Free Church's Sajiv has a busy weekend of tournament action

Nikit Sajiv was in tournament action on Saturday and Sunday.

Three Lillington Free Church youngsters produced creditable performances at the Chandlers 2-star tournament at Grantham on Saturday, writes Phil John.

Ricardo Bolanos topped his cadet group with wins over Charlie Nabarro of Middlesex, Eduard Lakatos of Hampshire and Will Avery of Wiltshire. This put him into the knockouts where he lost in five to Todd Stanmore (Oxfordshire).

Nikit Sajiv also won his group, defeating Cameron Leighton of Yorkshire and Joseph Hunter of Middlesex. That put him up gainst clubmate Eduardo Bolanos and Sajiv prevailed in a close encounter.

In the last 16, Sajiv beat James Hamblett of Hertfordshire 3-1 before falling to England number 14 Callum McRae of Durham in the last eight.

The younger Bolanos had earlier enjoyed good wins over Middlesex’s Thomas Palmer and Gregory Fray to secure his place in the final stages.

In the junior banded event, Ricardo topped his group on countback despite losing 3-2 to Alex Pringle of Nottinghamshire. A straight-sets win over Ben Rigby earned him top spot. In the knockouts, Bolanos lost to an exponent of pimples, Yacine Bouldekur, who went all the way to the final.

Sajiv also topped his junior banded group with wins over Sajad Ali of Middlesex and Jae Mistry of Lincolnshire.

However, in the knockouts he was defeated by Derbyshire’s Rowan Jones, 3-1.

Ricardo reserved his best for the last event, the junior singles, emerging as group winner after wins over Ethan Scully, Flynn Connolly of Lincolnshire and Che Goulbourne of Yorkshire, who is ranked 16 at cadet level.

In the last 16 he beat teammate Sajiv to set up a quarter-final clash with England number 40 junior Jack Stockdale who he swept aside. However, he could not overcome McRae in the semis.

Sajiv had qualified for the knockouts after group wins over Jamie Peacock of Durham and Nabarro.

Sajiv was also at the Burton-Uxbridge tournament on Sunday alongside clubmates Josh and Tom Yarrow.

In the cadets, Nikit Sajiv won his group before beating Middlesex’s Joseph Hunter 3-0 in the quarter-final.

Daniel Hearne-Potton of Cambridgeshire proved too strong in the last four, winning in straight sets.

Josh Yarrow was second in his group and then swept aside Colebridge’s Nathaniel Saunders before losing in four to Callum McRae.

In the junior event, Sajiv again won his group only to bow out in the quarter-final, while Josh Yarrow reached the quarter-final of the consolation where he lost to the eventual winner Harry Fletcher.

The inexperienced Tom Yarrow enjoyed a pleasing group win against Sayan Jethra of Hereford in the under-13 singles.