CENTRAL SCOTLAND REGIONAL MASTERS – 7-9 FEBRUARY 2020
The Central Scotland Regional Masters competition was held at the picturesque former Spa Town at the Bridge of Allan Sports Club on 7-9 February.
There was a total of 84 competitors who took part in two ladies’ and nine mens’ categories. The main sponsor for the competition was SKN Electrical Services.
Walter McAllister, Ian Douglas and the Bridge of Allan Sports Club committee managed a very well organised competition. The catering was excellent and the committee and supporters all worked hard to make all competitors welcome. At the prize giving, all of the competitors thanked Walter and Ian and the committee for all their hard work. John Crawford, Mike Halpen and Alan Law deserve thanks for providing refereeing services during the tournament.
LADIES O35
There were eight competitors and the competition was played as a straight knockout.
The four seeded players, all from Bridge of Allan won their first round ties and progressed to the semi finals. Sabine MacKenzie (1) and Sheena Logan (2) had comfortable 3/0 wins against Jane Kelly and Fenella Pole. The other two matches were closely contested – Catriona Smith (4) won the first two games against Helen Cordiner but Helen fought back to win the third before Catriona closed match out by winning the fourth and the match 3/1. The other match was a nail biter – Jenn Saldanha won the first two games 15/13, 15/7 to lead 2/0 however Katy Temple (3) fought back strongly to win the next three games 15/13, 15/13, 15/12 and the match 3/2!
In the semi finals Sabine demonstrated her all round strength with a 3/0 win over Catriona and after Katy won the first game, Sheena turned the match round by winning the next three games and progressing to the final.
In the final Sabine again showed her dominance in the younger ladies Masters’ events with a comfortable 3/0 victory over Sheena and winning the Central Masters LO35 title.
In the Plate Jenn Saldanha beat Jane Kelly 3/0 and then beat Helen Cordiner, who received a walkover, 3/1 in the final to the win the Plate.
LADIES O55
It was good to have eight Ladies for knockout and plate events.
First round – The organisers got the seedings right and matches were 3/0 to the top three seeds. The match that went the distance was Jennifer and Bernie – a rematch of the Tayside & Fife Regional Masters and another five setter that could have gone either way! A great match with Bernie the victor this time.
Semi-final – Sue and Bernie were first up. Sue won 3/0 but Bernie didn’t make it easy for Sue. Bernie’s cross court drops and persistent running had Sue working hard.
Next were Pauline and Heather. Pauline was fitter and sharper than Heather and she got some good length shots, putting Heather under pressure. Match to Pauline 3/0.
Final – Sue and Pauline. Sue was strong and accurate as always, making it really hard for Pauline to find the good length shots she had in her previous match. Some unlikely errors in the third game from Sue and some lucky shots from Pauline got her the third game. Sue came out of the blocks and raced away with a good lead in the fourth and cruised to the 3/1 and a well deserved win.
Plate – Unfortunately, Joyce had picked up a niggle in her match against Heather so this gave Christina a walkover to the final.
Jennifer was too strong for Maureen – after coming back from a long way down to win the first game and take control of the next two. 3/0 Jennifer.
Plate Final and another tough match for Jennifer against Christina this time. Jennifer had the power shots while Christina was running like a 16 year old and playing some amazing shots on the run. Great variety of shots from both players and really good rallies kept the gallery well entertained. It was never obvious until the last point who would win! Christina the victor 3/2 – well done girls – great squash.
The weekend saw lots of great squash from both the girls and the guys and throughout all the age groups.
It was a great competition at Bridge of Allan – as always. Well done Walter and all at BOASC
MO35
There were six competitors and the competition was played with two round robins of three players and cross tie semi finals.
Calum Reid from Bridge of Allan, having turned 35 in January was a new competitor to the Masters circuit. Calum is no stranger to racket sports having won the Racketlon (tennis, table tennis, badminton and squash) World Championships in 2011!
The three players in Box 1 were Paul Cousins from Western, David Morrison from Newlands and Rene van Oorshcot from Aberdeen SRC.
Paul won the Box 1 with a 3/0 win over David and a 3/1 win over Rene. In the other match Rene beat David 3/2 to finish second.
The three players in Box 2 were Mike Martin from Giffnock, Calum Reid from Paddington and Kieran Pole from Western.
Mike Martin beat Keiran Pole 3/0 but unfortunately Keiran sustained an injury and had to give Calum a walkover. In the other match Calum comfortably beat Mike to top Box 2 and Mike was second.
