THE Paul Brady success trail continues as the Cavan man swept to victory once again in the States, winning the last ProStop event before the Players' Championship in Portland next month. In Salt Lake City, Brady disposed of Sean Lenning in the final of the 2016 Aces Tournament, picking up yet another title and the $5,000 prize-money.
It took three games for Brady to outshoot Number Two seed Lenning, from Shoreline, Washington. He won the first game 15-5, lost the second 15-4 but polished off Lenning 15-5, again, to wrap up yet another title as he concentrates on the WPH R48 Pro Tour in America.
It wasn't all plain sailing in the competition for Brady. He began by defeating qualifier Anthony Selestow (Wisconsin) at 3 and 3 but then ran into a determined Emmett Peixoto in the quarter-finals. Brady overcame a slow start to win the first game 15-10 but fell 11-1 behind in the second. The San Franciscan was in cruise control and looked like forcing a shootout but Brady, visibly annoyed by several time delays, made his opponent suffer by taking 14 of the next 15 points to reach the semi-finals.
Waiting there was old adversary Mondo Ortiz who pulled off the shock of the season when beating the Breffni battler in Houston during February, when Ortiz, having qualified, Brady as his first opponent. Now was the fourth time this season that the pair clashed with Brady 2-1 up and there was to be no repeat victory for Ortiz this time.
Brady stormed into an 8-0 lead in five minutes and, although the Norwalk player took five of the next six points, Brady went one up at 15-10. In Game Two, Ortiz went 7-2 ahead but Brady caught fire again scoring 10 consecutive points to take control and move into the final against Lenning.
Lenning was in the same half of the draw as Boston-based Cork man Killian Carroll but the two didn't meet. Carroll, among the eight automatic seeded players, had a disappointing tournament as he tumbled out in the first round to Vic Perez (Los Angeles), losing in two games at 14 and 3.
Meanwhile, the Irish Junior Nationals, in Galway, produced plenty of excitement and success for Ulster players. In the boys' 19&U grade Johnny Woods defeated Fergal Coughlan (Clare) to polish off his career in juvenile ranks, while his Beragh club colleague Sean Kerr collected the 17&U title. Antoin Fox won the 15&U final, holding off Lorcan McBride in the all-Tyrone decider and Mairead Fox made it a family double by winning the Girls' 13&U title.
RESULTS
Irish Junior National Finals in Galway
Girls
19&Under: Ciana Ni Churraoin (Gal) dft Eilise McCrory (Tyr) 15-2, 15-2; 17&Under: Fiona Tully (Ros) dft Hannah Dagg (Kild) 15-2, 15-7; 15&Under: Leah Doyle (Kild) dft Niamh Hefferan (Gal) 15-8, 15-11; 13&Under: Mairead Fox (Tyr) dft Noelle Dowling (Kilk) 15-10, 15-13; 17&Under B: Laura Finn (Sli) dft Eimear Dunphy (Lao) 15-6, 15-3; 15&Under B: Emily Sheridan-Fox (Mea) dft Karen Collins (Gal) 15-2, 15-5; 13&Under B: Siobhan Prentice (Tip) dft Cailiosa Ni Dhuill (Arm) 13-15, 15-1, 11-6;
Boys
19&Under: Johnny Woods (Tyr) dft Fergal Coughlan (Cla) 15-8, 15-13; 17&Under: Sean Kerr (Tyr) dft Tadhg O’Neill (Cor) 15-9, 15-13; 15&Under: Antoin Fox (Tyr) dft Lorcan McBride (Tyr) 9-15, 15-10, 11-9; 13&Under: Josh Kavanagh (Wex) dft Jack Doyle (Kilk) 15-12, 15-8; 17&Under B: Caolan Smith (Cav) dft Aidan O’Flaherty (Tip) 15-5, 15-13; 15&Under B: Niall Delaney (Cor) dft Anthony O’Connell (Cor) 8-15, 9-15, 11-1; 13&Under B: Darragh Ducey (Cor) dft Tiarnach Doheny (Lao) 15-11, 15-6
