Collapse AllWandsworth All Star Singles - Round 35 | Thursday 3 December 2020 to Wednesday 6 January 2021 (Midpoint: Wednesday 30 December 2020)
It's a shame this round had to end early due to lockdown but at least we managed to get past the midway point meaning that you'll all receive a 50% round pass discount for next time! Well done for braving the often wintry weather to get so many matches played and we look forward to seeing you back in action before too long!
Group Summary:
The early finish favoured those who got off to an early start so Brian was rewarded for his 6 match wins with the group title. Max's "monster serve" helped him secure runner up spot and take the first set off the champ, but Brian managed to "get a read on the serve" in the next 2 sets. Max's efforts were rewarded as he won a battling 3 setter against Simon though, his serve again coming to the rescue in the third set.
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Brian O'neill | 6 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 14 | WWWW | ||||||
2 | Max Budny | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | WLWW | ||||||
3 | Steffan Lloyd | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 9 | LLWW | ||||||
4 | Simon Gravatt | 7 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 | WWLW | ||||||
5 | Mark Roberts | 7 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 9 | WLWL | ||||||
6 | Luke Zakrzewski | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | LLWW | ||||||
7 | Eoin Haughton | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | WLLW | ||||||
8 | Fabio Franco | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | LLL | ||||||
9 | Alex Webb | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | LLL |
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "A very enjoyable game with some great ralies. Some great serving from Luke and incredible winning backhand volleys from my attempted lobs. Today my ground strokes were slightly more consistent and as Luke said he didn't quite get into his stride in time." -- Mark
Player Comments:
- "In a match between two ultra defensive players, I prevailed simply by keeping the ball in court during our long rallies one shot more than Mark. With hardly any outright winners, the match was decided on who made the least errors. Today, aided in no small part by the blinding Wandsworth sun, that was me. On another day it could easily be Mark." -- Simon
Player Comments:
- "It was all going swimmingly for me until Steffan saved two match points in the second set and suddenly played much better and more consistent. I managed to survive the scare and clinch the second set... If he played like that for the whole match could have been a different game! Look forward to the next one. Cheers, Brian" -- Brian
Player Comments:
- "Lovely early start in the -1 degree weather! We both have very similar play styles so it made for a great match. In the first I managed to (accidentally) draw blood from both Steffan’s knees by sending him out wide on serves into the ice patches. It was a really tight first set with neither of us going more than a game ahead. I just clinched it in the tie break. In the second I pulled away to a 4-1 lead just hitting a bit more consistently than Steffan. I bottled a number of match points along the way but edged the 6-4 win. Really enjoyable game. Might have been a different story if Steffan had found his serve earlier in the match!" -- Max
Player Comments:
- "Alex is a solid player with a great forehand. We were both still pretty rusty from an indulgent Christmas. The 2nd set was better quality with some solid serving but I was just able to get ahead and take the match. Really enjoyable! " -- Steffan
Player Comments:
- "Really great match - one of my best! Long rallies took it beyond the 2 hours and to 3 sets!" -- Mark
Player Comments:
- "Very enjoyable game with Luke. Lots of long rallies and very close match. " -- Eoin
Player Comments:
- "Really tough Match, score doesn't reflect how close the games were. Simon makes you play every point and capitalises on any short \ soft ball. We both managed to keep are calm with invaders from other courts. Hard fought game - good level of tennis throughout. " -- Luke
Player Comments:
- "The British weather versus Brazilian finesse: Sadly for Fabio, the cold, the wet and the wind of a Wandsworth December morning prevailed." -- Simon
Player Comments:
- "Again, very tricky conditions with a slippery court and heavy, wet balls...not to mention blazing sun! Max has a monster serve and got an absolute tonne of free points first set. It went with serve, and just one break meant Max clinched the first. Second and third sets I began to get a read on the serve, whilst playing a tad more aggressive. Tough but fun game!" -- Brian
Player Comments:
- " High quality match, with hard fought rallies in both sets. Alex has a really good strategic game, mixing in slice, top spin and flat shots really well. Both broke each other serves in both sets, with an added variance of sun set making it hard to find rhythm on one side of the court. Really enjoyable match - with proper strategic rallies throughout. Thanks for a top game." -- Luke
Player Comments:
- "Very close first set, with Eoin coming out all guns blazing! A real battle, that was made very tricky with a low winter sun scorching our retinas. Some great shots from Eoin - very difficult to know how to counter his ambidextrous style!" -- Brian
Player Comments:
- "2nd time playing Mark and another really good match. Mark’s a very hard player to break down with long rallies where you’re having to wait for a chance to attack or an unforced error. I managed to put away enough winners to get past him this time around. " -- Steffan
Player Comments:
- "Really interesting game! Lots of solid rallies & a range of shots being played. I got off to a good start in the first, hitting consistently. After that my weekend on the beers caught up with me and I was getting pretty gassed with Mark sending me all over the court. After losing about 9 games on the bounce, I got my head back in and brought it back to 4-5 in the third. After saving 2 match points the momentum swung my way and I managed to just edge the win. Really enjoyable monday morning, thanks Mark!" -- Max
Player Comments:
- "I got off to the better start, despite some iffy serving on my part. Second set Fabio came out all guns blazing with much more aggressive tennis, along with a few more first serves. I had to claw my way back from 3-1 down and it got a bit nervy at 4-4. My extra match time post lockdown probably helped me in getting over the line. Enjoyed the match, cheers! " -- Brian
