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arrow pointing leftBack 13 March 17 - by Donna Helmer

English Junior champions crowned in Birmingham

The country's brightest young prospects battled for national glory at the 2017 English Junior Championships (EJC) this weekend in Birmingham.

The three-day event staged at Edgbaston Priory and the University of Birmingham saw nearly 300 juniors competing across eight categories for the coveted title of English Junior champion.



Boys Under 19
Second seed Charlie Lee (Surrey) claimed the Boys Under 19s and his third Championship title in style with a 3-0 victory over top seed and 2016 runner-up Kyle Finch (Hampshire). Fresh back from injury, Lee controlled the pace of the final superbly, not giving Finch, the 2016 British Junior champion a chance to impose his own game, winning 11/8, 11/6 ,11/7.

Boys Under 17
One of the biggest upsets came in the Boys Under 17s event when no.1 seed Oscar Beach (Lancs) was toppled by [5/8] Lewis Anderson (Warcs) in the semis. Anderson went on to meet three-time EJC champion Jared Carter (Hants) in a thrilling five-setter which could have gone either way until 15-year-old Carter emerged victorious, 11/8, 10/12, 11/6, 9/11, 11/7.

Boys Under 15
Top seed Sam Todd (Yorks) justified his seeding in the Boys Under 15 event with a 3-1 victory over 5/8 seed Ben Smith (Lincs), claiming his third Championship title. The two-time US Junior Open champion was rarely tested all weekend, dropping just one game.

Boys Under 13
2017 British Junior Open Boys Under 13 semi-finalist, Jonah Bryant clinched his first championship title after dispatching second seed Ben Beachill (Yorks), son of former World No.1 Lee Beachill 3-1:11/8 ,19/17, 5/11, 11/8.

Girls Under 19
The Girls Under 19 event was contested by two-time championship holders and top seeds Lucy Turmel [1] and Grace Gear [2]. Turmel (Suffolk) put on a clinical display against Gear (Herts) winning 12/10, 11/6, 11/4, claiming her first Under 19 title.

Girls Under 17
Elise Lazarus (Essex) justified her top seeding in the Girls Under 17, after downing Girls Under 15 runner-up Eve Coxon (Oxon) in the final, adding a third title to her collection. Lazarus, the 2017 British Junior Open Under 17 finalist and 2016 British Junior Championship winner was on impeccable form and didn’t drop a game all weekend.

Girls Under 15
Top seed Lydia Robinson (Yorks) made her way through the championships, relatively untroubled until she met second seed Maia Pannell (Dorset) in the Girls Under 15 final. Spectators were treated to a topsy-turvy five-setter which saw Pannell race out to take a 1-0 lead. Robinson soon replied, taking the second but Pannell came back to take the third. Determined not to surrender her first U15 Championship title, Robinson snatched the fourth then the fifth, winning 7/11, 11/2, 9/11, 11/9, 11/8.

Girls Under 13
Last year’s runner-up Torrie Malik (Sussex) justified her top seeding in the Girls Under 13s category with a convincing 3-0 victory over second seed Emma Bartley (Suffolk): 11/3, 11/5, 11/6, to claim her maiden EJC title.

View the full results on the official EJC site.