JUNIORS Kate Walker and Emmy Kimberley put in career best displays for Samurai Judo Club at the tough Midlands U-18s Open Championships.

The event is used for British junior squad selection and the Wyre Forest duo caught the eye by beating four of its members.

Walker, 11, reached the final of her competition before losing to the top seed, while 15-year-old Kimberley managed a bronze after her first win against a black belt.

Solid early victories put Walker into the quarter-finals against the British number three but she was losing with a minute to go.

However, a desperate late leg hook gave her a maximum-point score to win.

She then beat a London girl after working out gripping tactics with coach Andrew Haffner and intelligently keeping to the game plan.

Facing the number one seed in a furiously-paced final, it took just one mistake to lose the contest.

Talented gymnast Walker, who was delighted with her silver, won bronze at last year's British Junior Judo Championships and is looking to improve on that this year.

At the bottom of her weight group, Kimberley, a former karate champion, had a difficult task despite winning the Midlands Trials last year.

She disposed of the Welsh champion in just four seconds but suffered her only defeat in the quarter-finals to the eventual gold winner.

Kimberley started the long, hard road towards bronze with victory over Wolverhampton's number one and another player.

Facing her final contest against a British squad member and black belt, she only had short rests and her fitness was sorely tested.

But the determined underdog put up a tremendous battle and found extra energy to secure the bronze as the match headed towards a referee's decision.

Samurai's Lee Davenport, Ben Newbury and Tom Walker also put in good efforts at the competition.