Cadet champ Loveridge also reaches junior final

ALICE LOVERIDGE has added another title to her ever burgeoning CV. She was one of 11 youngsters, together with coaches and supporters, who travelled to Stockton-on-Tees last weekend for the 2007 Junior Four-Star Championships.

The event, held at the Thornaby Pavilion and sponsored by Tees Active Ltd, was divided into cadet and junior team tournaments and individual competitions for mini cadets, cadets, juniors and grade one players.

The 17 tables were kept occupied throughout the two days and there was plenty of action involving the Sarnians to keep their supporters involved from start to finish.

Players from seven countries were on view, including all the top English players as well as Welsh, Scottish and Irish internationals.

The main success for Guernsey came from the exceptionally talented Loveridge, who took home the cadet girls trophy and the runner-up prize in the junior girls final.

In the cadet final she beat Natasha Rees from Wales in three straight sets 11-8, 11-5, 11-7.

In the junior event, the unseeded Loveridge had beaten fourth seed Caroline Hallows on the way to the final.

However, she came up against Team Peniel's new Chinese recruit Liu Mehan in the showpiece who proved just too tough for her at the end of a long and tiring weekend.

Loveridge lost the first two games in a match dominated by the spin of her opponent, but showed how strong she was when she fought back to win the third 11-8.

All the Guernsey supporters hoped for a comeback of epic proportions but it was not to be and Liu Mehan proved too strong for her in the fourth game to win the match 3-1.

In the junior seven-nation team events, early successes were achieved for Guernsey by Adam Langlois and Joshua Stacey, Lawrence Stacey and Liam Robilliard and Oliver Langlois and Matthew Stubbington.

Meanwhile, Kate Stubbington and Rachel Harm together with Alice Loveridge and Paula Le Ber lost their matches.

Oliver Langlois and Matthew Stubbington, Liam Robilliard and Lawrence Stacey also experienced early successes in the cadet boys team events but could not progress any further.

While Loveridge shone in the individual tournaments, others also tasted success in the round robin stages.

Among them was Kate Stubbington, who was beaten in the first round of the mini cadet singles by the losing finalist in the group.

In the cadet boys, both Matthew Stubbington and Oliver Langlois qualified for the final stages but lost in the first round.

The latter topped a good weekend for him by also qualifying for the final stages of the boys' grade one event.

Le Ber played several exciting games against strong opponents while Rachel and Laura Harm acquitted themselves well and came close to gaining their first international successes in thrilling five-set matches.