and runners-up. Left to right: Olivia Keefe,, Joseph Whittingham, William Stapley, Sophie Vail, Cameron Vail, Seb Cairns-Allen, Phoebe Griffiths
Hampshire Junior Squash tournament winners and runners-up. Left to right: Olivia Keefe,, Joseph Whittingham, William Stapley, Sophie Vail, Cameron Vail, Seb Cairns-Allen, Phoebe Griffiths

‘We couldn’t be happier with their progress.’

The girls’ under-11 final was a close-fought contest between Sophie Vail and Phoebe Griffiths.

Phoebe had beaten Sophie 3-2 at an England Squash Gold event the previous week, and this was another fiercely competitive tussle which Sophie won 3-1.

Phoebe went onto win the mixed under-nine event.

In the boys’ under-11 event, top seed Seb Cairns-Allen defeated Cameron Vail 3-0.

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Cameron reached the final by beating number two seed Oliver Flett 3-0.

George Griffiths, currently number two in the England national boys under-11 rankings, lived up to his top seed billing by beating Matthew Hartley 3-0 in the final.

Matthew had defeated number two seed Jerome Porter in the semi-finals 13-11 in the fifth set.

Hattie Broadbridge, aged nine, won the girls under-13 round robin event – claiming 3-0 victories in her two games.

Runner up was Lee’s Olivia Fry.

In the boys’ under-17 event, Alex Broadbridge, aged 12, beat number one seed Joe Sutton-Welch 3-2 in the final.

Alex won the first two sets and then claimed the decider 11-4.

Related topics:Lee-on-the-SolentWinchester

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