GBA boss delighted to see host of new entries

THE biggest and strongest field ever for the Islands Insurance Guernsey Badminton Open Tournament made life difficult for the local contingent at the weekend. More than 130 competitors descended on the island for the event and added to the 40-odd Guernsey players and Saturday's finals day was noticeably lacking in home players.

Last year's men's singles winner, Paul Le Tocq, was knocked out in the semi-finals, while Elena Johnson did not make it to the final of the women's singles.

Guernsey's only finalists on the day were Charlotte Koller in the women's singles plate competition, Kiara Green and Gail Lloyd in the women's doubles plate and Ben Martin in the men's plate.

Martin was the only one to come away with the trophy when he defeated Mike Blackwell 21-13, 21-16. But the 21-year-old Exeter University student would have gladly traded that for a better run in the singles competition.

'I won the plate five years ago. I was pretty rubbish in the first few rounds.

'It was a real slog but I built up some form up over the four matches. I'm just gutted that I didn't get further in the main but if you can't do it in the main it's nice to do it in the plate.'

Lloyd and Green's defeat in their final came at the hands of a former Guernsey player now living in Middlesex, Nicky Hayward, and her partner, Tania Crook. Both sets went 21-17 to the visitors.

'It was quite close but on the day it wasn't really happening for us,' said 22-year-old Lloyd, who is a trainee actuary.

'I think we did all right but we didn't play to what we're capable of.'

And Koller went down to former England player and Loughborough University team member Claire Millward.

Doubles specialist Millward proved to be too strong for the 19-year-old Swansea student as she took the match 21-9, 21-8.

'I'm a bit disappointed - it was really hard,' said Koller.

'I was pleased to get to the final and I'd had a really hard game in the semis against Vicky Naylor. I was glad to win that.'

Millward also took the women's doubles competition with her partner Jo Dix.

In the blue riband event, the men's singles, Mark Sellwood was the victor after comfortably beating Mark Ashton in the final. Ashton had made the final after defeating Le Tocq in a gruelling three-set semi-final.

Sellwood was defeated by Le Tocq in last year's final and he had been hoping to meet him again this year.

'I wanted to play Paul in the final as I wanted to get some revenge but it was nice for Paul and Mark to kill each other in their semi-final,' joked the 25-year-old Shropshire player.

'I've never played Mark before so I don't know whether he was playing well or playing badly. The pace had to be quite high and if I'd dropped it I think he would have got back in.'

Ashton was clearly exhausted after playing two highly competitive matches in close succession. The 20-year-old came off the court from his semi final only an hour before the final.

'That was a bit of a blood bath,' said the Portsmouth player.

'I thought it was a good game but he was too good for me on the day. Paul took it out of me in the semis but credit to Mark - he played well.

'The way Mark was playing I think he would have beaten me even if I was fit or not.'

Loughborough University's Caroline Smith took the women's singles final when she got the better of Catherine Grant 21-13, 21-19. The 22-year-old Smith had defeated Johnson in the semis.

'My semi was hard - I let Elena play her own game,' said Smith.

'In the final Catherine isn't a singles player and that makes it more difficult sometimes because you're under more pressure. But the semi was harder than the final.

'Elena and I have some quite hard games.'

The men's doubles went to last year's champions, Adam Smith and Chris Evans, who tasted success over Tom Armstrong and Martin Lentham in the final with the score 23-21, 21-9.

Smith and Evans make an awkward pairing with the 6ft 7 Smith a real handful at the net.

Armstrong did not leave empty handed though as he won the mixed doubles with Grant.

Guernsey Badminton Association president John Stuart was delighted that so many good players had made the trip over.

'It's the biggest entry in years,' he said.

'It's fantastic that out of 125 or so visiting players - nearly 50 are new. It's really spreading well. It's a very good standard and the players have been of a good quality.

'There were no easy games anywhere.'