After Wednesday’s matches we now know who will be taking up the vacant spots in the Main Draw starting on Thursday night. Elspeth Young and Lucy Beecroft both had fairly straightforward matches and will face Cristina Gomez and Chloe Mesic respectively. Lily Taylor also made it through after an entertaining match with Nia Davies. Both hit the ball with pace and when it came to straightforward rallying there was little to choose between the players. However Taylor was the more inventive and it was her ability to break up the rally and catch Davies off balance that made the difference. Taylor will play Alison Thomson of Scotland in Thursday’s match. Last to qualify was Olga Kolarova who had disposed of the home Club’s pro in the first round and was fairly dominant in disposing of Charlotte Jagger in Wednesday’s final round. Kolarova takes the ball very early and Jagger never had a chance to settle, losing the first two games very quickly with a number of unforced errors. And at 8-4 down in the third it seemed all over. But she battled back and having taken the third 11-9 it looked as if she might be about to stage a remarkable comeback. However Kolarova raced to 8-2 in the fourth and despite a few niggles between the players on the last few points took the match 3-1 to face home favourite and 2^nd seed Lucy Turmel in her next match. 

Final Qualifying round – Wednesday May 16

Elspeth Young (Sco) 3-0 Bruna Marchesi Petrillo (Bra)              11-6, 11-9, 11-2 (18mins)

Lily Taylor (Eng) 3-1 Nia Davies (Wal)                                  11-4, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6 (27mins)

Alicia Mead (Eng) 0-3 Lucy Beecroft (Eng)                          5-11, 6-11, 9-11 (22mins)

Olga Kolarova (Cze) 3-1 Charlotte Jagger (Eng)                  11-2, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7 (29mins)

The upset of the night came in the form of Lucy Beecroft knocking out the 5th seed Chloe Mesic in an epic 5 game, 51 minute battle. Beecroft took the first two games with little trouble, controlling the court with her variety and quality of shot but Mesic then gained a foothold in the match taking the 3rd and 4th comfortably. In a match which seemed to be heading towards an excellent comeback by the French player, Beecroft regained her composure and the momentum, closing out a high quality match 11-7 in the fifth to progress to the quarter-finals.

Top seed Alexandra Fuller was composed in beating her younger opponent Jasmine Hutton. Fuller, who has just returned from the British Open in Hull looked a class act, moving Hutton to all 4 corners of the court. On many occasions to her credit Hutton seemed to be in the ascendancy but Fuller's experience and exceptional control of the ball made the difference. In the second Hutton raced to an 8-1 lead but Fuller doggedly clawed herself back into the game winning the next 10 points with no return. This recovery proved decisive with the number one seed closing out the match in the 3rd game, 11-2. On this evidence Fuller will be hard to beat this week.

The last match on was the home favourite and second seed Lucy Turmel against qualifier and former World top 40 Olga Kolarova. Turmel was in good form from the off and controlled the pace of the game, proving to be too good in the first two games. In the 3rd Kolarova showed her pedigree and took a seemingly insurmountable 10-3 lead. Turmel, well supported by the home crowd set about reigning her opponent back in point by point. At 11-all Kolarova sportingly called her ball down and Turmel took full advantage to close out the match 13-11 and progress to the next round.

Main Draw 1^st round – Thursday May 17

[1] Alexandra Fuller (RSA) 3-0 Jasmine Hutton (Eng)              11-5, 11-8, 11-2 (32mins)

[Q] Lucy Beecroft (Eng) 3-2 [5] Chloe Mesic (Fra)               11-8, 11-7, 4/11, 4/11, 11/7 (51mins)

[6] Tessa ter Sluis (Ned) 3-1 Georgia Adderley (Sco)         13/11, 11/4, 11/13, 11/9 (40mins)

{Q} Lily Taylor (Eng) 2-3 [3] Alison Thomson (Sco)              11/7, 7/11, 0/11, 11/7, 6/11 (45mins)                                

[4] Rachel Chadwick (Eng) 3-1 Ali Hemingway (Wal)              11/5, 11/7, 8/11, 11/5 (32mins)

[Q] Elspeth Young (Sco) 0-3 [8] Cristina Gomez (Esp)              3/11, 8/11, 8/11 (30mins)          

[7] Kace Bartley (Eng) 3-1 Alice Green (Eng)                       11/8, 11/8, 9/11, 11/8 (31mins)

[Q] Olga Kolarova (Cze) 0-3 [2] Lucy Turmel (Eng)              5/11, 1/11, 11/13 (33mins)

Quarter Finals - Friday, May 18th

Alexandra Fuller took on Lucy Beecroft in the first match of the night. Fuller started very strongly, taking the initiative and the first game 11-4. Fuller continued to dominate and Beecroft found herself continually trying to defend and stay in the rallies but to no avail. Fuller ran out a comfortable 3-0 winner in just 18 minutes. Beecroft, who is studying in the US has had a strong week and entertained the crowds with her outstanding shot making abilities; unfortunately today her opponent curtailed her opportunities to the bare minimum.

