WEST OF ENGLAND OPEN LEAMINGTON 2023 BRINGS OUT SOME SERIOUS QUALITY!
On Saturday 1st July we visited our next venue in the 2023 Karakal UK Racketball Series - Leamington Squash and Tennis Club, for the West of England Open!
This fantastic venue provided us with some of the best court viewing situations we could ask for in the Series, not just because of the brilliant 6 court set up they have there, but also because of the high quality Racketball that was on show! It was clear to see lots of our players were getting well tuned up and ready for the July National Championships.
Kicking off this time with the Over 70s and we had a strong three way playoff between Billson, Lowe and Wright. Billson and Wright went hammer and tongs at each other first up with Wright winning 13/11 in the 5th game! Richard Lowe however proved to be a very capable and impressively mobile competitor, taking (a potentially pretty leggy by that point) Billson and Wright down 3/0 each to take his first Series title of 2023. He looks like one to watch in the O70s Nationals!
Patrick Osborn continued his seemingly invincible run of form by sweeping aside all who came across him 2/0. Taking out other top runners Graham Holmes and Robin Chipperfield on his way to another Series age group title. Chipperfield doing well to come through a busy second O60s group. In the O50s it was the return of the bionic man as Chris Morris playing his first Series event back (after a terrible injury in last year's Series Finals event) managed to come through unscathed himself, winning all his matches 2/0 along the way. His final opponent Nev Buckle did brilliantly to see his way through a strong 50s draw with the likes of Dodds, Wardle and Billington in his way. A very competitive 50's draw here and with all of them plus several other high fliers playing the Nationals it could well be the draw to watch out for!
In another strong category - the O40s, regular Series combatants Alexis Smith and Paul Norton met in a high quality, expansive racket ability match, with Smith seeing out a tight 2/0 win. Norton picking up some very valuable Series ranking points though to extend his lead at the top of the tree going into the halfway point of 2023. The B Grade was a busy event this time round, with 11 entrants in it. There were some great games across the rounds, with the likes of Manson/Melvin, Mcclelland/Symmons and Symmons/Da Costa all going the distance 2/1. In the end though it was the mercurial Nick Jenkins who fought his way to the top of the pile, taking out Tim Melvin 2/1 in a quality final.
Our strongest A Grade and Doubles draws of the 2023 season were a joy to watch all the way through (though not fun to schedule around!) Matches of note were Rawlins and Giles taking close to an hour to battle out a 2/1 win to Rawlins, Manson/Hindmarch vs Strong/Phipps and Norton/Giles vs Smith/Jenkins all also providing some brilliant high class Racketball across the day. In the end though there could only be one winner and Oli Rawlins took the A Grade over Craig Chappell 2/0 (with Chappell unfortunately picking up a slight niggle earlier in the day to hamper his efforts.) The Doubles Final was a brutal 45 minute long exchange between Phipps/Strong and Giles/Norton, in which the former managed to overturn a 4/8 deficeit in the 2nd to get back to 1/1 in games, and then storm through to take the 3rd 11/7! A prime showcase of how classy and intricate Doubles Racketball can be and I highly recommend you go to our Facebook page and watch it back to see how good it was:
https://www.facebook.com/UKRacketballSeries/videos/1006513540522304
You can find all the photos and videos of the day here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1171008060513413&type=3
And finally results on Sporty HQ here:
https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-7-West-of-England-Racketball-Open-2nd-July-Leamington
Thanks to all who played and made it such a great day. Also to Leamington and Jason Pike for having us. We hope to be back to such an excellent venue next year!
On Saturday 1st July we visited our next venue in the 2023 Karakal UK Racketball Series - Leamington Squash and Tennis Club, for the West of England Open!
This fantastic venue provided us with some of the best court viewing situations we could ask for in the Series, not just because of the brilliant 6 court set up they have there, but also because of the high quality Racketball that was on show! It was clear to see lots of our players were getting well tuned up and ready for the July National Championships.