In the cross ties on Sunday morning Paul beat Mike 3/1 in an entertaining match and Calum comfortably beat Rene 3/0.
In the 3rd/4th play off Mike Martin beat Rene 3/2 in a very competitive match.
In the final Calum again showed all his racket skills to win the final against Paul 3/0, (11/7, 11/0, 11/3) to win the MO35 Central Scotland Regional Masters title.
Calum is keen to play in the National Masters in Inverness in March and if he does well he will be a great asset to the Scottish Masters HI team.
MO40
The MO40s was a 6 man draw, but unfortunately this was only as a result of a late withdrawal, and so rather than the normal 2 pools draw, it was a knockout draw with the number 1 (Matthew Morton) and 4 (David McCormick) seeds going straight into the semi final in the top half.
In the bottom half of the draw, Barry Masson beat Mark Sherrit 3/0; and meanwhile Neil Steedman was able to overcome stubborn opposition in David Simpson; which set up a repeat of what had been a very tight clash between Barry and Neil in Edinburgh only a few weeks previously.
The semi finals took place on Saturday evening. Barry took the first against Neil, but Neil fought back strongly to take the next 3 in a hard fought match. In the other semi final against Matthew, David got off to the better start, taking the first 11/8. Matthew took a tight second, and thereafter got into his stride, coming through deservedly 3/1 in the end.
In the final, Matthew played very well and proved too strong on the day for Neil, coming through 3/0 to win his 3rd title of the season.
In the plate, David McCormick first overcame David Simpson 3/0, and then beat Mark 3/1 to take it.
Thanks to all organisers, BoA Squash Club and everyone who marked; and congratulations to Matthew on a well deserved win.
MO45
Campbell Clinches Maiden Masters Title
Home player Roddy Campbell clinched the Mens’ O45 title at the 2020 SKN Central Scotland Regional Masters at Bridge of Allan Sports Club. The event was marred by injury with two late withdrawals and three of the remaining seven players carrying serious injuries.
In the first round, second seed Peter Buchan sent fellow Montrose player Mark James to the plate while Campbell secured a comfortable victory over Inverness veteran, John Kynoch, who is recovering from injury and will be looking forward to his O50s debut at his home event in March. Pick of the matches saw 4th seed, Douglas Emery (Whitecraigs) take on 5th seed Chris Turlik (Dollar). Despite a variety of injuries, Turlik competed hard in an entertaining match. Ultimately, Emery’s power proved the difference as he set up a semi-final with top seed Angus Woodward (Newlands).
When Kynoch’s injuries prevented him from taking further part, James and Turlik played off for Plate honours with the latter winning a scrappy match 3/2.
In the main event, a typically gritty performance from Campbell saw him edge a high-quality encounter with Buchan. The Montrose man has been lacking confidence after a disappointing weekend in the East of Scotland Regional Masters and a reduced training schedule of late due to his jet-set lifestyle but that should take nothing away from Campbell as he dug in and played error-free squash to reach his first final of the season. In the top half, as expected, the two Glasgow men, Woodward and Emery, produced a match high on intensity and power. Perhaps feeling the effects of his match against Turlik, it was Emery who tired more quickly as Woodward won 3/1. As well as his superior fitness, Woodward also played a number of superb drop shots from the back of the court that proved too testing for Emery.
Prior to this event, Woodward had played three Masters competitions this season – Tayside & Fife, West and East – and has won all three, more often than not without being fully tested so a fourth title seemed to be the on the cards. Unfortunately, Woodward’s hamstring did not hold up and he conceded the match and title to Campbell after two games. An anticlimactic end to the weekend but Campbell’s consistency and tenacity should be acknowledged. Even if Woodward had been fully fit, he would have faced an opponent in good form and playing with confidence.
In terms of team qualification for the Home Internationals, Woodward, Buchan, Campbell and Emery have booked their seats on the bus to Cardiff while Woodward is unlikely to be caught at the top of the rankings and will almost certainly be offered the captaincy for the second year running. He will be looking to bolster his team with his two wild card selections and might have some tough decisions ahead. Turlik is favourite to finish in 5th place but Woodward will surely be asking Simon Boughton (Edinburgh Sports Club) if he is fit enough to travel while John Grindley (Watsonians) impressed at the East of Scotland Regional Masters. If Woodward is looking for experience, John Kynoch and Paul Jenkins (Watsonians) might also be available and willing!
MO50
There were 5 competitors and the competition was played as a round robin.
