After a delay of nearly seven months, the 2020 Ladies Championships finally got back on track at Eton yesterday with the first of the long-anticipated semi-finals.
Top seeds and defending champions Karen Hird & Charlotta Cooley duly booked their expected place ni this year's final with a comfortable 12-7, 12-0, 12-5 win over Harriet Asquith & Marjolaine Briscoe, but the challengers can look back on their performance with some satisfaction, as they overcame the lack of match practice and of being a new partnership up against an established one with an encouraging display. The succeeded in putting the champions under considerable pressure at the start of the match, returning and moving well to keep the score level at 6-6. At this point, the extra class of Karen & Charlotta began to show and they moved away to take the first game race through the second, without ever particularly finding top gear. The third game saw Harry & Marjolaine play their best Fives of the match, but at no stage did they ever look enough of a threat to worry Karen & Charlotta, who duly closed things out with the minimum of fuss.
The second semi-final is at Eton next Sunday, with the final the following Saturday.
Watch the match here: GAME ONE GAME TWO GAME THREE