the big 2023 british open review!
The third British Racketball Open Championships (this year's lead sponsor Sheffield Autogates) finished off with a fantastic set of finals on Sunday, with a lot of quality matches and broken bodies to boot!
It was a very busy weekend with matches kicking off from 9am both days, with events from Men's & Ladies Open, through to Ladies O50s & Men's O75s, and also three different Doubles Categories! With over 110 players taking part there was plenty to keep Hallamshire's courts busy throughout the tournament. The club also laid on a really fun Oktoberfest themed player's party on the Saturday night, which proved very popular to the thirsty participants after a hard day's battling it out on court. Needless to say that there were a few sore heads in the Sunday morning matches! This will definitely make a re-appearance at next year's event...
On to the matches! Starting off with the O75s where there were some great games all the way through the draw with both top seeds being knocked out early! In the end Martin Day managed to take down James Dubois in a high quality final 3/1 with very little in the game scores to separate them. The same can be said in the O70s with suprise finalist Joe Hely from Scotland taking down 2&3 seeds on his way to the final. Here he met Series regular and British O70s Champion Graham Greensall in what proved to be another fantastic tussle. Greensall coming back from 2/1 down to win 11/6 in the 5th game! I'm sure these two will meet again in the near future at this rate... Hely showing unbelievable stamina through the event as his matches went 3/1, 3/2, 3/2, a superb effort at that age and I'm sure something many younger players would aspire to be able to do!
Upsets galore again in the O65s draw, with the top 2 seeds once more getting knocked out before the final. This time Paul Halstead and Gary Preston both doing the damage to meet in the final round. Here Preston managed to see off Halstead 3/1, capping a remarkable run through the draw. The O60s with a draw of 9 players ended up being played out as a three way final box between Patrick Osborn, John Cordeaux and Paul Haigh. All three matches between the players went to 3/1 or 3/2 highlighting the closeness in standard. In the end it came down to a winner takes all between Cordeaux & Osborn, with Patrick taking the win at 2/1 up as John unfortunately suffered an injury and had to withdraw. A real shame to end a quality battle like this but kudos to Osborn who was considering having to pull out a week before the event with a hamstring strain!
In the O55s top seed and last year's Champion Jim Muirhead battled his way past Nick Billington 3/2 in his semi final to face Mark Francis who had a bit of a less physical route past Murray Scott in his semi. Francis getting the better of last year's winner this time round taking the win 3/0. Simon Parke was the top seed in the O50's draw, looking to double up on his British National Championship success in July. He had to face the winner of last year's final (Chris Wase vs Chris Morris) and it was Morris who managed to get past his club mate and regular adversary Wase 3/0 to get through to face him. It was a quality game with both players using all corners of the court to stretch the play but in the end Parke's nous and quality saw him through a worthy 3/0 winner. The Ladies Over 50s event took place on the Saturday only and its was great to have a group of three players involved. National O60s Champion Lesley Sturgess showing her class by taking out two players younger than her to win the O50s title, UK Racketball Series first timer Helen Midgley doing really well to finish second and Amanda Wykes third. Great effort to all three and we can hopefully look to build this draw more in the future!
The O45s saw some tough Semi Final battles between Lowery & Davies and Talbot & Giles. Both going to 4 games and hitting close to the hour mark in doing so. In the end Matt Lowery and Adam Giles made it through the scraps to meet in the final, with Lowery proving to be too hard for Giles to breakdown with his hard hitting, taking the win 3/0. The O40s was a box of 5 players and gave us some really tight games across the event, with some new faces mixing in with Series regulars. It all came down to a titanic battle between Colin Griggs and Alexis Smith, taking well over an hour for the full 5 games. Smith's consistently quality attacking play and ball placement eventually seeing him past the solid straight lines and movement of Griggs. Last year's O35s Champion Chris Hall was back in action again in his first event post injury, and his fast pace and consistently hard ball striking proved hard for any of his opponents to get any joy against. Craig Chappell getting through to the final to face him but going down 3/0 in the process.
We had three Doubles events - Over 60s, Mixed and Open. All well subscribed with some really good pairings involved. The O60s played out as a box of 5 teams and the O60s singles finalists Cordeaux and Osborn proved to be too strong for the rest, with their left/right hand combination also working wonders. Da Costa and Fleming doing well to get through the rest of the draw to finish 2nd. In the Mixed a few late changes in personell meant that a very strong pairing in Doubles regulars Amber Marshall & Paul Norton came together. While Charlotte Jagger & Olly Jansen played some great exchanges against them with some brutal points, Norton & Marshall proved too sharp and they took the title.
Finally with 11 pairings in the Open draw there was a very busy Saturday of matches. All culminating in a three team shootout on the Sunday to see who could take the win. The Dorset duo of Smith & Allingham were in top form, taking down the pre event top seeds Norton and Chappell in their last match 3/0 to win the event. Kudos also to the last minute pairing of Cossey and Cording who having never played together before (and it was Cossey's 2nd time ever playing Doubles) for making it through to the final 3!