First up on the Friday night, were local favourites, Andy Meldrum v Martin Sanchez. As you would expect, it was a tight first game, with both players knowing each other’s game. But at 5/5, Andy had a run of points to snatch the first 11/7. Martin’s attacking game proved decisive in the next game, resulting in a narrow 12/10 win to level the match. Unfortunately for Martin, Andy got off to a great start in the 3rd and ended up winning 11/3. A similar story in the 4th game (11/5) resulted in a 3/1 win for Andy.
Next up were Craig Mitchell and Paul Macari, with both players having similar styles, this match was always going to be decided by the more consistent player on the day. This proved to be Craig, with Paul making some uncharacteristic mistakes at crucial times in all three games, Craig winning 3/0 – (11/8,11/6,11/7).
Due to the nature of the format, next up were Mark James and Paul Macari. Mark, playing his first tournament after an injury layoff was also playing in the O45s. With very contrasting styles, this was always going to be an interesting match. It was Mark who took the first two games in a tight affair 11/9, 11/7, Paul fought back to take the 3rd 11/1, but Mark recovered and found the energy the take the 4th 11/7 to ensure a 3/1 win.
Craig then took on Martin, Craig got off to the best possible start, going 6-1 up, before going on to win 11/7. It was a similar story in the 2nd with Craig going 5/1 up, but Martin was not to be denied this time and came back to win it 11/9 to level the match. The same score line in the 3rd meant Martin was 2/1 up. Again Craig got off to the best start, going 5/0 up and holding on to level the match up. No player could gain a clear control of the final game, but Martin managed to get 2 match balls, serving at 10-8, Craig managed to save the first match ball, only to turn around and see Martin retiring due to injury. Unfortunately that was the last piece of action for Martin in the tournament.
Last up on the Saturday was Mark, in his 4th match of the day, against Andy. Mark was at his mercurial best in the 1st game and Andy struggled to read his shots, resulting in a quick 11/7 first game. In a tighter 2nd game, Mark had 3 game balls but Andy managed to edge it 12/10, it was the exact same story in the 3rd with Andy going 2/1 up. Mark’s exertions were catching up with him and Andy ran out a comfortable winner in the 4th 11/5 for a 3/1 win.
Onto the Sunday and first up were Mark and Craig. Mark was in no mood for long rallies after the previous day’s effort and easily won 11/3. Craig managed to get to grips with Mark’s style and got back into the match, winning the 2nd 11/7, Mark hit back in another quick game to go 2/1 up (11/5). Craig started well in the 4th, and Mark appeared to save himself for a 5th with Craig levelling up (11/3). Craig found himself in familiar territory in the 5th being 2 match balls down again, but this time his opponent was able to complete the match, with Craig winning 12/10 to take it 3/2.
Due to Martin’s retirement, the penultimate match of the tournament was Andy against Paul. Unfortunately for Paul, he led in all 3 games which included a game ball in the first, but Andy battled back each time and a couple of errors at crucial points from Paul, resulted in a 3/0 win for Andy (12/10, 11/6,11/8).
That result set up a ‘final’ between Andy and Craig, with both having won their 3 matches. Andy, fresh from his recent tournament win in Edinburgh, was in no mood to hang about, and quickly got off to a 5/1 lead, however, Craig being a team member of Andy at the Mariner, knows his game, and he was able to claw back to lead 8/6, before Andy won the next 5 points to take a 1/0 lead. At 6 all in the 2nd, Andy again put a run of points together to go 2/0 up (11/7). Craig managed to dig deep and grabbed the 3rd 11/6 to give him hope. At 5/4 up in the 4th, Craig looked as though he could take this into a deciding 5th game, but a couple of long rallies took the last of his energy reserves, resulting in an 11/6 score line ensuring Andy won 3/1 and with that, back to back victories in the last two Masters tournaments. Congratulations Andy.
MO55
The M55 had an entry of ten, meaning two first round early morning matches. Fraser Mulford beat Eric Duguid 3/0 although each game became closer, the last 12/10. In the bottom half, Dave Sheard beat Alan Currie 3/1, again the match tightening up with the last game 15/13.
Fraser’s reward was to play Jimmy Wells (1) who he pushed in the second but the other two games were comfortable for a 3/0 win for the top seed. Dave faced Chris Holt (2), his running game and hard hitting keeping him close before Chris exerted more control in the third to win 3/0. The other quarters looked appetising on paper. Les Symmons faced Paul Harris (4) who had dropped age group again, looking to make the 55s team for Nottingham, closer to home than Ireland for the 60s. Paul was always in control, his shots more precise and Les’ usual strong retrieving not able to counter this, to give him a comfortable 3/0 win. The last quarter pitted Ronnie Carter (3) against Graham McAinsh who came close in the third before Ronnie squeezed out a 3/0 win. So 3/0 wins to all the semi-finalists.
