Collapse AllBelair and Dulwich Parks Singles - Round 13 | Thursday 29 March 2018 to Wednesday 23 May 2018 (Midpoint: Wednesday 25 April 2018)
An excellent round for the Belair and Dulwich league where over a 100 matches were played, more than 80% of those available, with many of these very closely contested too. Thanks for all your commitment and we hope to see this continue throughout the summer months. Here's to the next round!
Group Summary:
The number of three set thrillers hit doubles figures in a very competitive group one. Paul was determined to hold onto his crown, and battled his way through several very tricky encounters to finish with an impressive six wins and bonus points to top the podium once again. The race for second place was close, with Carlo, James and Joseph all putting themselves in contention with fine performances. Crucially Carlo also added scheduling skills to his game and these bonus points added to those he earned on the court saw him leapfrog James and Joseph into the runner up spot. Well played all.
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Paul Rubinstein | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 14 | WWWW | ||||||
2 | Carlo Ninchi | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 11 | LWWW | ||||||
3 | James Lindop | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 10 | WWWL | ||||||
4 | Joseph Bell | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 10 | WLLW | ||||||
5 | Derek Daly | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 8 | LWWL | ||||||
6 | Rob Lye | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | LLWL | ||||||
7 | Michael De Luca | 7 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 7 | LLLL | ||||||
8 | Rosena Robson | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | LLLL |
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "A good match. Carlo led 4-0 and then 5-2 in the first before I finally started playing and making a match of it to take the set 7-5. The second was a similar story as Carlo held a 4-1 lead before I came back to win it in a tie break. Enjoyable game." -- James
Player Comments:
- "Very close and fun match. Rosena hit some great winners and played some Wally food tennis. Thanks for the match!" -- James
Player Comments:
- "A really close and enjoyable match played in a great spirit. Joseph has an incredible serve but I was lucky enough it wasn’t quite working today, otherwise it could have been a different score. Thanks for the game Joseph" -- Carlo
Player Comments:
- "In the first set I played some of my best tennis of recent months, especially on the backhand wing. Coupled with very few mistakes I felt confident going into the second. Two hours later I had again been shown how quickly a tennis match can change... In the second set I dropped my level slightly and Derek played more aggressively, with special mention to his brilliant inside-out forehand which resulted in many winners. The third set was tight, with Derek up 4-2 but I started relaxing and focused on my technique and eventually got across the line. Lady Luck certainly has been on my side during this round, with wins in all my four 3-setters..." -- Paul
Player Comments:
- "A close, enjoyable match - the first two sets played a couple of weeks ago on the dreamy, idyllic Sydenham Hill courts. My medium term memory is terrible so not much to report about that part of the match. The third and final set was played on the newly floodlit courts in Ladywell a couple of hours ago so I do remember being 5-1 up - playing really well - before Joseph found his serve and opened the court up with his massive forehand to get back to 5-4. It kind of felt like I had to win the next game to not let it get away from me and luckily I did. Another 3-setter!" -- Paul
Player Comments:
- "I never really got going in the first set and Michael played some very accurate, mistake free tennis to take advantage. The next two sets were battled but I was able to find a bit of rhythm and Michael tired on a very hot day. An enjoyable match, with the sets closer than the scoreline suggests." -- James
Player Comments:
- "James got off to a flyer to lead 5-2 but I crawled my way back into the set to win 5 games on the spin and take the set. The second set was less chaotic with every player holding serve until mid set where James broke me. Got the break right back and followed up with another and served it out. Was a blistering hot day and I think we would have been walking in the 3rd had it gone there!! Thanks for a very close competitive match. " -- Derek
Player Comments:
- "Great match. First set Joseph played some great tennis with his serve and smashes on great form and he took a deserved lead. I managed to come back into it in the second set and the 3rd set could have gone either way decided on a tie break. Very close match decided on a couple of key points. Thanks Joseph." -- James
Player Comments:
- "Michael played a great first set with clever placements and nicely angled shots. He won it comfortably. The second set was very even - just one break of serve if I remember it correctly - but I began hitting the ball better and found more stability on my serve. In the third set Michael started making a few more mistakes and tired somewhat. A really fun, tactical match with long rallies and lots of interesting points. Thanks!" -- Paul
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentPaul Rubinstein bt Carlo Ninchi (Apr 23) 6-1, 4-6, 7-5Player Comments:
- "Finishing in just over 2hrs 45mins this was probably the longest 3-setter I have ever played...Absolutely knackered by the end. The second and third set were each over an hour long, with drawn out rallies, TONS of deuce games and, by the end of it, quite defensive, slow tennis from both of us. Having recently watched quite a lot of Rafa Nadal I experimented with a new, looped, top spin forehand that was quite effective but Carlo found his way around it and played good, patient tennis for most of the match. A gruelling but fun afternoon!" -- Paul
Player Comments:
- "Blustery conditions made it difficult to find a rhythm. Both players went on winning streaks, only to suddenly lose focus. Rosena raced into a 3-0 lead in the first set where I only won one point, but I somehow clawed it back to end 7-5. I lead 4-1 and 40-15 in the second, only to be pegged back by Rosena to 4-4. I managed to close it out, but it really was yet another hard-fought match. " -- Michael
Player Comments:
- "TBC" -- Rob
Player Comments:
- "Close match. Just a few points here and there decided it. Thanks for the game.." -- Derek
Player Comments:
- "close match ! thanks" -- Rob
Group Summary:
The many close contests on the scoreboard made choosing the match of the group a very difficult decision, with Joseph v Gavin, Linton v Mark, George v Mark, George v Linton and George v German all highlights. Joseph fought off the competition to impressively win six of his seven matches and with bonus points in the bag too pulls clear in first place. George sneaks into second ahead of Maximilian thanks to his win in their head to head.