Finally we come to the Men's & Ladies Opens and B Grades. The Men's B was a full 16 draw and there was no real standout top seed, meaning there was everything to play for! In the end Colin Griggs & Dan Hindmarch fought their way through the challenges, Hindmarch in particular having a great match against Cameron parry in their semi. Griggs however proved to be just a step too far in the final, taking the title 3/0 to add to his British Nationals B Grade title. (Safely ruling himself out of any further B Grade level events going forward, it's A all the way for you now Colin!)
The Ladies draw was topped by National Champion Amber Marshall, who faced stiff opposition from the likes of Nationals Runner Up Elspeth Edwards, local top players and e PSA Pros Charlotte Jagger & Fiona Moverly and several other quality Ladies Racketballers. In the end Moverly, Marshall and Edwards made it through to the Final box of 3, unfortunately at the cost of Moverly slipping a disk in her back and having to go to hospital. Leaving the other two to re enact their National Championship Final with Marshall playing some quality stuff to see herself through to a 3/0 win! Becoming the first Ladies player to hold National and Open titles in the same year!
Finally it was left to the Men's Open to finish things off and it was Mike Harris & James Snell who managed to get through to the final in contrasting styles. Harris having a good battle with hallamshire coach and pro Adam Turner, taking a 50 minute 3/1 win after a slow start and some quality attacking from Turner. In the other semi final Snell started rapidly against Luke Bishop, winning the first 11/0! After that Bishop settled and they had some long exchanges across the net two games, Snell's retrieval and quality straight line hitting proving too much for Bishop to be able to breakdown. Snell winning 3/0.
The final was not the first time these two have met having played each other since they were about 9 years old, but it was the first major final outside of the Devon County Championship that they have played each other in! It was a gruelling first game taking 30 minutes in total, with a real cat and mouse exchange taking place. There were mixed pace exchanges, with both players hitting with variety into all corners of the court. Mike eventually prevailed 13/11. After that the game opened up with both players looking to be more aggressive with a softer ball. Another close game this time went the way of Snell, 11/9. The third was touch and go all the way to 7/7, where another epic rally was won by Harris with a delayed boast to the front right, which caused Snell to twist his back awkwardly. After the break, the players came back on to complete the first rally of the 4th, before Snell had to retire injured. A real shame to end the match that way after over 65 minutes of quality free flowing game play.
A fantastic weekend of matches, a great bunch of players and a top venue to be competing at. A huge thank you to everyone who was involved, from Hallamshire who hosted us once again, to our event sponsors:
Sheffield Autogates (Lead event sponsor)
Karakal UK (Singles and Doubles event prize provider and Series sponsor)
Abbeydale Brewery (Doubles event mini keg prize provider)
Birford Cable & Harness
Morris & Co Property
Intelligent OH
iPro Sports (shirt provider)
We are planning for next year already and can't wait to make it bigger and better!
Full results can be found on Sporty HQ here:
https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-11-Bluebell-Wood-British-Racketball-Open-7th8th-October-Hallamshire
It was a very busy weekend with matches kicking off from 9am both days, with events from Men's & Ladies Open, through to Ladies O50s & Men's O75s, and also three different Doubles Categories! With over 110 players taking part there was plenty to keep Hallamshire's courts busy throughout the tournament. The club also laid on a really fun Oktoberfest themed player's party on the Saturday night, which proved very popular to the thirsty participants after a hard day's battling it out on court. Needless to say that there were a few sore heads in the Sunday morning matches! This will definitely make a re-appearance at next year's event...
On to the matches! Starting off with the O75s where there were some great games all the way through the draw with both top seeds being knocked out early! In the end Martin Day managed to take down James Dubois in a high quality final 3/1 with very little in the game scores to separate them. The same can be said in the O70s with suprise finalist Joe Hely from Scotland taking down 2&3 seeds on his way to the final. Here he met Series regular and British O70s Champion Graham Greensall in what proved to be another fantastic tussle. Greensall coming back from 2/1 down to win 11/6 in the 5th game! I'm sure these two will meet again in the near future at this rate... Hely showing unbelievable stamina through the event as his matches went 3/1, 3/2, 3/2, a superb effort at that age and I'm sure something many younger players would aspire to be able to do!
Upsets galore again in the O65s draw, with the top 2 seeds once more getting knocked out before the final. This time Paul Halstead and Gary Preston both doing the damage to meet in the final round. Here Preston managed to see off Halstead 3/1, capping a remarkable run through the draw. The O60s with a draw of 9 players ended up being played out as a three way final box between Patrick Osborn, John Cordeaux and Paul Haigh. All three matches between the players went to 3/1 or 3/2 highlighting the closeness in standard. In the end it came down to a winner takes all between Cordeaux & Osborn, with Patrick taking the win at 2/1 up as John unfortunately suffered an injury and had to withdraw. A real shame to end a quality battle like this but kudos to Osborn who was considering having to pull out a week before the event with a hamstring strain!
