East midlands open and national doubles - report and results
After a disappointing 2020 in which the UK Racketball Series couldn't be held, 2021 was an opportunity for everyone to get back on court and start competing again. That we were able to hold 7 events in 2021, including the inaugural British Racketball Open, and these Series Finals and National Doubles in Nottingham, is a testament to the community and every last individual who makes these events possible.
We owe a huge thank you to the series sponsors, new and old, as well as the 6 host clubs across the country who helped us put on such fantastic events. It's been a great season, capped off by the series-ending East Midlands Racketball Open and National Racketball Doubles, which saw some fiercely competitive matches throughout the day.
The event kicked off with the largest draw, the Over 60s. Group winners Manuel Costa and Yac Latif featured in a play-off to reach the semi-finals, with Paul Bennett waiting for them. Manuel saw off Yac with a closely-fought 2/1, before beating Paul 2/0 to reach the final. In the top half, Terry Horne beat Graham Appleby 2/0 with some great racketball being played. In the final, 10 years after he won the East Midlands Over 50s, Manuel came through 2/0 to take the silverware for the Over 60s.
In the Over 50s, David Evans dropped just one game on the way to the final, winning his group and getting past Merv Davies in the semi-final. Waiting for him was an in-form Chris Wase, who looked dangerous from the get go and after taking a tight first game, looked to have the match in the bag. A brief comeback from David looked to get the crowd going, but it wasn't to be as Chris closed out the match 2/0 to take the title in Nottingham.
In the Over 40s, Ryan Loska cruised through to win without dropping a game, while in the B Grade Daniel Hindmarch and Chris Burton won their groups to contest the final. Some tight high-quality racketball from both saw a game which swung between the two, before Daniel managed to close out the first. From there, he looked in control, and went on to take the final 2/0. In the A Grade, National Champion Mike Harris headed a strong group, but despite the challenge he still came through to take the title, winning every match 2/0.
The Over 60s doubles was perhaps the closest grade of the day, with 3 pairs finishing within 1 point of each other. Yac Latif/Richard Wells, and Sue Gotham/Simon Dillon finished tied on 6 points each, with the former taking second place by virtue of winning the match between the two. The winners, however, were Terry Horne and Gary Westwood with 7 points, separated only by the extra game scored in the 2/1 defeat to Sue and Simon.
In the Over 50s doubles, Chris Wase backed up his singles title with another for the doubles, he and partner Merv Davies winning all 4 of their matches. They were pushed all the way by runners-up Daniel Fernandez and Patrick Osborn, but the Shrewsbury pair proved too strong in the end. The Over 40s doubles was a similar story, with Marc Thornley/Adam Grilli and Andrew Beel/Steve Smith both winning their first 3 matches to set up a winner-takes-all final, in which Thornley/Grilli eventually came through for the win. The Mixed Doubles saw some big names pair up, with top seeds Luke Bishop/Amber Marshall proving too strong for the rest off the group.
The Open Doubles was set up for a tantalising final, with UK Racketball Series regulars Luke Bishop/Mike Harris seeded to meet the Abbeydale pairing of Adam Auckland/Ollie Turner in the final. The former were relatively unchallenged in the group stages and looked very strong, while Auckland/Turner had to fight a bit harder to come through their group. Ultimately, both pairings came through undefeated, and set up what looked to be a cracking final for the last match of the day.
Bishop/Harris came out of the blocks strong, giving themselves a 3 point cushion going into the final stages of the first game with some solid racketball and very few errors. However, Auckland/Turner weren't about to roll over, and some quality attacking shots from both soon overturned the deficit. Adam in particular showed his class, bringing out some of the shots that took him to 105 in the PSA rankings. After the first-game comeback, an upset looked to be on the cards, and Bishop/Harris had to regroup. Both pairings recognised how crucial the start of the second game was, resulting in a blistering pace and some fantastic rallies. Again, Bishop/Harris showed their experience to keep the errors down and apply the pressure, eventually closing out the second to take the match to a decider. Some early winners from the racket of Luke gave them a lead in the third, and they never looked back, taking the match 2/1 and with it, the title of National Doubles Champions.
