Jack brings home U13 title

He and his partner Peter McDonald sealed the Boys Doubles with a straight sets final victory over top seeds Daniel O’Meara and Michael Staunton.

The victorious duo had been taken to 18-21 21-19 21-18 by Sean Bass and Evan Byrne in the semis but claimed the title with a 21-18 23-21 win in the decider.

In the Boys Singles, Alpha’s unseeded Jack Livingstone reached the quarter-final before meeting top seed Daniel O’Meara and caused the highly rated youngster from Killaloe more than a few problems. Despite losing the opening set 21-18, he made a good response by snatching the second set 21-19, and will surely have come under the radar of the Irish selectors despite going out 21-12 in the decider.

Jack Armstrong too will have impressed in the singles particularly as he ended the title aspirations of the seeded Michael Staunton 21-13 19-21 23-21 to book a place in the semis.

Jack’s progress to the final was then blocked by Evan Byrne, the No2 seed from Gorey who hadn’t dropped a single set on his way to the semi-final. The Alpha player was to have to call upon all his reserves if he was to turn around an opening set deficit 21-13 in his second match lasting over 40 minutes.

To his credit he snatched the second 22-20 before going down 21-11 in the decider.