In the O55s top seed and last year's Champion Jim Muirhead battled his way past Nick Billington 3/2 in his semi final to face Mark Francis who had a bit of a less physical route past Murray Scott in his semi. Francis getting the better of last year's winner this time round taking the win 3/0. Simon Parke was the top seed in the O50's draw, looking to double up on his British National Championship success in July. He had to face the winner of last year's final (Chris Wase vs Chris Morris) and it was Morris who managed to get past his club mate and regular adversary Wase 3/0 to get through to face him. It was a quality game with both players using all corners of the court to stretch the play but in the end Parke's nous and quality saw him through a worthy 3/0 winner. The Ladies Over 50s event took place on the Saturday only and its was great to have a group of three players involved. National O60s Champion Lesley Sturgess showing her class by taking out two players younger than her to win the O50s title, UK Racketball Series first timer Helen Midgley doing really well to finish second and Amanda Wykes third. Great effort to all three and we can hopefully look to build this draw more in the future!
The O45s saw some tough Semi Final battles between Lowery & Davies and Talbot & Giles. Both going to 4 games and hitting close to the hour mark in doing so. In the end Matt Lowery and Adam Giles made it through the scraps to meet in the final, with Lowery proving to be too hard for Giles to breakdown with his hard hitting, taking the win 3/0. The O40s was a box of 5 players and gave us some really tight games across the event, with some new faces mixing in with Series regulars. It all came down to a titanic battle between Colin Griggs and Alexis Smith, taking well over an hour for the full 5 games. Smith's consistently quality attacking play and ball placement eventually seeing him past the solid straight lines and movement of Griggs. Last year's O35s Champion Chris Hall was back in action again in his first event post injury, and his fast pace and consistently hard ball striking proved hard for any of his opponents to get any joy against. Craig Chappell getting through to the final to face him but going down 3/0 in the process.
We had three Doubles events - Over 60s, Mixed and Open. All well subscribed with some really good pairings involved. The O60s played out as a box of 5 teams and the O60s singles finalists Cordeaux and Osborn proved to be too strong for the rest, with their left/right hand combination also working wonders. Da Costa and Fleming doing well to get through the rest of the draw to finish 2nd. In the Mixed a few late changes in personell meant that a very strong pairing in Doubles regulars Amber Marshall & Paul Norton came together. While Charlotte Jagger & Olly Jansen played some great exchanges against them with some brutal points, Norton & Marshall proved too sharp and they took the title.
Finally with 11 pairings in the Open draw there was a very busy Saturday of matches. All culminating in a three team shootout on the Sunday to see who could take the win. The Dorset duo of Smith & Allingham were in top form, taking down the pre event top seeds Norton and Chappell in their last match 3/0 to win the event. Kudos also to the last minute pairing of Cossey and Cording who having never played together before (and it was Cossey's 2nd time ever playing Doubles) for making it through to the final 3!
Finally we come to the Men's & Ladies Opens and B Grades. The Men's B was a full 16 draw and there was no real standout top seed, meaning there was everything to play for! In the end Colin Griggs & Dan Hindmarch fought their way through the challenges, Hindmarch in particular having a great match against Cameron parry in their semi. Griggs however proved to be just a step too far in the final, taking the title 3/0 to add to his British Nationals B Grade title. (Safely ruling himself out of any further B Grade level events going forward, it's A all the way for you now Colin!)
The Ladies draw was topped by National Champion Amber Marshall, who faced stiff opposition from the likes of Nationals Runner Up Elspeth Edwards, local top players and e PSA Pros Charlotte Jagger & Fiona Moverly and several other quality Ladies Racketballers. In the end Moverly, Marshall and Edwards made it through to the Final box of 3, unfortunately at the cost of Moverly slipping a disk in her back and having to go to hospital. Leaving the other two to re enact their National Championship Final with Marshall playing some quality stuff to see herself through to a 3/0 win! Becoming the first Ladies player to hold National and Open titles in the same year!
Finally it was left to the Men's Open to finish things off and it was Mike Harris & James Snell who managed to get through to the final in contrasting styles. Harris having a good battle with hallamshire coach and pro Adam Turner, taking a 50 minute 3/1 win after a slow start and some quality attacking from Turner. In the other semi final Snell started rapidly against Luke Bishop, winning the first 11/0! After that Bishop settled and they had some long exchanges across the net two games, Snell's retrieval and quality straight line hitting proving too much for Bishop to be able to breakdown. Snell winning 3/0.
The final was not the first time these two have met having played each other since they were about 9 years old, but it was the first major final outside of the Devon County Championship that they have played each other in! It was a gruelling first game taking 30 minutes in total, with a real cat and mouse exchange taking place. There were mixed pace exchanges, with both players hitting with variety into all corners of the court. Mike eventually prevailed 13/11. After that the game opened up with both players looking to be more aggressive with a softer ball. Another close game this time went the way of Snell, 11/9. The third was touch and go all the way to 7/7, where another epic rally was won by Harris with a delayed boast to the front right, which caused Snell to twist his back awkwardly. After the break, the players came back on to complete the first rally of the 4th, before Snell had to retire injured. A real shame to end the match that way after over 65 minutes of quality free flowing game play.
