France-bound McLuskey ends season with CI title

DOM MCLUSKEY has finished off his season in style with victory at the Channel Islands junior closed tournament. The competition sees the top four players in each category from both islands play each other.

The young Guernsey star dropped only one game in the tournament at King's as he cruised to take the under-18 title.

Today, Mcluskey is off to the ISP tennis academy in Nice to study for a year. It was an all-Guernsey final as he defeated a spirited Nic Thibeault 6-0, 6-0.

'It was pretty easy: I just had to stay solid,' said McLuskey.

'The competition wasn't that strong without Pat Ogier and Arrian Green, who has been playing well recently. I can't wait to get to Nice as it should be brilliant.

'It will be a bit of a shock having four hours of tennis a day.'

McLuskey proved to be too strong for his 14-year-old opponent as he punished him with some searing forehand drives.

Credit is due to Thibeault who had the choice of competing in the under-14 category to defend his title that he won last year or in the under-18.

His opting for the older class will have given him some vital big match experience.

There were all-Jersey affairs in the under-18 girls' final as Francesca Dubras took care of Katie Gouyette in straight sets and in the under-14 boys' final where Charlie Cohen defeated James Faudemer.

The latter was quite a heated contest. In the absence of an umpire, some close line calls from Cohen served to fan the flames.

In the under-14 girls' final, Sarnian Jo Dyer beat Alex Taylor, from Jersey. The Caesarean retired after the first set, which she lost 6-2, with a shoulder injury.

Dyer, 13, was pleased with the victory and it rounds off a good season for her that saw her take a number of titles.

'It was a really good set,' said the Grammar School student. 'It was unfortunate that she couldn't carry on as it would have been a really good match. My serve could have been better but I was happy with my ground strokes, they were really fluid.'

In Jersey, the under-10s and 12s were battling it out.

Harry Martel was the only Guernsey player to reach a final as he played out of his skin to defeat Jersey's Chris van Neste in the under-12 boys' semis.

Martel came up against the strong Scott Clayton in the final and he came undone 6-1, 6-1, but it was a great achievement for him to reach that stage.

Hugh Raymond, the CI development officer, was pleased with how the day panned out.

'It went very well and the weather held, which of course is important for outdoor tournaments,' he said.

'The standard is visibly getting better. With the facilities and with the potential facilities, we now need to get a few more coaches on the islands.

'All in all, it's been great.'