Congratulations to the UK Racketball Series Champion 2021: Amber Marshall!
Amber's great run today, winning the mixed doubles as well as the Women's Grade was enough to ensure she finished the 2021 Series as Champion.
Special thanks have to be made to event sponsors Colton Packaging, and of course our series sponsors. It was a fantastic day of racketball, and a great finish to a year in which it didn't always look like racketball would be played. Our thanks to every single player who's made this series possible, both today and throughout the year - without you this series wouldn't happen. We look forward to seeing you all again next year, when we hope to run even more events and continue to bring the UK Racketball Series to clubs across the country.
Have a good Christmas, and we'll see you in 2022!
We owe a huge thank you to the series sponsors, new and old, as well as the 6 host clubs across the country who helped us put on such fantastic events. It's been a great season, capped off by the series-ending East Midlands Racketball Open and National Racketball Doubles, which saw some fiercely competitive matches throughout the day.
The event kicked off with the largest draw, the Over 60s. Group winners Manuel Costa and Yac Latif featured in a play-off to reach the semi-finals, with Paul Bennett waiting for them. Manuel saw off Yac with a closely-fought 2/1, before beating Paul 2/0 to reach the final. In the top half, Terry Horne beat Graham Appleby 2/0 with some great racketball being played. In the final, 10 years after he won the East Midlands Over 50s, Manuel came through 2/0 to take the silverware for the Over 60s.
In the Over 50s, David Evans dropped just one game on the way to the final, winning his group and getting past Merv Davies in the semi-final. Waiting for him was an in-form Chris Wase, who looked dangerous from the get go and after taking a tight first game, looked to have the match in the bag. A brief comeback from David looked to get the crowd going, but it wasn't to be as Chris closed out the match 2/0 to take the title in Nottingham.
In the Over 40s, Ryan Loska cruised through to win without dropping a game, while in the B Grade Daniel Hindmarch and Chris Burton won their groups to contest the final. Some tight high-quality racketball from both saw a game which swung between the two, before Daniel managed to close out the first. From there, he looked in control, and went on to take the final 2/0. In the A Grade, National Champion Mike Harris headed a strong group, but despite the challenge he still came through to take the title, winning every match 2/0.
The Over 60s doubles was perhaps the closest grade of the day, with 3 pairs finishing within 1 point of each other. Yac Latif/Richard Wells, and Sue Gotham/Simon Dillon finished tied on 6 points each, with the former taking second place by virtue of winning the match between the two. The winners, however, were Terry Horne and Gary Westwood with 7 points, separated only by the extra game scored in the 2/1 defeat to Sue and Simon.
In the Over 50s doubles, Chris Wase backed up his singles title with another for the doubles, he and partner Merv Davies winning all 4 of their matches. They were pushed all the way by runners-up Daniel Fernandez and Patrick Osborn, but the Shrewsbury pair proved too strong in the end. The Over 40s doubles was a similar story, with Marc Thornley/Adam Grilli and Andrew Beel/Steve Smith both winning their first 3 matches to set up a winner-takes-all final, in which Thornley/Grilli eventually came through for the win. The Mixed Doubles saw some big names pair up, with top seeds Luke Bishop/Amber Marshall proving too strong for the rest off the group.
The Open Doubles was set up for a tantalising final, with UK Racketball Series regulars Luke Bishop/Mike Harris seeded to meet the Abbeydale pairing of Adam Auckland/Ollie Turner in the final. The former were relatively unchallenged in the group stages and looked very strong, while Auckland/Turner had to fight a bit harder to come through their group. Ultimately, both pairings came through undefeated, and set up what looked to be a cracking final for the last match of the day.
Bishop/Harris came out of the blocks strong, giving themselves a 3 point cushion going into the final stages of the first game with some solid racketball and very few errors. However, Auckland/Turner weren't about to roll over, and some quality attacking shots from both soon overturned the deficit. Adam in particular showed his class, bringing out some of the shots that took him to 105 in the PSA rankings. After the first-game comeback, an upset looked to be on the cards, and Bishop/Harris had to regroup. Both pairings recognised how crucial the start of the second game was, resulting in a blistering pace and some fantastic rallies. Again, Bishop/Harris showed their experience to keep the errors down and apply the pressure, eventually closing out the second to take the match to a decider. Some early winners from the racket of Luke gave them a lead in the third, and they never looked back, taking the match 2/1 and with it, the title of National Doubles Champions.
