BACK TO BRISTOL FOR BIG BATTLES!
Our 4th event of the Karakal UK Racketball 2024 Series took place in sunny Bristol on 20th April. Another sell out event, it was great to see so many of our Series regulars back in action alongside the local talent!
With every category well invested in, we had some really great battles across the day with some upsets and well earned victories along the way. Kicking off with the O70's event, E3 winner Ian Graham was back in action and he had a strong draw of Graham Greensall, John Herbetko and Stephen Uttley to get past. There were some really great matches in each round with some fantastic movement and ball skill on show from the older players. Graham coming through as Champion but pushed all the way in each match. An incredibly strong Over 60s draw featured a number of National Champions and Series event winners duking it out. Box 2 featuring really tight matches between Robin Chipperfield, Gary Preston, John Cordeaux and Mark Banfield. In the end it came to a 3 way tie between Cordeaux, Banfield and Chipperfield to see who got through to face the inevitable Patrick Osborn in the final. Chipperfield scraping through based on games won/lost over the other two! In the end though, Osborn once again proved his class at this category, taking down a valiant effort from Robin 2/0 in the Final.
Another punchy category in the O50s gave us some more great games, notably Paul Dodds battling past Tim Gillingham 2/1 and then only just losing out to Andy Hopwood in the semi 12/10 in the 3rd. Hopwood then lost out to Chris Wase in a tight 2/0 final, Wase back to winning ways for his first Series title of 2024. Ryan Loska continues to impress in the O40s category and this weekend was no exception as he came through the draw without dropping a game. A great match up vs Natalie Lawrence in the first round (a past Ladies O40s National Champion herself) was great to watch. Barry Talbot pushed him hard in the final, the big Shropshireman doing well to get past Adam Giles in a 2/0 semi final win. Loska keeping his early push at the top of the Series rankings with this victory, his third of the 2024 season!
It was great to have another Ladies event running, with 6 players from the Bristol and Devon area. Padel supremo Roxy Keshavarz made it through to the final with two well fought wins, facing Devon's Jo Perriam in the last match of the event. Perriam upsetting the odds with some great straight hitting and ball control, winning a tight 2/0, 12/10 in the second game. Let's keep getting these Ladies entries in! The Mixed B Grade was very well subscribed with a great depth to the 16 player draw. A lot of the pre event top dogs fell by the wayside to new faces or unknown players. Kudos to Mike Wardle for battling it out to the 5/6th place position as an O50s player! In the end, the mercurial Nick Jenkins got through to face newbie Karl Becker in a very entertaining and well fought final. Jenkins taking his first Series title of 2024, 2 games to 1 over the Stourbridge man.
The ever entertaining Doubles event provided us with the usual mix of quality, chaos and confusion, with some very well balanced match ups across the groups. The big upset coming in the semi finals, as the ''experienced'' pairing of Osborn & Cordeaux overcame the much fancied local duo of Quarterman & Wood in a brilliant 2/1 battle. The O60 Doubles National Champions showing their nous and courtcraft to great effect. They did however come unstuck in the Final against the classy pairing of Norton & Chappell, both of whom have won numerous Doubles Series titles to date. This win takes Norton clear of Ryan Loska in the new Doubles Series rankings, Loska falling at the group stage with his partner Keshavarz. Last year's inaurgal Doubles MVP showing his quality once again! Finally to the A Grade / Open draw. It has been great to see the consistent quality and depth of entry for these events this year and this time was no exception, with the likes of reigning Series Champ Alexis Smith, ex South African PSA Pro Gareth Naidoo, Series event winners Olly Staunton, Jason Russell, Paul Norton and Alex Kershaw all in the mix.
In the end it was a bit of a suprise final, with Bristol player Chris Wood coming through the bottom half of the draw really well with great wins vs Kershaw & Staunton on the way. Naidoo taking down Alexis Smith in a quality semi final was another upset win, the smooth movement and controlled line hitting not allowing Smith's natural attacking game to come to fruition. In the final Naidoo continued in this vein, not allowing Wood any leeway to be aggressive with his play, taking the win 2/0 and being a worthy Champion. While he can't unfortunately enter the British Nationals, he certianly will be one to watch out for in the Open in October!
