10:20am Friday 3rd July 2009
SWINDON players brought home both singles and doubles titles in the under 16s section of the Berkshire Badminton Bonanza at Bracknell Leisure Centre on Sunday.
Following her success last year in under 14s singles, Harriet Ferris gave a repeat performance in the under 16s category.
Ferris didn’t lose a game all day as she defeated players from Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey to reach the semi-finals.
In the semis she was made to work for her win, before facing Team Berkshire’s Sophie Martin in the last two.
Ferris was behind for the majority of the match but made a fighting comeback to level at 19-19, before forcing two consecutive winners to win the match and the championship.
She then teamed up with fellow Swindon-Pinehurst player Becky French for the doubles, and they made a convincing start, beating a seasoned Surrey pairing and making short work of pairs from Hampshire and Berkshire.
In their final game against another Berkshire pair, both players were on excellent form in defence and attack, as they made it hard work for the opposition to get a run of points.
French fended off five consecutive smashes in defence typical of their determination, and after the Berkshire player netted the final shot in frustration, the Wiltshire pair were the winners.
Swindon was also represented in the under 13s events by Henry Prothero, Andrew Jones and Tom Hiller.
All three won matches within their groups and Hiller progressed after finishing top in his group, before he was beaten by the tournament favourite.
In the doubles, Jones and Hiller reached the semi-final before losing 21-19 to the eventual winners.
The Birmingham Bonanza is due to take place on August 8-9 at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham.
Entries are needed by July 13 and can be downloaded from the Badminton England website.
The event is open to under 13s, under 15s, under 17s, adults, over 40s and over 50s in social and league categories.
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