Junior players in final action as Kerr/Ó Dúill seek semi-final spot

By Paul Fitzpatrick

Team Ireland’s younger players take centre stage at the World Wallball Championships in New York today, with three Irish players already through to Big Ball Singles finals and two more bidding to join them.

The action is split between St John’s Recreation Centre and Coney Island, with Nina McBride, Kevin McGrath and Cian Dunning all guaranteed shots at world titles.

St. Gall’s youngster McBride faces Alannah Staunton of Westmeath in the Girls 15&U Big Ball Singles final at 3pm local time, with McGrath taking on Emmanuel Najera from Woodside, New York in the corresponding Boys decider at the same time.

Cork’s Cian Dunning will then face Staten Island’s Kenny Lin in the 19&U final at 4pm as the Irish challenge moves towards the business end of the championships.

There could yet be two more Irish players involved in finals later today.

Tyrone dual star Lucy McCullagh takes on Hana Wong in the Girls 17&U semi-final at noon, with the winner returning to court for the final at 3pm to take on the winner of Galway’s Freya Donnellan and Eloise Clement from Belgium.

Longford’s Thomas Finn is also one victory away from a world final. The Abbeylara youngster, Ireland’s official representative in the Boys 17&U grade, meets another Galway player, Learaí Ó Grádaigh, in his semi-final at 1pm. Victory would send Finn back into action for the world final at 4pm.

There is also significant senior Irish interest at Coney Island, where Fiachra Ó Dúill and Sean Kerr resume their Men’s Big Ball Open Doubles campaign.

Their quarter-final tie against Alan Sanchez and Julio Carlos was postponed from Thursday and has been rescheduled for 11am today. The Americans won the first 15-5, Team Ireland took the second 15-11 and the tiebreaker was deferred due to fading light.

Should the Ulster pairing come through that assignment, there will be little time to celebrate, with their semi-final scheduled for 5pm at the same venue.