Stacey claims maiden title as Morgan reaches No. 21
FIRST-TIME winner Lawrence Stacey and decorated veteran Dawn Morgan lifted the top prizes after two highly contrasting Island Championships singles finals.
The headline singles finals, which culminated a 20-match night at the GTTA Centre, could barely have featured more disparate circumstances.
Although second-seed Morgan dispatched defending champion Kay Chivers in straightforward fashion in the women’s singles, with the winner due to extend a lengthy tally of titles, young favourite Stacey only sealed the win over an even younger Ben Foss after seven sets and as the clock approached 11pm.
The one player who would not be adding to their list of engravings was Garry Dodd, who is currently ineligible to compete from his Sheffield base and had to give up the trophy that he has nearly monopolised in the last decade.
‘You’ve got to take the opportunities when Garry’s not here, but it was a tough final,’ said Stacey.
‘To be honest, the semi-final and the quarter-final – I did well to get through those.
‘I’ve struggled against Ben most times I play him, so I knew in my head it’d go to the seventh set and I’m happy to get through it in the end.’
Foss added: ‘My fifth final – you win some, you lose some.’
The women’s finalists share a multitude of titles but Chivers was the one on defending duties, both in her title history and her playing style, and the contrasting styles always provide a duel that can go either way.
On this occasion, it went firmly in Morgan’s favour.
‘We know each other’s game so well and we always know it’s going to be really tight,’ said a delighted Morgan, who had missed the two previous years through injury. ‘First thing in the evening, we were both nervous and settling into it but by the time you get to the end of the evening, you’re at the other side where you’re really tired.
‘It was just nice to get a good start – my hit was going a lot better and I played a stronger game.’
Lawrence Stacey had joined forces with brother Josh to win the men’s doubles in six sets against Foss and another U18 in Ryan Bichard.
The twins took the first set but had to work hard to hold back the young opposition in a series of follow-ups featuring excellent shooting from both parties.
Chivers and Morgan won the women’s doubles in straight sets over Juliette Yeaman and Sue Ferbrache, while Morgan and Josh Stacey won the mixed 4-0 despite a good challenge from Sam Kershaw and Phil Ogier.
More in Monday's Guernsey Press.