A big thank you to everyone who got involved across the day. It was great to see you all in action! All photos from the event are up on our Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1355045525442998&type=3
For the full draws and results from the day please check out Sporty HQ here: www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-3-Central-England-Open-Bristol
Thank you to the Redland Green Club for hosting us once again, and of course our Series sponsors for all their support and for enabling us to keep these events running so smoothly for everyone.
See you all at the next one!
Our 4th event of the Karakal UK Racketball 2024 Series took place in sunny Bristol on 20th April. Another sell out event, it was great to see so many of our Series regulars back in action alongside the local talent!
With every category well invested in, we had some really great battles across the day with some upsets and well earned victories along the way. Kicking off with the O70's event, E3 winner Ian Graham was back in action and he had a strong draw of Graham Greensall, John Herbetko and Stephen Uttley to get past. There were some really great matches in each round with some fantastic movement and ball skill on show from the older players. Graham coming through as Champion but pushed all the way in each match. An incredibly strong Over 60s draw featured a number of National Champions and Series event winners duking it out. Box 2 featuring really tight matches between Robin Chipperfield, Gary Preston, John Cordeaux and Mark Banfield. In the end it came to a 3 way tie between Cordeaux, Banfield and Chipperfield to see who got through to face the inevitable Patrick Osborn in the final. Chipperfield scraping through based on games won/lost over the other two! In the end though, Osborn once again proved his class at this category, taking down a valiant effort from Robin 2/0 in the Final.
Another punchy category in the O50s gave us some more great games, notably Paul Dodds battling past Tim Gillingham 2/1 and then only just losing out to Andy Hopwood in the semi 12/10 in the 3rd. Hopwood then lost out to Chris Wase in a tight 2/0 final, Wase back to winning ways for his first Series title of 2024. Ryan Loska continues to impress in the O40s category and this weekend was no exception as he came through the draw without dropping a game. A great match up vs Natalie Lawrence in the first round (a past Ladies O40s National Champion herself) was great to watch. Barry Talbot pushed him hard in the final, the big Shropshireman doing well to get past Adam Giles in a 2/0 semi final win. Loska keeping his early push at the top of the Series rankings with this victory, his third of the 2024 season!
It was great to have another Ladies event running, with 6 players from the Bristol and Devon area. Padel supremo Roxy Keshavarz made it through to the final with two well fought wins, facing Devon's Jo Perriam in the last match of the event. Perriam upsetting the odds with some great straight hitting and ball control, winning a tight 2/0, 12/10 in the second game. Let's keep getting these Ladies entries in! The Mixed B Grade was very well subscribed with a great depth to the 16 player draw. A lot of the pre event top dogs fell by the wayside to new faces or unknown players. Kudos to Mike Wardle for battling it out to the 5/6th place position as an O50s player! In the end, the mercurial Nick Jenkins got through to face newbie Karl Becker in a very entertaining and well fought final. Jenkins taking his first Series title of 2024, 2 games to 1 over the Stourbridge man.
The ever entertaining Doubles event provided us with the usual mix of quality, chaos and confusion, with some very well balanced match ups across the groups. The big upset coming in the semi finals, as the ''experienced'' pairing of Osborn & Cordeaux overcame the much fancied local duo of Quarterman & Wood in a brilliant 2/1 battle. The O60 Doubles National Champions showing their nous and courtcraft to great effect. They did however come unstuck in the Final against the classy pairing of Norton & Chappell, both of whom have won numerous Doubles Series titles to date. This win takes Norton clear of Ryan Loska in the new Doubles Series rankings, Loska falling at the group stage with his partner Keshavarz. Last year's inaurgal Doubles MVP showing his quality once again! Finally to the A Grade / Open draw. It has been great to see the consistent quality and depth of entry for these events this year and this time was no exception, with the likes of reigning Series Champ Alexis Smith, ex South African PSA Pro Gareth Naidoo, Series event winners Olly Staunton, Jason Russell, Paul Norton and Alex Kershaw all in the mix.
In the end it was a bit of a suprise final, with Bristol player Chris Wood coming through the bottom half of the draw really well with great wins vs Kershaw & Staunton on the way. Naidoo taking down Alexis Smith in a quality semi final was another upset win, the smooth movement and controlled line hitting not allowing Smith's natural attacking game to come to fruition. In the final Naidoo continued in this vein, not allowing Wood any leeway to be aggressive with his play, taking the win 2/0 and being a worthy Champion. While he can't unfortunately enter the British Nationals, he certianly will be one to watch out for in the Open in October!
