THE cream floated to the top in the All-Ireland 40x20 Singles Championships at Kingscourt with holders and regular challengers getting to the men’s and women’s finals at the same venue on the weekend of March 19 and 20.
World champion Aisling Reilly, despite not been in serious competitive action recently, was on top form against recently crowned US Collegiate champion Ciana Ní Churraoin, who has had a busy time since jetting home from Minnesota. The UL undergraduate had to play her quarter-final last Wednesday.
The Belfast girl is aiming for a hat-trick of All-Ireland titles and raced to a 21-1 win in the first game and then polished off Ní Churraoin 21-7, second time on court.
The scene is now set for another battle between the top two female players in the world as Catriona Casey overcame the challenge of Limerick’s Martina McMahon in the other semi, but with a little more difficulty than Reilly had in reaching the final. The Leesider was made to fight for every point as McMahon started brightly with her usual attacking style, which caused Casey some problems.
However, Casey, who heads to New York this week for the Burt Kessoff Invitational and ProStop No 5 event, steadied the ship to win 21-15. She then booked her place in the final against arch-rival Reilly with a 21-12 victory in the second game.
The men’s title was the reserve of Paul Brady for many years as he won the crown 10 times in 11 seasons from 2003. He didn’t defend the honours last season, when Robbie McCarthy defeated Charly Shanks in an absorbing three-game final.
McCarthy stayed on course for a three-in-a-row with a semi-final defeat of Limerick lad CJ Fitzpatrick, at 16 and 11.
It looked as if a shock might be on the way in the other semi-final, when Martin Mulkerrins beat Charly Shanks 21-7 in their first game, looking faster around the court.
However, the experience of Shanks shone through and he forced a shoot-out with a 21-12 second game result.
