La Sportheque hosted the 2017 Quebec Junior Open Championships, for the fourth time in the last 5 years. Forty four players competed in nine championship events, with 25% playing in more than one age group.
Defending champion, Dominic Wren, held off Tommy Scott, 16-14 in the final game, to retain his BU19 title, while Gabrielle Renaud (OAC) defeated clubmate, Catherine Giachino, for the GU 19-17 title. In other matches, Charles De La Riva of the Sudbury YMCA took the BU 17 title over Barrett Aass of the OAC. Both players made creditable appearances in the BU 19 event. Karim Michael and his sister, Yassmine, won the BU 15 and GU 11 titles respectively, with Max Shewchenko (OAC) taking a game off Karim. In the BU 13 Hugo Beaudet of Montreal upset top seed Robert De La Riva 12-10 in the 5th, but succumbed to Maxime Boileau in the final. In a family affair, De La Riva beat his cousin Benoit Salmon, for 3rd spot in this event, while Benoit later took the BU 11 crown.
Keeping the most notable achievement for last, Iman Shaheen of Barrhaven, who turns 12 this month, played in three events winning the GU 13 and GU 15 easily, and losing to Catherine Giachono in a semi-final of the GU 19-17, after having won a 5-setter over Lauren Ashikian, a strong competitor, newly arrived at the University of Ottawa, from Vancouver.
In an amusing exhibition match, Lucas Serme (world No. 46) of France was too fast for David Baillargeon (World No. 132) of Montreal, and won 3-0. Afterwards the two pros played with some of the juniors, and answered questions from the audience.
Full Results:
Boys
U19
- Dominic Wren (Sportheque)
- Tommy Scott (Physical Park, Montreal)
- Mateo Buitrago (Sportheque)
- Barrett Aass (OAC)
U17
- Charles De La Riva (YMCA Sudbury)
- Barrett Aass (OAC)
- Karim Michael (Sanctuaire, Montreal)
- Jacob Zachariah (Barrhaven)
U15
- Karim Michael (Sanctuaire, Montreal)
- Max Shewchenko (OAC)
- Romain Salmon (Sportheque)
- Mathieu Shillington (OAC)
U13
- Maxime Boileau (Club Sportif MAA, Montreal)
- Hugo Beaudet (Sanctuaire, Montreal)
- Robert De La Riva (YMCA Sudbury)
- Benoit Salmon (Sportheque)
U11
- Benoit Salmon (Sportheque)
- Jack Willner (Granite Club, Toronto)
- Frederik Bemeur-Thorson (Sportheque)
- Shea Kennedy (Orleans)
Girls
U19-U17
- Gabrielle Renaud (OAC)
- Catherine Giachino (OAC)
- Jasmine Boucley (Club Sportif MAA, Montreal)
- Iman Shaheen (Barrhaven)
U15
- Iman Shaheen (Barrhaven)
- Ariel McCuaig (Urban Squash, Toronto)
- Isabelle Bussieres (Physical Park, Montreal)
- Joelle Vega (Physical Park, Montreal)
U13
- Iman Shaheen (Barrhaven)
- Lea Jeanne Laflamme (Sportheque)
- Rachel Zachariah (Barrhaven)
U11
- Yassmine Michael (Sanctuaire, Montreal)
- Emilie Wallace (RA Centre)