A big thank you to everyone who got involved across the day. It was great to see you all in action! All photos from the event are up on our Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1355045525442998&type=3
For the full draws and results from the day please check out Sporty HQ here: www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-3-Central-England-Open-Bristol
Thank you to the Redland Green Club for hosting us once again, and of course our Series sponsors for all their support and for enabling us to keep these events running so smoothly for everyone.
See you all at the next one!
Event 4 - 2024 UK Racketball Series
What: The Bristol Open
When: Saturday 20th April (One Day Event)
Where: Bristol Lawn Tennis and Squash Club, Redland, Bristol
Postcode: BS6 7HF
Closing Date for Entries: Friday 12th April
Cost: £17.50 for Singles / £25 for Doubles
Entry via: https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-3-Central-England-Open-Bristol
What: The Bristol Open
When: Saturday 20th April (One Day Event)
Where: Bristol Lawn Tennis and Squash Club, Redland, Bristol
Postcode: BS6 7HF
Closing Date for Entries: Friday 12th April
Cost: £17.50 for Singles / £25 for Doubles
Entry via: https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-3-Central-England-Open-Bristol
INAUGRAL BRISTOL OPEN A HUGE SUCCESS!
On our first Series visit to Bristol it was the local players who came out on top in all but one of the categories...
On a progressively soggy day at Redland Green the Devon and Avon players did the damage across the draws, with only Paul Knocker Norton the sole Northbound M5 player to take a win!
Josh Smart from Devon was the stand out player of the event, with a hard fought 2/1 Final A Grade win vs Isle of Wight player Olly Staunton. He then backed up admirably straight away afterwards with his Doubles partner Jo Hutchings to take out pre event favourites Bishop & Allman in the Doubles final, in another brutal 2/1 showdown.
Hutchings himself proving to be no slouch on the Singles side, coming through the B Grade draw strongly, only to lose to Norton 2/0 in the Final. Calling many in the crowd to debate the legitimacy of Norton’s “B Grade” status given his quality play over the last few series events… A well deserved win for the Yorkshireman though in a quality B draw.
Phil Borrett, a Devon boy now living and playing in Bristol provided another title for the Southern possé by taking an on paper tight over 40s draw without dropping a game. His opponent in the final the mercurial Nick Jenkins trying all the tricks in his book, but no luck against the languid lefty style of Borrett.
The Over 50s was taken by local Avon and Redland Green player Roger Camp, who having dispatched one of the Series front runners Phil Hall in a tough 2/1 semi final, managed to see off Nick Billington from Shropshire in the final 2/0. Roger’s first Series event of 2023 and he is looking to gear up for an O50s charge going forwards!
In the O60s, another local legend Mike Martin took part in his first ever Series event and steamrolled through the draw, not dropping a game through the event. Graham Holmes from Devon did his best to make headway against him in the final bit to no avail. Graham doing very well to come through a tough draw in his own right.
All the draws and results can be found on Sporty HQ below, a big thanks to Redland for hosting us and we hope to be back next year for what already has proved to be a very well received and popular event with the players.
https://www.sportyhq.com/.../Event-3-South-of-England...
We are really looking forward to keeping up the momentum at the Scottish Open at Newlands in Glasgow in two weeks time. Still time to enter so don’t miss out there!
The up to date Series rankings can also now be found online, it’s getting tighter at the top after 3 events so it really is all to play for:
https://www.sportyhq.com/ranking/group/1727
A huge thanks to new UK Racketball Series sponsors Karakal UK for their generous entry gifts and support of the event at late notice. Great to have you on board and I know the players were chuffed with their new sets of Racketball strings and grips.
On a progressively soggy day at Redland Green the Devon and Avon players did the damage across the draws, with only Paul Knocker Norton the sole Northbound M5 player to take a win!
Josh Smart from Devon was the stand out player of the event, with a hard fought 2/1 Final A Grade win vs Isle of Wight player Olly Staunton. He then backed up admirably straight away afterwards with his Doubles partner Jo Hutchings to take out pre event favourites Bishop & Allman in the Doubles final, in another brutal 2/1 showdown.
Hutchings himself proving to be no slouch on the Singles side, coming through the B Grade draw strongly, only to lose to Norton 2/0 in the Final. Calling many in the crowd to debate the legitimacy of Norton’s “B Grade” status given his quality play over the last few series events… A well deserved win for the Yorkshireman though in a quality B draw.
