Jessica Winder ploughed a lone furrow at this years prestigious British Junior Open at Sheffield in the first week of the year entered in the girls under 17 event. Hannah Crichton who had entered the girls under 19 was unlucky to find the draw reduced to just the worlds best 32 and she missed out by just 1 place on the reserve list, alas there were no non-arrivals on the day so it was a supporting role she played.

Jessica was drawn against English opposition in the first round namely Katrina Burrows, whom Jessica had beaten in the week previous at Pontefract, and so knew what to expect from the Merseyside girl. Jessica was in no mood to hang about winning in three straight games pretty comfortably 11/5, 11/9, 11/5, to put her into the top 32 play off.

Jessica about to drive versus Anna	"Not a happy bunny" - another poor call!

(Pictures coutesy of Squashsite)

Her second opponent was the current England number 1 Anna Kimberley from Essex who was ranked 9/16 seed in the competition, and Jessica lost the opening game 5/11. The referee/marker struggled throughout this opening game to tell the girls apart despite Anna being tall with brown hair and Jessica not being as tall with blonde hair, and the signs were there that he was perhaps more nervous than either girl. Jessica put this behind her just, and won the second 11/8, and shocked the favourite and her supporters by taking the lead with a third game win 11/4 to lead 2-1. Anna rushed off court to be advised by her England player mentor/advisor Tania Bailey, whilst Jessica took on board the calming words of her Dad Mark. The fourth game turned on a few poor calls for Jessica as the referee/marker continued to struggle, indeed had it not been for the assistance of those sitting either side of him this match would have been a shambles, as it was thge effect of poor and wrong decisions was more unsettling to Jessica than Anna, and it was Anna who levelled the match at 2-2 with a fourth game score of 11/6. The final game saw Anna win by an 11/9 scoreline scraping home in a match that she would have expected to be a lot more comfortable. Jessica was rightly upset with herself for getting so close yet losing, and whilst the refereeing/marking didn't help it was Anna's greater desire to dig out a victory that got her through in the end. Jessica came close and needs to take that attitude into every match. Jessica was now in the 17-32 half of the draw.

Her next opponent was Natalie Machin from Buckinghamshire, who has missed a lot of the season through injury, and someone ranked well below Jessica, but it was Natalie who ran out the winner 3-2, as Jess drifted in and of the match, 6/11, 11/6, 7/11, 11/9, 8/11, putting her into the 25-32 play-offs.

Foreign opposition next for Jessica saw her playing Maria Vasquez from Mexico, and she proved too strong winning 3-1, Jessica losing the first 9/11 but then taking the second game by the same score 11/9 to level it up. Maria won the next two both 11/6 to put Jessica into the 29-32 play-offs.

French girl Marine Banard was next for Jessica, but got brushed aside 3-0 as Jessica put three good games together 11/6, 11/7, 11/2 putting herself into the play off for either position 29 or 30.

Jessica's final game was against Londoner Katie Wilson and her late competition form pushed Katie close in the opening two games, Jessica just losing both 13/15 and 9/11. Jessica won the third 11/6 but couldn't sustain it losing the fourth 7/11 and the match 1-3 to finish a creditable 30th, but it so easily could have been somewhere in the top 16, still there's always another time.