The Fermanagh Open Tennis Tournament sponsored by Manor House Country Hotel and Flogas has a record entry this year. Play started a day earlier last Saturday which allowed a number of matches to be played and this will hopefully alleviate the pressure on the courts during the week. Players from as far afield as City of Derry, Letterkenny, Sligo, Cavan and Butt Hall as well as the local clubs Enniskillen and Omagh started play in mixed weather conditions which proved challenging for the players. However, the enthusiasm and competitive spirit was just as evident in Irvinestown as on the courts at Wimbledon.

The third day of play opened with the No 1 seed in the B Ladies' singles, Frances Taggart from Irvinestown beating Sharon Curran from Sligo 6/1 6/2. Other B Ladies included Rachel Logan from Omagh overcoming Sally Ann McFadden from Butt Hall 6/2 6/1. However another Omagh player, Veronica Hawkes was beaten by Moyah Gallagher from Butt Hall. The tournament also attracted players from Cavan when Bernice Sharkey took on Maeve Coney from Omagh with Maeve winning in straight sets.

Most of the other play was taken up with double matches. Father and son pairing Stephen and Ryan Cuthbertson lost to Mathew McGann and Jared Monaghan from Enniskillen in the A Men's Doubles. In the B Mixed Irvinestown pairing of Pete Keogh and Maggie Britton beat Henry Venzon and Julie Griffiths from Butt Hall 6/3 6/3. Also in the Mixed Noel Jackson and Linda Stewart from Omagh had a three set tussle between David McDowell, Irv and Gwen Scott from Cavan 6/4 3/6 10/3. The No 1 seeds in the B ladies doubles are Mary Cuthbertson and Jenny Nelson who progress to the next round with a win over Moyah Gallagher and Sally Ann McFadden 6/1 6/4.

In the C Mixed Doubles event, the No 3 seeds James Meade and Tanya Cathcart, Irv came through their match which was much tougher in the second set with a result of 6/0 7/5. There was another win in that event for Gerry McLaughlin and Wendy Eaton from Irvinestown against Conall Campbell Sweeney and Anne Taylor from Butt Hall 6/4 6/2. In the C Ladies doubles, Kate Heaver and Andrea Irvine from Irvinestown are on good form and won against Josie Boyle and Sandra Parker from Enniskillen 6/1 6/4. The last three matches on court on Tuesday evening were played in atrocious conditions and congratulations to all who kept on playing as the rain poured down. In the C Mixed, the No 1 seeds Mitchell Patterson and Gillian Porter from Omagh beat John Sheridan and Kate Heaver from Irvinestown 6/2 6/0. The penultimate match saw the No 1 seeds in the A Ladies Doubles Maggie Britton, Irv and Donna McSorley from Omagh defeat the Enniskillen pairing of Sonja Hateboer and Brenda Davies from Enniskillen 6/4 6/1.

The last match off the court was Chloe Cathcart and Karen Johnston from Irvinestown, making their debut playing in their first tournament together. They took the Omagh pairing of Ursula Weber and Bried McGirr to three sets, losing the first in a tie break before winning the second 7/5 and then losing the Championship tiebreak 10/4.

Play continues all week with finals day on Sunday when the presentations will be made by the sponsors Manor House Country Hotel and Flogas. Thanks must go to George Beacom and all the staff of the Bawnacre for all their help and assistance during the tournament and to Fermanagh District Council for the free use of the courts.

