Lau lifts Ulster double at the Under 17 championships

Alpha’s Norman Lau, who has set his sights on a place in the Northern Ireland squad for the Commonwealth Games next year, did his hopes no harm at all with a double haul of titles in the Ulster Under 17 Championships In Lisburn.
Norman Lau on his way to two titles at Ulster Under 17 Championships.Norman Lau on his way to two titles at Ulster Under 17 Championships.
Norman Lau on his way to two titles at Ulster Under 17 Championships.

The 16-year-old top seed came close to dropping the opening set of his second round clash with Paul Reynolds but came through 22-20 21-12 to book his place in the quarter-finals and was rarely tested after that beating Sam McKay in the semi final, McKay having had to stave off the challenge of another Alpha youngster Curtis Presho 21-19 21-17.

No2 seed Ryan Getty had a titanic 52 minute quarter-final win over Nhat Nguyen before coming through to face his Alpha clubmate Matthew Lightbody in the semi-final. The Wallace player kept his cool at crucial points in the final set to book his place in the semi-final 21-18.

There was an equally keen contest when the Lightbody brothers Matthew and Ross faced each other for a place in the semi-final and on this occasion it was 14 year old Matthew who took the honours despite suffering from a shoulder injury over the past few weeks.

They were to team up again in the boys doubles as No2 seeds and they needed to put aside that singles clash as they were taken to three sets by Sam McKay and Nhat Nguyen. They booked their place in the final against the top seeds Norman Lau and Ryan Getty.

The final was a close affair with both Lau and Getty having been taken to three sets in their semis and another three-setter was always on the cards.

It was Getty, the No2 seed, who had established an early 11-6 lead who took the opening set 21-11. Lau came back in the second and there was nothing to separate the pair right up to the latter stages and Lau took the match into the deciding set.

The third set saw Lau race to a significant lead and he had simply too much variety in his play to secure the coveted Ulster title 21-13.

Getty and Lau teamed up to lift the doubles title and were not surprisingly to be locked in a three-setter against Matthew and Ross Lightbody.

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