Phil Borrett, a Devon boy now living and playing in Bristol provided another title for the Southern possé by taking an on paper tight over 40s draw without dropping a game. His opponent in the final the mercurial Nick Jenkins trying all the tricks in his book, but no luck against the languid lefty style of Borrett.
The Over 50s was taken by local Avon and Redland Green player Roger Camp, who having dispatched one of the Series front runners Phil Hall in a tough 2/1 semi final, managed to see off Nick Billington from Shropshire in the final 2/0. Roger’s first Series event of 2023 and he is looking to gear up for an O50s charge going forwards!
In the O60s, another local legend Mike Martin took part in his first ever Series event and steamrolled through the draw, not dropping a game through the event. Graham Holmes from Devon did his best to make headway against him in the final bit to no avail. Graham doing very well to come through a tough draw in his own right.
All the draws and results can be found on Sporty HQ below, a big thanks to Redland for hosting us and we hope to be back next year for what already has proved to be a very well received and popular event with the players.
https://www.sportyhq.com/.../Event-3-South-of-England...
We are really looking forward to keeping up the momentum at the Scottish Open at Newlands in Glasgow in two weeks time. Still time to enter so don’t miss out there!
The up to date Series rankings can also now be found online, it’s getting tighter at the top after 3 events so it really is all to play for:
https://www.sportyhq.com/ranking/group/1727
A huge thanks to new UK Racketball Series sponsors Karakal UK for their generous entry gifts and support of the event at late notice. Great to have you on board and I know the players were chuffed with their new sets of Racketball strings and grips.
THE CENTRAL ENGLAND RACKETBALL OPEN - BRISTOL JOINS THE PARTY!
We decided early in 2023 to make the change from having two events very close together (Lee on Solent and Chichester,) to switching things up and introducing a Central England event in Bristol!
Bristol and it's surrounding counties (including the Welsh contingent) has always been an area that we have been keen to set something up in. It's central location and M4 and M5 joint access gives it the potential to be a brilliant location for us to get a Series event going in. So it is great that we have been able to partner up with Bristol Lawn Tennis and Squash Club and get our 22nd April event up and running there!
BLTSC has long been one of the most active and busy clubs in the Bristol area, with 6 Squash courts, 8 tennis courts, plus soon there are Padel courts on the way. It has 7 Mixed and 4 Ladies teams in the Bristol District league and a steadily building Racketball section too. You can check out their website here: redlandgreen.co.uk/
Don't miss out on the chance to get involved at a brand new UK Racketball venue in a great city to visit. All entries can as always be done at Sporty HQ via this link. (Please ignore the link text, it is the correct one!):
www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-3-South-of-England-Racketball-Open-22nd-April-Lee-on-the-Solent
Can't wait to get going!
Bristol and it's surrounding counties (including the Welsh contingent) has always been an area that we have been keen to set something up in. It's central location and M4 and M5 joint access gives it the potential to be a brilliant location for us to get a Series event going in. So it is great that we have been able to partner up with Bristol Lawn Tennis and Squash Club and get our 22nd April event up and running there!
BLTSC has long been one of the most active and busy clubs in the Bristol area, with 6 Squash courts, 8 tennis courts, plus soon there are Padel courts on the way. It has 7 Mixed and 4 Ladies teams in the Bristol District league and a steadily building Racketball section too. You can check out their website here: redlandgreen.co.uk/
Don't miss out on the chance to get involved at a brand new UK Racketball venue in a great city to visit. All entries can as always be done at Sporty HQ via this link. (Please ignore the link text, it is the correct one!):
www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-3-South-of-England-Racketball-Open-22nd-April-Lee-on-the-Solent
Can't wait to get going!
