Ben Gudzelak from Huddersfield and Andrew Atkinson of Thongsbridge will be aiming to upset the top seed and title holder in this week’s Huddersfield Open.
Sponsored by Fruitypot at Huddersfield Lawn Tennis & Squash Club at Edgerton, the event is now fully in swing with Peter Ashley of Holcombe Brook is defending the Men’s trophy as No1 seed.
Atkinson is in at No2 and Gudzelak at No3, with Liam Earnshaw of Leeds Beckett University completing the leading quartet – all aiming to get to this coming Saturday’s showpiece (10am).
In the women’s singles, Serena Nash and Lidia Burrows (Halifax) are the top two seeds.
The Open Week got under way with the youngest age group, and the host club came up with first and third in the mixed event.
Aodhan Sopala (Huddersfield) beat Sam Chadwick (Northern, Manchester) 10-8 in the final.
In the third-fourth play-off, Huddersfield’s Charlie Westwood, who lost 10-4 to Sopala in the semi-finals, beat Williams Thompson-Herd 11-9 to take third.
Thompson-Herd had lost 10-5 to Chadwick in the main semi-final.
There were 15 entries in the 9 & Under Girls and the winner was Hima Fernando of Manchester, who beat Sophie Marshman 7-4 7-4.
The Boys 9s had a big field, with 18 in qualifying and 16 in the main draw.
Luke Hoyland of Sheffield emerged the winner, beating Will Jepson – son of former Huddersfield Town striker Ronnie Jepson – in the final.
The 18 and Under section gets under way Tuesday and finishes Wednesday, the 12s start on Wednesday and finish the following day, while the 16s are in action on Thursday, with the finals being played on Friday.
The Under 10s start on Friday and finish alongside the main finals on Saturday.
Incidentally, the main finals are in the morning this year because it’s County Week immediately following and many players need to leave early.
