St Paul’s School, Barnes
Sunday, 3rd December 2023
STOP PRESS On the day of the National Singles final Penn Chai organised a Challenger event, contested by 16 players outside the Top 16. Victor at the end of the day was Christian Blackaby, for the second time. In the final Christian defeated Basque pelota player Ander Iraizoz 12-10, 11-3. Terry McElvaney from the Executioners won the Quarter-finalists Plate and Sam Roberts the traditional Plate for first round losers.
Penn Chai reports:
Tournament Overview: The 7th RFA National Singles Challenger unfolded on a spirited Sunday at St Paul’s School. Featuring 16 talented entrants, the tournament adopted a single-elimination format with two plates, a Round of 16 Plate, and a Quarter-final Plate.
Participants: Among the 16 contenders were familiar names such as Charlie Lacewing, Christian Blackaby, and dark horses Terry McElvaney and Ander Iraizoz. While over half the players were unranked, Charlie Lacewing held the coveted number one seed. Notably, Christian Blackaby, the favourite to win, was seeded second due to his recent absence from the game.
Key Moments and Upsets: The initial rounds witnessed some captivating upsets. George triumphed over Matt in a closely contested match, while Theo squeezed past Helena in a three-set epic. Ander surprised everyone with a victory over veteran and fourth seed Sam Roberts in an exceptionally long match.
Highlight Matches: The most fiercely contested match of the day unfolded in the quarter-final clash between Terry and Christian. Despite Terry’s non-existent ranking, the encounter showcased remarkable skill and could have gone either way, especially with Terry 9-1 up in the second set. The semi-final between Ander and Charlie proved to be a hard-fought affair, with the Basque athlete upsetting the top seed through his consistency.
In the final showdown between Christian and Ander, described as the “most wallball” game of fives ever played, Christian’s strategic play and drop shots proved decisive. Despite Ander’s athleticism and numerous stoppages to address sweaty court patches, Christian secured victory in two sets, claiming his second challenger title.
Plate Competitions: Terry dominated the Quarter-final Plate with his powerful and consistent play, none of his opponents reaching double figures against him. In the Round of 16 Plate, Sam Roberts showcased exceptional youth, defeating Matt Hale twice and securing the title with an increased margin in the final.
Champion and Prizes: In a thrilling finale, Christian Blackaby emerged as the tournament champion. Terry’s impressive performance earned him the coveted “You’re My Hero” Toblerone, while Sam received the “Someone Special” Toblerone, which National Singles Champion Ben Beltrami cheekily attempted to pinch on his way out.
A heartfelt thank you to all participants for their spirited performances, and congratulations to Christian Blackaby on his well-deserved victory.
Scores
1st round: Charlie Lacewing (1) bt Matiss Gelwan Williams 11-0, 11-0; George Fox-Edwards (8) bt Matt Hale 12-10, 11-6; Theo Vernacchio bt Helena Tunks (5) 11-2, 8-11, 11-8; Ander Iraizoz bt Sam Roberts (4) 11-7, 12-10; Charles Calzia (3) bt Guy Davies 11-4, 11-7; Yarin Negyal w/o Joe Garratt (6); Terry McElvaney (7) bt Alexandros Panigirtzoglou 11-1, 11-1; Christian Blackaby (2) bt David George-Carey 11-0, 11-1
Quarter-finals: Lacewing bt Fox-Edwards 11-0, 11-6; Iraizoz bt Vernacchio 12-10, 11-2; Negyal bt Calzia 11-1, 11-5; Blackaby bt McElvaney 12-10, 11-9
Semi-finals: Iraizoz bt Lacewing 11-6, 11-2; Blackaby bt Negyal 11-0, 11-5
Final: C Blackaby bt A Iraizoz 12-10, 11-3
Plate: S Roberts bt M Hale 15-3
Q-F Plate: 1st T McElvaney 45 pts; 2nd T Vernacchio 38 pts; 3rd G Fox-Edwards 29 pts; 4th C Calzia 12 pts
