There are new champions in both the men’s and women’s Veterans’ British Clubs League Premier Divisions after a hotly contested weekend 2.
Bribar Deighton ended Ellenborough’s three-year reign as women’s champion, while Global University Systems Horsham Spinners had a perfect weekend to depose champions Topspin Fusion.
More than 420 players were in action across 15 divisions at the Derby Arena and satellite venue Draycott & Long Eaton TTC.
Women’s divisions
Bribar Deighton surpassed both defending champions Ellenborough and Foresters in the final match for the Premier League crown and end Ellenborough’s quest for a fourth consecutive title.
All three won their first games on Saturday, but Deighton’s 4-2 win over Foresters that afternoon caused the upset at the top flight.
They came from 1–0 down and needed the last match to seal a 4–2 victory as Kimmy Pui-Lai Brown defeated Jurate Brazaityte in four to complete a personal double.
Deighton then blew the title chase wide open with a 4-2 win over Ellenborough on Saturday evening, sparked by Xiaoman Ji who ended Sara Williams’ 100% record with a 3-2 (11-6, 5-11, 11-6, 12-14, 11-8) win. Deighton then won three of the next four to secure the overall victory.
Foresters managed to win again on Saturday evening and all three title chasers won on Sunday morning, leaving Ellenborough a point ahead of the other two, but with Foresters up against them.
Deighton did what they had to do by beating TT Shop Liverpool 5-1, while Foresters went to the wire against Ellenborough. Ellenborough won the first, Hurey Ahmetoglu defeated Gabriela Tankel in four, but Foresters hit back by winning the next three, including fifth-set victories for Larisa Titievskaya over Williams and Brazaityte over Sanja Clements.
Ahmetoglu defeated Brazaityte to close the gap to 3-2, but Titievskaya’s victory over Clements made it 4-2 to Foresters.
In the end, Deighton and Foresters were left on 15 points, one ahead of Ellenborough, and Deighton was given the verdict on the count-out.
Ahmetoglu’s double against Foresters completed a 100% weekend and she exceeded the averages by 10/10.
Topspin Fusion held off a fast-finishing Waterside Fusion of Ladies to win Division 1 with a point.
Waterside won all five matches this weekend, including beating Fusion 4-2 on Saturday morning.
Fusion won the next three and despite a 3-3 draw in their final match against third-placed DOJO Merchant Services, who led three times, that was enough to give them the title with 16 points, one ahead of Waterside.
Kate Hughes topped the averages with 10/10 for Waterside, while Fusion’s MiJung Choi narrowly missed out on a full house with 19/20.
Forest rangers III were the Division 2 champions, but it came down to sets difference when they held off WW Lightning. Lightning actually only lost once, against two defeats to Foresters, but three draws ultimately cost them – that and the defeat to Foresters in the final round.
Foresters lost to third-placed Billwood in the penultimate round, but came from 2-1 down to beat Lightning 4-2 in that final round to secure the title.
The recovery was started by Sarah Jane Hilditch who defeated Clare Styles 13-11 in the fourth match and was continued by Lynne Trussell who defeated Rebecca Hurrell 3-2 (6-11, 9-11, 11-9, 12-10, 11-8). Sue Pingram then defeated Sarah Hudson to capture the title.
Styles had the consolation, however hollow, that they exceeded the averages by 19/20.
Northrop Dragons couldn’t be defeated when they won Division 3 with an unbeaten record, finishing four points ahead of Sherwood Ladies.
Their only missed point was a 3-3 draw against Sherwood in Round 9, and they came from 3-1 down to do it after Catharine Cody scored a double for Sherwood.
Lynne Harrison, Paulina Szewczyk and Tracey Sambrook all got one for the champions – Szewczyk and Gillian Richardson from Northrop both finished with 11/14 in average.
Men’s divisions
During the 100% weekend of Global University Systems Horsham Spinners they dethroned the defence Premier League champion Topspin Fusion – ultimately winning the division by four points.
Both teams got off to a fast start, with equal 5-1 wins over Central and Ormesby respectively on Saturday morning, while third-placed Bribar Knighton Park dropped a point in a 3-3 draw against Ormeau.
Fusion’s 5-1 win at Knighton Park on Saturday afternoon effectively made it a two-horse race, with Horsham whitewashing Ormeau at the same time.
On Saturday night Fusion drew Ormesby after being 2-1 down and then leading 3-2, while Horsham beat Knighton Park 4-2 after being 2-1 down.
The top two both won on Sunday morning and with the gap at the top now being two points, Fusion knew they needed a big win to move above their opponents on sets difference in the final round.
Hopes were raised when Victor Guang Shi came from 2-0 down to beat Jacek Koziarski 3-2 (9-11, 12-14, 14-12, 11-9, 11-5) and Lorestas Trumpauskas defeated Oleh Biletskyi in three to put Fusion ahead 2-0.