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Joseph Harker | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 14 | WWWL | ||||||
2 | George Williams | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 12 | WLWW | ||||||
3 | Maximilian Daniel | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | WLWW | ||||||
4 | Gavin Kerr | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | WLWW | ||||||
5 | German Echeverry | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 | LWWL | ||||||
6 | Paul Spence | 6 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6 | LWWL | ||||||
7 | Mark Cheung | 7 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 4 | LLLL | ||||||
8 | Linton Lahoud | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 3 | LWLL |
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "Cheers for the match German - always a pleasure. Max" -- Maximilian
Player Comments:
- "What a match! Thought I was done for when Gavin won the first five games, but got it back to 5-5, and had a point for 6-5, before Gavin came storming back. Second set tight throughout - virtually every game going to deuce, and increasingly nervous rallies. And from 4-0 down in the third set Gavin fought back, nearly taking it to 4-4. But I just held on to win it after over two and a half hours play. Thanks for the game, Gavin" -- Joseph
Player Comments:
- "Set 1 George secured an early lead of 3-0 and stayed in front to finish the set 6-3. Set 2 was much more closely contested, with neither player securing a lead of more than a game, until 5-5 when George managed to edge in front for the win. Great match played in good conditions, other than the strong breeze blowing during the first half of the match which allowed some balls to sail in/out depending on the end of the court it was hit from. " -- George
Player Comments:
- "Incredibly intense relegation dogfight with some insane, long, side-to-side rallies. Linton just won out in the end after over 2 hours" -- Linton
Player Comments:
- "First time I've played Linton. We had some really good baseline rallies, and he came back strongly in the second set. But I just managed to nick it at the end. A very enjoyable game" -- Joseph
Player Comments:
- "Played George a couple of rounds ago and this time it felt like we'd both improved a lot. A really tight match, though the heat was really draining so I was hugely relieved when it finally ended." -- Joseph
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentGeorge Williams bt Mark Cheung (May 6) 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-4)Player Comments:
- "Great match and as perfect weather for it." -- George
Player Comments:
- "Set 1 Linton secured an early lead, taking it to 1-4 but George managed to find his rhythm to come back and take the set. Set 2 Linton again secured a 1-4 lead but this time managed to hold keep the lead and win the Set. Set 3 was close with Linton recovering from 4-2 to make it 4-4 but George upped his game to secure the match." -- George
Player Comments:
- "Brilliant match with hard fought sets. Plenty of comebacks and great shot making. Very impressed with German: he had only just finished a different match not long before we began ours. " -- George
Player Comments:
- "As usual a really competitive and energy sapping match played on a glorious morning in Dulwich Park. Second set didn't seem to want to end. Great game." -- Mark
Player Comments:
- "What a match - really close throughout with multiple breaks in each set. Joseph had several set points really forcing me to up my game when needed. Loads of running on both sides on a slippery surface. Think half points for Joseph's tie breaks would definitely have been deserved! Many thanks for the great game Joseph, Max" -- Maximilian
Player Comments:
- "A really enjoyable match. Very competitive throughout and match swung on a few tight points. Thanks for the game, German, and look forward to playing again " -- Joseph
Player Comments:
- "Really enjoyable match, lots of good rallies. Mark had me running all over the court. Far closer than the score suggests" -- Joseph
Player Comments:
- "Gavin broke in the first game of the set and then held to take an early lead and then broke again at 4-2 to then serve for the set. German broke back after saving a set point and went on to win the following three games on the bounce, saving another set point along the way, leaving Gavin to serve to stay in the set and take it to a tie-break, which he managed to do. The tie-break was close, with two early mini-breaks exchanged, before going back on serve eventually leaving German to serve to stay in the set at 6-5. Gavin managed to breake and take the set with German hitting a forehand into the net. The second went with serve until Gavin broke in the sixth game to make it 4-2 and this time he managed to see it out serving to take it 6-3." -- Gavin
Player Comments:
- "Thanks for the match Mark, pleasure meeting you. Max" -- Maximilian
Group Summary:
Ragnar's near miss with top spot last time out was a distant memory by the end of this round, as he takes the prize thanks to six terrific wins and bonus points too. Jack also showed fantastic form to record six wins of his own and he finishes with the only unbeaten record, but with scheduling kills missing from his game he has to settle for silver this time.
