The annual Fermanagh Open Tennis Tournament sponsored by Flogas and Manor House Country Hotel started at the weekend in perfect weather conditions. Play continues all week with the finals looming at the same time as those in Wimbledon. The Pavilion at the Bawnacre Centre saw players from a number of clubs from Sligo to Cavan, Omagh, Butt Hall, Enniskillen and Irvinestown. Next weekend will see competitors travelling from further afield – City of Derry and Belfast.

A number of C Mens Singles matches have already been decided with Irvinestown player Gerry McLoughlin going through to the next round after defeating Dean Connaghan from Donegal 6-1, 6-1. Liam Murphy, also from Irvinestown, also won through to the next round beating Chris Noble 6-2, 6-4. The No. 1 seed Matthew McAleer from Omagh is now in the semi final against Gerard Duddy also from Omagh however, the No. 2 seed, Brendan King from Irvinestown lost out to Joe Grimes from Cavan in a close three set match. There were convincing wins for the Irvinestown pairings of Brendan King and Brendan McGuinness as well as Steve Beaumont and Gerry McLoughlin in the C Men’s doubles. In the C Ladies Doubles, the Irvinestown pairing of Chloe Cathcart and Karen Johnston playing in their first Open Tournament together had a great win against Pauline McAteer and Ita Bonner from Omagh 3-6, 6-4, 10-8. The other Irvinestown pairing of Mary McCoy and Wendy Eaton lost narrowly to Enniskillen’s Enid Redmond and Maxine Leary going down 12-10 in the final set. In the C Mixed event, Alan Cadden from Irvinestown, playing in his first open tournament, was paired with fellow member Wendy Eaton and are through to the next round. Two of the latest matches on Monday night were both three setters with Steve Beaumont and Catherine Taggart from Irvinestown winning through against Tony Ringland and Anne Mooney from Enniskillen. The Omagh father and daughter partnership of Kenny and Eva Hicks won a great late night match which went to three sets against Gerry McLoughlin and Tanya Cathcart from Irvinestown.

The No. 1 Seed in the B Mens Singles, Alan Caheny from Sligo got off to a great start with a win over Matthew McAleer from Omagh 6/4 6/2 and will meet Daire Dillon from Enniskillen in the semi-final. There was an exciting tussle between Donal Burns from Enniskillen against the talented Ryan Irvine from Irvinestown who fought back in the second set although Donal triumphed 6-3, 7-5. The No. 3 seed Stephen McDowell, City of Derry, beat Conor McShea and meets Omagh’s Noel Jackson in the quarter-final.

In the B Mixed Doubles, the strong partnership of Clive Funston, Enniskillen, and Andrea Irvine, Irvinestown overcome Geoff and Veronica Hawkes from Omagh 6-3, 6-2. The strong partnership of Ollie McShea and Martina Boyd from Enniskillen progressed to the semi final after beating Pete Keogh and Maggie Britton from Irvinestown 6-4, 6-1. In the A Mens Singles, most of the seeded players recorded victories to progress further in the tournament. The A Mixed event saw Matthew McGann and Sonja Hateboer from Enniskillen beat Marty Garrity, Irvinestown, and Louise Johnston, Cavan, in a three set match and will face the No. 1 seeds in the next round Francis Venzon and Elaine Chambers from Butt Hall.

Play will continue all week with all players and spectators being well looked after by George Beacom and the staff of the Bawnacre. Thanks must go to Fermanagh District Council for all the assistance it receives to make it possible to run the tournament so successfully.