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 -
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 -
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: The Central England Open Bristol
When: Saturday 22nd April
Where: Bristol Lawn Tennis and Squash Club
Postcode: BS6 7HF
Closing Date for Entries: Friday 1st April
Cost: £17.50 (£9.50 for tournament t-shirt, high quality, quick dry, sublimated print)
Covid Regulations: This event will comply fully with the Covid 19 regulations at the time of competition
For more information, contact [email protected] or if you enquiry is urgent call Mike on 07789 394617
When: Saturday 22nd April
Where: Bristol Lawn Tennis and Squash Club
Postcode: BS6 7HF
Closing Date for Entries: Friday 1st April
Cost: £17.50 (£9.50 for tournament t-shirt, high quality, quick dry, sublimated print)
Covid Regulations: This event will comply fully with the Covid 19 regulations at the time of competition
For more information, contact [email protected] or if you enquiry is urgent call Mike on 07789 394617
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
Over 70's - For players over the age of 70
Doubles – limited to 8 pairs, Racketball rules apply, follow this link for more information - http://www.uk-racketball.com/racketball-doubles-rules.html
If you are unsure which category to enter please feel free to contact Mike directly on 07789 394617 or email us at a[email protected] and we will be happy to advise you.
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
Over 70's - For players over the age of 70
Doubles – limited to 8 pairs, Racketball rules apply, follow this link for more information - http://www.uk-racketball.com/racketball-doubles-rules.html
If you are unsure which category to enter please feel free to contact Mike directly on 07789 394617 or email us at a[email protected] and we will be happy to advise you.
club facilities
BLTSC has 6 excellent Squash courts], plus a great open bar space with views out over their busy tennis courts. They have a good sized car park but players can also park on the roads surrounding the club too if things get busy.
They are able to serve food throughout the day, and drinks throughout the night too!
They are able to serve food throughout the day, and drinks throughout the night too!
club location
BLTSC is situated in the picturesque northern part of the city with easy access off of the M5 and M4 motorways. Nearby (10 minute walk from the club) Whiteladies and Gloucester Roads have a fantastic variety of restaurants, cafes and bars capable of catering to any tastes! The club is a 5 minute drive into the city center of Bristol with all it has to offer with its harbourside and it's vibrant social scene.
Visit the club website for more information: https://redlandgreen.co.uk/
Visit the club website for more information: https://redlandgreen.co.uk/
south of england racketball open - report
A First Title for Paul Knocker Norton!
Our first visit to the Lee-on-the-Solent Tennis, Squash and Fitness club was a huge success! We had a fantastic mix of series regulars travelling from across the country, as well as a strong local showing from Hampshire Racketballers, which made for some fascinating match-ups and competitive grades throughout the day. A huge thank you to the LOST Club, Jodey Watts, Solent Fire and Security, and of course all our series sponsors for 2022.
Over 70's
The Over 70's was a 4-Way Round Robin, and saw a great effort from Hampshire's Johnny Jacob and Paul McCartney who fought valiantly against two of the most experienced UKRB Series players on the circuit. In a repeat of the North East final last month, old rivals Graham Greensall and Ian Graham battled it out for the third Over 70's title up for grabs this year. It was a similar showing, with a close first game that swung either way until Ian closed out 11/9. Ian would then pull away to take the second 11/5 and add another title to his collection.
Over 70's
The Over 70's was a 4-Way Round Robin, and saw a great effort from Hampshire's Johnny Jacob and Paul McCartney who fought valiantly against two of the most experienced UKRB Series players on the circuit. In a repeat of the North East final last month, old rivals Graham Greensall and Ian Graham battled it out for the third Over 70's title up for grabs this year. It was a similar showing, with a close first game that swung either way until Ian closed out 11/9. Ian would then pull away to take the second 11/5 and add another title to his collection.
Over 60's
A slightly depleted draw gave the Over 60's players the chance to really battle it out with some Best of 5 encounters. After a brutal five-setter with Graham Holmes, Akhtar Khokar came through Group 1 to book his place in the final. In Group 2, it was Graham Appleby who came through as group winner in a slightly more straightforward manner - winning both his matches in straight games. This perhaps proved the difference going into the final, as Akhtar couldn't quite maintain the pace and Graham, thanks to some exceptionally high-quality racketball moving the ball to all corners of the court, pulled away to win the final and take his second UKRB title.
A slightly depleted draw gave the Over 60's players the chance to really battle it out with some Best of 5 encounters. After a brutal five-setter with Graham Holmes, Akhtar Khokar came through Group 1 to book his place in the final. In Group 2, it was Graham Appleby who came through as group winner in a slightly more straightforward manner - winning both his matches in straight games. This perhaps proved the difference going into the final, as Akhtar couldn't quite maintain the pace and Graham, thanks to some exceptionally high-quality racketball moving the ball to all corners of the court, pulled away to win the final and take his second UKRB title.
