Marlborough College
Saturday/Sunday, 13-14 April 2024
A small but closely fought Singles competition was won by the defending champion, Dave Fox, this time beating Tim Hebblethwaite in the final. Tim had had a lengthy tussle with last year’s runner-up, Jim Hughes, in his semi-final, having also played a tough first match against Sam Roberts. Sam went on to win the Plate competition, a highly competitive round robin.
The Doubles competition proved even more competitive, with a number of matches going to three games, in both the main competition and the Plate: Andy Pringle & Morgan Spillane got through to their semi-final with a 16-15 in the third game against Dave Fox & Sam Roberts, while their opponents in the final, John Minta & Marco Skogh, themselves had a 16-15 in their semi-final with Ed Brooke & Chris Jones. In the final Andy & Morgan managed to add the Veterans title to their Vintage title, meaning also that Andy has now won the Veterans title 4 times since 2016 with three different partners. The Plate final was an epic too.
Scores
Singles
Quarter-finals: D Fox bt A Smith 11-1, 11-7; C Jones bt C Woods 11-2, 11-2; J Hughes bt N Geere 11-2, 11-8; T Hebblethwaite bt S Roberts 12-10, 12-10
Semi-finals: Fox bt Jones 15-8, 15-11; Hebblethwaite bt Hughes 7-15, 15-13, 15-0
Final: Fox bt Hebblethwaite 15-4, 15-11
Plate: 1st S Roberts 45 pts; 2nd C Woods 40 pts; 3rd N Geere 28 pts; 4th T Bury 22 pts
Doubles
1st round: J Birch & T Hebblethwaite bt R James-Duff & A Passey 15-9; J Hughes & C Thomas bt A Smith & C Woods 15-4; H Bishop & T Bury bt J Hawke & D Spiegal 15-3; N Geere & A Landon bt I Carpenter & S Watson 15-4
Quarter-finals: J Minta & M Skogh bt Birch & Hebblethwaite 11-1, 11-9; E Brooke & C Jones bt Hughes & Thomas 11-6, 10-12, 11-7; A Pringle & M Spillane bt Bishop & Bury 11-2, 11-5; D Fox & S Roberts bt Geere & Landon 11-1, 11-5
Semi-finals: Minta & Skogh bt Brooke & Jones 16-15, 15-12; Pringle & Spillane bt Fox & Roberts 15-13, 9-15, 16-15
Final: Pringle & Spillane bt Minta & Skogh 15-6, 15-11
Plate: Birch & Hebblethwaite bt Hughes & Thomas 1-11, 11-4, 11-9
2nd Plate: Bishop & Bury
Veterans Singles Champion once more
Singles finalists Tim and Dave
Plate winner Sam Roberts
Doubles champions Andy & Morgan
First Vintage champions, now Veterans title-holders!
Marco and John, Silver medallists from the Y Club
Doubles Plate winners James and Tim