Player Comments:
- "I got lucky! Great long game!" -- Mark
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentLuke Zakrzewski bt Steffan Lloyd (Dec 10) 5-7, 6-3, [13-11]Player Comments:
- "Steff is an awesome all rounder player. Solid on both forehand and backhand. Really close match. Tight first set. Managed to hold a serve on second set. Both of us become tight on our serves during tie break, lots of mini breaks and momentum shifts. I got a few lucky net cords to break the dead lock. Game was played in great spirit, really enjoyable points played throughout the match." -- Luke
Player Comments:
- "I got off to the better start, as Mark looked to dust off some lockdown rust and adapt to a new racket. Second set was more competitive with plenty of deuces, but I managed to keep my nose ahead. Thanks for the game! " -- Brian
Player Comments:
- "Back to back days of 2 and a half hour matches for me! Remind me never to do that again. Such an whirlwind game. After winning the 1st set comfortably, I left a nice chunk of my knee on the court after falling over while sliding for a well-placed shot from Simon. It threw me off my game and in the 2nd set Simon capitalised well. In the 3rd, I couldn’t buy a forehand for love nor money while Simon stayed consistent. Luckily my serve got me out of an initial 0-3 hole to win the set. Thoroughly enjoyed it." -- Max
Player Comments:
- "Very close, 2 hour+ marathon match. First 2 sets very close and few key points deciding the sets with most games going to Deuce. I managed to find a bit more consistency in the final set and edge the win. Thanks for the game! " -- Eoin
Player Comments:
- "Good to be back playing tennis! Simon took an early lead in the first set, before I clawed back to 4-4 and then broke for 6-4. A few games where I got lucky with some iffy mishit returns swung momentum my way, and my shot confidence grew as the 2nd set progressed. Fun as always - hopefully no more interruptions to tennis and we can resume the rivalry in due course!" -- Brian
Player Comments:
- "Great to get back on court after lockdown 2.0. The 2nd set was a lot more even and Simon came back much stronger. Competitive first match back! " -- Steffan
Group Summary:
It was tight at the top of Group 2 as Tim and Ben both earned 12 points, but Tim recovered from a set down in their head to head to finish on 5 wins and take the title. Tim employed his slice to good effect again in a "battle of the slices" against Alexandre, a close match played against a backdrop of "every type of weather" the British winter had to offer!
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tim Broad | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 12 | WWWW | ||||||
2 | Ben Ramsden | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 12 | WWWW | ||||||
3 | Alejandro Pinzon | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | WLLL | ||||||
4 | Alexandre Miauton | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 | LLLW | ||||||
5 | Michael Estill | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | LLLW | ||||||
6 | Charles Thompson | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | LW | ||||||
7 | Joseph Harker | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | LL |
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "Well played Ben - great game!" -- Michael
Player Comments:
- "Intense and fun game! legs are aching." -- Alejandro
Player Comments:
- "A very enjoyable and competitive game with Mike. After a slow start in the 1st set Mike started to work out my game in the second set dispatching my 2nd serve with ease with his strong topspin forehand. I came back in the 3rd set with some strong 1st serves which made the difference. " -- Tim
Player Comments:
- "The battle of the slices. Great to still be playing tennis in December and we really had every type of weather from torrential rain to wind to sunshine. Overall the match was very even throughout with neither of us enjoying serving into the low winter sun. I think the fact that I had my sunglasses gave me the edge." -- Tim
Player Comments:
- "really enjoyable game with Joseph who played much better after loosing the first set. An epic battle in the third set that we were unfortunately unable to complete." -- Alexandre
Player Comments:
- "Some good rallies and plenty of Deuce games. I benefitted from getting the hang of the carpet and playing a get-everything-back and slice-it-low-where-possible game. Thanks Alex and good luck with the rest!" -- Ben
Player Comments:
- "Great and fun match with Charlie with some great rallies. I was lucky to win the first set." -- Alexandre
Player Comments:
- "Got lucky that Joseph was a bit rusty from lockdown and I’d had a bit of practice on the carpet, as usually he gets the better of me! A bit stop/start on the carpet, but we still managed to get a few epic rallies in. Good luck with the rest of the round Joseph!" -- Ben
Player Comments:
- "One set on the carpet, one set on the hard, then the lights went out! Very tight match to be continued!" -- Ben
Player Comments:
- "Matches with Alejandro are nothing if not eventful! Another epic 3-setter over 2 days and over 3hrs. Alejandro stormed to a 5-1 lead in the first, absolutely painting the lines, before I started to wake up and gain some momentum. Unfortunately when we resumed play for the third he took a nasty fall in the first game, so was effectively playing one-legged. Looking forward to playing again next round!" -- Ben
Player Comments:
- "A good game and I was lucky to come out on top after many close games. Ben was the better player, but my slice was effective on the wet carpet. Look forward to playing again." -- Tim
Match of the Group:
Charles Thompson bt Michael Estill (Dec 12) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)Player Comments:
- "Another great game with Joseph, the score does not reflect how close the match was with lots of long rallies. I think I had the benefit of playing a game the day before." -- Tim
Player Comments:
- "Another great game with Alejandro, the momentum in the match went back and forth with lots of breaks of serves and could have gone either way." -- Tim
Group Summary:
Sadly just 3 matches were played in this group before lockdown struck, and there were wins for Elisabetta, Jamie and Johnny, so final standings came down to who lost the fewest sets and games in their match wins. Top spot therefore went to Elisabetta for her straight sets win over Enrico, while Jamie held his nerve in a second set tiebreak against Charlie to claim runner up spot.
