Young stars shine in the Minette and Ekco tournaments
Find out how the Minette and Ekco competitions unfolded last Sunday and who took home the trophies!
The Minette and Ekco mixed doubles handicapped tournaments both took place last weekend at Greensward Academy. Twelve pairings took part in the Minette side of the competition in the morning with six pairings playing in the Ekco in the afternoon.
In the morning, the Minette tournament was ran as one large group with every pairing playing one another in a single game to 21 points with no setting. The top four pairings would then proceed to play a semi-final and final.
Every pairing won at least two games during the initial group stage, with lots of tight matches. Kera Lewis and Gary Curtis (-4) finished twelfth with two wins and 173 points. Just ahead of them were Debbie Zakai and David Palmer (+7) on two wins and 178 points and then Laura Whiteman and Adrian Watling (-3) on two wins and 184 points.
The pairings in ninth and eighth both picked up four games with Carla McDonagh and Daniel Potter (-7) in ninth, five points behind the total of Jinu and Sanaa Jacob (+2). There was just one point separating seventh and sixth, who both finished on five wins. Mandie Breed and Humaid Ghori (-4) just beat Vikki Walker and Jack Baskett (-2) to that sixth spot finish.
Narrowly missing out on a spot in the semi finals were Farnaz Siddiq and Omprakash Dash (-4) as they won seven of their eleven games. One of their four defeats came against the pairing who grabbed fourth, which was Danny Peach and Carly Horsler (-5) who won eight games. The top three all finished on nine wins each. Dawn Muggleton and Martin Rainbow (+2) topped the group by one point from Heidi Paine and Gavin Lewis (+1) and Abigail Campbell and Andrew Millham (+5). These pairings finished level on points but Heidi and Gavin had won the head to head so claimed second. Â
The semi finals were best of three games and the first saw group winners Dawn and Martin face Danny and Carly. In the group stage, Dawn and Martin had edged the game 21-19 so a tight contest was expected. However, the first game was dominated by the group winners and they won 21-14. Danny (who had won the Minette the previous year with a different partner) and Carly rallied in the second though and forced a decider with a 21-16 win. The last game was extremely tight as both pairs battled for a place in the final but in the end, Danny and Carly edged it 21-19.
In the other semi final, Gavin and Heidi had the psychological advantage having beaten Abigail and Andrew in the group stage 21-12. That showed in the first game as Gavin and Heidi triumphed 21-18. In the second though, Abigail and Andrew fought back and took the match to a third game with a 21-15 win. In the final game, the momentum had swung and Abigail and Andrew used their handicap advantage to secure a 21-12 victory and move onto the final.
Abigail and Andrew looked to be the favourites for the final having beaten Danny and Carly 21-18 in the group stage. However, the reigning champion wasn’t keen on giving up his crown and Danny and Carly quickly turned the handicap deficit around to win 21-13. The second game was much tighter and Abigail and Andrew repeated the group stage form by winning 21-18 to yet again force a deciding game. The final game was even closer but again Abigail and Andrew turned the tide and showed great spirit and determination to win through 21-19, meaning two new names on the Minette trophy!
In the Ekco competition, it was also played as one group with all six pairings facing each other. The pairing that won the most rubbers would be champions.
The opening two matches of the tournament proved to be lengthy affairs as Hannah Summons and Lee Scott (-28) and Jay Clark and Holly Hoswell-Sims (-9), and Sarah Hall and Andrew Strutt (-7) and Clare and Nathan Burrell (-3) both went to three games against each other. In the end, Jay and Holly came from a game down to beat Hannah and Lee, while Clare and Nathan edged past Sarah and Andrew 21-16. Clare Roberts and Isaac Pearson (-9) started with a straight games win over Pam Lee and Harris Foster-Carter (-12).Â
Then Jay and Holly made it two wins from two with another three game victory over Sarah and Andrew. Before Isaac and Clare also moved onto two victories as they eased past Hannah and Lee. Clare and Nathan also made it two wins from two as they beat Pam and Harris in straight games.Â
Two of the unbeaten pairings met next as Jay and Holly faced Clare and Isaac. It was Clare and Isaac who triumphed, 21-15, 21-15, to put themselves in pole position. Sarah and Andrew notched their first win as they defeated Pam and Harris 21-19 in the third game. While Clare and Nathan slipped up for the first time as they lost out to Hannah and Lee in straight games.
Jay and Holly responded to their first defeat by beating Pam and Harris to move onto three wins overall. Isaac and Clare then had the chance to respond but were beaten for the first time as Sarah and Andrew came from a game down to beat them in three. Hannah and Lee recorded their second win as they saw off Pam and Harris, and made it three wins overall as they won in two games against Sarah and Andrew.
The top two pairings both had to play Clare and Nathan last, who were also in with a chance of victory still. Jay and Holly soon ended Clare and Nathan’s chances though as they beat them in straight games and made it four wins from five for the competition. Clare and Isaac dropped the first game against Clare and Nathan but they fought back, winning 21-18, 21-15, to also move onto four wins overall. That meant the title would be decided on games and Clare and Isaac had picked up nine compared to Jay and Holly’s eight, meaning Clare and Isaac lifted the Ekco trophy.
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