|
|
.
|
|
|
|
|
Raision Open Badminton Championship It’s not often their is the opportunity to report on Wexford badminton success in Europe, but there was no fewer than three Wexford winners in the Raision Open Badminton Championship held in Raisso, Finland. The Wexford under-19 squad were in Finland to take on the local Turku District side in a representative match and took the opportunity to enter the local open badminton championship. In the event the Wexford players lined up against some of the best Finnish talent, plus entries from Denmark and Sweden. Wexford had two pairings in the A-Section with Laura Lynch/Norma McIntyre and Laura Butler/Elaine Dunne. Both Wexford partnerships received a bye in the opening round and then faced seeded opposition in round 2. Butler & Dunne were first on court against the number one seeds Anne Saarinen and Leena Kaskimäki from Finland. The 1st set was ace for ace with the Wexford pairing unlucky to lose out 26/24. The loss of the set was a body blow to the visitors however and they never reached the same level of performance in the 2nd set which had the number one seeds winning it comfortably 21/14. Wexford hopes now rested on the Leinster and Irish under-23 pairing of Laura Lynch and Norma McIntyre. They also had a tough opening encounter against the former Finnish international Kristina Danskanen and under-age prodigy Jenny Nystrom. The Finland pairing were seeded three and again the 1st set was extremely close, but this time the Wexford pairing managed to emerge on the correct side of a 26-24 score-line. Winning the set spurred on the Wexford girls who played some excellent badminton in the 2nd to eliminate the 3rd seeds 21-9. In the semi-final they faced surprise packets Satu Saare and Anna Paavola. The local girls had eliminated the number 2 seeds in the quarter-finals, but the Wexford pair started well and took the 1st set comfortably 21/11. They then relaxed somewhat and it was the Finnish pair who led at the half way point of the 2nd set 11/9. From then on however it was the Wexford pair who dominated and they made it through to the final and a chance to play on the show court by virtue of a 21/14 victory. In the final they again faced an unseeded pairing in Hilja Korhonen and Kaisa Aaltonen. Korhonen and Aaltonen had eliminated the top seeds Saarinen and Kaskimäki in the semi-final and were dangerous opponents for the Wexford girl’s. It all started smoothly however with Lynch and McIntyre in control and they took the opening set 21/12, but were more pressure in the 2nd where the score was tied at 20/20, before one last effort from the Wexford girl’s saw them take the title 22/20. There was also a Wexford victory in the C-grade women’s doubles where both Wexford pairing made it through to meet in the final. Marie Kelly and Aoife Bennett started slight favorites against their young opponents Clodagh Kent and Ciara Dunne, but it was the underdogs who took the opening set 21/17. Kelly and Bennett hit back to win the 2nd 23/21 and tie the match at one set all. The 3rd set was equally close, but strangely it was the younger pair of Kent/Dunne who kept their concentration the better to win the title by virtue of a 22/20 score line. It turned into an excellent tournament for Clodagh Kent who also qualified for the ladies singles final, where she faced local favorite Mari Mattila. The Taghmon star won her 2nd title in a close encounter 21/18, 21/18. An unlucky loser in the women’s A singles was Norma McIntyre who lost out narrowly to Jenny Nystrom 21/17, 11/21, 21/15 in a triller. Other Wexford had Laura Lynch losing in the quarter finals of the Women’s singles to eventual winner Jenny Nystrom 21/10,16/21, 21/8. Laura Butler was defeated in her opening game against Leena Kaskimaki 21/9, 21/9. Also losing out in her opening game was Elaine Dunne who went out to Satu Saare 21/9, 21/12. In grade B women’s singles Aoife Dunne was beaten in the quarter finals 21/11, 21/8 by Anna Paavola. In the Women’s doubles grade B Aoife Dunne and Milla Anttila were eliminated 21/15, 21/18 by Tiina Tiainen and Pauliina Vaskikari. In the grade C women’s singles Marie Kelly made the semi-finals before losing 22/20, 21/15 to Anu Heino. Ciara Dunne also made the semi-finals of the grade D women’s singles, but lost out to Maria Mattila 21/19,19/21, 21/17.
|