Congratulations to the UK Racketball Series Champion 2021: Amber Marshall!
Amber's great run today, winning the mixed doubles as well as the Women's Grade was enough to ensure she finished the 2021 Series as Champion.
Special thanks have to be made to event sponsors Colton Packaging, and of course our series sponsors. It was a fantastic day of racketball, and a great finish to a year in which it didn't always look like racketball would be played. Our thanks to every single player who's made this series possible, both today and throughout the year - without you this series wouldn't happen. We look forward to seeing you all again next year, when we hope to run even more events and continue to bring the UK Racketball Series to clubs across the country.
Have a good Christmas, and we'll see you in 2022!
Results
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East Midlands Racketball open and national racketball doubles schedule
Schedules are now out for the East Midlands Open and National Racketball Doubles on 4th December at Nottingham Squash Rackets Club.
Please see below for all details; it's shaping up to be a great finish to the series with some fantastic matches in store for these last two events!
Please see below for all details; it's shaping up to be a great finish to the series with some fantastic matches in store for these last two events!
| east_midlands_open_and_national_doubles_schedule.pdf |
East Midlands Racketball Open and NAtional Racketball Doubles - Draws Update
Draws are now out for the final events of the year - the East Midlands Racketball Open and the National Racketball Doubles. We look forward to seeing everyone in Nottingham to cap off what has been a fantastic year for the return of the UK Racketball Series.
Please see below for updates to the draws.
Please see below for updates to the draws.
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Updated Entry Lists - East Midlands Open and NAtional Doubles
See below for the updated entry lists for the East Midlands Open and the National Doubles. Draws will be published Sunday 28th November.
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Entry Lists for East Midlands Open and National Doubles
Entry lists have now been released for the East Midlands Open and National Doubles, taking place on the 4th of December at the Nottingham Squash Rackets Club. We look forward to what should be an exciting weekend with some great Racketball action at one of the most-loved venues of the series.
Click the link below to see the entries. We expect more to come in over the next week, so if you're in a smaller draw at the moment there's no need to worry. Players in draws that remain small when entries close will be offered refunds or the chance to merge into bigger grades - so there's plenty of Racketball on offer over the course of the weekend.
Click the link below to see the entries. We expect more to come in over the next week, so if you're in a smaller draw at the moment there's no need to worry. Players in draws that remain small when entries close will be offered refunds or the chance to merge into bigger grades - so there's plenty of Racketball on offer over the course of the weekend.
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Series Finals Introduction - National Doubles and East midland Open Singles
The final event of the 2021 UK-Racketball Series will take place in Nottingham on Saturday the 4th of December.
Nottingham is the longest standing venue for the UK-Racketball Series with the first event taking place in 2010, since then the club has hosted 10 East Midland Opens, two National Championships and two National Doubles Championships. There is a reason why we keep coming back to Nottingham, it is arguably the best sole Squash and Racketball Club in the county and a brilliant tournament venue. The courts are very well maintained, there is plenty of room for spectators and the bar is cosy and welcoming, with great tournament deals on food and drink.
The National Racketball/ Squash57 Doubles will take place alongside a normal UK-Racketball Series event. Players are limited to two categories but these can be split across either event. If players don't like doubles they can just participate in the singles. If players fancy trying their hand at a National Doubles title they can focus on this.
At the end of the event the presentation will be done for the overall UK-Racketball Series champion. It is likely that as always with multiple grades running all will still be to play for going into the final day. Follow this link to see players standing in the Series and what prizes you can take home!
https://www.uk-racketball.com/2021-series-rankings.html
For more details on each event see below. There are quite a few different grade entry options, to get to more information on the event you need to scroll past all of them below.
