Nottingham Open Report
The Nottingham Racketball Open entered it’s sixth year on Saturday making it the longest standing UK-Racketball Series event.
Over 60’s
Once again the Over 60’s grade was the most popular on the day with 13 entries. Due to a late withdrawal the draw was uneven with group A containing only three players whereas groups B and C contained five players each.
The smaller group did see some tough games however. UK-Racketball Series favorite Stephen Uttley is just coming back from injury and struggled early on losing 2-1 to Ed Smith. Smith was in turn defeated by Colin Thompson this time 2-0 to set up a group decider between Thompson and Uttley. Uttley had seen off some of the earlier cobwebs and played much better in his second match of the day but did not have enough to defeat Thompson who made it through the match 2-1 to take the group.
The top seed in group B Andy Mitchell made it through without dropping a game. It was a close contest for second place, Hans Billson (who after a slow start found his form towards the end of the day) narrowly missing out to Gary Turner 2-1 in their encounter. Group C followed a similar pattern with top seed Graham Greensall making it though but he was pushed hard by both two seed Chris Hawken who came second and unseeded Robert Thomas who both took him to a decider. Third place in the group was an interesting affair with only one point in it between Peter De Bank, Robin Padmore and Hawken. The point Hawken took against Greensall made the difference giving him the third spot.
In the finals group Ed Smith was unable to take any games against Mitchell or Greensall. In the end it was Mitchell who took then title defeating Greensall in one of the last matches of the day.
Over 60’s
Once again the Over 60’s grade was the most popular on the day with 13 entries. Due to a late withdrawal the draw was uneven with group A containing only three players whereas groups B and C contained five players each.
The smaller group did see some tough games however. UK-Racketball Series favorite Stephen Uttley is just coming back from injury and struggled early on losing 2-1 to Ed Smith. Smith was in turn defeated by Colin Thompson this time 2-0 to set up a group decider between Thompson and Uttley. Uttley had seen off some of the earlier cobwebs and played much better in his second match of the day but did not have enough to defeat Thompson who made it through the match 2-1 to take the group.
The top seed in group B Andy Mitchell made it through without dropping a game. It was a close contest for second place, Hans Billson (who after a slow start found his form towards the end of the day) narrowly missing out to Gary Turner 2-1 in their encounter. Group C followed a similar pattern with top seed Graham Greensall making it though but he was pushed hard by both two seed Chris Hawken who came second and unseeded Robert Thomas who both took him to a decider. Third place in the group was an interesting affair with only one point in it between Peter De Bank, Robin Padmore and Hawken. The point Hawken took against Greensall made the difference giving him the third spot.
In the finals group Ed Smith was unable to take any games against Mitchell or Greensall. In the end it was Mitchell who took then title defeating Greensall in one of the last matches of the day.
B Grade
It was another good entry into the B grade with two large groups fighting it out on the day. Group A was a closely contested affair with Lee Divers just missing out against Lee Sadler. The group was eventually decided however in a match between Kasey Hall and Robert Cunningham with the match being taken by Hall 2-1.
The five man Group B was wide open for almost the whole day. UK-Racketball Series veterans Simon Jackson and Michael Keogh pushed hard but were overcome in all their matches, Keogh defeated Jackson for the fourth spot. Graham Greensall, Michael English both had opportunities to claim the group and with it a place in the final but it was late entrant Gavin Burton who despite being pushed hard by English came through as group leader.
By the time they reached the final Hall and Burton had played seven matches and eighteen games between them. It was the fresher Hall who came through as victor taking the final 2-0 and adding another B Grade title to his collection.
It was another good entry into the B grade with two large groups fighting it out on the day. Group A was a closely contested affair with Lee Divers just missing out against Lee Sadler. The group was eventually decided however in a match between Kasey Hall and Robert Cunningham with the match being taken by Hall 2-1.
The five man Group B was wide open for almost the whole day. UK-Racketball Series veterans Simon Jackson and Michael Keogh pushed hard but were overcome in all their matches, Keogh defeated Jackson for the fourth spot. Graham Greensall, Michael English both had opportunities to claim the group and with it a place in the final but it was late entrant Gavin Burton who despite being pushed hard by English came through as group leader.
By the time they reached the final Hall and Burton had played seven matches and eighteen games between them. It was the fresher Hall who came through as victor taking the final 2-0 and adding another B Grade title to his collection.
Over 40’s
Top seed and England no.2 Andy Wood made it through group A comfortably without dropping a game but the battle for second place could have gone either way between Brendon Bennett, Carlos Bilbao El Guezabel and Lee Divers. Divers narrowly defeated Guezabel before being beaten in tern by Bennett who finished the group in second.
Group B could be labeled the group of death. Rob Lewis currently ranked three in England was seeded two but with solid local player Karl Murray and talented racket player Michael Wardle this one was always going to be close. Lewis overcame Murray in a tight 2-0 and had even more trouble against Wardle. Lewis has played plenty of big racketball matches however and in the end had just enough to see him through to the final.