A fantastic weekend of matches, a great bunch of players and a top venue to be competing at. A huge thank you to everyone who was involved, from Hallamshire who hosted us once again, to our event sponsors:
Sheffield Autogates (Lead event sponsor)
Karakal UK (Singles and Doubles event prize provider and Series sponsor)
Abbeydale Brewery (Doubles event mini keg prize provider)
Birford Cable & Harness
Morris & Co Property
Intelligent OH
iPro Sports (shirt provider)
We are planning for next year already and can't wait to make it bigger and better!
Full results can be found on Sporty HQ here:
https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-11-Bluebell-Wood-British-Racketball-Open-7th8th-October-Hallamshire
BRITISH RACKETBALL OPEN SPONSORS ANNOUNCED AND PRIZE BREAKDOWN CONFIRMED
We are really excited to be able to announce the fantastic companies that are supporting this year's British Open Racketball Championships. Their contributions have allowed us to put on some fantastic prizes for all the categories, really making this event the Premier Racketball tournament in the world!
MAIN CHAMPIONSHIP SPONSOR:
SHEFFIELD AUTOGATES
ABOUT: Automated Gate Installation, Maintenance & Repair with over 30 Years experience in the manufacture, installation and maintenance of automated gates & railings
ASSOCIATE CHAMPIONSHIP SPONSORS:
KARAKAL UK - Also providing the prizes for the Singles event category winners and runners up
BIRFORD CABLE & HARNESS
INTELLIGENT OH
MORRIS & CO PROPERTY
ABBEYDALE BREWERY - Providing the prizes for the Doubles category winners
Men's & Ladies Open Championships Prize Fund Breakdown:
Winners - £700
Runners up - £350
Semi Finalists - £200
Entry closes on 25th september so don't miss out and get your name down on Sporty HQ below:
BRITISH OPEN RACKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN SUPPORT OF BLUEBELL WOOD CHILDREN'S HOSPICE
We are really excited to be able to announce the fantastic companies that are supporting this year's British Open Racketball Championships. Their contributions have allowed us to put on some fantastic prizes for all the categories, really making this event the Premier Racketball tournament in the world!
MAIN CHAMPIONSHIP SPONSOR:
SHEFFIELD AUTOGATES
ABOUT: Automated Gate Installation, Maintenance & Repair with over 30 Years experience in the manufacture, installation and maintenance of automated gates & railings
ASSOCIATE CHAMPIONSHIP SPONSORS:
KARAKAL UK - Also providing the prizes for the Singles event category winners and runners up
BIRFORD CABLE & HARNESS
INTELLIGENT OH
MORRIS & CO PROPERTY
ABBEYDALE BREWERY - Providing the prizes for the Doubles category winners
Men's & Ladies Open Championships Prize Fund Breakdown:
Winners - £700
Runners up - £350
Semi Finalists - £200
Entry closes on 25th september so don't miss out and get your name down on Sporty HQ below:
BRITISH OPEN RACKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN SUPPORT OF BLUEBELL WOOD CHILDREN'S HOSPICE
online entry through sportyhq
For 2023 UK-Racketball have partnered with SportyHQ to make online entries work even smoother
Follow this link to enter online - https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-11-Bluebell-Wood-British-Racketball-Open-7th8th-October-Hallamshire
We have created a user guide to walk you through the process and make it as easy as possible - follow this link to access online - https://www.uk-racketball.com/series-faqs.html
Follow this link to enter online - https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-11-Bluebell-Wood-British-Racketball-Open-7th8th-October-Hallamshire
We have created a user guide to walk you through the process and make it as easy as possible - follow this link to access online - https://www.uk-racketball.com/series-faqs.html
Main Tournament Details
What: British Racketball Open
When: 7th/8th October
Where: Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club
Postcode: S11 8TA
Closing Date: Friday 22nd September (please note that this is two weeks before the event rather than the usual Series events one week)
Cost: £40.00 (includes top quality quick dry sublimated t-shirt)
Cost 2nd Grade (Doubles): £10pp
MEN'S & LADIES OPEN PRIZE FUND:
Winner: £600
Runner Up: £300
Semi Finalist: £150
More Information: Email [email protected] or if your enquiry is urgent call Mike on 07789 394617
When: 7th/8th October
Where: Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club
Postcode: S11 8TA
Closing Date: Friday 22nd September (please note that this is two weeks before the event rather than the usual Series events one week)
Cost: £40.00 (includes top quality quick dry sublimated t-shirt)
Cost 2nd Grade (Doubles): £10pp
MEN'S & LADIES OPEN PRIZE FUND:
Winner: £600
Runner Up: £300
Semi Finalist: £150
More Information: Email [email protected] or if your enquiry is urgent call Mike on 07789 394617
Bluebell Wood - Tournament Charity
Your support helps us care for children and young adults whose lives are sadly just too short, both in their own homes and at our hospice in North Anston.
We believe that every family deserves to make magical memories with their child, whether they have years, months, weeks or days together.