C MENS SINGLES Joe Grimes, Cavan beat James Roche, Omagh 6-3 6-3 Gerry McLoughlin, Irv beat Dean Connaghan, 6-1 6-1 Gerard Duddy, Omagh beat Tony Ringland, Enniskillen 6-3 6-0 Kenny Hicks, Omagh beat Steve Beaumont, Irv 7-6 6-2 Liam Murphy, Irv beat Chris Noble 6-2 6-4 Matthew McAleer, Omagh beat Liam Murphy, Irv 6-0 6-1 Dylon Funston, Ekn beat Kenny Hicks, Omagh 6-4 4-6 10-8 Joe Grimes, Cavan beat Brendan King, Irv 7-5 4-6 10-4 C MENS DOUBLES Brendan King, Brendan McGuinness, Irv beat Nick Meeke, Tony Ringland, Ekn 6-2 6-0 Steve Beaumont, Gerry McLoughlin, Irv beat Lewis McElroy, John Sheridan, Irv 6-2 6-1 Brendan King, Brendan McGuinness, Irv beat Phillip McArdle, Kenny Hicks, Omagh 6-2 6-4 C LADIES DOUBLES Chloe Cathcart, Karen Johnston, Irv beat Pauline McAleer, Ita Bonner, Omagh 3-6 6-4 10-8 Maxine Leary, Enid Redmond, Ekn beat Wendy Eaton, Mary McCoy, Irv 6-2 5-7 12-10 C MIXED DOUBLES Alan Cadden, Wendy Eaton, Irv beat Dean Conaghan, Michelle McTeague 6-2 6-0 Kenny Hicks, Eva Hicks, Omagh beat Gerry McLoughlin, Tanya Cathcart, Irv 4-6 6-2 10-8 Arnold, Elvira Custodio, Letterkenny beat Joe Grimes, Cavan, Gillian Porter, Butt Hall 6-1 6-1 Andrew Elliott, Maxine Leary, Ekn beat Brendan McGuinness, Kate Heaver, Irv 6-0 6-4 B MENS SINGLES Alan Caheny, Sligo beat Matthew McAleer, Omagh 6-4 6-2 Donal Burns, Ekn beat Ryan Irvine, Irvinestown 6-3 7-5 Noel Jackson, Omagh beat Dermot Dolan, Sligo 6-4 6-3 Daire Dillon, Ekn beat Jorn Bjerknes, 6-0 6-1 Robert Thompson, Butt Hall beat Gerard Duddy, Omagh 6-1 7-6 B MENS DOUBLES John Ross Dundas, Ekn, Noel Jackson, Omagh beat Jorn Bjerknes, Ronald Weisz 6-4 6-2 Roger Howe, Ollie McShea, Ekn beat Gerard Duddy, Matthew McAleer, Omagh 6-2 6-1 Dominic Burns, Clive Funston, Ekn beat Arnold Custodio, Henry Venzon, Butt Hall 6-4 7-6 Conor McShea, Sean Dillon, Enniskillen beat Paul Cassidy, Pete Keogh, Irv 6-3 7-6 B LADIES DOUBLES Joanne Daly, Kathleen Maguire, Irv beat Veronica Hawkes, Linda Maguire, Omagh 6-3 7-6 B MIXED DOUBLES Clive Funston, Ekn, Andrea Irvine, Irv beat Geoff & Veronica Hawkes, Omagh 6-3 6-2 Ollie McShea, Martina Boyd, Enniskillen beat Davy Thompson, Ekn, Kirsty Murray, Irv 6-3 6-1 Ollie McShea, Martina Boyd, Enniskillen beat Pete Keogh, Maggie Britton, Irv 6-4 6-1 David McDowell, Joanne Daly, Irv beat Donal Burns, Ekn, Maeve Coney, Omagh 7-5 6-1 A MENS SINGLES Ronan McKeever, Enniskillen beat Shaun Bannigan, Butt Hall 6-1 6-4 Jared Monaghan, Ekn beat Martin Garrity, Ir 4-6 7-5 6-2 Matthew McGann, Ekn beat Chris Neill Smith, ATT 6-3 6-3 Karl Donaldson, ATT beat Daire Dillon, Ekn 6-0 6-0 A LADIES SINGLES Kerri Russell, ATT beat Louise McGann, Ekn 6-1 6-0 A MENS DOUBLES Paul Bannigan, Butt Hall, Jared Monaghan, Ekn beat Paul Crilly, Irv, Robert Thompson, 5-7 6-1 6-1 Matthew McGann, Ronan McKeever, Ekn beat Shaun Bannigan, Chris Neill Smith 6-4 6-2 A MIXED DOUBLES Matthew McGann, Sonja Hateboer, Ekn beat Marty Garrity, Irv, Louise Johnston, Cavan 6-1 2-6 6-1