Nottingham is the longest standing venue for the UK-Racketball Series with the first event taking place in 2010, since then the club has hosted 10 East Midland Opens, two National Championships and two National Doubles Championships. There is a reason why we keep coming back to Nottingham, it is arguably the best sole Squash and Racketball Club in the county and a brilliant tournament venue. The courts are very well maintained, there is plenty of room for spectators and the bar is cosy and welcoming, with great tournament deals on food and drink.
The National Racketball/ Squash57 Doubles will take place alongside a normal UK-Racketball Series event. Players are limited to two categories but these can be split across either event. If players don't like doubles they can just participate in the singles. If players fancy trying their hand at a National Doubles title they can focus on this.
At the end of the event the presentation will be done for the overall UK-Racketball Series champion. It is likely that as always with multiple grades running all will still be to play for going into the final day. Follow this link to see players standing in the Series and what prizes you can take home!
https://www.uk-racketball.com/2021-series-rankings.html
For more details on each event see below. There are quite a few different grade entry options, to get to more information on the event you need to scroll past all of them below.
National Racketball/ Squash57 Doubles Main Tournament Information
2021 is the fourth year that UK-Racketball has run the National Racketball/ Squash57 Doubles. The last National Double event ran as part of the UK-Racketball Series finals in Nottingham in 2019 and was a great success.
More than 100 competitors took part making for a fantastic atmosphere throughout the day. The Mixed Doubles final was arguably one of the best matches of the day with Patrick Osborn and Zoe Mellis retaining their title but Adam Grilli and Amber Marshall pushed them all the way taking the match to a deep tiebreaker in the 2nd.
In 2018 we started to run doubles events alongside singles events at some of our UK-Racketball Series events and this has been a huge success with some amazing doubles matches really capturing players imaginations. 2019 is set to be a big year for Racketball Doubles as we spread the word to new areas of the UK.
Follow this link to read the Racketball/ Squash57 Doubles rules - http://www.uk-racketball.com/racketball-doubles-rules.html
To see videos from the Racketball National Doubles head to either our Facebook page www.facebook.com/UKRacketballSeries/ or follow this link to YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOCDhogUhLhXdcGnD58Nlbw/videos
More than 100 competitors took part making for a fantastic atmosphere throughout the day. The Mixed Doubles final was arguably one of the best matches of the day with Patrick Osborn and Zoe Mellis retaining their title but Adam Grilli and Amber Marshall pushed them all the way taking the match to a deep tiebreaker in the 2nd.
In 2018 we started to run doubles events alongside singles events at some of our UK-Racketball Series events and this has been a huge success with some amazing doubles matches really capturing players imaginations. 2019 is set to be a big year for Racketball Doubles as we spread the word to new areas of the UK.
Follow this link to read the Racketball/ Squash57 Doubles rules - http://www.uk-racketball.com/racketball-doubles-rules.html
To see videos from the Racketball National Doubles head to either our Facebook page www.facebook.com/UKRacketballSeries/ or follow this link to YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOCDhogUhLhXdcGnD58Nlbw/videos
Main Tournament Details
What: National Racketball/ Squash57 Doubles
When: Saturday 4th of December
Where: Nottingham Squash Club
Postcode: NG7 1BX
Cost: £30.00 per pair (£8.50 for high quality, quick dry sublimated print tournament t-shirt)
Covid Regulations: This event will comply fully with the Covid 19 regulations at the time of competition
More Information: Email Mark Fuller mark@starsportsdevelopment.com or call Mark on 07846 067505
To read the rules for Racketball Doubles follow this link
If anyone would like to play but don't have a partner please email mark@starsportsdevelopment.com several players are in this position so I will play match maker!
What: National Racketball/ Squash57 Doubles
When: Saturday 4th of December
Where: Nottingham Squash Club
Postcode: NG7 1BX
Cost: £30.00 per pair (£8.50 for high quality, quick dry sublimated print tournament t-shirt)
Covid Regulations: This event will comply fully with the Covid 19 regulations at the time of competition
More Information: Email Mark Fuller mark@starsportsdevelopment.com or call Mark on 07846 067505
To read the rules for Racketball Doubles follow this link
If anyone would like to play but don't have a partner please email mark@starsportsdevelopment.com several players are in this position so I will play match maker!
