Latest update January 20th, 2025 4:00 AM
Resaul takes Boys Under-18 title in Bakewell Junior Open revenge, Kalekyezi cops U-14s
Talented 14 year old Heimraj Resaul pulled off a significant win against 
15 year old Mark McDonald to grab his first Boys Under-18 title of the Bakewell Junior Open tournament. Last year, it was McDonald who took the 18s title after losing to Resaul in the 14s. The match, which was run off over two days at the GBTI tennis courts started on Wednesday with both players seemed tentative as they played safe tennis to the detriment of holding their service games up until Resaul held for the first time at 3-2 to go up 4-2.
At this time McDonald also held his serve and broke Resaul to even the set at 4-4. However, McDonald still played defensively and Resaul broke to go up 5-4 and then held serve to take the set at 6-4. In the second set McDonald seemed rejuvenated and anxious to turn the tide and he demonstrated this by holding his first service game to go up 1-0. Resaul too was also able to up his tempo and both players held serve until McDonald raced away to a 4-1 lead. Resaul then won 3 straight games to even at 4-4 with some great passing shots as McDonald became overconfident, frequently approaching the net. McDonald then regrouped and both players again held their service games to take it to 6-6 and force the third set super tie-breaker.
At the start of the third set on Thursday, both players showed a high level of confidence and the standard of play dictated trading points neck and neck until Resaul edged up 7-6 amidst a lot of fist pumps. This clearly threw off McDonald who once again slipped into his defensive mode and gave Resaul the next three points to prevail 6-4, 6/7 (7/2) 10/6.
In the Boys Under-14, the Ugandan Joshua Kalekyezi was visibly elated as he defeated Viraj Sharma 5-3, 4-2 to take the coveted title. Both players had tough semifinals but it was clear that Kalekyezi’s defeat of former champion Jordan Beaton in the semis boosted his confidence enough to hold off Sharma who too has shown tremendous improvement in their techniques over the last year.
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