On a weekend of fine sport and fine weather in Devon, Will Ellison reversed the events of 12 months ago, winning both the singles and (with Dan Grant) doubles titles at Blundell’s.
In the singles tournament, all went according to the seedings in the early rounds, although Marcus Bate had to dig very deep to get past Stuart Watson in the first round. The result was that the top four seeds made it through to the semis, with Dan Tristao facing John Minta, and defending champion Will Ellison taking on Matt Cavanagh.
The matches could not have been more different. Will was able to dispatch Matt with surprising ease, but John and Dan played out a wonderful match that went to the full three games. John won the first, but Dan hit back to take the second and third, securing another final against Will.
The final was played in front of an expectant crowd, and it didn't disappoint. It was a match full of outstanding athleticism, awesome shot-making and heart-stopping retrieval that ebbed and flowed one way then the other, with countless long rallies. Dan took the first game 11-7, but in the second Will started superbly, and with a 9-4 lead, looked set for an easy win. Dan then fought back to 9-9, only for Will to show steely determination to close it out 11-9. The third game was another cracker, and this time it was Dan's turn to build up a big lead, only to see it pegged back. But, as in the second game, the man who first built up the lead ended up winning the match - Dan took the third game 11-6, and with it the title.
The doubles tournament, too, went with the seedings in the quarter-finals, although Jay Gravatt and Dick Warner (who deservedly went on to win the plate) pushed Alex Rew and Jim Hughes very hard before finally losing out in the third game. Their reward was a semi-final against the defending champs, Will Ellison and Marcus Bate, and although it was a fine match, the top seeds just had enough to hold on for the win. In the bottom half of the draw, the semi was even closer: Dan Trisato (fresh from his n/national title) teamed up with Gareth Price to face John Minta and Andy Pringle, and it was the younger pair who came through - but only after coming back in both games to win them 11-9.
Come the final, Dan and Gareth (playing in his first ever final) again fell behind in the first game, but this time there was no way back. Will and Marcus Bate started at a canter, forcing several mistakes from their opponents, and they took the game 11-3, seemingly set on an easy defence of their title.
They started the second game brightly, too, and soon built up a decent – and, the crowd assumed, match-winning – lead. However, this seemed to spark Dan and Gareth into action, and they started playing much better, finding the nicks and winners that had eluded them in the first game. They saved two match points and went on to nick the game 12-10, sending the match into a deciding third game. This was another fantastic game, but by now the momentum was with Dan and Gareth, and they went to on to clinch it to secure the title - the first title ever in Gareth's eight years of tournament play.
Last, but not least, huge thanks must go to Stuart Watson and Tim Lewis who stepped in to run the competition – and run it very capably – at the last minute when Wayne Enstone, who usually runs this event, had to hand over the reins.
RESULTS
SINGLES
1st round: D.Tristao bt J.Gravatt 11-6, 11-0; A.Rew bt G.Price 11-5, 11-1; M.Bate bt S.Watson 12-10, 11-8; J.Minta bt D.Warner 11-7, 11-1; M.Cavanagh bt K.Kennerley 11-2, 11-3; J.Hughes bt H.Scott 11-2, 11-5; A.Pringle bt N.Geere 11-1, 11-1
Quarter-finals: Tristao bt Rew 11-1, 11-4; Minta bt Bate 11-5, 11-2; Cavanagh bt Hughes 11-5, 11-2; W.Ellison bt Pringle 11-5, 11-2
Semi-finals: Tristao bt Minta 7-11, 11-5, 11-5; Ellison bt Cavanagh 11-0, 11-2
Final: Tristao bt Ellison 11-7, 9-11, 11-6
Plate: Gravatt
DOUBLES
Quarter-finals: Bate & Ellison bt Geere & Scott 11-0, 11-1; Hughes & Rew bt Gravatt & Warner 9-11, 11-5, 11-9; Minta & Pringle bt Lewis & Watson 11-0, 11-1; Price & Tristao bt Kennerley & Hill 11-3, 11-1
Semi-finals: Bate & Ellison bt Hughes & Rew 11-7, 11-9; Price & Tristao bt Minta & Pringle 11-9, 11-9
Final: Price & Tristao bt Bate & Ellison 3-11, 12-10, 11-7
Plate: Gravatt & Warner
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