Bluebell Wood is a home from home for families facing the toughest of times, with a comfy lounge and beautiful gardens. We’re always cooking up mouth-watering meals and tasty treats in the kitchen for families. There’s also plenty of fun activities for children to try, including soft play, arts and crafts, music therapy and much more.
While they’re staying with us, children have one of our eight bedrooms. If their family is staying too, then parents have their own room.
Every day, we need to raise £13,325 to keep our doors open, and only around 9% of our funding is from the government. Everything else is paid for by the wonderful work that you do; whether you run, bake or even Brave the Shave.
We received an overall rating of 'Good' in our most recent inspection undertaken by the Care Quality Commission (CQC); and are proud that we received a rating of 'Outstanding' for being a caring service. You can read our full CQC inspection report here.
We believe that every family deserves to make magical memories with their child, whether they have years, months, weeks or days together.
Bluebell Wood is a home from home for families facing the toughest of times, with a comfy lounge and beautiful gardens. We’re always cooking up mouth-watering meals and tasty treats in the kitchen for families. There’s also plenty of fun activities for children to try, including soft play, arts and crafts, music therapy and much more.
While they’re staying with us, children have one of our eight bedrooms. If their family is staying too, then parents have their own room.
Every day, we need to raise £13,325 to keep our doors open, and only around 9% of our funding is from the government. Everything else is paid for by the wonderful work that you do; whether you run, bake or even Brave the Shave.
We received an overall rating of 'Good' in our most recent inspection undertaken by the Care Quality Commission (CQC); and are proud that we received a rating of 'Outstanding' for being a caring service. You can read our full CQC inspection report here.
Grades
Men’s Championship
Men’s B Grade Championship
Men's O35 Championship
Men’s O40 Championship
Men’s O45 Championship
Men’s O50 Championship
Men’s O55 Championship
Men’s O60 Championship
Men’s O65 Championship
Men’s O70 Championship
Men’s O75 Championship
Men's O80 Championship
Women’s Championship
Women’s B Grade Championship
Women’s O35 Championship
Women's O40 Championship
Women’s O45 Championship
Women's O50 Championship
Women’s O55 Championships
Women’s O60 Championship
Women’s O65 Championship
Women’s O70 Championship
Women’s O75 Championship
Women’s O80 Championship
Men’s B Grade Championship
Men's O35 Championship
Men’s O40 Championship
Men’s O45 Championship
Men’s O50 Championship
Men’s O55 Championship
Men’s O60 Championship
Men’s O65 Championship
Men’s O70 Championship
Men’s O75 Championship
Men's O80 Championship
Women’s Championship
Women’s B Grade Championship
Women’s O35 Championship
Women's O40 Championship
Women’s O45 Championship
Women's O50 Championship
Women’s O55 Championships
Women’s O60 Championship
Women’s O65 Championship
Women’s O70 Championship
Women’s O75 Championship
Women’s O80 Championship
Doubles
Open
Women’s
Over 40’s
Over 50’s
Over 60’s
Over 70’s
Mixed
Open
Women’s
Over 40’s
Over 50’s
Over 60’s
Over 70’s
Mixed
You must be eligible to play in the event that you enter. The cut off date for age groups is the weekend of the competition. For example you must be 35 years old or older on 1st day of the competition to be eligible to play in the Over 35’s.
You can play in more than one grade but not more than two. If you do decide to play in two grades be aware that due to the infinite combination of different grade options the schedule will not be based around multiple grades. It is impossible to keep all players participating in multiple grades happy. Some of the players love have a break between matches, others like to have them back to back so that they don't get cold and then have to start again. Some players always want a much bigger break and get some food in the middle.
Please be aware that playing in two grades might result in back to back matches or in you only having two hours between matches and not enough time to get proper food. If you decide to participate in two grades you need to be aware that you might have four matches in a day.
If you are unsure which category to enter please feel free to contact Mike directly on 07789 394617 or email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to advise you.
Plate Competitions
We will run a plate competition for all categories. You need to inform the tournament organiser before the event starts if you do not wise to play in the plate. This will need to be done before the draws are done. At the latest straight after the event has closed on the 2nd of October.
You can play in more than one grade but not more than two. If you do decide to play in two grades be aware that due to the infinite combination of different grade options the schedule will not be based around multiple grades. It is impossible to keep all players participating in multiple grades happy. Some of the players love have a break between matches, others like to have them back to back so that they don't get cold and then have to start again. Some players always want a much bigger break and get some food in the middle.
Please be aware that playing in two grades might result in back to back matches or in you only having two hours between matches and not enough time to get proper food. If you decide to participate in two grades you need to be aware that you might have four matches in a day.
If you are unsure which category to enter please feel free to contact Mike directly on 07789 394617 or email us at [email protected] and we will be happy to advise you.