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Elisabetta Lot | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | W | ||||||
2 | Jamie Gadney | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | W | ||||||
3 | Johnny Yates | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | W | ||||||
4 | William Hawkes | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | L | ||||||
5 | Charlie Bennett | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | L | ||||||
6 | Enrico Ferrero | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | L | ||||||
7 | John Elliot | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
8 | Max Neulinger | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
9 | Sandeep GIll | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Match Results:
Match of the Group:
Jamie Gadney bt Charlie Bennett (Jan 3) 6-3, 7-6 (8-6)Player Comments:
- "Great match! Thanks Enrico." -- Elisabetta
Player Comments:
- "This game was a shift in the tides. Will started strong in the first set and kept a good level of consistency while Johnny was still looking for his form. The second set Johnny was 5-0 up and Will made an incredible comeback to a tie-break. Johnny clinching the second set. The wind was hard to handle but Johnny managed find his form and just a few errors from Will ended a 6-2 win. Great game with loads of deuces and rallies. " -- Johnny
Group Summary:
This was a busy group with lots of close matches, and the honours went to Joe for 5 wins out of 6 including a "great second set" and "so much running" against Jason! Runner up Morgan inflicted the champ's only defeat, another "very competitive match, filled with lengthy rallies". Meanwhile there were hard fought wins for Alexander against Jason and Christopher... well played!
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Joe Carswell | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | WWLW | ||||||
2 | Morgan Parry | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | WWWW | ||||||
3 | Tom He | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | LWLW | ||||||
4 | Alexander Lyon | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | WW | ||||||
5 | Matthew Gomersall | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | LWL | ||||||
6 | Tom Pridham | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | LWLL | ||||||
7 | Christopher Davidson | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | LLL | ||||||
8 | Jason Smyth | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | LLLL | ||||||
9 | Niall Callanan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "Great fun and close match. I struggled a lot with how consistent Tom is. At least we played before it was was all cancelled again!" -- Joe
Player Comments:
- "Fantastic fun to get another game in with Tom. It was a close match with some frenetic rallies especially in the first set." -- Joe
Player Comments:
- "A very competitive match, filled with lengthy rallies. The first set in particular was a tight affair and it was really just a bit of a streak at the end of that and the beginning of the second that won it for me." -- Morgan
Player Comments:
- "Two very tight sets that could've gone either way. I got lucky adapting slightly better the changing conditions - first moving from carpet to hard court in the first set tie break, then the increasing darkness at the end of the second. Thanks for a great game Jason, I'm sure you'll get me next time!" -- Tom
Player Comments:
- "Flipping freezing! Great match which definitely worked off some Christmas excess. Thank you Jason." -- Tom
Player Comments:
- "What a great second set! So much running and long rallies. Great game!" -- Joe
Player Comments:
- "This was a much closer match than the score suggests played on a very slippery court. Lots of deuces and lots of running especially in the second set. Best of luck with the rest of your matches Chris!" -- Joe
Player Comments:
- "Always a pleasure to hit with Matt! I’m sure the tables will be turned next time!" -- Joe
Player Comments:
- "We both struggled to hold our serve, good match though, could have gone either way, enjoyed it. " -- Alexander
Player Comments:
- "Another enjoyable game against Tom, I was perhaps less rusty coming out of lockdown in the first set, but the second set had the finest margins and could easily have gone either way. Look forward to the next battle!" -- Tom
Player Comments:
- "Jason's first game in the league and the first set was on a wet and slippy carpet court, not an ideal way to start your league! And this was reflected in the score. The second set was much more competitive and could have gone either way as we both found our game with much more consistency and some long rallys. A great game, thanks Jason." -- Matthew
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentAlexander Lyon bt Christopher Davidson (Dec 12) 7-5, 7-6 (7-2)Player Comments:
- "Some really great (and long) rallies and what felt like over 100 Deuces! Great match, thanks Chris. " -- Alexander
Player Comments:
- "Really enjoyable match, i was fortunate to edge an exhausting and competitive first set with a lot of swings in momentum, which eased my nerves for the second. Thanks Matt!" -- Tom
Group Summary:
The top spots in Group 5 went to Sirish and Simon F, who won 3 and 2 matches respectively, and also picked up midway bonus points for early match scheduling. Sadly lockdown arrived before Don's "action packed thriller" with Simon T could be resumed, but Tom pulled off an exciting 3 set win over Simon F.
