Junior Individual Tournaments Showcase The Next Generation

03/10/22: The first two EFA Junior Individual Tournaments of the season have taken place over the last two weekends, filling the Highgate courts on both occasions.

First up were the U16s with over thirty players from St.Olave's, Ipswich and QEB taking part in the traditional format of a series of matches with players changing partners and opponents each time, all masterminded by Charlotta Cooley. The final pitted an all-Olavian pair against an Olave's/QEB combination and was won by the Olavians.

U13s - Howard Wiseman reports: Forty excited young pupils gathered at the Highgate courts on a beautiful, sunny autumn afternoon to take part in the EFA’s U13s individual tournament.

Highgate, Ipswich, St.Olave’s and Berkhamsted all took part and it was a pleasure to see the standard rise as the afternoon progressed. The Ipswich girls and boys did especially well considering that they were a year-young and very inexperienced (Anastasia was just a couple of points from reaching the final!). Highgate had a number of impressive girls and boys taking part, but in the end, it was four boys - two from each of Berkhamsted and St.Olave’s - who reached the final, after an exciting penalty shootout for the fourth position! Congratulations to Anesu who did so well to be in joint 4th place pre-shootout.

Luke and Will, from St.Olave’s and Berkhamsted respectively, played wonderfully together to finally inch away to a 12-8 win over the similar Olavian/Berko partnership of Aryan and Ben. It was a lovely relaxed afternoon and a joy to see these young Fives players enjoying the game together with; not against, pupils from other schools.

Many thanks to Jack Flowers, Mario Noto and Highgate School for their help in hosting these tournaments,