RESULTS TO DATE Day 1 A Ladies' Singles Frances Taggart, Irv beat Hannah Cousins, Ekn 6/1 6/4 B Men's Singles Stephen King, Cavehill beat Freddie Lusson, Butt Hall 6/1 6/0 Noel Jackson, Omagh beat Allister McClurg, Ekn 6/3 6/3 Jack Meegan, Omagh beat James Meade, Irv 6/3 6/4 Gary Martin, Omagh beat Jorn Torstein Bjerknes, Ballinamore 7/5 6/1 Paul Crilly, Ekn beat Jack Meegan, Omagh 4/6 7/6 rtd Clive Funston, Ekn beat Stephen King, Cavehill 6/4 2/6 6/4 Noel Jackson, Omagh beat Michael McDaid, Butt Hall 6/1 6/2 B Ladies' Singles Sharon Curran, Sligo beat Eibhlin Largy, Omagh 6/3 4/6 6/4 B Men's Doubles David McDowell, Irv, Edwin Johnston, Omagh beat Freddie Lusson, Michael McDaid, Butt Hall 2/6 7/6 10/4 C Mens Singles John Ross Dundas, Ekn beat Oscar Whaley, Irv 6/0 6/0 Glen Phair, Lisnaskea beat Lewis McElroy, Irv 7/5 6/1 C Men's Doubles Jorn Torstein Bjerknes, Ballinamore, Stephen King, Cavehill beat Lewis McElroy, Kevin McGuinness, Irv 6/1 6/0 David Lowe, Oscar Whaley, Irv beat Glen Phair, John Sheridan, Irv 4/6 6/4 10/7 C Mixed David Lowe, Sandra McElroy, Irv beat Brian McSorley, Marie Therese McSorley, Omagh 6/1 6/0 Ollie McShea, Sandra Parker, Ekn beat Lewis McElroy, Cora Meade, Irv 6/1 7/5 Day 2 Results A Mixed Matthew McGann & Hannah Cousins, Enk, beat Maggie Britton & Martin Garrity, Irv, 6/0 6/2 A Ladies' singles Sophie Murray, Lurgan beat Sonja Hateboer, Enk, 4/6 6/2 6/3 A Ladies' Doubles Karen Campbell, City of Derry, Elaine Chambers, Butt Hall beat Sophie Murray, Lurgan, Frances Taggart, Irv 6/2 4/6 6/0 B Ladies' doubles Joanne Daly & Kathleen Maguire Irv, beat Christine Johnston, Omagh & Moira McAdam, Enk, 7/5 6/3 Rachel Logan, Linda Stewart, Omagh beat Brenda Davis, Emily Donaldson, Ekn 6/2 6/1 B Men's Doubles Jimmy McCutcheon, Omagh & Allistair McClurg, Ekn beat James Wilson and Matthew Duffy, Ekn 6/0/6/1 Pete Keogh, Irv, Innes Redmond, Ekn beat Stephen Coulter, Adam McQuade, Omagh 6/2 7/6 B Mixed Donal Burns, Emily Donaldson, Ekn beat Edwin & Christine Johnston, Omagh 4/6 7/5 10/7 C Men's singles Adam McQuade, Omagh beat David Lowe, Irv 6/2 6/2 C Ladies singles Andrea Irvine Irv, beat Kirsty Murray, Butt Hall 6/0 6/0 Maeve Coney Omagh beat Cora Meade Irv, 6/4 6/2 C Ladies' Doubles Wendy Eaton & Cora Meade Irv, beat Maxine Leary & Enid Redmond Enk, 7/5 3/6 10/4 Kirsty Murray & Gillian Porter, Butt Hall beat Ann Buchanan, Ekn & Sharon Harper, Omagh 6/0 6/2 Kate Heaver, Andrea Irvine, Irv beat Ita Bonner, Pauline McAleer, Omagh 6/3 6/3 C Mixed Clive Bruce, Lisa Greaves, Ekn beat Alex MElroy, Chloe Cathcart, Irv 6/1 6/4 John Sheridan, Kate Heaver, Irv beat Andy Elliott, Nadine Stewart, Ekn 6/1 6/0 Day 3 Results A Men's Doubles Matthew McGann, Jared Monaghan, Ekn beat Stephen & Ryan Cuthbertson, Omagh 6/3 6/2 A Ladies' Doubles Maggie Britton, Irv, Donna McSorley, Omagh beat Brenda Davies, Sonja Hateboer, Ekn 6/4 6/1 B Ladies' Singles Frances Taggart, Omagh beat Sharon Curran, Sligo 6/1 6/2 Rachel Logan, Omagh beat Sally Ann McFaddan, Butt Hall 6/2 6/1 Moyah Gallagher, Butt Hall beat Veronica Hawkes, Omagh 6/2 6/3 Maeve Coney, Omagh beat Bernice Sharkey, Cavan 6/3 6/0 B Ladies' Doubles Mary Cuthbertson, Jenny Nelson, Omagh beat Moyah Gallagher, Sally Ann McFadden, Butt Hall 6/1 6/4 Gwen Scott, Bernice Sharkey, Cavan beat Julie Griffiths, Gillian Porter, Butt Hall 6/2 6/3 B Mixed Shaun Bannigan, Kimberly Porter, Butt Hall beat Brendan McGuinness, Irv, Sharon Curran, Sligo 6/0 6/1 Pete Keogh, Maggie Britton, Irv beat Henry Venzon, Julie Griffiths, Butt Hall 6/3 6/3 Noel Jackson, Linda Stewart, Omagh beat David McDowell, Irv, Gwen Scott, Cavan 6/4 3/6 10/3 C Men's Singles Conall Campbell Sweeney, Butt Hall beat Jack Mitchell, Omagh 6/2 6/4 C Ladies' Doubles Kate Heaver, Andrea Irvine, Irv beat Josie Boyle, Sandra Parker, Ekn 6/1 6/4 Bried McGirr, Ursula Weber, Omagh beat Chloe Cathcart, Karen Johnston, Irv 7/6 5/7 10/4 C Mixed Gerry McLaughlin, Wendy Eaton, Irv beat Conall Campbell Sweeney, Anne Taylor, Butt Hall 6/4 6/2 James Meade, Tanya Cathcart, Irv beat Joe Grimes, Cavan, Maxine Leary, Ekn 6/0 7/5 Mitchell Patterson, Gillian Porter, Butt Hall beat John Sheridan, Kate Heaver, Irv 6/2 6/0.