Cambridge, Sunday 11th March 2018
Organiser Brian Kirk reports — Singles: From the two pools Stuart Kirby and Neil Roberts eventually emerged to contest the final. Defending champion Stuart found Neil’s service difficult to cope with and was forced into more errors this year. Neil also appeared to have greater mobility than last year when Stuart enjoyed great success playing the ball relentlessly into the back corners. This time Neil won their match 15-10 and thus took the title for just the first time.
In the plate Angus Hanton played a brilliant final with Nick Geere, winning 16-15 after match point had passed to and fro several times.
In the Doubles the final was, once more, between defending champions Stuart & Neil and Richard Christie & Brian Kirk. The latter pair reached the final for the second year in a row after a testing encounter with Tony Hamilton & Bob Sandie, with long rallies and multiple discussions concerning court positioning. In the final Stuart & Neil gradually wore down their tiring opponents and won 11-9, 11-4.
The doubles plate was contested by a very consistent Hanton & Geere and Robert Dalman & Chris Blakeley, with the AOBs winning comfortably.
Singles
Preliminary round: R.Sandie bt B.Kirk 15-5
1st round: S.Kirby bt Sandie 15-0; A.Hamilton bt P.Atkinson 16-15; R.Christie bt N.Geere 15-10; N.Roberts bt A.Hanton 15-4
Semi-finals: Kirby bt Hamilton 15-9 ; Roberts bt Christie 15-1
Final: N.Roberts bt S.Kirby 15-10
Plate: A.Hanton bt N.Geere 16-15
Doubles
Pool A: Kirby & Roberts bt Atkinson & Kiteley 15-4, bt Geere & Hanton 15-3; Atkinson & Kiteley bt Geere & Hanton 15-12
Pool B: Christie & Kirk bt Hamilton & Sandie 15-12, bt Blakeley & Dalman 15-0; Hamilton & Sandie bt Blakeley & Dalman 15-8
Semi-finals: Kirby & Roberts bt Hamilton & Sandie 0-11, 11-4, 11-6; Christie & Kirk bt Atkinson & Kiteley 9-11, 11-4, 11-0
Final: Kirby & Roberts bt Christie & Kirk 11-9, 11-4
Plate: Geere & Hanton bt Blakeley & Dalman 11-4, 11-6