Mark Williams reports:
57 pairs from 14 schools entered this competition. The 2013 Under 14 competition quarter-finalists are not allowed to play, nor are any other pairs entering a lower age tournament in 2014.
For the first time, 4 pairs were seeded out to the quarter-final stage; Shrewsbury (7), Eton (4), High Wycombe (4), St Olave's (3), Berkhamsted (3), and Harrow (3 + 2 seeded out) were the schools with most pairs in the second round. High Wycombe 2 had a good second round win against Mill Hill 1, coming from behind, and High Wycombe 3 achieved a notable success against a good Emanuel 1 pair.
In the third round there were impressive wins for Harrow 4 against Eton1 coming from behind over 5 games, and Harrow 3 against the talented girls of Highgate 3, and Eton 2 did well to beat High Wycombe 2 in four games.
All four fourth round matches were of a high standard for this level, and included at least one close game. Berkhamsted 1, High High Wycombe 1 and St Olave's 1 all won impressively in straight games and Shrewsbury1 came back strongly having lost the first game to Eton 2. These four pairs will now play Harrow 1 & 2 and Highgate 1 & 2 in the quarter-finals, and the seeds will need to play well to overcome them.
3rd Round:
Berkhamsted 1 beat High Wycombe 3 12-6, 12-7, 12-3
Harrow 4 beat Eton 1 12-6, 10-12, 6-12, 12-6, 12-5
High Wycombe 1 beat Shrewsbury 4 12-3, 12-5, 12-4
St.Olave's 2 beat Berkhamsted 2 8-12, 12-6, 12-11, 12-0
St.Olave's 1 beat Shrewsbury 2 14-11, 12-3, 12-1
Harrow 3 beat Highgate 3 12-6, 12-10, 12-4
Shrewsbury 1 beat QE Barnet 1 12-5, 12-1, 12-5
Eton 2 beat High Wycombe 2 12-6, 12-8, 6-12, 12-10
4th Round:
Berkhamsted 1 beat Harrow 4 12-6, 12-4, 12-6
High Wycombe 1 beat St.Olave's 2 13-12, 13-11, 12-6
St.Olave's 1 beat Harrow 3 12-6, 12-6, 13-10
Shrewsbury 1 beat Eton 2 10-12, 12-10, 12-1, 12-3