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ragnar Lorentzen | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 14 | WWWL | ||||||
2 | Jack Cunliffe | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 | WWWW | ||||||
3 | Christopher Taylor | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | LWLW | ||||||
4 | William Carnegie | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | LWWL | ||||||
5 | Nicholas Battle | 4 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3 | LLLL | ||||||
6 | Robert Faux | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | LLLW | ||||||
7 | Mark Catherall | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | LL | ||||||
8 | Charlie Smedley | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | LL |
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "A very close well balanced match played on a lovely evening. Game lasted nearly 2 hours and requires a deciding set. Very enjoyable game - well played Mark." -- Nicholas
Player Comments:
- "Fantastic match, really tough and exciting with lots of winners from both players. Scoreline looks funny but actually each set was close, quite a few deuce games. Cheers for the game Will!" -- Jack
Player Comments:
- "A scorching hot sun today and the match was much closer than the score suggests. Nick hit lots of great slices and low angles and we had some fun rallies. Cheers for the game!" -- Jack
Player Comments:
- "Nice match played in the evening sunshine. I definitely wasn't at my best, hitting quite a few errors, but managed to scrape through anyway against some tricky slices and short balls. Thanks for the game Rob!" -- Jack
Player Comments:
- "Good match played in a light drizzle with an epic final game! Thanks for the match Ragnar." -- Jack
Player Comments:
- "A really enjoyable match played in a great spirit. First set was a lot closer than the score suggests. A few crucial break points decided the set. Second set was even closer. Charlie upped his game and it was neck and neck until the last two games. Lots of long rallies and exceptional winning shots from both players. Thanks for the game Charlie and look forward to another match. Chris." -- Christopher
Player Comments:
- "Really close match in nice conditions, wasn't super hot but pretty clear and dry at least. First set was topsy turvy and could've gone either way and second set ended up being tight too! Really enjoyable, cheers Mark." -- Jack
Player Comments:
- "A hard fought and tough match with some good shots hit by both players, and a few errors too! The match was closer than the score suggests and the weather was absolutely perfect today. Had a really good time, thanks for the match Chris and look forward to playing again sometime." -- Jack
Player Comments:
- "Great match played in scorching heat. Amazing rallies considering the hot conditions. Nick was like Andy Murray the way he kept retrieving the shots that Chris played into the corners of the court. Match decided on a few crucial points that Chris won but could have gone either way. A really enjoyable afternoons tennis. Thanks Nick. Chris" -- Christopher
Match of the Group:
Ragnar Lorentzen bt Christopher Taylor (Apr 15) 6-2, 5-7, 6-4Group Summary:
Congratulations to Luke who takes the gold thanks to a combination of five fantastic wins and scheduling prowess. Runner up Patrick did well to secure four victories and he made Luke work hard in their head to head with his "secret weapon chop shots". Now David won both of the matches he played and this included a victory over the new champ Luke, so what might have happened had he got on court for a few more? Maybe we will find out next time. A special mention also to Carolyn who was the only player to play all of her matches - a great effort.