Kicking off this time with the Over 70s and we had a strong three way playoff between Billson, Lowe and Wright. Billson and Wright went hammer and tongs at each other first up with Wright winning 13/11 in the 5th game! Richard Lowe however proved to be a very capable and impressively mobile competitor, taking (a potentially pretty leggy by that point) Billson and Wright down 3/0 each to take his first Series title of 2023. He looks like one to watch in the O70s Nationals!
Patrick Osborn continued his seemingly invincible run of form by sweeping aside all who came across him 2/0. Taking out other top runners Graham Holmes and Robin Chipperfield on his way to another Series age group title. Chipperfield doing well to come through a busy second O60s group. In the O50s it was the return of the bionic man as Chris Morris playing his first Series event back (after a terrible injury in last year's Series Finals event) managed to come through unscathed himself, winning all his matches 2/0 along the way. His final opponent Nev Buckle did brilliantly to see his way through a strong 50s draw with the likes of Dodds, Wardle and Billington in his way. A very competitive 50's draw here and with all of them plus several other high fliers playing the Nationals it could well be the draw to watch out for!
In another strong category - the O40s, regular Series combatants Alexis Smith and Paul Norton met in a high quality, expansive racket ability match, with Smith seeing out a tight 2/0 win. Norton picking up some very valuable Series ranking points though to extend his lead at the top of the tree going into the halfway point of 2023. The B Grade was a busy event this time round, with 11 entrants in it. There were some great games across the rounds, with the likes of Manson/Melvin, Mcclelland/Symmons and Symmons/Da Costa all going the distance 2/1. In the end though it was the mercurial Nick Jenkins who fought his way to the top of the pile, taking out Tim Melvin 2/1 in a quality final.
Our strongest A Grade and Doubles draws of the 2023 season were a joy to watch all the way through (though not fun to schedule around!) Matches of note were Rawlins and Giles taking close to an hour to battle out a 2/1 win to Rawlins, Manson/Hindmarch vs Strong/Phipps and Norton/Giles vs Smith/Jenkins all also providing some brilliant high class Racketball across the day. In the end though there could only be one winner and Oli Rawlins took the A Grade over Craig Chappell 2/0 (with Chappell unfortunately picking up a slight niggle earlier in the day to hamper his efforts.) The Doubles Final was a brutal 45 minute long exchange between Phipps/Strong and Giles/Norton, in which the former managed to overturn a 4/8 deficeit in the 2nd to get back to 1/1 in games, and then storm through to take the 3rd 11/7! A prime showcase of how classy and intricate Doubles Racketball can be and I highly recommend you go to our Facebook page and watch it back to see how good it was:
https://www.facebook.com/UKRacketballSeries/videos/1006513540522304
You can find all the photos and videos of the day here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1171008060513413&type=3
And finally results on Sporty HQ here:
https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-7-West-of-England-Racketball-Open-2nd-July-Leamington
Thanks to all who played and made it such a great day. Also to Leamington and Jason Pike for having us. We hope to be back to such an excellent venue next year!
West of England Racketball Open introduction
We are aware that some of our players are experiencing issues with entering through SportyHQ. Most entries are working through the site - https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-6-West-of-England-Racketball-Open-2nd-July-Leamington - if you have any issues please contact Mike [email protected] or 07789 394617
The West of England Open at Leamington Spa was the first event back after the pandemic on the UK-Racketball Series calendar. 2023 will be the 6th time that the Series has returned to Leamington and as you would expect from sitting in the middle of a part of the country with such a great reputation for racketball this event is always a sellout!
Last years event saw a fantastic exhibition of Racketball with the A Grade featured 5 of the country's Top 15 players. Head Coach Jason Pike saw off a challenge from Luke Bishop to take the final in a dramatic tie-break finish, while the biggest draw of the day saw number one seed Mervyn Davies beat Paul Dodds to the Over 50's title.
We're excited to be back at the oldest Lawn Tennis club in the world, which always makes for a brilliant event. The club development has transformed the squash section at the club, with a new glass back court built alongside the first opening up the viewing for the show courts and helping to give the club a fantastic tournament atmosphere.