Plate Competitions
We will run a plate competition for all categories. You need to inform the tournament organiser before the event starts if you do not wise to play in the plate. This will need to be done before the draws are done. At the latest straight after the event has closed on the 2nd of October.
club facilities
Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club is home of 3-time world squash champion Nick Matthew and 2012 Wimbledon Men's Double Champion Jonny Marray, Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club in Sheffield is one of the elite squash and racketball venues. Having co-hosted the British Junior Squash Open, the largest junior squash tournament in the world, Hallamshire will provide a fitting venue for such a sizeable and prestigious event.
The club has first class facilities including nine squash courts, eight outdoor tennis courts and four indoor courts. The club also hosts a modern gym and lovely bar area.
Practice courts are available to book at a cost, please email [email protected]
The bar will be open throughout the day with hot food available.
The club has first class facilities including nine squash courts, eight outdoor tennis courts and four indoor courts. The club also hosts a modern gym and lovely bar area.
Practice courts are available to book at a cost, please email [email protected]
The bar will be open throughout the day with hot food available.
club location
Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club
716 Ecclesall Road
Sheffield
S11 8TA
716 Ecclesall Road
Sheffield
S11 8TA
Prizes and T-Shirts
As part of your £40 entry each competitor will receive a free t-shirt.
Trophies will be given out to the winner and the runner up for each grade.
All British Open Championships winners and runner-up's will receive a trophy and will earn points towards the end of year Series prizes.
Main Grades Cash Prize
The men's and women's main grades will have cash prizes further details will be released soon.
Trophies will be given out to the winner and the runner up for each grade.
All British Open Championships winners and runner-up's will receive a trophy and will earn points towards the end of year Series prizes.
Main Grades Cash Prize
The men's and women's main grades will have cash prizes further details will be released soon.
Series Points
All competitors will win Series points that count towards their overall finishing position for the 2023 Series. This is the case if you win the event or lose in the first round. The number of points that you make is decided by your finishing position.
The top 10 points scores over the course of the Series will receive prizes at the last event of the Series the National Racketball Doubles. Click here for more info on the 2023 Series and prizes - https://www.uk-racketball.com/2021-series-rankings.html
More Information: email Mark Fuller [email protected] or call Mark on 07846 067505
All competitors will win Series points that count towards their overall finishing position for the 2023 Series. This is the case if you win the event or lose in the first round. The number of points that you make is decided by your finishing position.
The top 10 points scores over the course of the Series will receive prizes at the last event of the Series the National Racketball Doubles. Click here for more info on the 2023 Series and prizes - https://www.uk-racketball.com/2021-series-rankings.html
More Information: email Mark Fuller [email protected] or call Mark on 07846 067505
Bluebell Wood British Open Party
Hallamshire and UK-Racketball will be putting on a party on the Saturday night of the competition. More information to follow...
referees
In the UK-Racketball Series all matches are refereed by the player who won the previous match on that court. The feedback on the Series events is that this works really well and therefore the same format will take place in The National Championships.
WINNERS WILL REFEREE THE NEXT MATCH ON THE COURT THEY HAVE JUST PLAYED ON.
If you are playing in multiple grades and have another match following on you will need to find someone who can referee for you. The best thing to do is to explain to your opponent the situation and see if he can help.
If you are unable to referee for any reason and are unable to find someone to help you please contact the desk as soon as you can.
This event will run well with you co-oporation.
WINNERS WILL REFEREE THE NEXT MATCH ON THE COURT THEY HAVE JUST PLAYED ON.
If you are playing in multiple grades and have another match following on you will need to find someone who can referee for you. The best thing to do is to explain to your opponent the situation and see if he can help.
If you are unable to referee for any reason and are unable to find someone to help you please contact the desk as soon as you can.
This event will run well with you co-oporation.
dunlop black balls
The Dunlop double dot ball will be used for all grades. The feedback in the past has been very positive both for the Squash57 and Racketball Nationals.
The Racketball ball is still a contentious issue in the UK with many different areas using different balls however the Dunlop Ball is quite a middle of the road ball so although it might not be ideal for everyone we feel that this is the best ball overall for the event.
The Racketball ball is still a contentious issue in the UK with many different areas using different balls however the Dunlop Ball is quite a middle of the road ball so although it might not be ideal for everyone we feel that this is the best ball overall for the event.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR . . .MATTHEW AND TOMLINSON TAKE BRITISH OPEN TITLES!
The second Bluebell Wood British Racketball Open at Hallamshire Squash Club in Sheffield has come to an end with the Men’s and Ladies Open events having two new Champions!
Following up from a successful inaugural event last year, the entry didn’t disappoint this time round, with over 140 competitors ranging from the Open categories through to Men’s O75s. Once again the tournament was run in support of the Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice charity, a worthy cause which offers palliative care to children and families with complex needs. Over £3,000 was raised for the charity over the course of the event which is fantastic to see. Thank you to all who played the event and also got involved in the raffle and prize draws at the Saturday night BBQ, all of you have contributed toward this great total.
On to the Racketball then, and as usual there was a great mix of players from the series regulars who came to renew their rivalries with their respective nemeses, to some newcomers who were playing their first UK Racketball event!
