A family affair at the U12 Indoor Junior Nationals

The U12 Junior Indoor Nationals came to a close on Thursday, as the best young players in their age category competed for a chance to be crowned National champion. The girls’ final featured two talented players from opposing provinces, while the boys’ final was a family affair.

In fact, the championship match was disputed between brothers Mikael Arseneault and Nicolas Arseneault, the tournament’s no. 3 and No. 1 seeds, respectively. The Ontario natives had similar paths to the final, both fighting out tough quarter-final matches and relatively smoother semi-finals. In the championship match, it was Mikael, currently the no. 3 U12 male player in Canada, who caused the upset, defeating his brother, the No. 1 U12 player in Canada, by a score of 6-3, 7-6(5). This is his first National title. The brothers also teamed up in doubles, reaching the final but falling short to the top seeds, Finn Muller and Sava Uncianschi.

On the girls’ side, British Columbia native Emma si yu Dong caused a little bit of a surprise, reaching the final as the no. 9 seed. She was facing the third seed and no. 5 U12 female player in Canada, Sara Kostic of Alberta. It was Dong who dominated her opponent, taking home her first National title with a 6-3, 6-0 win. Kostic got a bit of redemption, being crowned doubles champion alongside partner Waverly Potter.

Up next are the U14 and U18 Indoor Junior Nationals

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*Feature photo: Kyle Clapham