National Racketball/ Squash57 Doubles Grades
Open Championship - County, national or good club player
Women’s Championship - All ages and abilities, these events have a great range of players which makes for a fun and competitive day.
Mixed Championship - All ages and abilities, men and women
Men’s O40 Championship - For players over the age of 40
Men’s O50 Championship - For players over the age of 50
Men’s O60 Championship - For players over the age of 60
If you are unsure which category to enter please feel free to contact Mark Fuller directly on 07846 067505 or email us at info@uk-racketball.com and we will be happy to advise you.
Open Championship - County, national or good club player
Women’s Championship - All ages and abilities, these events have a great range of players which makes for a fun and competitive day.
Mixed Championship - All ages and abilities, men and women
Men’s O40 Championship - For players over the age of 40
Men’s O50 Championship - For players over the age of 50
Men’s O60 Championship - For players over the age of 60
If you are unsure which category to enter please feel free to contact Mark Fuller directly on 07846 067505 or email us at info@uk-racketball.com and we will be happy to advise you.
Nottingham Open Singles Grades
The Nottingham Open Singles will run the same as a normal UK-Racketball event with the same grades and tournament structure as normal.
The Nottingham Open has been running since 2010 and is often one of the biggest events in the Series. The Nottingham tournament courts are superb, the bar is cozy and location central, the perfect place to finish the year's Series.
Main Tournament Details
What: Nottingham Racketball Open - Event 10 of the 2018 UK-Racketball Series
When: Saturday 4th of December
Where: Nottingham Squash Club
Postcode: NG7 1BX
Cost: £14.00 (£8.50 for tournament t-shirt)
More Information: Email Mark Fuller mark@starsportsdevelopment.com or call Mark on 07846 067505
To have a look at the history of the Nottingham Open follow the links on the navigation bar above and trace the event back to 2010.
The Nottingham Open has been running since 2010 and is often one of the biggest events in the Series. The Nottingham tournament courts are superb, the bar is cozy and location central, the perfect place to finish the year's Series.
Main Tournament Details
What: Nottingham Racketball Open - Event 10 of the 2018 UK-Racketball Series
When: Saturday 4th of December
Where: Nottingham Squash Club
Postcode: NG7 1BX
Cost: £14.00 (£8.50 for tournament t-shirt)
More Information: Email Mark Fuller mark@starsportsdevelopment.com or call Mark on 07846 067505
To have a look at the history of the Nottingham Open follow the links on the navigation bar above and trace the event back to 2010.
Nottingham Racketball Open Grades
It is important to remember that UK-Racketball Series events are designed to be inclusive. Although the A grade does attract the best racketball players in the country the events really are for players of all ages and abilities. We have never had a competitor who felt they were not good enough for an event when they took part.
A Grade – County, national or good club player
B Grade – Regular club player
Women’s – All ages and abilities, these events have a great range of players which makes for a fun
and competitive day.
Over 40’s – For players over the age of 40
Over 50’s - For players over the age of 50
Over 60’s – For players over the age of 60
If you are unsure which category to enter please feel free to contact Mark Fuller directly on 07846067505 or email mark@starsportsdevelopment.com and we will be happy to advise you.
It is important to remember that UK-Racketball Series events are designed to be inclusive. Although the A grade does attract the best racketball players in the country the events really are for players of all ages and abilities. We have never had a competitor who felt they were not good enough for an event when they took part.
A Grade – County, national or good club player
B Grade – Regular club player
Women’s – All ages and abilities, these events have a great range of players which makes for a fun
and competitive day.
Over 40’s – For players over the age of 40
Over 50’s - For players over the age of 50
Over 60’s – For players over the age of 60
If you are unsure which category to enter please feel free to contact Mark Fuller directly on 07846067505 or email mark@starsportsdevelopment.com and we will be happy to advise you.
Club Facilities
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Nottingham Squash Club is one of the best Racketball centres in the country with 10 courts a gym which players can use to warm up and cool down and a lovely bar that overlooks the picturesque Park Estate. If you have time between matches Nottingham Castle and city centre are both within walking distance.