Over 50's
The Over 50's, as ever, was one of the biggest draws of the day and saw some great racketball across all the groups. UKRB Series veteran Marc Thornley came through Group 1 unscathed, although he was pushed hard by Jason Ponting. Joining Marc in Semi-Final 1 was Paul Dodds, who earlier on won his group by winning 3 matches in straight games.
In the bottom half of the draw, Phillip Hall returned from injury and looked like he was on for a successful return to the series. He won his first two matches but was eventually defeated by Roger Camp, who would go on to top the group. Roger was joined in Semi-Final 2 by Jonathan Edwards, who'd played quality racketball throughout the group stages and was loving the new SportyHQ app!
Semi-Final 1 was one of the best matches of the day, as Marc and Paul played some brutal racketball with the former eventually winning 13/11, 11/9, 11/8. Roger Camp took on Jonathan Edwards in another exceptional semi-final, with Roger winning out 3/0. It was destined to be another tie-breaker in the final, this one going Roger's way as he won the first game 12/10. He took full advantage of that crucial win, taking the next 11/7 and winning the title for the Over 50's.
The Over 50's, as ever, was one of the biggest draws of the day and saw some great racketball across all the groups. UKRB Series veteran Marc Thornley came through Group 1 unscathed, although he was pushed hard by Jason Ponting. Joining Marc in Semi-Final 1 was Paul Dodds, who earlier on won his group by winning 3 matches in straight games.
In the bottom half of the draw, Phillip Hall returned from injury and looked like he was on for a successful return to the series. He won his first two matches but was eventually defeated by Roger Camp, who would go on to top the group. Roger was joined in Semi-Final 2 by Jonathan Edwards, who'd played quality racketball throughout the group stages and was loving the new SportyHQ app!
Semi-Final 1 was one of the best matches of the day, as Marc and Paul played some brutal racketball with the former eventually winning 13/11, 11/9, 11/8. Roger Camp took on Jonathan Edwards in another exceptional semi-final, with Roger winning out 3/0. It was destined to be another tie-breaker in the final, this one going Roger's way as he won the first game 12/10. He took full advantage of that crucial win, taking the next 11/7 and winning the title for the Over 50's.
Over 40's
The Over 40's was a single Round Robin group of 4, but it was perhaps the closest group of the day with 3 matches going the distance and 3 players each finishing on 4 points with 2 wins and a loss. With every player winning the same amount of games - 5 from 8 - it came down to SportyHQ's fantastic new feature to break the tie - a points countback. With that, Paul Norton came through as the Over 40's Champion, winning 57.33% of his points played. Paul Holdway came through in second on 54.05%, and Phil Borrett in third on 51.68%. A brutally competitive Over 40's grade with fantastic racketball all-round.
The Over 40's was a single Round Robin group of 4, but it was perhaps the closest group of the day with 3 matches going the distance and 3 players each finishing on 4 points with 2 wins and a loss. With every player winning the same amount of games - 5 from 8 - it came down to SportyHQ's fantastic new feature to break the tie - a points countback. With that, Paul Norton came through as the Over 40's Champion, winning 57.33% of his points played. Paul Holdway came through in second on 54.05%, and Phil Borrett in third on 51.68%. A brutally competitive Over 40's grade with fantastic racketball all-round.
Women's
This was a really nice match between 2021 UKRB Series Champion Amber Marshall, and UKRB Series debutante Lois Hutchinson. It was great to see a newcomer stepping up to take on last year's champion, with Amber winning it 3/0.
This was a really nice match between 2021 UKRB Series Champion Amber Marshall, and UKRB Series debutante Lois Hutchinson. It was great to see a newcomer stepping up to take on last year's champion, with Amber winning it 3/0.
Doubles
Another good showing for the Doubles, which has been really popular all year! Amber Marshall and Luke Bishop dropped their first game of the day against Roger Camp and Phil Borrett, but came back strong to win 2/1 and come through the group as winners. Jodey Watts and Jordan Carrier played some great racketball in the doubles, battling hard against some of the biggest names in the series and pushing them all the way.
In Group 2, it was Paul Holdway and Neil Moore who came through as the eventual winners, but they had to do it the hard way as they were pushed to a decider in every match, showing just how tight the group was. The final proved a step too far for Holdway and Moore, however, as Marshall and Bishop proved they are still the pair to beat on the UKRB Series Doubles scene with an 11/5 11/4 victory.
