The Fermanagh Open Tennis Tournament sponsored by Flogas and the Manor House Country Hotel reached its climax last Sunday at the Bawnacre Centre in Irvinestown.
There were entries from over 100 players in this popular tournament run by Irvinestown Lawn Tennis Club.
The presentation of prizes took place on Sunday evening and was attended by representatives of the sponsors – Claire Anderson from Manor House Country Hotel and Anthony Mulligan from Flogas. Many of the players had remained for the presentation to show their support for the winners and runners-up.
Mary McCoy, Club Captain thanked the players for participating and paid special thanks to Fermanagh District Council for the use of the courts and to George Beacom and all the staff of the Bawnacre for the way they looked after everyone during the tournament. .
George Stevenson, President of Ulster Branch Tennis Ireland attended and thanked John Maguire, Tournament Director and all the organising committee for their hard work in the run-up and during the tournament.
Tournament Director and Club President John Maguire thanked all the players for coming along, especially those who had travelled some distance. He also paid tribute to the committee including Tournament Referee Pete Keogh and everyone else who assisted – David McDowell, Laura McDowell, Tanya Cathcart, Kate Heaver and Mary McCoy.
The prizes were presented to all the winners and runners-up and as is usual, the winner of the A mens singles, Karl Donaldson from ATT was asked to speak on behalf of all the players.
Karl was playing in his first Fermanagh Open. He was delighted with the welcome received in Irvinestown and paid tribute to all the other players and paid special thanks to Irvinestown Lawn Tennis Club.
It was once again a very successful tournament with a number of local winners. These included Donal Burns from Enniskillen who along with his partner Martin Fryer, City of Derry took the B Men’s Doubles title by beating Innes Redmond and Davy Thompson from Enniskillen. Two other local players were runners-up on the B Ladies Doubles – Andrea Irvine from Irvinestown and Martina Boyd from Enniskillen were narrowly defeated by Lorna Reynolds and Anne McGrath from Letterkenny. The B Mixed Doubles final was contested by an all Enniskillen quartet with Ollie McShea and Martina Boyd coming out on top against John Ross Dundas and Vanessa McBrien. In the C Men’s Doubles, two Irvinestown pairings came head to head with Brendan King and Brendan McGuinness taking the title against Gerry McLoughlin and Steve Beaumont.
Tanya Cathcart and Catherine Taggart from Irvinestown were runner-up in the C Ladies Doubles and there was a runners-up spot for Brendan King and Joanne Daly in the C Mixed Doubles.
The Plate events provided more success for Wendy Eaton and Mary McCoy in the Ladies Doubles and there was double success for the talented Ryan Irvine from Irvinestown who won the B Mens Singles Plate and the B Men’s Doubles with David McDowell.
The longstanding partnership of Donna McSorley and Maggie Britton helped give them victory in the A Ladies Doubles against Louise McGann and Sonja Hateboer from Enniskillen,.
The full list of results are as follows:-
A MENS SINGLES
Karl Donaldson, ATT beat Francis Venzon, Butt Hall 6/3 6/1
A LADIES SINGLES
Winner Kerri Russell, ATT. Runner-up Donna McSorley, Irvinestown
A MENS DOUBLES
John Maguire, Irv, Francis Venzon, Butt Hall beat Matthew McGann, Ronan McKeever, Ekn 7/6 6/7 6/1
A LADIES DOUBLES
Elaine Chambers, Butt Hall, Sophie Murray, Lurgan beat Anne McGrath, Lorna Reynolds 6/3 6/2
A MIXED DOUBLES
Karl Donaldson, Kerri Russell, ATT beat Francis Venzon, Elaine Chambers, Butt Hall 5/7 6/4 6/3
B MENS SINGLES
Steven McDowell, City of Derry beat Clive Funston, Ekn 6/3 4/6 6/3
B LADIES SINGLES
Lauren Stead, Omagh beat Oonagh Colton, Belfast Boat Club 3/6 6/0 7/5
B MENS DOUBLES
Donal Burns, Ekn, Martin Fryer, City of Derry beat Innes Redmond, Davy Thompson, Ekn 6/2 7/5
B LADIES DOUBLES
Lorna Reynolds, Anne McGrath, Letterkenny beat Andrea Irvine, Irv, Martina Boyd, Ekn 7/5 7/5
B MIXED DOUBLES
Ollie McShea, Martina Boyd, Ekn beat John Ross Dundas, Vanessa McBrien 6/3 6/1
C MENS SINGLES
Matthew McAleer, Omagh beat Dylon Funston, Enniskillen 6/3 6/0
C LADIES SINGLES
Winner Colleen McCusker, Irv. Runner-up Kathy Bannigan, Butt Hall
C MENS DOUBLES
Brendan King, Brendan McGuinness, Irv beat Gerry McLoughlin, Steve Beaumont, Irv 7/5 6/1
C LADIES DOUBLES
Susan Faulkner, Tracey Alexander, Butt Hall beat Tanya Cathcart, Catherine Taggart, Irv 6/7 6/1 12/10
C MIXED DOUBLES
Adam McQuaid, Nuala McAleer,Omagh beat Brendan King, Joanne Daly, Irv 6/1 2/6 10/8
PLATE RESULTS
A MENS SINGLES
Marty Garrity, Irv beat Andy Moore, Omagh 9/7
A LADIES DOUBLES
Maggie Britton, Donna McSorley, Irv beat Sonja Hateboer, Louise McGann, Ekn 9/3
B MENS SINGLES
Ryan Irvine, Irvinestown beat Jorn Torstein Bjerknes 9/4
B LADIES SINGLES
Mary Coney, Omagh beat Colleen McCusker, Irv 9/7
B MENS DOUBLES
David McDowell, Ryan Irvine, Irv beat Jorn Torstein Bjerknes, Ronald Weisz 9/4
B LADIES DOUBLES
Veronica Hawkes, Linda Maguire, Omagh beat Mary Coney, Maeve Coney, Omagh 9/8
B MIXED DOUBLES
Jimmy McCutcheon, Omagh, Oonagh Colton, Belfast Boat Club beat Martin Fryer, Jemma McGlinchey, City of Derry 9/6
C MENS SINGLES
Steve Beaumont, Irv beat Tony Ringland, Ekn 9/5
C LADIES DOUBLES
Mary McCoy, Wendy Eaton, Irv beat Ita Bonner, Pauline McAleer 9/7
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