Bowtell’s doubles joy

IRELAND’S Amy Bowtell captured the doubles title in the ITF Women’s Circuit event in Gijon, Spain without hitting a ball in yesterday’s final.

Bowtell and Britain’s Lucy Brown, the No 4 seeds, were given a walkover when the top seeds Britain’s Amanda Carreras and Venezuela’s Andrea Gamiz, were unable to take to the court after Carreras sustained a leg injury in her singles semi-final contest in the outdoor hard-court competition.

And 17-year-old Greystones native Bowtell might well have clinched a place in the singles decider but for the fact that she sustained a foot injury during her semi-final clash against Romania’s Diana Stomlega.

Tied after two sets, Bowtell injured her foot in the third set, and Stomlega went on to prevail 1-6 7-6 (7/2) 7-5.