Getty beats Lau on eve of European adventure

Seeded number two was Norman Lau, the Hong Kong born Ulster U17 champion who is off to Ankara shortly to compete in the European Championships, faced Ryan Getty, the Wallace High School pupil who is equally at home on the hockey pitch as he is on the badminton court and back in January was a winner in the Surrey Under 17 Gold Championships.

It was full of skill, power, prowess and the odd grunt and groan more reminiscent of the world’s tennis courts than the serenity of the badminton courts of Northern Ireland.

Clashes between the pair are never quiet affairs and this was not going to break the mould as Getty took the opening set 23-21.

Lau responded in the only way he knows to take the second 21-14 but with Getty having only got the better of Lau once in the past couple of years, it was he who had the greater motivation to win this clash.

Getty took a two point advantage to lead 16-14 but this time Lau’s response only brought him within a point. The Wallace youngster then extended his lead to three points at 19-16 and Lau was unable to turn his efforts into points as Getty won 21-16 in a semi-final which lasted some 41 minutes.

That booked his place in the final against top seeded McKay, who had progressed through the draw without too much threat until the semi-final when Paul Reynolds gave him something to think about by taking the opening set 21-17. McKay levelled by taking the second by the same score, and won the decider 21-11.

Getty came within reach of taking the opening set of the final but he just couldn’t clinch that vital two point advantage to lose 24-22. The second was to follow a similar format and again Getty could have snatched the set but it was not to be as McKay took it 21-18.

There was further disappointment for the Alpha and Ulster players in the Boys and Mixed Doubles with top seeds Ryan Getty and Norman Lau losing out to Satchel Madden and Paul Reynolds 21-13 17-21 21-13 after having to come through a narrow victory in the semis against Jack O’Brien and Curtis Presho 24-22 21-14.

After knocking out the number two seeds, Satchel Madden and Moya Ryan, in the mixed doubles, Alpha’s Norman Lau and Rebecca Getty were beaten in the final by top seeds Paul Reynolds and Rachael Darragh 21-13 21-13.