Next up was Alison Thomson taking on Tessa ter Sluis in what promised to be a highly competitive match with the first two games toing and froing resulting in the score being one apiece. The match continued to ebb and flow with the Dutchwoman moving her opponent all around the court but in the end Thomson's exceptional movement proved to be the telling factor, closing out the 5th game 11-8.

The impressive young Spaniard, Cristina Gomes took on the 4th seed Rachael Chadwick and dominated the first two games, taking a commanding two game lead. Chadwick then responded and fought her way into the match, taking the 3rd 11-6 and the fourth 11-9 having trailed 9-7. This seemed to knock the stuffing out of Gomes but she showed real fighting quality in the 5th, taking a 9-7 lead. Chadwick then had a no-let decision against her and Gomes only needed one chance to take the match. This was an excellent battle from beginning to end and will have left both players exhausted.

In the final match of the night the local hero Lucy Turmel took on the inventive Kace Bartley for the final spot in the last 4. The pair had recently competed in the PSA final in Aberdeen and Turmel looked determined to repeat her victory. Turmel started in formidable form, dictating the pace of the game with her driving and then exploiting the spaces at the front of the court. In the second and third Bartley managed to break the rhythm and slow things down but Turmel was always in control and closed the match out 3-0.

The semi-finalists

Alexandra Fuller	Alison Thomson	Cristina Gomez	Lucy Turmel

Turmel will face Gomes in the semi finals on Saturday. Both have had outstanding junior careers and are the former and current European Under-19 Champions so it promises to be an intriguing battle. Meanwhile Fuller, who has looked a class apart up until this point will take on Ali Thomson.

[1] Alexandra Fuller (RSA) 3-0 Lucy Beecroft (Eng)                          11-4, 11-4, 11-3 (18mins)

[6] Tessa ter Sluis (Ned) 2-3 Alison Thomson (Sco)                          12-10, 8-11, 11-9, 5-11, 8-11 (49mins)                                                        

[4] Rachel Chadwick (Eng) 2-3 [8] Cristina Gomez (Esp)                  2-11, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9, 7-11 (50mins)                     

[7] Kace Bartley (Eng) 0-3 [2] Lucy Turmel (Eng)                              3-11, 8-11, 8-11 (29mins)                  

Semi Finals - Saturday, May  19

Top seed Alexandra Fuller took out Ali Thomson in the first semi final of the Ipswich Open. She relentlessly took the ball early, both on the volley and from the front of the court allowing her opponent no time to recover or establish herself in the rallies. Fuller dictated from start to finish and despite some breath taking retrieving from Thomson the match was over in under half an hour, 3-0.

In the second semi final Lucy Turmel took on Cristina Gomes from Spain. The two players know each other well from their junior playing days and this always promised to be a close encounter. In the first two games Turmel started fast and was in complete control, mixing up her length and then exploiting the front of the court. Gomes looked to be suffering the effects of her mammoth 5-setter the day before but somehow she managed to scrape a tight third and from 8-6 down in the fourth she battled back to level the match at 2-2.

At the beginning of the fifth an accidental clash resulted in a 6 minute blood time out after Gomes received a blow to the face. Fortunately no serious harm done and the players resumed at a ferocious tempo after the break, reaching 5-5. Turmel then got into the lead with two brutal long rallies and despite some great dives and scintillating winners from Gomes the England International and current European Under 19 Champion made no mistake, taking the match 11-7.

[1] Alexandra Fuller (RSA) 3-0 [3] Alison Thomson (Sco)                              11-5, 11-3, 11-7 (29mins)

[8] Cristina Gomez (Esp) 2-3 [2] Lucy Turmel (Eng)                                       5-11, 4-11, 11-7, 11-8, 7-11 (65mins)

Final - Sunday, May 20

The final of the Christchurch Veterinary Surgery Ipswich Open saw the two top seeds battle it out for the title. Alexandra Fuller has been in fine form all week and not dropped a game in progressing to the final, meanwhile her opponent Lucy Turmel had battled through her semi final in 5 games and 65 minutes. This perhaps showed in the early stages with Fuller racing to a 7-2 lead in the first and then coasting home 11-7, always dominating the centre of the court and hunting the ball down at every opportunity. In the second it followed a similar pattern with Fuller taking an 8-1 lead and never allowing her opponent to settle in the middle of the court. Turmel became increasingly frustrated with this and started to go short from behind Fuller which more often than not resulted in yet more pressure and the South African closed the game out 11-5.

Lucy Turmel and Alex Fuller

In the 3rd Turmel got off to a better start and traded points until 5-4, helped by a number of errors from Fuller on her normally reliable backhand volley drop. This momentum was shortlived though and the number one seed re-asserted her control of the game and took the title 11-6. Fuller has now won a string of events and heads off to France next week full of confidence and aiming to rise up the rankings after a strong performance last week at the British Open. Turmel on the other hand will have gained a huge amount from performing in front of her home crowd and taking out both Kace Bartley and Cristina Gomes on route to the final.

Shane Morrison of Christchurch Vets with Alex Fuller