The club itself has an amazing history. Leamington Lawn Tennis Club was founded in 1872, three years before Wimbledon! Follow this link for a fascinating read - http://www.leamington-tennis-squash.co.uk/club-information/club-history/
Jason Pike the head coach has made a fantastic impact at the club with junior sessions and club nights. Leamington’s Junior Squash is going from strength to strength and is now one of the strongest in the country with over 100 taking part every week.
This will be a great tournament so don’t miss out!
Last years event saw a fantastic exhibition of Racketball with the A Grade featured 5 of the country's Top 15 players. Head Coach Jason Pike saw off a challenge from Luke Bishop to take the final in a dramatic tie-break finish, while the biggest draw of the day saw number one seed Mervyn Davies beat Paul Dodds to the Over 50's title.
We're excited to be back at the oldest Lawn Tennis club in the world, which always makes for a brilliant event. The club development has transformed the squash section at the club, with a new glass back court built alongside the first opening up the viewing for the show courts and helping to give the club a fantastic tournament atmosphere.
The club itself has an amazing history. Leamington Lawn Tennis Club was founded in 1872, three years before Wimbledon! Follow this link for a fascinating read - http://www.leamington-tennis-squash.co.uk/club-information/club-history/
Jason Pike the head coach has made a fantastic impact at the club with junior sessions and club nights. Leamington’s Junior Squash is going from strength to strength and is now one of the strongest in the country with over 100 taking part every week.
This will be a great tournament so don’t miss out!
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-7-West-of-England-Racketball-Open-2nd-July-Leamington
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-7-West-of-England-Racketball-Open-2nd-July-Leamington
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: Leamington Racketball Open
When: Saturday 1st July
Where: Leamington Lawn Tennis and Squash Club
Postcode: CV32 6LZ
Cost: £17.50 (£9.50 for an optional high quality, quick dry, sublimated print tournament t-shirt)
Closing Date for entries: Friday 23rd June
More Information: Contact [email protected] or if the enquiry is urgent call Mike on 07789 394617
When: Saturday 1st July
Where: Leamington Lawn Tennis and Squash Club
Postcode: CV32 6LZ
Cost: £17.50 (£9.50 for an optional high quality, quick dry, sublimated print tournament t-shirt)
Closing Date for entries: Friday 23rd June
More Information: Contact [email protected] or if the enquiry is urgent call Mike on 07789 394617
west of england leamington - hall of fame
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 [email protected] or if the enquiry is urgent call Mark on 07846067505 and we will be happy to advise you.
If entries to a category are not sufficient grades may be merged, however all participants will always be informed in advance and they will have a choice if they would still like to play.
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 [email protected] or if the enquiry is urgent call Mark on 07846067505 and we will be happy to advise you.
If entries to a category are not sufficient grades may be merged, however all participants will always be informed in advance and they will have a choice if they would still like to play.
club facilities
Leaminton Lawn Tennis and Squash Club is the oldest Lawn Tennis Club in the country with fantastic Tennis facilities.
The squash and racketball section has recently been redone with new changing facilities and bar area.
The club has 6 squash courts including a two championship court’s with plenty of seating.
If the weather is hot sitting outside to watch the tennis will be a lovely way to spend your spare event time, bringing a good book is advised!
The squash and racketball section has recently been redone with new changing facilities and bar area.
The club has 6 squash courts including a two championship court’s with plenty of seating.
If the weather is hot sitting outside to watch the tennis will be a lovely way to spend your spare event time, bringing a good book is advised!
club location
Leamington Spa is located to the South East of Birmingham and close to the M40; a new area of the county for the UK-Racketball Series.
Leamington Lawn Tennis & Squash Club
Guy's Cliffe Avenue
Leamington Spa
CV32 6LZ
Club Tel: 01926 425845
Club website: http://www.leamington-tennis-squash.co.uk/
Leamington Lawn Tennis & Squash Club
Guy's Cliffe Avenue
Leamington Spa
CV32 6LZ
Club Tel: 01926 425845
Club website: http://www.leamington-tennis-squash.co.uk/
west of england racketball open history
2022 - West of England Racketball Open
2021 - West of England Racketball Open
2019 Leamington Open Results
2014 Leamington Open Results
2013 Leamington Open Results
2021 - West of England Racketball Open
2019 Leamington Open Results
2014 Leamington Open Results
2013 Leamington Open Results
West of England 2022 Report
In contrast to an incredibly hot 2021 post covid event it was a rainy day at Leamington Lawn Tennis and Squash Club for the 2022 West of England Racketball Championships but a great turnout with all grades running made for a brilliant atmosphere and a great day of Racketball action!
