North Harbour Player Dominates Finals
Wednesday 8 June 2011, 3:56PM
By Dave Worsley
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North Harbour’s Anona Pak is the dominate force in junior badminton in New Zealand after winning all three available titles at the national under-19 championships in Dunedin today.
Anona, 18 who is a member of the New Zealand junior team won all of her titles in straight games including the coveted singles final where she beat Auckland’s Victoria Cheng 21-15 21-10. In the women’s doubles Pak combined with Madeleine Stapleton(Waikato) to account for Cheng and fellow Aucklander Carmen Yuen in straight games. The mixed doubles final saw Pak and Maika Phillips(North Harbour) win 21-12 21-16 over Canterbury’s Asher Richardson and Stapleton.
Richardson left the tournament with one title. The lanky 18-year-old Cantab won the men’s singles with an easier than expected victory over Samuel Ho, 17 from Auckland 21-7 21-8.
The men’s doubles had the team of Ho and Riga Oud(Auckland) win the only three-game final of the day as they beat Wellington’s Te Ao Kura Ormsby and Phillips 6-21 21-13 21-16. The victory by Ho and Oud gave Auckland it’s only title despite the province winning the overall team event earlier in the week.
All players will now take part in the Counties Manukau International Futures tournament in just over a weeks time.
Badminton - under 19 national championships, Dunedin.
Results:
Men’s singles semifinals:
Asher Richardson(Canterbury) bt Riga Oud(Auckland) 21-15 21-16, Sam Ho(Auckland) bt Evan Lee(Nth Harobur) 16-21 21-11 21-15
Final:
Richardson bt Ho 21-8 21-7.
Women’s singles semifinals:
Victoria Cheng(Auckland) bt Madeleine Stapleton(Waikato) 21-14 21-12 , Anona Pak(Nth Harbour) bt Carmen Yuen(Auckland) 21-14 21-15.
Final:
Pak bt Cheng 21-15 21-10
Mixed doubles semifinals:
Maika Phillips/Anona Pak(Nth Harbour) bt Evan Lee(Nth Harbour)/Victoria Cheng(Auckland) 21-15 16-21 21-13, Asher Richardson(Canterbury)/
Final: Phillips/Pak bt Richardson/Stapleton 21-16 21-12 Men’s doubles semifinals: Te Ao Kura Ormsby(Wellington)/Maika Phillips(Nth Harbour) bt, Howard Chou/Shane Masinipeni(Auckland) 21-14 21-12, Sam Ho/Riga Oud(Auckland) bt James Swan(Otago)/Joseph Timms(Marlborough) 22-20 21-14 Final: Ho/Oud bt Ormsby/Phillips 16-21 21-13 21-16 Women’s doubles semifinals: Anona Pak(Nth Harbour)/Madeleine Stapleton(Waikato) bt Helen Cunningham/Rayna Phillips(Nth Harbour) 21-9 21-15, Victoria Cheng/Carmen Yuen(Auckland) bt Felicity Leydon-Davis(Waikato)/Maria Masinipeni(Auckland) 21-8 19-21 21-17 Final: Pak/Stapleton bt Cheng/Yuen 21-10 21-18. 1. Starting at 10:00 AM - 21-16 21-12 0:29 2. Followed by - 21-15 21-17 0:27 3. Followed by - 21-15 21-10 0:34 4. Followed by - 21-8 21-7 0:16 5. Followed by - 21-10 21-18 0:12 6. Followed by -