Event date: 20th June | Venue: Maesteg Sports and Social Club
Twenty-five players entered the Junior Development Event held at Maesteg SC on 20th June. Players from Swansea, Merthyr, Llantrisant, DL Cardiff, Cowbridge and even Caernarfon joined a strong Maesteg contingent. The event featured competitive A, B and C Grade competitions, giving players the opportunity to gain valuable match and tournament experience. There were strong performances across all grades, with several close matches and well-contested play-offs throughout the day.
C Grade
The C Grade event ran as a round robin and was decided through final placing matches. Malek Ayad (Swansea) finished in first place and proved too strong for the competition. Seb Moseley and Chloe Jones shared second place, with both players putting in valiant performances throughout the day.
Two standout matches in the C Grade came between Maesteg club compatriots. Firstly, Summer Morgan and Mia Pugh could not have been any closer. Mia took the first game 11-9, before Summer hit back to win the second 11-9. After the lead went back and forth in the decider, Mia came out victorious 11-9 to claim the win. It was a brilliant game to watch.
Seb Moseley and Erin Reed then stepped up and produced a spectacle for the fans. Erin came out of the blocks quickly and took the first game 11-8. Seb responded well and held on to take the second, also 11-8. The deciding game featured tense rallies and plenty of running before Seb clinched it 11-8 to seal the win.
B Grade
Ben Lloyd (Swansea) won the B Grade event following a consistent run through all three rounds. Ben beat Taylor Evans (Merthyr) in the semi-finals, while Enlli Thorne (Caernarfon) defeated Ethan Williams (Llantrisant) to set up the final.
In the final, Ben defeated Enlli 11-7, 11-8 to take the B Grade title. Enlli finished as runner-up, and Taylor Evans secured third place with an 11-10, 11-5 win over Ethan in the third-place play-off.
The remaining B Grade matches saw Miral Ayad (Swansea) beating Amelia Wilkins (Maesteg) runner-up. Khloe Fenlon (Maesteg) won her final match against Pippa Moore (Cowbridge) , taking the match 11-2, 11-3.
A Grade
The A grade showcased great squash and some very competitive games. The standout game from the first round came between Isla Thorne (Caernarfon) and Hugo Orton (Swansea). Hugo took the first game 11-6 but Ilsa knuckled down and fought hard winning the next two games 11-8 & 11-5 to progress to the next round. In the semi-finals, it was the battle of the Merthyr brothers, as Ioan and Jacob Jones going head to head. Following a hard fought first game, the elder brother, Ioan, to the match 11-10 and 11-2,earning his place in the final. On the other side of the draw, Clara Martin of Cowbridge proved to strong for Isla Thorne (Caernarfon), winning 11-6, 11-8 to reach the final. In the final, Ioan came out firing to take the first game 11-3. Clara then saved several match balls in the second game to win 11-10 and take it to a decider. Ioan then managed to secure the title with a three-game victory, eventually winning 11-3, 10-11, 11-5.
Clara Martin finished as runner-up, while Isla Thorne claimed third place by beating Jacob Jones 7-11, 11-4, 11-9 in another fiercely contested match in the third-place play-off.
Elsewhere in the A Grade, Heidi Moore finished with a strong 11-8 11-6 win over Hugo Orton. Zac Johnson also recorded a strong result to finish his competition beating Indie Williams 11-6, 11-2.
Summary
Overall, the Maesteg Junior Development Event provided a positive and competitive environment for all players involved. Ioan Jones, Ben Lloyd and Malek Ayad topped the A, B and C Grade standings respectively. A massive thank you goes to all the parents, Maesteg volunteers and players for giving their time to make this the most successful development event so far. The event highlighted strong junior participation and a good standard of squash across the grades. We look forward to welcoming everyone to the next development event on 2nd August at Newport Squash Club.
An excellent showing of grass roots squash. Well done all.
Tomos Rosser