Follow this link to see all the results
Follow this link for the photos
West of England Open B Grade
It was a good standard B Grade at Leamington. With three players in Group A it was set up for best of 5’s and all matches were tough ones. Rebecca Symmons came through as champion defeating Series veterans Tom Ash and Graeme Manson. Donovan Eastes won Group B without dropping a game but was pushed hard by Chris Burton. The final was a great match up but in the end despite some fantastic retrieving Symmons could not hang in long enough to contend with the accurate play of Eastes who took the title 11/6, 10/12, 11/4.
Follow this link to see all the results
Follow this link for the photos
West of England Open B Grade
It was a good standard B Grade at Leamington. With three players in Group A it was set up for best of 5’s and all matches were tough ones. Rebecca Symmons came through as champion defeating Series veterans Tom Ash and Graeme Manson. Donovan Eastes won Group B without dropping a game but was pushed hard by Chris Burton. The final was a great match up but in the end despite some fantastic retrieving Symmons could not hang in long enough to contend with the accurate play of Eastes who took the title 11/6, 10/12, 11/4.
West of England Open Over 50’s
The Over 50’s draw was reduced with a couple of withdrawals but still made for a tough day with two groups of 5 meaning 4 match wins were needed to make it though to the finals! On the day Roger Camp proved too strong for Marc Thornley coming through in two close games. Chris Morris loved the heat on the show courts and ran off all comers in group A with only Chris Wase managing to force a decider. The final was a great contest with the opening game going Morris’s way 12/10 before Camp fought back to take the second 11/9. By the third however Camp had nothing left and after a strong Morris start he ran away for the bagel. A tough day for Camp but thoroughly deserved from Morris.
West of England Over 70’s
The Over 70’s has been the slowest draw to come back to full strength post pandemic but Leamington saw a great entry both in terms of numbers and quality. Ian Graham remained dominant in Group A but was pushed hard by the quality and tenacity of Terry Norman and acuate hitting from Alec Livingstone. Three top over 70’s players lined up in group B, Graham Greensall, David Mudge and Hans Billson. Mudge came through a brutal encounter with Billson only to be denied by Greensall to set up a repeat final of Graham vs Greensall. This turned out into a great match with Graham only just sneaking the first on tie break and the second 11/9 before Greensall fought back to claim the 3rd. The 4th was tight in the beginning but then Graham pulled away to take the victory 11/7.
The Over 50’s draw was reduced with a couple of withdrawals but still made for a tough day with two groups of 5 meaning 4 match wins were needed to make it though to the finals! On the day Roger Camp proved too strong for Marc Thornley coming through in two close games. Chris Morris loved the heat on the show courts and ran off all comers in group A with only Chris Wase managing to force a decider. The final was a great contest with the opening game going Morris’s way 12/10 before Camp fought back to take the second 11/9. By the third however Camp had nothing left and after a strong Morris start he ran away for the bagel. A tough day for Camp but thoroughly deserved from Morris.
West of England Over 70’s
The Over 70’s has been the slowest draw to come back to full strength post pandemic but Leamington saw a great entry both in terms of numbers and quality. Ian Graham remained dominant in Group A but was pushed hard by the quality and tenacity of Terry Norman and acuate hitting from Alec Livingstone. Three top over 70’s players lined up in group B, Graham Greensall, David Mudge and Hans Billson. Mudge came through a brutal encounter with Billson only to be denied by Greensall to set up a repeat final of Graham vs Greensall. This turned out into a great match with Graham only just sneaking the first on tie break and the second 11/9 before Greensall fought back to claim the 3rd. The 4th was tight in the beginning but then Graham pulled away to take the victory 11/7.
Graham Greensall's heart rate during the Over 70's final!