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Luke Hearn | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | WWWL | ||||||
2 | Patrick Foster | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 9 | WWWW | ||||||
3 | Carolyn Robertson | 7 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 | LWWW | ||||||
4 | Vicky Reeves | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | LWLW | ||||||
5 | David Cahill | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | WW | ||||||
6 | Elizabeth Kane | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | LLWL | ||||||
7 | Werner Madlener | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | LLLL | ||||||
8 | Charlotte Morton | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | LL |
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "played one day late but worth it!" -- Patrick
Player Comments:
- "Vicky missed chances to level in a very tough second set. It was a very enjoyable match despite the heat." -- Patrick
Player Comments:
- "Werner was 2 0 in first set and I had to really step up my game. Werner is quite dangerous at the net and I had to keep pushing him back to the base line. A friendly and competitive match. Thank you Werner " -- Carolyn
Player Comments:
- "Lovely game thanks Charlotte. We enjoyed being in the evening sun after a day stuck inside at work! Lots of nice rallies and each game was close..." -- Vicky
Player Comments:
- "A very long and enjoyable match in fading Spring light. Great rallies and a strong second set from Charlotte. Thanks for an exciting match" -- Carolyn
Player Comments:
- "My favourite match of the round so far. Long rallies and close games. Thanks Elizabeth" -- Carolyn
Player Comments:
- "In terms of “pre-match nutrition” I think I had the upper hand over Vicky which led to a bit of a 1 sided first set! However her elegant and intelligent shots wrong footed me on more than a few occasions in 2nd half of game leading to a much more competitive set. " -- Luke
Player Comments:
- "Thanks for the game Carolyn. " -- David
Player Comments:
- "A strange match but enjoyable. Very close final set which led to a tie break." -- Elizabeth
Player Comments:
- "Lovely game in fantastic weather! Thanks Elizabeth :) " -- Vicky
Player Comments:
- "Thanks for the game Werner. Keep up the practise. " -- Luke
Player Comments:
- "Great match! Lovely long rallies and nice to play in the sunshine." -- Vicky
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentLuke Hearn bt Patrick Foster (Apr 5) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4Player Comments:
- "Great game with Patrick this morning and very close. I didn’t really deserve to win in the end and not sure how I did! I didn’t enjoy Patrick’s secret weapon chop shots. " -- Luke
Group Summary:
Neil was unstoppable in this round, powering his way into pole position with a clean sweep of wins - well played Neil. Susan also produced some terrific tennis to record four victories and takes a well deserved silver. Kudos to Peter who was the only player to earn his bonus prize.
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Neil Johnson | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 10 | WWWW | ||||||
2 | Susan Fogarty | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 8 | LWWW | ||||||
3 | Craig Smith | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | LWLW | ||||||
4 | Joanna Lesak | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | WWLL | ||||||
5 | Peter Frost | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | LLLL | ||||||
6 | Katarzyna Szachnowicz | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | WLLL |
Match Results:
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentKatarzyna Szachnowicz bt Peter Frost (May 17) 3-6, 6-3, [10-5]Player Comments:
- "Peter went into an early lead but Katarzina pulled back and she lost the first set to three. Katarzina continued to improve and won the second set to three. The sun troubled Peter on serving and in the championship tie break he wasn't able to overcome Katarzina who played well cutting out errors from her game. Most enjoyable with two players evenly matched." -- Peter
Player Comments:
- "Loved our match in the late evening sun, well worth the wait! There were lots of long rallies, the scoreline does not necessarily reflect the play. Really enjoyable Kaska" -- Susan
Player Comments:
- "Not the best weather conditions with rain playing a big part of the rallies in the match. Thanks for a good game! " -- Neil
Player Comments:
- "We had lots of deuces in the first set and it was a really fun match. We actually started in Belair a week earlier with 4-3 in second set to Kaska who came back after 6-1 to Jo in first set. We didn't have time to finish though in Belair and finished second set the week later at Old College. We were blessed with beautiful weather both days. " -- Joanna
Player Comments:
- "A beautiful late spring evening. There were many rally's and deuces. Jo covered the court well but the outcome in the rallies wasn't easy to predict until the last stroke. The score doesn't necessarily reflect the way the match went. It lasted one hour and a quarter." -- Peter
Player Comments:
- "Gruelling cold windy conditions with light drizzle didn't make for the most pleasant match but we still had fun. There were lots of deuces and never ending games. Lots of unforced errors from Jo and Craig warmed up with countless drop shots but then developed some good slices, service and cross court action. Thanks for the match. " -- Joanna
Player Comments:
- "A fun match on a dreary day. Some well matched long rallies, particularly in the second set. Really enjoyed it Jo." -- Susan
Player Comments:
- "We had a good game. Shame that the courts were slippery. " -- Neil
Player Comments:
- "Thanks for a good game!" -- Neil
Player Comments:
- "Craig and I had a really enjoyable, if exhausting match on a gloriously sunny morning. There were lots of deuce games, we both had a tough workout. Thanks Craig for a brilliant morning." -- Susan
Player Comments:
- "Susan was very steady, made very few errors. I did better in the friendly championship tie break but Susan is destined for promotion." -- Peter
Player Comments:
- "Superb weather, although neither of us managed very well in serving into the sun. Neil had a fast service creating aces. We had quite a balanced game not reflected by the score. But Neil had too much fire power in the end." -- Peter
Player Comments:
- "Craig was a bit rusty, he served doubles or aces for some of the time. The first set was more to do about losing ones service rather than winning it. In the second set Craig was executing sliced drop shots at will which eventually won him the match." -- Peter
Player Comments: