Duchy of Cornwall Open Championships
Author: John Tresidder, Duchy “Open” Press Officer
Date: 19 Sep 2005
Category: Tournament Results
The Duchy
of Cornwall Championship, in its 6th year as a Badminton England
"Satellite" Ranking Tournament was staged at Carn Brea Leisure Centre,
Pool, Near Redruth - on Saturday and Sunday, September 17th / 18th 2005.
Sadly,
owing to injuries, the Tournament lost three of its top seeds, a few
days before play got underway: Gloucestershire's Rebecca Pantaney
(Ladies' Singles, Doubles and Mixed) South Glamorgan's Min Zhu (Singles
and Doubles) and Mike Haywood (Mixed).
Paul Le-Tocq aged twenty
three, who is studying at the University of Cardiff and whose Family
home is in Guernsey, in the Channel Islands, has always been a supreme
technician and he produced a great weekend of badminton lifting two
inaugural Duchy titles and reaching the Men's Doubles Final, as well.
Paul
was involved in a three-ended battle-royale, against Ben Witham,
Gloucestershire, in his semis, then went on to lift his first Duchy
title, when he out-pointed Hampshire's Mark Ashton, 17/14, 15/11, in
the final.
He then paired up with his South Glamorgan
colleague, Kerry Ann Sheppard, in the Mixed Doubles, where the duo
defeated Hampshire's Trevor Darlington and Betty Blair, Devon, the 2001
champions, in a close encounter, 15/13, 9/15, 15/12.
Hampshire's
Hana Littlecott created a shock on day one in the singles, when she
defeated Betty Blair, 11/5, 11/8, in the Ladies' Singles second round,
after Miss Blair received a bye in the 1st Round.
Hana then met
Caroline Simpson, Gloucestershire's defending champion, in the
semi-finals, before progressing to the final where she won the first
game, but was seen to go down in three ends to Jo Dix, aged 24, her
county compatriot, 4/11, 11/8, 11/3, who secured an inaugural Duchy
singles win in the process.
Kerry Ann Sheppard and Jo Dix
reached another final, as a combination - the Ladies' Doubles - but the
duo went down to the experience of Jo Sullivan and Sarah Burgess, the
Gloucestershire/Hampshire outfit, 15/3, 15/8.
Sarah Burgess was the popular recipient of the Sporting Spirit Trophy.
The
Guests-of-Honour were Mr. John Havers, The President of
BADMINTON England, together with Mr. Eric Brown, BADMINTON England's
Acting Chief Executive, who both supported the Event and attended to a
number of the presentations on the Sunday.
Eric Brown
commented: "I enjoyed the Duchy Event and feel that the resurgence of
interest in the sport of badminton, generally, is owing to two reasons:
Firstly, to the exploits of Gail Emms and Nathan Robertson in winning
the silver medal in the Mixed Doubles, in the Athens Olympics, 2004
and, secondly, to the energy and enthusiasm of the Satellite Circuit,
allied to the greater interest in Badminton, being displayed by the
Universities of England and Wales."
The 24th Duchy "Open", is scheduled for September 16th / 17th, 2006.
RESULTS:
LADIES' SINGLES:
Semi-finals:
Miss J. Dix (Hants) bt. Miss K. A. Sheppard (South Glam), 13/11, 11/5;
Miss H. Littlecott (Hants) bt. Miss C Simpson, defending champion (Gloucs), 11/4,
7/11, 11/9;
Final:
Miss Dix bt. Miss H. Littlecott: 4/11, 11/8, 11/3.
MEN'S SINGLES:
Semi-finals:
P. Le-Tocq (South Glam) bt. B. Witham (Gloucs), 15/12, 3/15, 15/13;
M. Ashton (Hants) bt. R. Reid (Bucks) - 17/14, 15/3;
Final:
Le-Tocq bt. Ashton 17/14, 15/11.
MIXED DOUBLES:
Semi-finals:
P. Le-Tocq/Miss K. A. Sheppard (both South Glam) bt. J. Andrews/Mrs. K. Chittenden
(Wilts/Avon), 15/8, 15/8;
T. Darlington/Miss B. Blair (Hants/Devon) bt. S. Webber/Miss S. Burgess, (Lancs/Hants)
15/11, 15/11
Final:
P. Le-Tocq/Miss Sheppard bt. T. Darlington/Miss Blair, 15/13, 9/15, 15/12.
LADIES' DOUBLES:
Semi-finals:
Miss K. A Sheppard/Miss J. Dix (South Glam & Hants) bt. Miss H. Crump/Miss
G. Stewart, (Kent), 15/8, 15/4;
Miss J. Sullivan/Miss S. Burgess (Gloucs/Hants) bt. Miss C. Webb/Miss K. Gittins
(Hants), 15/6, 15/6;
Final:
Miss Sullivan /Miss Burgess bt. Miss Sheppard/Miss Dix, 15/3, 15/8.
MEN'S DOUBLES:
Semi-finals:
C. Shepperd/P. Shepperd (both Hants) bt. D. Edgar/K. Cuncarr (both Lancs.) 15/5,
15/2;
P. Le-Tocq/M. Sprake, scratch outfit, (South Glam/Cheshire), bt. J. Horsfield/D.
Winter (Gloucs/Glam) 5/8, 15/7;
Final:
C. Shepperd/P. Shepperd bt. Le-Tocq/Sprake, 15/2, 15/2.