West of England Women’s Open
Current National Champion Amber Marshall had her work cut out in the womens draw against a determined local Rebeccca Symmons. In a game which contained some fantastic retrieving from both player the momentum see-sawed throughout. In the end Marshal was too accurate and ended up taking the deciding game 11/5 but Symmons is definitely one to watch, not many women manage to get this close to denying Marshall a title.
West of England Open Over 40’s
Ryan Loska continued his dominance of the Over 40’s Series, claiming the West of England Title without dropping a game. Moving well and calm and composed he will take some beating in the up and coming Nationals!
Current National Champion Amber Marshall had her work cut out in the womens draw against a determined local Rebeccca Symmons. In a game which contained some fantastic retrieving from both player the momentum see-sawed throughout. In the end Marshal was too accurate and ended up taking the deciding game 11/5 but Symmons is definitely one to watch, not many women manage to get this close to denying Marshall a title.
West of England Open Over 40’s
Ryan Loska continued his dominance of the Over 40’s Series, claiming the West of England Title without dropping a game. Moving well and calm and composed he will take some beating in the up and coming Nationals!
West of England Open Doubles
A brutal start to the day in the doubles saw Zoe Fennell and Patrick Osborn lose out to Paul Norton and Ryan Loska in a brilliant display of shots retrieving and doubles tactics. The Loska, Norton partnership went on to win all their remaining Group B matches before coming up against Amber Marshall and Luke Bishop in the final. In what proved to be an incredibly entertaining game of corkscrews, skid boasts and creative shots from both teams Marshall and Bishop have a great understanding on the doubles court and this proved decisive and resulted in them adding another title to their collection with a 11/6, 11/7 victory.
West of England Open Over 60’s
The top seeds in both groups progressed to the final of the Over 60’s with Graham Holmes taking group A and Patrick Osborn Group B. Holmes’s toughest match came against an inform Mike Fleming with both games going the distance. Osborn came through unscathed in Group B and continued this run of form into the final taking the match 11/5, 11/1. He is very much the man to beat in the Over 60’s!
West of England Open A Grade
In a repeat of last year Luke Bishop and Jason Pike made it through their respective groups in the A Grade. Pike battled hard on his home courts as he always does but the Bishop boast proved too much. There was talk that this might now be better than his mentor (Matt Baker), the Baker boast... the debate will continue but in the meantime another title is Bishops, that list keeps growing.
Our next event is the big one, The 2022 HEAD National Racketball/Squash57 Championships. Entries close at midnight on the 3rd of July so if you are not already in this is your last chance to enter - https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-7-Head-National-Racketball-Championships-16th17th-July-Edgbaston
A brutal start to the day in the doubles saw Zoe Fennell and Patrick Osborn lose out to Paul Norton and Ryan Loska in a brilliant display of shots retrieving and doubles tactics. The Loska, Norton partnership went on to win all their remaining Group B matches before coming up against Amber Marshall and Luke Bishop in the final. In what proved to be an incredibly entertaining game of corkscrews, skid boasts and creative shots from both teams Marshall and Bishop have a great understanding on the doubles court and this proved decisive and resulted in them adding another title to their collection with a 11/6, 11/7 victory.
West of England Open Over 60’s
The top seeds in both groups progressed to the final of the Over 60’s with Graham Holmes taking group A and Patrick Osborn Group B. Holmes’s toughest match came against an inform Mike Fleming with both games going the distance. Osborn came through unscathed in Group B and continued this run of form into the final taking the match 11/5, 11/1. He is very much the man to beat in the Over 60’s!
West of England Open A Grade
In a repeat of last year Luke Bishop and Jason Pike made it through their respective groups in the A Grade. Pike battled hard on his home courts as he always does but the Bishop boast proved too much. There was talk that this might now be better than his mentor (Matt Baker), the Baker boast... the debate will continue but in the meantime another title is Bishops, that list keeps growing.
Our next event is the big one, The 2022 HEAD National Racketball/Squash57 Championships. Entries close at midnight on the 3rd of July so if you are not already in this is your last chance to enter - https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-7-Head-National-Racketball-Championships-16th17th-July-Edgbaston