There was always going to be some quality racketball on display in the Over 40’s Final between two players ranked in the top three in England. The match in the end went the way of the seeding with Wood adding Nottingham 2015 to what is fast becoming one of the biggest collections of UK-Racketball Titles.
A Grade
Nick Bond did not have the best of day’s at Nottingham, coming close in all three matches but failing to win a game all day. Dan Lawrence and Dan Soar had a brutal early encounter with Lawrence hanging on to claim a 2-1 victory. After Fuller defeated Lawrence 2-1 the group was still wide open with one match to go between Fuller and Soar. With Soar on three points and Fuller on four if Soar won 2-0 he would take the title. At 1-0 and 8-7 up it looked likely to happen but after a brutal couple of rallies Fuller in the end ran away with the match, taking the second 11/8 and the third 11/4.
Top seed and England no.2 Andy Wood made it through group A comfortably without dropping a game but the battle for second place could have gone either way between Brendon Bennett, Carlos Bilbao El Guezabel and Lee Divers. Divers narrowly defeated Guezabel before being beaten in tern by Bennett who finished the group in second.
Group B could be labeled the group of death. Rob Lewis currently ranked three in England was seeded two but with solid local player Karl Murray and talented racket player Michael Wardle this one was always going to be close. Lewis overcame Murray in a tight 2-0 and had even more trouble against Wardle. Lewis has played plenty of big racketball matches however and in the end had just enough to see him through to the final.
There was always going to be some quality racketball on display in the Over 40’s Final between two players ranked in the top three in England. The match in the end went the way of the seeding with Wood adding Nottingham 2015 to what is fast becoming one of the biggest collections of UK-Racketball Titles.
A Grade
Nick Bond did not have the best of day’s at Nottingham, coming close in all three matches but failing to win a game all day. Dan Lawrence and Dan Soar had a brutal early encounter with Lawrence hanging on to claim a 2-1 victory. After Fuller defeated Lawrence 2-1 the group was still wide open with one match to go between Fuller and Soar. With Soar on three points and Fuller on four if Soar won 2-0 he would take the title. At 1-0 and 8-7 up it looked likely to happen but after a brutal couple of rallies Fuller in the end ran away with the match, taking the second 11/8 and the third 11/4.
Over 50’s
Two equal sized groups in the Over 50’s with 4 players in each group. In both groups it was the No.1 seeds that came through victorious. Patrick Osborn did not drop a game in group A. Group B was closer with both Lee Sadler and Ather Ahmad taking Mark Banfield to a deciding set. In the final it was Patrick Osborn who took the match and added another title to his list.
Women’s
Nina Parker continued her good run of recent form with wins over Vicky Toates and Helena Lawrence in group A. Lawrence secured second place with a 2-1 win over Toates.
Three seed Nicky Green defeated Helen Cann 2-0 to set up a deciding match against two seed Rachel Woolford but in the end Woolford proved to strong making it through the group without dropping a game.
The final was always going to be a tough match but despite fighting hard all match Parker did not have enough to contain the aggressive hitting of Woolford who won the final 2-0.
The series now heads to Devon on the 12th of September and then Wakefield on the 26th. Hopefully we will be back in Nottingham next year for what will be the 7th Nottingham Racketball Open!
Two equal sized groups in the Over 50’s with 4 players in each group. In both groups it was the No.1 seeds that came through victorious. Patrick Osborn did not drop a game in group A. Group B was closer with both Lee Sadler and Ather Ahmad taking Mark Banfield to a deciding set. In the final it was Patrick Osborn who took the match and added another title to his list.
Women’s
Nina Parker continued her good run of recent form with wins over Vicky Toates and Helena Lawrence in group A. Lawrence secured second place with a 2-1 win over Toates.
Three seed Nicky Green defeated Helen Cann 2-0 to set up a deciding match against two seed Rachel Woolford but in the end Woolford proved to strong making it through the group without dropping a game.
The final was always going to be a tough match but despite fighting hard all match Parker did not have enough to contain the aggressive hitting of Woolford who won the final 2-0.
The series now heads to Devon on the 12th of September and then Wakefield on the 26th. Hopefully we will be back in Nottingham next year for what will be the 7th Nottingham Racketball Open!
Nottingham Racketball Open Draws
Follow the link below to all the draws. The first link is the schedule which will tell you when you will have all your games.
| nottingham_open_2015_draws_schedule.pdf |
| nottingham_open_2015_draws_womens.pdf |
| nottingham_open_2015_draws_a_grade.pdf |
| nottingham_open_2015_draws_b_grade.pdf |
| nottingham_open_2015_draws_over_40s.pdf |
| nottingham_open_2015_draws_over_50s.pdf |
| nottingham_open_2015_draws_over_60s.pdf |
Entry List
This is the 6th time that we have run the Nottingham Racketball Open. Click on the entry list below to see who is playing.
| nottingham_entry_list_sheet1.pdf |
Introduction
Nottingham hosted the first ever UK-Racketball event in 2010 and is now the longest standing venue off the Series. The club is also the home of the UK-Racketball and Fantasy Squash office and shop. This year it was one of the best racketball events in the country, with a BBQ and professional $5,000 PSA squash event on in the evening.