Another good showing for the Doubles, which has been really popular all year! Amber Marshall and Luke Bishop dropped their first game of the day against Roger Camp and Phil Borrett, but came back strong to win 2/1 and come through the group as winners. Jodey Watts and Jordan Carrier played some great racketball in the doubles, battling hard against some of the biggest names in the series and pushing them all the way.
In Group 2, it was Paul Holdway and Neil Moore who came through as the eventual winners, but they had to do it the hard way as they were pushed to a decider in every match, showing just how tight the group was. The final proved a step too far for Holdway and Moore, however, as Marshall and Bishop proved they are still the pair to beat on the UKRB Series Doubles scene with an 11/5 11/4 victory.
B Grade
3 groups in the B Grade saw 12 players battling it out for a chance to play in the winners' group at the end of the day. Alex Kershaw came through Group 1 as the winner; Jodey Watts won Group 2 with 3 straight-game victories; Adam Giles winning Group 3.
The finals was one of the highest-quality B Grade Finals we've ever seen in the UKRB Series, with some incredible racketball being played throughout. Jodey Watts came in third, fighting brutally hard to force tie-breaks and deciding games against both opponents. The decider was between Adam Giles and Alex Kershaw, with Adam coming through as the eventual winner thanks to some strong physical racketball and quality hitting - definitely a player to watch out for in the Open Grade in the future!
3 groups in the B Grade saw 12 players battling it out for a chance to play in the winners' group at the end of the day. Alex Kershaw came through Group 1 as the winner; Jodey Watts won Group 2 with 3 straight-game victories; Adam Giles winning Group 3.
The finals was one of the highest-quality B Grade Finals we've ever seen in the UKRB Series, with some incredible racketball being played throughout. Jodey Watts came in third, fighting brutally hard to force tie-breaks and deciding games against both opponents. The decider was between Adam Giles and Alex Kershaw, with Adam coming through as the eventual winner thanks to some strong physical racketball and quality hitting - definitely a player to watch out for in the Open Grade in the future!
Open Grade
The Open was a highly condensed draw, with 4 players of exceptional quality battling it out for the title. A great match between Luke Bishop and Callum Arnott saw Luke win 2/1 after dropping the first game. In the last match of the day, Luke took on Michael Robinson in an effort to secure the title and extend his unbeaten run to 25 matches. It started badly for Luke, with Michael winning the first game 11/5, and nearly turned to disaster for the Devon player as he surrendered two game balls in the second to go to a tie-break. He kept his cool, however, and managed to find two fantastic winners to take the game 13/11 and level the match. The third saw some more brutal racketball - Luke had spent a fair bit of time on court between the Open and the Doubles, and Michael made him scrap for every last point, but eventually it was Luke who claimed the decider 11/8 and proved he is still the player to beat on the UKRB Series circuit.
The Open was a highly condensed draw, with 4 players of exceptional quality battling it out for the title. A great match between Luke Bishop and Callum Arnott saw Luke win 2/1 after dropping the first game. In the last match of the day, Luke took on Michael Robinson in an effort to secure the title and extend his unbeaten run to 25 matches. It started badly for Luke, with Michael winning the first game 11/5, and nearly turned to disaster for the Devon player as he surrendered two game balls in the second to go to a tie-break. He kept his cool, however, and managed to find two fantastic winners to take the game 13/11 and level the match. The third saw some more brutal racketball - Luke had spent a fair bit of time on court between the Open and the Doubles, and Michael made him scrap for every last point, but eventually it was Luke who claimed the decider 11/8 and proved he is still the player to beat on the UKRB Series circuit.
A big thank you especially to Jodey Watts from Solent fire and Security for making this event happen, and we look forward to returning next year!
Next up is another UKRB Series first as we travel to Liverpool on the 7th May for the North-West of England Racketball Open. Click the links below to find out more, and to enter.
https://www.uk-racketball.com/e4---north-west-racketball-open---7th-may.html
https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-4-North-West-of-England-Racketball-Open-7th-May-Liverpool
Next up is another UKRB Series first as we travel to Liverpool on the 7th May for the North-West of England Racketball Open. Click the links below to find out more, and to enter.
https://www.uk-racketball.com/e4---north-west-racketball-open---7th-may.html
https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-4-North-West-of-England-Racketball-Open-7th-May-Liverpool
