Cambridge University Sports Centre
Sunday, 19th May 2024
Bob Dolby reports: On a warm day on the superb Cambridge courts, with the traditional smallish entry for the Singles it was possible to play the morning matches at a comfortable pace with no need for a shot clock on the services! The scores show that matches were of a comparable standard but do not necessarily indicate the closeness of all contests in their initial and middle stages. The Singles final most certainly hinged on a dour struggle for points round the 7, 8, 9 points stage, after two similarly tough semi-finals had sapped their eventual winners’ strength. We must pay tribute to Dave Fox for his second season boasting an impressive double: twice Vintage and Veterans champion no less.
Organiser Brian Kirk likes to give the doubles players value for money, so the six pairs duly played out their round robin matches, then semi-finals, a final, a best-of-three Plate final and eventually a 3rd Place play-off. As the matches wore on defending champions Pringle & Spillane looked increasingly invincible, with Andy’s service minimising the chance of points against, and no need for switching to take advantage of Morgan’s ferocious left hand. So there too we have a double for the winners to be proud of: Vintage and Veterans Doubles champions 2024.
Our thanks to all the players for their good humour, their commitment, their generosity of spirit. Sorry about the aching limbs.
Scores
Singles
1st round: D Fox bt M Kiteley 15-6; M Spillane bt I Jackson 15-8; A Pringle bt R Christie 15-7; S Roberts bt N Geere 15-7
Semi-finals: Fox bt Spillane 15-9; Pringle bt Roberts 15-6
Final: Fox bt Pringle 15-11
Plate: 1st Jackson 30 pts; 2nd Christie 24 pts; 3rd Geere 17 pts
Doubles
Group A
Fox & Roberts bt Geere & Hamilton 15-8; bt Kirk & Kiteley 15-6
Geere & Hamilton bt Kirk & Kiteley 15-5
Group B
Pringle & Spillane bt Jackson & Mathieu 15-1; bt Christie & Stubbs 15-1
Jackson & Mathieu bt Christie & Stubbs 15-9
Semi-finals: Fox & Roberts bt Jackson & Mathieu 15-12; Pringle & Spillane bt Geere & Hamilton 15-3
Final: Pringle & Spillane bt Fox & Roberts 15-3
Plate: Christie & Stubbs bt Kirk & Kiteley 11-3, 11-4
3rd Place Play-off: Jackson & Mathieu bt Geere & Hamilton 15-8
… , without whom
Top spectator sport
The Singles finalists
The defending champion defending …
… with Andy stretching him all the way
Number 2 somehow appropriate!
Singles medallists
This was a tough Plate Singles match …
… which took a while to come to an end!
Worth it, though!
The Doubles champions …
… for the second time
The Doubles medallists
Sam versus Morgan’s left hand
Best Plate in the game!
All the way from Reims for Jeremy to win this
See you next year!
End of play