Ogier and McLuskey fly flag for emerging talent

PATRICK OGIER and Jo Robinson retained their singles titles at the Guernsey Powerade Closed Championships at Long Camps. Ogier overcame Chris Hickling 6-2, 5-7, 6-3, while Robinson dropped just one game in sweeping aside Madonna McNicholl.

All in all, it was another highly-successful tournament for Robinson.

In addition to her singles win, she retained her women's doubles title with Bridget Yabsley, dropping just the solitary game to Louise Adcock and Karen Kurtis in the final, and the mixed with husband Ian.

The Robinsons were in no mood for charity and took the final 6-0, 6-0 against Richard Smeed and Yabsley.

While the Robinsons represent the game's establishment, young Ogier and Dominic McLuskey fly the flag for the emerging talent in the island.

McLuskey, just 15, teamed up with Ogier and saw off the experienced Hickling-Jimmy Wood pairing 9-7 in a third-set tie-break.

It was the match of the tournament.

Hickling and Wood saved 10 match points in the third set before finally succumbing.

On the veteran side, both the men's and women's doubles were retained by the 2003 winners, although in each case the champions dropped the first set.

One set of defending champions who were conquered, were the veteran mixed pairing of Graham Martin and Margaret Le Page, beaten by Richard Battey and Helen Creasey.

Tournament organiser Quinton Rose praised the players for their efforts.

'The standard of tennis was very high despite the windy conditions and was a credit to the tennis now being played in Guernsey.

'It is also good to see the youth coming through in the guise of Patrick and Dominic who will, hopefully, develop into future Island Games medallists.

Guernsey players dominated the Channel Islands Junior Championship finals at Les Ormes.

At the top end of the age scale, Rob West defended his under-18 title and fellow Sarnian Catriona Rizutto won the respective girls' championship in fine style.

Guernsey produced all four players for the under-18 men's semi-finals and in the final Dominic Mcluskey pushed West all the way before the champion triumphed 6-4, 7-5.

The third and fourth play off saw Patrick Ogier beat Stefano Rizutto 6-2, 6-2.

Guernsey produced three of the four under-18 girls' semi-finalists and Rizutto met fellow Sarnian Charlotte Koller in the final, winning 6-1, 6-1. Rizutto's achievement was all the more impressive as she was playing up an age group and showed her class by dropping only four games in landing the title.

The under-14 boys saw Guernsey's Nick Thibeault beat James Connelly 6-2, 6-3 to become champion and Kiara Green made it another Sarnian double by defeating Katie Gouyette 6-3, 6-3 in the final.

However, Jersey youngsters held sway in the under-10 and under-12 events.

In the latter Guernsey's Jo Dyer reached the final where she lost 6-2, 6-3 to Kirsten Mcarthur.

Guernsey also had a finalist in the under-10s' event in which Alice Loveridge was defeated 6-2, 6-2 by Octavia Lamb.