In the modern era it is rare for a young player to make the SF stages of a Senior Championship whilst competing at that level for the first time. But that is what has happened to Roscommon’s Fiona Tully as the 18 year old is set to face reigning champion Catriona Casey in Saturdays 2017 O’Neills 40x20 Senior Singles Championship SF in Kingscourt.
Tully was last years Minor champion, and has made the transition look effortless. A technically superb player, it looks as if she has the complete skill set to make it at the top level, but the quiet St Coman’s women admits there is a huge step up in the playing levels.
Last Saturday she defeated Kilkenny’s Ciara Mahon 21-5, 21-16 in the QF to avenge a comprehensive defeat from Mahon in January’s She’s Ace Weekend.
“Ciara beat me well enough at the She’s Ace, but I got a second chance last weekend. Things fell my way in the first and I took every chance I had. In the second she got a very good serve going and played really well. She kept me back in the deep court and made the game difficult for me.”
Whilst juggling her Leaving Cert studies, Football & Handball, it can be a struggle for any sportsperson to find the time to excel at all, but Tully has managed her time well to accommodate all three, and it is showing in her Handball as she is making improvements all the time and learning her trade at Senior level.
From being the top dog at juvenile level, to being thrown in at the deep end with some of the finest ladies players to have ever played the game of Handball can be no easy task.
“It is very different and difficult, especially the speed of the ball the top players are hitting it. You have less time on the ball and you have to make the most of every single shot more so than what I am used to.”
Making the most of every single shot is exactly what she is going to have to do on Saturday against Casey. Like many top juveniles players at the minute, Fiona’s serving game is of the highest quality, and is sure to gain her points on Saturday. But that alone will not be enough against Casey, who Tully will meet for the second time in 2017.
The first was at January’s She’s Ace where Catriona won quite comfortably in a game that Fiona admits to being “a big shock to the system!”
“I was looking forward to playing her to see where I was at. It is only a good thing for me to get on the court with the likes of Catriona and learn. But she beat me well and I seen first hand what a great player she is.”
“It was a total different ball game playing her to what the level I was used to playing. She has been up there as a top player for a long time now, and is very quick around the court.”
For Tully though, getting that initial test against Casey under her belt can only be a good thing as she is no longer going in blind come Championship. She knows what to expect and what she must do herself, and with Catriona going in as hot favourite, Fiona knows she has nothing to lose so she can go in and enjoy the occasion, and give it a real go.
She heads up a growing list of real quality juvenile female players who over the next few years will be bidding to join her and break through into the senior ranks. However she feels that more club tournaments are what is missing from the Clar to help young girls coming through.
“At juvenile level there are many options to compete, from Schools, and then the likes of the Liscarroll & Broadford club tournaments. There doesn’t appear to be that much opportunity for the adult players to get competition time, so ideally I would personally like to see more.”
Firstly though she has the ultimate test ahead of her on Saturday. With both Ladies SF’s joining the Men’s SF’s on a 4 match programme at Kingscourt from 2pm, there is a feast of action available for Handball fans on SF Saturday in the 2017 O’Neills 40x20 Championship.