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sirish Patel | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 9 | WWW | ||||||
2 | Simon Farrant | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | WWLL | ||||||
3 | Andy Gilbert | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | LW | ||||||
4 | Simon Thomas | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | WL | ||||||
5 | Tom Santa-Olalla | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | LW | ||||||
6 | Don McGill | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
7 | Andrew Thomas | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | LL | ||||||
8 | Timothy Bass | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | L |
Match Results:
Player Comments:
- "Really enjoyable game with Andrew. Some great rallies and plenty of games featuring extended deuces. Good luck with the rest of your games! " -- Simon
Player Comments:
- "A frosty morning at KGP meant that conditions were pretty slippery underfoot, meaning that we were both a good deal less mobile than normal. We still had a really competitive game though, and Simon T's serves were coming through with real pace! Thanks again for the game, and good luck for the rest of the league" -- Simon
Player Comments:
- "Great match apart from the drizzle. Tom raced into a 4-0 lead but managed to come back in the first. Second set was closer than the score line suggests. Good luck with the rest of your matches!" -- Sirish
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentTom Santa-Olalla bt Simon Farrant (Dec 22) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4Player Comments:
- "It was a great match. Could have gone either way. Lots of fun" -- Tom
Player Comments:
- "Lovely game with Simon - very close and lots of deuces and rallys! Look forward to playing again!" -- Sirish
Player Comments:
- "An action packed thriller... TBC. Don to serve when we resume. D " -- Don
Player Comments:
- "Fantastic close match with some lovely long flowing rallys - great to play again sometime!" -- Sirish
Player Comments:
- "a first day back playing Tennis for Tim in over two months....the cobwebs are now dusted off and ready for the next match" -- Andy
Player Comments:
- "An epic battle... TBC. Don to serve when we resume. D " -- Don
Group Summary:
There was a lot of tennis still to play in this group but at the closing whistle Richard claimed top spot ahead of runner up Tom thanks to winning 2 out of 3 matches and earning midway bonus points. The other player to complete 3 matches was James, who won a 3 set "real epic" against Dimitris.
Final Rankings:
Pos. | Name | Played | P | Won | W | Lost | L | Bonus | BNS | Total | PTS | Form | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Richard Bennett | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | LWW | ||||||
2 | Tom Hughes | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | WW | ||||||
3 | James Toseland | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | WLL | ||||||
4 | Sonny Saimbi | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | WL | ||||||
5 | Dimitris Xenopoulos | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | LL | ||||||
6 | Amy Ilyine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
7 | Dee Winbourne | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
8 | Isabella Highett | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Match Results:
Match of the Group:
Reveal CommentJames Toseland bt Dimitris Xenopoulos (Dec 14) 6-0, 3-6, 7-5Player Comments:
- "A real epic. Well played Dimitrios and all the best for the rest of your matches. " -- James
Player Comments:
- "Thought we were going to be able to wrap it up early and get home for a hot chocolate and MOTD. However Rich came roaring back, fair play, and we just got finished in the nick of time before the lights were switched off on us. Great game and good fun" -- Tom
Player Comments:
- "Very fun match. Solid serving and some brutal lobs! Have a good Christmas!" -- Richard
Player Comments:
- "On a chilly night it was all going my way (as Dimitris hadn’t played for a while!) so at 6-1 and 5-0 up I’m thinking about a walk shower as I’m freezing!! Well 5-0 became 5-5 and thankfully I closed it out at 7-5 but Dimitris really made me work for it and he was unlucky to take it to a 3rd set!! Really enjoyed it buddy, best of luck with the rest of your matches" -- Sonny
Player Comments:
- "Great match with some cool ralleys" -- Tom
Player Comments:
- "Very enjoyable match as always! Ring rusty to say the least. When Sonny gets his serve and forehand working it's just a case of watching it go past you!" -- Richard
Player Comments: