Warrenpoint Tennis Club Open Tournament serves up a Singles treat

​The sun smiled on Warrenpoint courts for the final day of the 2024 Warrenpoint Open Tournament. Players in the finals represented Lisburn, Rostrevor, Newry, Banbridge, Carlingford, Dundalk and Warrenpoint.

Men’s singles

There had been shock defeats in the semi-finals with the number 1 and 2 seeds (Shane McAteer and Justin Philpott) losing in the third set champion tiebreak. Shane has won the title seven times previously. Tim Smith has won the title in the past but in recent years had seemed to lose his desire for competitive tennis, but it was Tim who came out tops in their semi-final after the first two sets were shared and he pipped it 12-10 in a third set tie-break. There was also the Justin Philpott/Ben Laverty show-down with again the first two sets shared and Laverty winning a third set champions tiebreak 10-8..

The day started off with a thrilling match between the number 3 and 4 seeds with possibly a new champion on the cards. Ben Laverty started well wining the first set 6-3 and it looked that he was set to win the second set but Tim began to find his form and pushed the set to 6-6 and a tiebreak which gave him the second set. Only in the Finals of the competition is a full third set played and Ben perhaps had the edge with regard to fitness taking the third set 6-2. There has not been a men’s singles champion from Warrenpoint since 1995. Lo and behold the title that year was won by Derek Laverty. The Father triumphant perhaps before Ben was even born.

Milltown Shield

Players who are knocked out in the second round of the tournament are invited to play in the Milltown Shield. In the final of this we had Piers Carty from Lisburn beat Sean Gibney 6-2, 6-2.

Men’s Plate Singles

Colm Kernan (Rostrevor) played Conor McEnhill (Newry) in the longest match of the day. Colm won the first set but Conor came from behind and took the second. The third ended with the win for Conor at 6-2.

Ladies Doubles

Fresh from their final in the Louth Open were Jill Steeples and Sinead Mulligan this time paired together rather than on opposite sides of the net against number 3 seeds and current champions Alison Dunne and Deirdre Dinsmore for Warrenpoint. But on this occasion the number one seeds from Dundalk proved too strong with a victory of 6-3, 6-2.

Ladies Doubles Plate

It was Dundalk versus Warrenpoint also in the Plate match with Neasa and Deirdre Lyons competing against Molly Grant and Derval Campbell from Warrenpoint. In a match that was tighter than the score might reflect Warrenpoint won the day 6-3, 6-2.

Mixed Doubles

There was a strong field in the Mixed Doubles and in the first round of the tournament the first shock was the tumbling of the number 4 seeds Alison Dunne and Derek Laverty. New pairing Natalie Murphy/Sean Pearce from Newry lost the first set 6-0 but brought the second set to a tiebreak which they won. Third set was decided by a champions tiebreak which went 10-8 to the Newry pair.

In the second round they also defeated the number 6 seeds of Conrad Madden/Sarah Myers again wining the match in a third set champions tiebreak. Would Newry’s secret weapon take out another seeded pair in the form of recent Newry Joint winners James O’Hare/Eimear Downey? It seems their run of luck was over with James and Eimear taking the match 6-3, 6-1.

It wasn’t until the semi-final that the number one seeds of Catriona Ruanne and Giby Vettiankal faced serious competition in the form of number 3 seeds Ben Laverty/Deirdre Dinsmore. The first set wen to Ben and Deirdre 6-4, Giby and Catriona took the second set 6-2 and a quite nervy champions tie break looked like going in favour of the Warrenpoint duo but fate would have it otherwise and after missing a smash which would have set up match point for Ben and Dee the deal was sealed for Catriona and Giby at 10-8.

The final was a much less contentious event with Catriona and Giby rekindling their past glory and conceding few unforced errors to win over James and Eimear.

Mixed Doubles Plate

The final event of the day was the displaced number 2 seeds Derek Laverty and Alison Dunne playing Sean Gibney with Margaret O’Hare. The experienced pair Alison and Dunne proved too strong for Margaret and Sean with the final score of 6/2, 6/4.

RESULTS

Men’s Singles

Ben Laverty beat Tim Smith 6-3, 6-7, 6-2

Ladies Singles

Catriona Ruanne beat Sarah Myers 6-3, 6-3

Men’s Doubles

Giby Vettiankal/ Justin Philpott beat Ben Laverty/Rory McGeown 7-6, 7-5

Ladies Doubles

Jill Steeples/Sinead Mulligan beat Alison Dunne/Deirdre Dinsmore 6-3, 6-2

Mixed Doubles

Catriona Ruanne/Giby Vettiankal beat Eimear Downey/James O’Hare 6-4, 6-4

Milltown Shield

Piers Carty beat Sean Gibney 6-2, 6-2

Ladies Singles Plate

Megane Wood beat Beth McAvoy 6-1, 6-4

Men’s Singles Plate

Conor McEnhill beat Colm Kernan 4-6, 7-5, 6-2

Ladies Doubles Plate

Molly Grant/Derval Campbell beat Neasa and Deirdre Lyons 6-3, 6-2

Men’s Doubles Plate

Sean Gibney/Cormac Cole beat Colm Kernan/Phill Jeffries 6-3, 7-5

Mixed Doubles Plate

Derek Laverty/Alison Dunne beat Margaret O’Hare/Sean Gibney 6-2,6-4