By Paul Fitzpatrick
And then there were four. The O’Neill’s Sportswear All-Ireland 40x20 Men’s Senior Singles field has been whittled down to the semi-final stage after a tough weekend of action in which Robbie McCarthy, Brian Carroll, Charly Shanks and Diarmaid Nash all advanced. And if the fans learned one thing over the weekend, it was that the field is grouped arguably tighter than ever. Reigning champion and no 1 seed Robbie McCarthy came through 21-15, 21-15 after a stern examination from Antrim’s Owen McKenna in Ballymore Eustace while former two-time finalist Charly Shanks survived a real scare against Galway’s Martin Mulkerrins, dropping the first game 21-10 before turning up the heat to close it out 21-2, 21-12.
Meanwhile, Brian Carroll’s eye-catching 21-9, 21-5 win over recently-crowned Connacht champion Joe McCann was a real statement of intent from the Meathman, who fell agonisingly short in last year’s semi-final against Diarmaid Nash.
The Clareman, for his part, saw off veteran Eoin Kennedy of Dublin 21-18, 21-14 in St Coman’s. Big alley king Kennedy, whose return to the small court singles fray last season was hampered by injury, proved that he still has the tools to mix it with the very best after an impressive straight-games win over Michael Finnegan on Saturday.
Mulkerrins, fresh from a tough schedule of tournaments in the US, had seen off Mayo left-hander Vinny Moran on Saturday, with Carroll coming through 21-20, 21-11 against young Kilkenny shooter Peter Funchion.
The stage is set for what will be an intriguing semi-final line-up, with McCarthy – who toiled to an extent against McKenna – pitted against resurgent former doubles partner Carroll, who looks to be peaking at just the right time, and last year’s finalist Nash meeting the experienced Shanks.
While the mercurial McCarthy’s pedigree and big-game nous is such that he will start favourite in his clash, the other tussle on the Kingscourt card looks a real pick ’em. Styles make fights, as the boxing cliché says, and the contrast between lefty Nash’s hustling, gutsy style and Shanks’ wristy attacking game could well throw up a classic.
Elsewhere, Limerick’s One-Wall stand-out Martina McMahon, former winner Maria Daly from Kerry and Cork’s Catriona Casey have all marched on to the semi-finals of the ladies championship, with the Aoife McCarthy v Aisling Reilly match deferred.
While citeog McMahon had an impressive 21-6, 21-3 win over Wicklow dual player Shauna Hilley, the talented Daly – who has two of the best hands in the game - was forced to battle all the way by talented young Galway woman Ciana Ní Churráoin, coming through 18-21, 21-13, 21-11.
US Nationals and Collegiate champ Casey was a comfortable victor over Kerry’s Ashley Prendiville, who had seen off Casey’s doubles partner Aisling O’Keeffe, in Broadford.
Men’s 40x20 Senior Championship Results
Last 12: Antrim (Owen McKenna) W/O Cork (Brendan Fleming) inj
Last 12: Meath (Brian Carroll) dft Kilkenny (Peter Funchion) 21-20, 21-11
Last 12: Galway (Martin Mulkerrins) dft Mayo (Vinnie Moran) 21-18, 21-12
Last 12: Dublin (Eoin Kennedy) dft Cavan (Michael Finnegan) 21-10, 21-10
QF1: Westmeath (Robbie McCarthy) dft Antrim (Owen McKenna) 21-15, 21-15
QF2: Meath (Brian Carroll) dft Mayo (Joe McCann) 21-9, 21-5
QF3: Armagh (Charly Shanks) dft Galway (Martin Mulkerrins) 11-21, 21-2, 21-12
QF4: Clare (Diarmaid Nash) dft Dublin (Eoin Kennedy) 21-18, 21-14
Ladies 40x20 Senior Championship Results
Last 16. Galway (Ciana Ni Churraoin) dft Kilkenny (Ciara Mahon)
Last 16. Kerry (Ashley Prendiville) dft Cork (Aishling O’Keefe) 21-7, 21-19
QF1. Antrim (Aisling Reilly) v Westmeath (Aoife McCarthy) Match deferred
QF2. Limerick (Martina McMahon) dft Wicklow (Shauna Hilley) 21-3, 21-6
QF3. Kerry (Maria Daly) dft Galway (Ciana Ni Churraoin) 18-21, 21-13, 21-11
QF4. Cork (Catriona Casey) dft Kerry (Ashley Prendiville) 21-4, 21-1