Number three seeded Kevin Knox was the surprise
winner of the Men’s A final in Sunday’s Well when he beat holder
and number one seed Phil Cullinane 3-1 (9/5;2/9;9/7;9/7).
Knox, from Celtic in Waterford, did things the hard way coming up against
the number two seeded John Hurley in the semi-final and won 3-2. This win
may have been viewed by some as a ‘flash in the pan’ but more
was to follow. In the final the top seeded Cullinane, from Coventry, got
off to the better start but a combination of good retrieving and steady
squash from Knox forced his opponent into errors and the challenger took
the first. When Cullinane took the second game with comparative ease and
then went well ahead in the third game it began to look ominous for Knox.
However, the pattern already shown in the first game was to re-emerge and
against the odds Knox fought back and took that game. The fourth game was
almost a repeat of the third with the holder establishing a commanding lead
only to see it overtaken by Knox’s steadier style and great retrieving
to give him his best result to date and the title for this season.
In the Women’s A there was no surprise when the reigning champion,
Eleanor Lapthorne beat club-mate Clare Jones in
the final for the third successive year.
Results:
Men’s A: Kevin Knox beat Phil Cullinane 3-1.
Men’s B: Ross MacNamara beat Evan Walsh 3-1
Men’s C: David Ronayne beat Donal Coughlan 3-1
Men’s D: Mark Cambridge beat Jim Bruce 3-2
Women’s A: Eleanor Lapthorne beat Clare Jones 3-0
Women’s B: Aoife Breslin beat Marian Slattery 3-0 |
