Updated 15 June 2013.
[dropcap][/dropcap]NORTHERN’S Cai Younger emerged triumphant from a star-studded field to lift the Norton Junior Open U17 title on June 9 – his second junior tournament win in a row.
Younger – who had lifted the Under 19 title at his home club in May – beat Teesside’s Olly Walls, Hull’s Yusef Forster and prevailed in a superb final, beating Stuart MacGregor – ranked No 3 in the country at U15 level – 3-1.
It was a punishing physical battle with Younger at times just finding a touch more than the Ilkley player in terms of finishing off some long rallies.
The superfit MacGregor had booked his place in the final with an epic 3-2 win over the irrepressible Jamie Todd in his semi – seeing of the Tynemouth player 16-14 in the fifth, but only after Todd had battled back on to level terms after trailing 6-0 and 8-3.
It was an all-Jesmond affair in the Girls Under 17 final, with Georgia Webster up against Charlotte Cooper.
This was a repeat of the Under 17 final at the Northern Junior Open in May – a keenly-fought contest which Webster had won 3-1.
Both had beaten the fast-improving Ellie Watling in their other match in the round-robin event on Teesside – but the showpiece game went to the hard-hitting Cooper this time, who found her range to come out a 3-2 winner.
Northern pair Josie Barker and Tegan Younger finished 1st and second respectively in the Girls Under 15s – Barker beating her friend and practice partner 3-1 in the final.
And Andrew Shipley found form to reach the final of the Boys U15s, before being edged out by Pontefract’s highly-rated Sam Todd.
Northern’s Erin Vitty was edged out in the final of the Girls Under 13s, which went to Eve Perrin of Yorkshire after a hard-fought contest.
And at Under 11 level, it was a Northumbria squash double – Naomi Appleby (Northern) beating Durham’s Elsie Lonsdale in the Girls event final, while Dan Neill of Jesmond saw off a strong challenge from Alistair Little in the Boys tournament.
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