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
The Women’s Open event had a great draw, featuring the likes of PSA players Millie Tomlinson and Katie Wells lining up to do battle against top seed and current National Champion Amber Marshall. Katie and Amber had a great battle in the semis, with Amber using all of her Racketball experience to take a brilliant 3/2 victory, finishing strong in the 5th, 11/1. In the other half of the draw Millie took down 3/4 seed Charlotte Jagger 3/0 in a clinical performance.
The final was touch and go all the way through, Amber starting well to take the first game 11/7, using her attacking ability with the racketball to good effect. However from the second game onwards Millie’s relentlessly tight straight line hitting started to take hold of the match, and she managed to close out the next three games to take her first British Open (and I believe first UK Racketball event) title!
Following up from a successful inaugural event last year, the entry didn’t disappoint this time round, with over 140 competitors ranging from the Open categories through to Men’s O75s. Once again the tournament was run in support of the Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice charity, a worthy cause which offers palliative care to children and families with complex needs. Over £3,000 was raised for the charity over the course of the event which is fantastic to see. Thank you to all who played the event and also got involved in the raffle and prize draws at the Saturday night BBQ, all of you have contributed toward this great total.
On to the Racketball then, and as usual there was a great mix of players from the series regulars who came to renew their rivalries with their respective nemeses, to some newcomers who were playing their first UK Racketball event!
OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
The Women’s Open event had a great draw, featuring the likes of PSA players Millie Tomlinson and Katie Wells lining up to do battle against top seed and current National Champion Amber Marshall. Katie and Amber had a great battle in the semis, with Amber using all of her Racketball experience to take a brilliant 3/2 victory, finishing strong in the 5th, 11/1. In the other half of the draw Millie took down 3/4 seed Charlotte Jagger 3/0 in a clinical performance.
The final was touch and go all the way through, Amber starting well to take the first game 11/7, using her attacking ability with the racketball to good effect. However from the second game onwards Millie’s relentlessly tight straight line hitting started to take hold of the match, and she managed to close out the next three games to take her first British Open (and I believe first UK Racketball event) title!
The Men’s Open event also featured a high quality lineup, with the two finalists from last year’s event Tim Vail and Nick Matthew having to face competition from the likes of UK Racketball Nationals runner up Luke Bishop, and Warwickshire duo Guy Pearson and Chris Hall, all top players. Hall caused an early upset in the quarter finals as he took out Series regular Bishop in 4 tight games 3/1.
There were then contrasting semi finals on the Sunday, with Vail showing his class taking down Hall 3/0 in quick time, while Matthew and Pearson had a titanic battle on the next court. Pearson’s racketball ball skill and court craft coming up again Matthew’s… well we all know what Nick can do by now! The match went back and forth, with Pearson even having a match ball in the 4th game. Matthew however showed the quality battling and mental strength we have seen from him time and again from his Squash career, and he managed to get through 11/8 in the 5th game.
So this led to a repeat of last year’s final, and with Matthew out for revenge a brilliant spectacle was assured. Indeed, he came out of the blocks best at the start, running up a tight two game lead before Vail managed to reel him back in by winning the 3rd and 4th, the 4th being especially clinical - 11/2. So it came down to one final game to decide this year’s Open Champion, and on his home court Matthew managed to overturn his loss last year, taking the 5th game 11/6 in front of a packed out crowd. A brilliant effort from him considering his marathon semi final and even better to do it against such a class opponent as Vail.
Afterwards Nick said ''it challenges your mental & physical endurance in a completely different way to squash. There are simply no easy rallies available at the highest level but that doesn’t make it just a battle of attrition and there’s an incredible amount of skill involved. I learned so much from playing Guy & Tim; their shot selection, weight of shot & tactics. The best players display many of the same characteristics as squash hitting consistently better length than their opponent & stretching them to all 4 corners of the court with incredible touch.''
There were then contrasting semi finals on the Sunday, with Vail showing his class taking down Hall 3/0 in quick time, while Matthew and Pearson had a titanic battle on the next court. Pearson’s racketball ball skill and court craft coming up again Matthew’s… well we all know what Nick can do by now! The match went back and forth, with Pearson even having a match ball in the 4th game. Matthew however showed the quality battling and mental strength we have seen from him time and again from his Squash career, and he managed to get through 11/8 in the 5th game.
So this led to a repeat of last year’s final, and with Matthew out for revenge a brilliant spectacle was assured. Indeed, he came out of the blocks best at the start, running up a tight two game lead before Vail managed to reel him back in by winning the 3rd and 4th, the 4th being especially clinical - 11/2. So it came down to one final game to decide this year’s Open Champion, and on his home court Matthew managed to overturn his loss last year, taking the 5th game 11/6 in front of a packed out crowd. A brilliant effort from him considering his marathon semi final and even better to do it against such a class opponent as Vail.
Afterwards Nick said ''it challenges your mental & physical endurance in a completely different way to squash. There are simply no easy rallies available at the highest level but that doesn’t make it just a battle of attrition and there’s an incredible amount of skill involved. I learned so much from playing Guy & Tim; their shot selection, weight of shot & tactics. The best players display many of the same characteristics as squash hitting consistently better length than their opponent & stretching them to all 4 corners of the court with incredible touch.''
