The list of achievements just keeps growing for Paul Brady, but just because it is now expected to see him win major honours on a regular basis, one should not underestimate just how sensational this mans career and current performance levels are!
Just last night, Brady has won a remarkable 10th US Nationals title with a dominant 21-5, 21-8 win over Emmett Peixoto to cap a ridiculously remarkable hat trick of 10 All-Ireland Singles, 10 All-Ireland Doubles, and now 10 US Nationals.
Brady has now won the US Nationals for his tenth consecutive time playing in the event (2005 - 2015), only missing the 2009 event through injury.
Brady breezed through the opening rounds with comfortable wins over Minnesota youngster Tyler Stoffel & Arizona's Vic Perez before facing Mando Ortiz in the SF's as the seeds held through. Ortiz is dangerous attacking player, and is the last man to defeat Brady, but there was no chance of a repeat win here as from the word go Brady grabbed a foothold in the game and won out 21-6, 21-11.
His opponent in the final Emmett Peixoto had looked quite impressive himself, storming through the draw, including an eye catching and dominant SF win over Sean Lenning. But Brady is on another level, and when on his game is unstoppable. A 21-5, 21-8 win over the second seeded player demonstrates just how good the Cavan man is.
That is Brady now finished until August's World Championships in Canada where he will be part of a very strong Team Ireland heading out to Calgary.
While Brady was dominating the Mens draw, the Irish Ladies yet again proved to be a notch above the rest by dominating the Ladies field. Three of the four semi-finalists hailed from Ireland; Catriona Casey, Ciana Ni Churraoin, Aisling Reilly, with Aoife McCarthy agonisingly missing out on her SF spot with an 11-10 defeat to Dannielle Daskalakias.
Casey & Reilly again came through the SF's to set up another expected final. This rivalry is the most entertaining in world Handball right now, with momentum swinging all the time. Casey was on a winning streak over the Belfast woman up until Reilly's game changing All-Ireland Final win in March. Casey gained revenge just two weeks later however in Salt Lake City, but only in a tiebreak win. The nature of this win was strange as history shows either lady dominants the final, winning out in two straight games.
This time out Casey raced into a 6-0 and it looked like another quick two game encounter, but it wasn't and we had another cracker. That early burst from Casey was enough to give her a comfortable lead in game one, and she clinically saw out the first 21-11. Reilly responded and looked a different player in game two, being very aggressive in her play to seal a 21-8 win. She carried that form into the early exchanges in the tiebreak, leading 4-0 & 5-2. But Casey showed true grit. She wasn't relinquishing her crown without a fight, and came back to seal victory with an 11-6 win.
That was Casey's 3rd straight US Nationals crown, and her toughest.
Both girls will be back competing on Irish shores at the Irish One-Wall Nationals in Breaffy House on July 3rd - 5th.
There was one more major victory coming back across the Atlantic as Reilly put her Singles disappointment behind her to win the Doubles title with Ciana Ni Churraoin. Interestingly enough it was also against Casey, who teamed up with Aoife McCarthy as the Galway/Antrim duo recorded a 21-11, 21-14 win.