The 89th Bournemouth Open hosted at the West Hants Tennis Club from the 26th July is one of three Grade 2 events held in the UK and as such attracts the best players from all age group categories.
James Elliott was entered in both the U18’s and U16’s and for both age groups there were in excess of 120 applications/entries. The tournament offered a 64 draw in both age groups, but because of the number of entries the standard to obtain entry was going to be high.
Elliott gained entry to both age groups and was un-seeded in both. Playing surfaces could be anything from clay, acrylic or astro-turf depending on court availability. Because of the total entry numbers between the various age groups (there were in excess of 600 players) all of the courts were being used, so players had no way of knowing which surface would be played until called. Elliott went to the tournament well prepared having trained for a week beforehand in Czechoslovakia on red clay ready to play aggressive attacking tennis, on his favorite surface.
The tournament started on the Monday, first round U18’s. Elliott had drawn another 6.1 rated player David Hill, which produced a comfortable win 6-3, 6-4. Later that day in the U16’s he had been drawn against the number 4 seed David Fox, rated 5.1, 2 levels above Elliott. After 4 hours Elliott won the match 7-5, 4-6, 5-7.
Tuesday started again with a match against the No 4. seed in the U18’s, Gianluca Cocco rated 4.1, four levels above Elliott’s rating. The first set started very tight up to 3 all, until Cocco found the break through against Elliott’s serve and managed to close the first set at 6-3. The second set was even tighter and went to 4-4 with serve and then again found the breakthrough to break Elliott’s serve again. A great match with tactical and aggressive attacking tennis played by both boys, but meant Elliott was now knocked out from this age group.
Elliott’s second round match in the U16’s had drawn Adam Coyne. Elliott lost the first set 6-4, but having got used to the Astroturf stormed back to win 2-6, 1-6.
In the third round Elliott faced George Irwin the No.12 seed who him self had knocked out a number of other seeds prior to this round. Despite Irwin’s higher rating, Elliott closed the match out to win in a fairly straight forward fashion winning 6-3, 6-2 to go through to the quarter finals.
Here Lewis Rosskilly, the number 6 seed had come through the draw. The first set started with both players trying to get a lead to work with, first Elliott going ahead 2-1, then Rosskilly pulling it back to 3-2 and staying ahead to 5-3 serving for the first set. Elliott increased the power and broke back and then took the next 3 games to claim the first set 7-5. In the second set Rosskilly collapsed under the torrent of powerful forehands which rained down from all directions of the court and Elliott took the second set and the match 6-1 and a place into the semi finals.
Jordan Parker had come through to the Semi Finals from the lower part of the draw to play Elliott. Again the first set was tight and Parker managed to take the first set 7-5. In the second set Elliott managed to keep it together from being behind, again his fitness and strength coming to the fore as a weapon and he closed the second set 6-1. A few line calls against Parker in the third set along with further aggressive tennis from Elliott saw the ultimate set go to Elliott 6-0 and a well earned place in the finals.
From the top part of the draw John Thompson the number 3 seed, had won through rated 4.1, four levels above Elliott. The match started well, the scoring going with serve up to 2 all in the first set, then Bennett managed to get a break and stayed ahead to 5-3. A crucial game in the ninth nearly saw Elliott break Bennett’s serve and then could have been serving to equal back to 5 all, but the chance slipped away with some backhand errors to lose the set 6-4. The second set was tighter, but again Bennett was just able to get ahead and closed the final out 6-4 to win the tournament.
None the less a fantastic result for Elliott to be completely un-seeded reaching the finals here gives him National Ranking points which take him to No.1 in the UK for the 1995 age group, No.16 on the U16’s Nationally and now inside the top 100 for the U18s.