Sutton Coldfield International: Evans and Orfi Take Titles

Welshman Emyr Evans and Egypt’s Amina Orfi secured the titles at the Sutton Coldfield International this week in England.

Evans came into the tournament as the No.3 seed, and was yet to win a title despite having appeared seven finals. However, he changed that this week by claiming his maiden Tour victory at the Sutton Coldfield International.

After receiving a bye through the opening round of action, the Welshman started his campaign in the second round with a four-game victory against England’s Perry Malik, before then getting the better of another Englishman, in No.5 seed Ben Smith. He came from a game down to beat Smith in four games in the last eight.

The semi-finals saw the World No.102 get the better of compatriot Elliott Morris Devred. Evans won the all-Welsh clash in straight games to move through to the final. He took on No.2 seed Simon Herbert in the final on Saturday evening, and he was in control in the contest, winning in four games to claim his maiden Tour title.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s Amina Orfi extended her winning run to ten matches, as she claimed a second successive victory. The 15-year-old claimed her maiden Tour success at the 4th HCL SRFI Indian Tour – Jodhpur Leg at the end of November, and once again, she came into the Challenger 5 level women’s event in Sutton Coldfield unseeded.

However, she was able to come through the field to secure another title. That started with a solid victory over South Africa’s Savannah Ingledew in the opening round, before beating No.5 seed Yasshmita Jadishkumar in straight games to make it into the quarters. There, she got the better of fellow junior Asia Harris, winning in four games.

The young Egyptian then took on compatriot Hana Ismail in the semi-finals, and he took the win in four games to move through to the finale. On Saturday evening, Orfi took on New Zealand’s Kaitlyn Watts, and won in straight games to secure back-to-back wins.

Results: Sutton Coldfield International
Men’s Final
[3] Emyr Evans (WAL) bt [2] Simon Herbert (ENG) 3-1: 11-2, 11-7, 4-11, 11-5 (44m)

Women’s Final
Amina Orfi (EGY) bt [3] Kaitlyn Watts (NZL) 3-0: 11-9, 11-4, 11-3 (34m)

Men’s Semi-Finals
[3] Emyr Evans (WAL) bt [7] Elliott Morris Devred (WAL) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 (48m)
[2] Simon Herbert (ENG) bt Alasdair Prott (SCO) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 (24m)

Women’s Semi-Finals
[3] Kaitlyn Watts (NZL) bt [1] Anna Kimberley (ENG) 3-0: 12-10, 11-9, 11-3 (29m)
Amina Orfi (EGY) bt Hana Ismail (EGY) 3-1: 11-4, 11-5, 8-11, 11-5 (50m)

Men’s Quarter Finals
[7] Elliott Morris Devred (WAL) bt Stuart MacGregor (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 (35m)
[3] Emyr Evans (WAL) bt [5] Ben Smith (ENG) 3-1: 9-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-3 (49m)
Alasdair Prott (SCO) bt [4] James Peach (ENG) 3-2: 14-12, 4-11, 11-5, 4-11, 11-8 (55m)
[2] Simon Herbert (ENG) bt [6] Temwa Chileshe (NZL) 3-2: 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7 (65m)

Women’s Quarter Finals
[1] Anna Kimberley (ENG) bt [7] Emilia Korhonen (FIN) 3-1: 11-8, 10-12, 12-10, 11-6 (40m)
[3] Kaitlyn Watts (NZL) bt [8] Katriona Allen (SCO) 3-2: 11-4, 11-6, 8-11, 8-11, 11-5 (48m)
Amina Orfi (EGY) bt [4] Asia Harris (ENG) 3-1: 11-2, 11-9, 13-15, 11-5 (50m)
Hana Ismail (EGY) bt [2] Alison Thomson (SCO) 3-1: 11-8, 11-3, 8-11, 12-10 (47m)

