DARTINGTON Squash Club ran their annual Junior Championships on Saturday, June 14 for U11s, U13s, U15s and U17s.

The U11s involved were Archie Gibson, Jimmy Cates, Ioan Murray-Brown and Rudy Courtice, all four being 7 or 8 years old.

Rudy was the hot favourite and survived an early scare against Ioan, winning 9-15, 15-12, 15-10. Ioan was also involved in a fierce contest with Jimmy, coming through 9-15, 15-13, 15-7.

Harry Courtice and Gabe Partridge played in the final of the U13s, and what a match they had. It could have gone either way and Gabe remained calm to squeeze through 12-15, 15-11, 16-14, even though Harry was faced with a match point.

At the outset of the U15s, on paper, there were three possible winners, Ted Jordan, Gabe Northrop-Bromley and Maya Rees-Durham. The improving Jake Goldswain-Hein was hoping to cause an upset, but that did not materialise. Both Ted and Gabe were on fire, and both overcame Maya 2-0.

The stage was set for Ted and Gabe’s game, and Gabe, hitting the ball extremely hard and accurately, won 15/7, 15/13, taking the U15s trophy for the first time.

There were five U17s vying for the title as part of the tournament’s climax. Gabe Northrop-Bromley became the hot favourite, having just won the U15s, but Tom Smale, Oliver Stein and Martha Stevens have all been playing very well in recent months, and Ted Jordan was out for revenge, having succumbed to Gabe an hour before.

Ted’s fitness proved to be his strength and so he beat Gabe 15-7, 15-10, gaining his revenge from the U15 action earlier that day.

Without exception, all the players displayed outstanding sportsmanship throughout the tournament, and Dartington Squash Club is lucky to have such a talented group of youngsters coming through the ranks.