Please excuse the brevity of this post but your reporter forgot to take the results sheets away with him and is filing this report from memory on a ferry in the middle of a very lumpy Bay of Biscay.
A tremendous turnout on Sunday on a lovely sunny day for the 2022 Club Doubles when 32 players made up 16 doubles pairs. As has become the norm the competition was played as a doubles melee with the 32 players being seeded into 2 groups of 16 and the teams being drawn at random, one player from each group.
After Round 2, only 4 teams had registered 2 wins and, unless something exceptional happened, it was almost certain that the winners would come from one of these 4.
The final round was played out and, on its conclusion, one of the 4 teams, Phil “Trying for a 3rd win” Roberts and Beryl McCarthy had fallen at the last hurdle. This left 3 teams in with a chance of winning – Mike Jones & Alex Skibinski, Sean Smith & Leon Sofianos and Ash Seath & Ian Campbell.
There was hushed silence and a drum roll as the Organiser stepped out of his lair to announce the results. In a never heard of situation, all 3 teams had finished on 3 wins and +21., so it was down to countback. Unfortunately Ash & Ian hadn’t reached 13 in one of their games so they were eliminated which meant that it came down to points against. Mike & Alex had been romping to a possible fanny in their last game but conceded 3 points right at the end and it was this that cost them the title as they went down by 2 points to Sean & Leon who were crowned as 2022 Club Doubles champions.
Well done to the winners but especially to Leon who has only been playing for a few months. Following Ian McCarthy’s win in the President’s cup, its great so see another new player with his name on a trophy.
President Mike presents the trophy to Sean & Leon