Men’s Second Round
Stuart MacGregor (ENG) bt [1] Lwamba Chileshe (NZL) 3-1: 11-3, 8-11, 13-11, 11-9 (64m)
[7] Elliott Morris Devred (WAL) bt Finnlay Withington (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 11-7 (36m)
[5] Ben Smith (ENG) bt Conor Moran (IRL) 3-1: 8-11, 12-10, 11-4, 11-9 (45m)
[3] Emyr Evans (WAL) bt Perry Malik (ENG) 3-1: 13-11, 11-8, 12-14, 11-5 (64m)
[4] James Peach (ENG) bt [WC] Will Salter (ENG) 3-1: 10-12, 11-5, 11-2, 11-5 (49m)
Alasdair Prott (SCO) bt [8] Owain Taylor (WAL) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 11-9 (30m)
[6] Temwa Chileshe (NZL) bt Sam Buckley (IRL) 3-1: 11-8, 6-11, 11-3, 11-9 (50m)
[2] Simon Herbert (ENG) bt Sean Conroy (IRL) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 12-10 (31m)

Women’s Second Round
[1] Anna Kimberley (ENG) bt Sofia Aveiro Pita (POR) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-7 (28m)
[7] Emilia Korhonen (FIN) bt Chloe Foster (WAL) 3-0: 11-9, 11-3, 11-4 (22m)
[8] Katriona Allen (SCO) bt Katie Cox (ENG) 3-0: 11-2, 12-10, 11-9 (23m)
[3] Kaitlyn Watts (NZL) bt Polly Clark (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-4, 11-6 (30m)
[4] Asia Harris (ENG) bt Lowri Roberts (WAL) 3-1: 11-6, 11-3, 6-11, 11-3 (32m)
Amina Orfi (EGY) bt [5] Yasshmita Jadishkumar (MAS) 3-0: 11-2, 11-3, 11-6 (25m)
Hana Ismail (EGY) bt [6] Kiera Marshall (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-9, 11-2 (28m)
[2] Alison Thomson (SCO) bt Sanne Veldkamp (NED) 3-0: 11-9, 11-2, 11-2 (27m)

Men’s First Round
Stuart Macgregor (ENG) bt Filip Jarota (POL) 3-0: 11-6, 11-3, 11-2 (37m)
Finnlay Withington (ENG) bt Macéo Levy (FRA) 3-1: 11-8, 10-12, 12-10, 11-7 (50m)
Conor Moran (IRL) bt [WC] Toby Ponting (ENG) 3-1: 11-9, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9 (48m)
Perry Malik (ENG) bt Noah Meredith (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-4, 11-8 (32m)
[WC] Will Salter (ENG) bt Joel Arscott (NZL) 3-1: 10-12, 11-8, 11-2, 11-8 (60m)
Alasdair Prott (SCO) bt Alex Smith (IRL) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-2 (27m)
Sam Buckley (IRL) bt Abdallah Eissa (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-2, 11-9 (36m)
Sean Conroy (IRL) bt Baptiste Bouin (FRA) 3-0: 12-10, 11-3, 11-8 (35m)

Women’s First Round
Sofia Aveiro Pita (POR) bt Meha Shah (EGY) 3-0: 11-3, 11-7, 11-4 (15m)
Chloe Foster (WAL) beat Jasmin Kalar (ENG) 3-1: 11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6 (32m)
Katie Cox (ENG) beat Emily Jones (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-2, 11-2 (21m)
Polly Clark (ENG) beat Amy Royle (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 (20m)
Lowri Roberts (WAL) bt Olivia Besant (ENG): 12-10, 7-11, 9-11, 11-5, 11-6 (42m)
Amina Orfi (EGY) bt Savannah Ingledew (RSA) 3-0: 11-5, 11-5, 11-5 (25m)
Hannah Ismail (EGY) bt [WC] Mariam Eissa (ENG) 3-0: 11-4, 11-2, 11-4 (23m)
Sanne Veldkamp (NED) bt [WC] Rosie Kirsch (ENG) 3-0: 11-2, 11-4, 11-6 (21m)