Mircea Neagu defeated Neil Pickard in four to close the gap. As much depended on the meeting between Loziarski and Trumpauskas, it was the former who won the lead 3-2 (11-6, 3-11, 13-11, 8-11, 14-12). And when Neagu defeated Guang Shi 3-2 (11-4, 11-9, 7-11, 10-12, 11-6), it was Horsham’s title – the final match was defaulted by Fusion, making the final score 4-2.
Fusion’s Thomas Guignat – who scored 7/8 in the first weekend – remained at the top of the averages, followed by Koziarski (16/19) and Trumpauskas (8/10). Would things have been different if Trumpauskas had been available on weekend 1?
Draycott led the battle between the undefeated teams Division 1 (Group 1)a division that was characterized by draws with no fewer than 10 during the season.
Draycott won seven more with their three draws, while Custom Deighton were a point behind after winning six and drawing four.
They met in the final round and Draycott took a 3–1 lead which guaranteed the title, although Deighton held them back by winning the last two.
Draycott’s John Taylor topped the averages with 16/18, just ahead of Lee Horton’s 14/16 for Deighton – both taking a double in that final match, without facing each other.
Hurricane was the class act Division 1 (Group 2) as they finished undefeated and four points ahead of Foresters A.
The champions won eight and drew two. Their only missed point came against Cippenham on Sunday morning – and they finished in grand fashion by beating Foresters 6-0.
Hurricanes had three of the top four in the averages, but not No. 1. That honor went to Sherwin Remata of fifth-placed Moberly, who won 19/20, losing only to Hurricane’s Richard Jermyn.
Admiral Paws finished three points ahead of Wolves VETTS to claim the Division 2 (Group 1) title.
The champions had a 100% second weekend, highlighted by a 4-2 win over their nearest rivals.
Paws had the top two in averages, as Filip Wojtkowiak won 19 of his 20 matches (losing only to BATTS II’s Zayn Mauthoor), three more than teammate Dave Tiplady.
Ashford completed an undefeated season and won Division 2 (Group 2), two points ahead of Foresters C.
It was seven wins and three draws for the champions, drawing their last two games against Draycott II and then Foresters. In the final match they fell behind 3–2 when Percy Collino defeated Neil Herrington 3–2 in the final match to maintain the unbeaten record and seal the title.
CVS’s Michael Moir won 8/10 in weekend 1 and remained at the top of the averages.
Newton Abbot stopped Ajax Wolvey from winning Division 3 (Group 1) and were unbeaten, dropping just a point all season, against Foresters E in weekend 1.
They completed their victory 5-1 against Ajax in the final round – Ajax won every match except the two against the champions.
Newton Abbot’s Michael Hugh topped the averages with 18/20.
Division 3 (Group 2) was exceptionally tight – and the champions won by scoring just 12 points out of a possible 20.
It was Norton Commandos who took the win, ahead of both Fusion Topspin II and Cippenham II on the countback.
Commandos actually drew two and lost two of the first four games of the weekend, but beating Foresters D 4-2 in the final round proved crucial.
Cippenham’s Steve Joel led the averages with 13/16, just ahead of Fusion’s Simon Philipsz on 16/20.
Bristol Associates won the award Division 4 (Group 1) title by a point ahead of Loughborough Unicorn, who they defeated 5–1 in the final round to clinch the title. The champions lost that one match 4-2 to Ashford II.
Bristol’s Daniel James Harris topped the averages on 18/20, slightly above Unicorns’ Robin Oearce on 16/18.
Lancashire Hotpots won Division 4 (Group 2), Division 1 (Group 2), two points ahead of Bristol Associates II. Hotpots’ unbeaten season was destroyed in the final round by Guernsey, who won 4-2 – but the title had already been secured.
Hotpots’ Phil Crankshaw topped the averages, with 18/20, although teammate Rick Beattie and Bristol’s Serhii Herheliuk were also on 90%, from 10 games apiece.
Allied TTC took over Division 5 (Group 1) by three points ahead of Altrincham Grandpa, winning nine and losing one.
That defeat came to their nearest rivals on weekend 1, but they made up for it with a 5-1 success in the final round.
Grandfathers’ Chun Sing Leung topped the averages with 100% from 15 matches.
Continental Stars was undefeated and six points ahead of the pack going into the win Division 5 (Group 2), with a record of eight wins and two draws. It was a full house with five wins in weekend 2, leaving the rest behind.
Swerve’s Steve Brunskill topped the averages, taking 18/20. Oxhill’s Jeff Rigby was also at 90%, from 10 games.
#champions #crowned #weekend #full #twists #turns #VBCL #Table #Tennis #England