For the past two years the club has hosted the National Racketball Championships. Close to the M1 the club is central and ideal for players to access from all areas of the UK. |
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Club Location
Nottingham Squash Club
Tattershall Drive
The Park
Nottingham
NG7 1BX
Tattershall Drive
The Park
Nottingham
NG7 1BX
What happened in 2019 - Series Finals - National Doubles and Nottingham Open Singles report and results
2019 saw a record entry into the UK-Racketball Series Finals and with 11 grades running across the day it was a fantastic atmosphere at Nottingham Squash Club.
Ted Jeal and Billy Jones were crowned victorious in the National Racketball Doubles defeating Racketball legends Jim Lord and Matt Baker in the final 2-0. Luke Bishop earned his first National Title in the mixed doubles with partner Natalie Lawrence. In 5 team group it was Mervyn Davis and Chris Wase overcoming the challenge from Ryan Loska and Adam Grilli that secured the Over 40's after 4 brutal matches.
John Cordeaux and Robert Hambrook claimed the Over 50's title for East Anglia. Zoe Fennell and Amber Marshall overcame the challenge from Elspeth Edwards and Natalie Lawrence in the Women's. Ian Graham needed points in the Over 60's to secure the overall UK-Racketball Series title for 2019 and he managed it with a runners up medal, Graham and his partner Terry Horne were defeated by eventual winners Paul Halstead and Yac Latif in the final 2-0.
The East Midlands Racketball Open is the longest standing event of the Series dating back to 2010. It traditionally sees one of the largest fields across all categories and 2019 did not disappoint. The largest draw of the day, the B Grade was eventually won by George Orton from Hinkley who defeated Charlie Chester of Hallamshire 2-0. Luke Bishop added to a brilliant run of 2019 titles with a win over Ted Jeal in the A Grade and Ryan Loska wrapped up the day with victory over Steve Smith in the final of the Over 50's.
After a fantastic season Ian Graham claimed the overall Series crown with 1905 points across the 11 events. Graham is the 10th player to claim the UK-Racketball Series Crown - www.uk-racketball.com/2019-series-rankings.html
For videos, including some great shots of the Racketball/ Squash 57 National Doubles follow this link - www.youtube.com/channel/UCOCDhogUhLhXdcGnD58Nlbw/videos
Head to Facebook to see the photos from the day - www.facebook.com/UKRacketballSeries/
Ted Jeal and Billy Jones were crowned victorious in the National Racketball Doubles defeating Racketball legends Jim Lord and Matt Baker in the final 2-0. Luke Bishop earned his first National Title in the mixed doubles with partner Natalie Lawrence. In 5 team group it was Mervyn Davis and Chris Wase overcoming the challenge from Ryan Loska and Adam Grilli that secured the Over 40's after 4 brutal matches.
John Cordeaux and Robert Hambrook claimed the Over 50's title for East Anglia. Zoe Fennell and Amber Marshall overcame the challenge from Elspeth Edwards and Natalie Lawrence in the Women's. Ian Graham needed points in the Over 60's to secure the overall UK-Racketball Series title for 2019 and he managed it with a runners up medal, Graham and his partner Terry Horne were defeated by eventual winners Paul Halstead and Yac Latif in the final 2-0.
The East Midlands Racketball Open is the longest standing event of the Series dating back to 2010. It traditionally sees one of the largest fields across all categories and 2019 did not disappoint. The largest draw of the day, the B Grade was eventually won by George Orton from Hinkley who defeated Charlie Chester of Hallamshire 2-0. Luke Bishop added to a brilliant run of 2019 titles with a win over Ted Jeal in the A Grade and Ryan Loska wrapped up the day with victory over Steve Smith in the final of the Over 50's.
After a fantastic season Ian Graham claimed the overall Series crown with 1905 points across the 11 events. Graham is the 10th player to claim the UK-Racketball Series Crown - www.uk-racketball.com/2019-series-rankings.html
For videos, including some great shots of the Racketball/ Squash 57 National Doubles follow this link - www.youtube.com/channel/UCOCDhogUhLhXdcGnD58Nlbw/videos
Head to Facebook to see the photos from the day - www.facebook.com/UKRacketballSeries/
National Racketball Doubles 2019 Results
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East Midlands Racketball Open 2019 - Results
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