JERSEY team and Regent Fencing Club member Kevin Lees finished first in the veteran category and 13th overall after a successful weekend of competition in the Merseyside Open, one of the biggest fencing tournaments in the UK.

‘It was a tough weekend, but I’m delighted with the results,’ Lees said.’Last year in this competition I finished 33rd out of 80 competitors and was determined to do better this time.

I really wanted to finish in the top 32, so when I got to the last 16 I was over the moon – and very surprised!’Then I was drawn against a top player, Jon Willis, who taught me a very good lesson – a very brief lesson too, as it happened, because he beat me 15-3.

But then, he was the No 1 seed and ranked third in Great Britain!’Lees said that he was fencing so well that, had he not been drawn against Willis – who has been Merseyside Open épée champion for three years in succession – he felt he could have got through to the last eight.’Last year I was new to this standard and size of competition and was overawed by the whole thing,’ Lees said, ‘but this year was different and I was much better able to focus on the fencing.

I’ve had a year of competition experience since last time – and it showed.’