Nottingham is the biggest squash venue in the country and the first venue to become a host for a UK-Racketball Event back in 2010. With 10 fantastic squash courts, including six glass backs and one of the best championship show courts in the country, the club is an ideal host for any top squash or racketball tournament.
Nottingham is the biggest squash venue in the country and the first venue to become a host for a UK-Racketball Event back in 2010. With 10 fantastic squash courts, including six glass backs and one of the best championship show courts in the country, the club is an ideal host for any top squash or racketball tournament.
In 2010 The Nottingham Racketball Open was the biggest entry in the Series with Dom Hamilton, Mike Phillips, Jonathan Underhill and Rob Watkins all taking titles and setting off our first UK-Racketball Series.
In 2011 Nottingham Squash Club became host to the first annual Fantasy Squash Festival, with the MB-Nottingham Racketball Open running on the same day as the MANTIS Fantasy Squash PSA Final. The Racketball Open attracted almost 100 entrants making it the biggest racketball event of 2011 outside the National Championships; many of the competitors stayed around to watch the PSA Final between Charles Sharpes and Anthony Graham, and the return of squash legend Peter Marshall to the club for an exhibition.
In 2011 Nottingham Squash Club became host to the first annual Fantasy Squash Festival, with the MB-Nottingham Racketball Open running on the same day as the MANTIS Fantasy Squash PSA Final. The Racketball Open attracted almost 100 entrants making it the biggest racketball event of 2011 outside the National Championships; many of the competitors stayed around to watch the PSA Final between Charles Sharpes and Anthony Graham, and the return of squash legend Peter Marshall to the club for an exhibition.
In 2013 was the biggest of the UK-Racketball Series events all year, with nearly 90 people taking part! The A grade final was an intense match between Craig Chappel and Ted Jeal as they both had a lot riding on the game. When it came down to it though, Ted’s determination to win was too great and it was he who emerged victorious, winning the event and the Series in one go.
In 2014 we are hoping to build upon the success that this event has experienced over the last four seasons and create one of the biggest racketball events in the country. Despite attracting so many competitors the event still retains its inclusivity with players of all abilities and ages competing across the grades. However, if you want to play an event where the A grade is guaranteed to consist of the sport’s biggest names, the Nottingham Racketball Open is definitely it!
This is the flagship UK-Racketball Series event and bound to be another fantastic day’s racketball.
In 2014 we are hoping to build upon the success that this event has experienced over the last four seasons and create one of the biggest racketball events in the country. Despite attracting so many competitors the event still retains its inclusivity with players of all abilities and ages competing across the grades. However, if you want to play an event where the A grade is guaranteed to consist of the sport’s biggest names, the Nottingham Racketball Open is definitely it!
This is the flagship UK-Racketball Series event and bound to be another fantastic day’s racketball.
Main Tournament Details
What: Nottingham Racketball Open
When: Saturday 29th August
Where: Nottingham Squash Rackets Club
Postcode: NG7 1BX
Cost: £15.00 (includes tournament t-shirt)
Online Entry: Follow this link
More Information: email Mark Fuller mark@starsportsdevelopment.com or call Mark on 07846 067505
When: Saturday 29th August
Where: Nottingham Squash Rackets Club
Postcode: NG7 1BX
Cost: £15.00 (includes tournament t-shirt)
Online Entry: Follow this link
More Information: email Mark Fuller mark@starsportsdevelopment.com or call Mark on 07846 067505
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
Beginner – This is for players who have recently started racketball. Players who have previously played squash to a high level and have now started playing racketball may be better off in the A or B grade. To maintain a fun atmosphere for this grade, only trophies will be awarded to the winners however there will also be a reduced entry fee of just £10.
If you are unsure which category to enter please feel free to contact Mark Fuller directly on 07846067505 or email us at info@uk-racketball.com 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, this has never happened in the last three years.
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
Beginner – This is for players who have recently started racketball. Players who have previously played squash to a high level and have now started playing racketball may be better off in the A or B grade. To maintain a fun atmosphere for this grade, only trophies will be awarded to the winners however there will also be a reduced entry fee of just £10.
If you are unsure which category to enter please feel free to contact Mark Fuller directly on 07846067505 or email us at info@uk-racketball.com 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, this has never happened in the last three years.
Facilities
Nottingham Squash Rackets Club has plenty of onsite parking, a bar open all day serving hot and cold food, a gym to warm up in before your matches and a sauna and steam room to warm down and relax after playing.
10 squash courts.
10 squash courts.
Location
Along with the facilities and atmosphere the club location is another reason why events at Nottingham prove to be so popular. With the city being central to the UK and the club based only 15 minutes from the M1 Nottingham can be reached easily from all areas of the country.
Nottingham Squash Rackets Club
Tattershall Drive
The Park Estate
Nottingham
NG7 1BX
Tel: 0115 941 7022
Website: http://nsrc.co.uk
Nottingham Squash Rackets Club
Tattershall Drive
The Park Estate
Nottingham
NG7 1BX
Tel: 0115 941 7022
Website: http://nsrc.co.uk
