KATY SMITH has qualified for the last 16 of the national U25 ladies singles championship for the first time.

The 17-year-old Westlecot indoor player came through the West regional qualifier last weekend in Bristol.

Katy was in superb form and in her first match beat England U18 international and Potters ladies world matchplay qualifier Victoria Bilson (Dolphin, Poole).

In a tight game, Smith took the first set of nine ends 7-6 and followed that up with a second set 7-5 success.

Then she comfortably saw off the challenge of Dorchester’s Louise Woodrow 2-0 (10-3, 6-5) to book her place at White Oak.

  • Her elder sister Lucy Smith beat Rebecca Cresswell (Dolphin) in her opening game, winning 2-0 (14-1, 12-2), but was edged out in her next match losing 2-1 (8-6, 2-7, 0-2) to regular England U25 international Laura Holden (Clevedon). IN NATIONAL ladies competitions, the Smith girls are through to the Area 10 semi-final in the national pairs championship.

The duo recorded a convincing 24-13 quarter-final victory over Malvern Hills’ Amy Richards and Pamela Harris.

They will now face Ann Leach and her partner from MidGlos by the beginning of the New Year.

However, owing to a lack of entries from this part of the Area 10 section, Lucy and Katy have to meet in the semi-finals of the ladies national singles, with the victor facing either Jennie Cole (Leominster), Gill Fry (MidGlos) or Amy Richards (Malvern Hills) in the area final.

Two triples from Westlecot, skipped by Jenny Vowles and Janet Willis, will meet in the Area 10 triples semi-final.

Willis and her triple from Westlecot have to meet Marian Wheatley (Leominster) by December 21 for a place in the Area 10 final of the over 50s Two Wood Triples while Willis and her partner, after an 18-9 success in the over 60s pairs against Pat Thornley, now face Cotswold’s Joyce Keating and partner in the Area 10 semi-final by December 21.

  • TWO SPACES have been left blank in the draw for the 2014 Westlecot Open Singles Tournament on December 13-14.

A qualifying tournament for those two places is being run at the Old Town Club, with 16 entrants taking part and playing down to the last two.