MASTERS & DOUBLES
MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIPS:
The Masters categories provided us with the chance to see some great battles between regular rivals, and the playing standard and physical ability through all the age groups was brilliant to see. Chris Hall managing to recover well from his Open semi final loss to take the O35s event without dropping a game. Danny Weights also doing the same in the O40s, though he was pushed hard by Alexis Smith in the final. In the O45s there were upsets all over the place, with 3rd seed Matt Lowery taking out the 2nd seed in the semi, and unseeded Paul Thomas removing 4th and 1st seeds to reach the final too. In a five set tussle Lowery came out the deserving victor!
The O50s saw the inevitable Shropshire battle of the Chris’s, with top seed Morris managing to claw his way back from 0/2 down vs second seed and club playing partner Wase to add this year’s Open title to the National one he won in the summer.
The O55s and O60s saw two large entries and some close games throughout. Jim Muirhead coming through the box system to take the O55’s crown, and UK Racketball series regular and reigning National Champion Patrick Osbourn the O60’s, though he was pushed all the way by second seed Martin Greenslade in the final, coming back from 2/0 to scrape through 11/6 in the 5th game.
Top seeds ruled in the O65s and O70s, with both Stephen Johnson and Ian Graham coming through their draws without dropping a game. In the O75s Martin Day managed to get through the box of 4 players to take the title, having a really close 5 set battle vs James Dubois who ended up taking the runner up spot.
DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Finally in the ever entertaining and chaotic Doubles events, the Open was won by the quality pairing of Jodey Watts and Callum Arnott who took down Paul ‘’Knocker Norton’’ and Daniel Hindmarch in a close 3/1 Final. It was great to see 10 pairs enter the Doubles this year, we hope to see you all in the National Doubles Champs event in December!
In the O60’s Patrick Osborn added to his singles crown with partner John Cordeaux, the pair being unstoppable all weekend as they recorded 3/0 wins across the board. Unfortunately due to injuries and withdrawals there were no Ladies Doubles events this time round, but we will be looking to push them on next year!
The Masters categories provided us with the chance to see some great battles between regular rivals, and the playing standard and physical ability through all the age groups was brilliant to see. Chris Hall managing to recover well from his Open semi final loss to take the O35s event without dropping a game. Danny Weights also doing the same in the O40s, though he was pushed hard by Alexis Smith in the final. In the O45s there were upsets all over the place, with 3rd seed Matt Lowery taking out the 2nd seed in the semi, and unseeded Paul Thomas removing 4th and 1st seeds to reach the final too. In a five set tussle Lowery came out the deserving victor!
The O50s saw the inevitable Shropshire battle of the Chris’s, with top seed Morris managing to claw his way back from 0/2 down vs second seed and club playing partner Wase to add this year’s Open title to the National one he won in the summer.
The O55s and O60s saw two large entries and some close games throughout. Jim Muirhead coming through the box system to take the O55’s crown, and UK Racketball series regular and reigning National Champion Patrick Osbourn the O60’s, though he was pushed all the way by second seed Martin Greenslade in the final, coming back from 2/0 to scrape through 11/6 in the 5th game.
Top seeds ruled in the O65s and O70s, with both Stephen Johnson and Ian Graham coming through their draws without dropping a game. In the O75s Martin Day managed to get through the box of 4 players to take the title, having a really close 5 set battle vs James Dubois who ended up taking the runner up spot.
DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Finally in the ever entertaining and chaotic Doubles events, the Open was won by the quality pairing of Jodey Watts and Callum Arnott who took down Paul ‘’Knocker Norton’’ and Daniel Hindmarch in a close 3/1 Final. It was great to see 10 pairs enter the Doubles this year, we hope to see you all in the National Doubles Champs event in December!
In the O60’s Patrick Osborn added to his singles crown with partner John Cordeaux, the pair being unstoppable all weekend as they recorded 3/0 wins across the board. Unfortunately due to injuries and withdrawals there were no Ladies Doubles events this time round, but we will be looking to push them on next year!
FULL RESULTS, PHOTOS AND MORE
Full results from all the draws and the Plate events can be found on the SportyHQ event webpage:
https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-10-Bluebell-Wood-British-Racketball-Open-16th17th-October-Hallamshire
Tournament Photos can be found on our event Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=UKRacketballSeries&set=a.982386596042228
It was an excellent weekend of matches and a fun Saturday night BBQ and party. A massive thanks must go to Hallamshire and their staff who adapted incredibly well after a fire took place there earlier on in the week. It was a phenomenal turnaround and really appreciated by all who attended! We are looking forward to going bigger and better for next year.
Otherwise, we can't wait for our Saturday 3rd December UK Racketball Series Finals and National Doubles - our 100th UK Racketball event! We will see you in the bar to celebrate our great tour at the Saturday night party! To enter please follow:
https://www.uk-racketball.com/e13---series-finals---national-double---3rd-december.html
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