Enniskillen’s Donal Burns enjoyed a successful season on the tennis court in 2022, competing in ten Senior Opens over a five month spell, and returning home with eight doubles titles and a finalist in three other events.

This seen Donal secure a finish in the top three in Ireland and was the highest ranked Ulster representative in the MD2 section.

The West of Ulster Championships was the first tournament of the year and he partnered up with John Maguire and Emily Donaldson and walked away with both the MD2 and XD2 titles.

This success was followed up by another MD2 title in Cavan winning the MD2 with Longford man Marcin Juszcyk.

The NI Open was held at Downshire Tennis Club in Hillsborough and with the final going all the way to a championship tie break, and trailing 3-8, Colin Waterson and Donal managed to turn it around winning 11-9 and take home the MD2 title.

Donal also secured two titles in Mayo, winning the XD2 in Claremorris with Sophia Dobbs and the MD2 with Colin Waterson in Castlebar who he teamed up with again to win the MD2 doubles in the Tyrone Senior Open .

And he finished the season winning the Fermanagh Open with Martin Fryer in the MD2 final against John Maguire and Marcin Juszcyk.

Donal say’s that a lot of the success is down to the help of his partners that he teamed up with regulary throughout the tennis season but also say’s a lot of it is down to the work that he put in with Irvinestown Tennis Coach, and long term friend, John Maguire during the off season.

“Tennis in the West, I think, is often overlooked but the dedication that local coaches John Maguire, Matthew and Louise McGann have put in over the last 15-20 years in both Irvinestown and Enniskillen Tennis Club should be rewarded.

“They have all contributed towards many youth players going on to represent their province at Inter Pro Level,” commented Burns.