Top US successes for Irish

The victorious Irish squad returned from this year’s USHA (40X20) Four-Wall National Junior Championships at the San Diego Tennis & Racquet Club, San Diego, California, USA, with an impressive haul of ten titles. The Official Irish Team of six players performed a “clean sweep” at the prestigious annual championships, with all six collecting silverware.

Topping the bill was Tyrone’s Caolan Daly (Carrickmore), who claimed the Boys 19 & Under Singles title, following a thrilling all-Irish final, defeating Mayo’s Stephen Cooney (Ballaghaderreen), over three games. Cooney edged the first game, on a slender scoreline of 19-21, but Daly replied immediately, taking the second game, on a narrow scoreline of 21-17. In the third tiebreaker game, Daly hit his stride and blitzed through, to close out, on an emphatic scoreline of 11-1, to seal victory.

However, there was some consolation for Cooney, when he partnered Mexico’s Daniel Cordova (Chihuahua), to claim the Boys 19 & Under Doubles title, defeating Daly and fellow clubman, Conor McElduff, in the final, over two games, on a decisive scoreline of 21-8, 21-12.

Cork’s Killian Carroll (Mallow), bagged the Boys 17 & Under Singles crown, following a devastating performance,in a one-side final, over two games, against local handballer, Brant Bidegain. Carroll showed his class, displaying his full range of skills, as he swept to victory,  on an emphatic scoreline of 21-5, 21-9.

Monaghan’s Darren Doherty (Emyvale), was also in impressive form, claiming the Boys 15 & Under Singles title, when he defeated Minnesota’s Tyler Stoffel in a one-sided final, over two games, on a decisive scoreline of 21-8, 21-10.

Tyrone’s Pol Clarke (Brackey), partnered Stoffel, to bag the Boys 15 & Under Doubles crown, defeating California’s George Mendiola and Alejandro Serrano, in aone-sided final, over two games, on a decisive scoreline of 21-10, 21-6.

Down’s Lorraine Havern (Saval), spearheaded the Irish challenge in the girls categories, claiming the Girls 19 & Under Singles title, with a round-robin, final round, win over New York’s Sandy Ng, over three games, on a scoreline of 19-21, 21-8, 11-6.

Cork’s Catriona Casey (Ballydesmond), bagged the Girls 17 & Under Singles crown, her third consecutive USHA Junior Nationals title, with a round-robin, final round, win over Tyrone’s Maeve McElduff (Carrickmore), over two games, on an emphatic scoreline of 21-5, 21-5. Roscommon’s Lauren O’ Riordan (St. Coman’s, Roscommon Town), clinched
the Girls 15 & Under Singles title, defeating Jamie Duckmann of Illinois, in the round-robin, final round, over two games, on an
emphatic scoreline of 21-0, 21-3.

In an all-Irish Girls 19 & Under Doubles final, Havern partnered Casey, to defeat McElduff and O’ Riordan, over two games, on an emphatic soreline of 21-1, 21-4, to claim the title.

Finally, Tyrone’s Aoife Kelly (Loughmacrory), netted the Girls 13 & Under Singles crown, defeating Canada’s Myroslava Koval (Alberta), in the round-robin, final round, over two games, on an emphatic scoreline of 21-3, 21-2.