The plate became a straight final between Eric and Alan, the other first match losers opting out. This turned out to be a titanic match, the advantage swinging each way, before Eric edged it 11-8, 7-11, 10-12, 11-6, 11-8.
The semis saw a repeat of the West tournament with Jimmy versus Paul, and Chris versus Ronnie who had some very close encounters last season. Jimmy and Paul shared the first two games; Paul appeared to be in control at 10-6 in the third with his attacking style, but some errors and more tentative play allowed Jimmy to sneak this 13/11. Paul did not recover from this disappointment and lost the fourth 6/11 to give Jimmy a 3/1 win, same score-line as last time. Ronnie started more positively than Chris to win the first before Chris pressured Ronnie into mistakes to level one all. Too many loose cross courts from Chris allowed Ronnie to put away winning volleys and despite a slight recovery in the fourth, Ronnie won 3/1.
Despite the final being between two Dumfries players, Jimmy and Ronnie have only played each other twice this season. Ronnie’s trademark boasts quickly gave him a 2/0 lead, Jimmy struggling to cope with the short balls. The game continued in this vein, but Jimmy saved several match balls to pinch the third 14/12. Maybe Jimmy benefitted from a longer rest after the semi or Ronnie was feeling the effects of a recent niggling injury (aren’t we all at our age), but Jimmy kept control to win the last two games for a 3/2 win and the trophy. This is the third time Jimmy has won 3/2 after saving match balls, a never say die attitude.
Jimmy, Chris and Ronnie look to have enough points for the HI team in Nottingham. The remaining places are up for grabs at the Scottish Masters National Championships in March with Brian Robertson, Colin McMullan (both missing this weekend), Paul and Les likely to be in the reckoning.
MO60
There were eight competitors and the competition was played as a knock out.
1st Round
Peter Shivas v Alan Law
This was Alan’s first Masters match back after injury and proved to be a very tough match against the No 1 seed Peter.
Alan’s game of taking the ball short and early was not very successful against Peter who persistently read Alan’s game, picked up the boasts and sent Alan to the back. Game over.
Result Peter won 3/0, 15/7, 15/9, 15/8
David Hickman v Richard Easton
A hard fought game between these two, David’s game of putting the ball into the back corners was not quite working enabling Richard to take the first game by picking off David’s drives.
The next three games saw David tighten up his game to which Richard did not have an answer.
Result David won 3/1, 13/15, 15/3, 15/9, 15/9
David McAleese v Bryan Jackson
Another tight match between these two, Bryan found his length early in the first game and won it. David began to dominate the match and won the next two games.
Bryan again fought hard in the 4th hitting great length to the back corners, 2 all.
A weary Bryan was beaten in the final game after a gruelling 5 games.
David won 3/2, 14/16, 15/9, 15/13, 12/15, 15/6
John Charles v Robin Ridley
Robin pressed hard, giving John no time or space to settle into his game. Robin came out an easy winner
Robin won 3/0, 7/15, 2/15, 6/15
Semi-Final
Peter Shivas v David Hickman
Peter proved too sharp for David in this encounter, not letting David settle and completely dominating him during the first game.
David fought back during the next 2 games making in the end a close encounter, but Peter was too good and went on to win.
Peter won 3/0, 15/9, 15/10, 15/13
David McAleese v Robin Ridley
In this encounter we saw David take on Robin, again Robin proved far too strong for David. Robin seems to be able to put his opponent under maximum pressure, with David unable to respond consistently.
Robin won 3/0, 4/14, 9/15, 8/15
Final
Robin Ridley vs Peter Shivas
Robin needed to be on his guard in this match, both players quickly got into their game. Peter’s unusual style and Robin’s grit and retrieval ability made for a very entertaining game. Countless times Robin appeared to be wrong footed but managed to achieve a winning shot from a difficult position. Robin won the first game, the 2nd proved tougher with both players having chances to win the game, but Robin came through to win. The 3rd game saw Robin really getting into his stride winning it comfortably.
Robin won 3/0, 15/10, 17/15, 15/3
Plate Final
Bryan Jackson v John Charles
Another hard fought battle between these two, John looked like he was half asleep during the first two games while Bryan took a 2/0 lead.
John decided to wake up in the 3rd game, changing his game plan and dominated Bryan, 2 all. In the 5th game Bryan again found his touch whilst John flagged.
Bryan won 3/0
MO65
There were initially 13 entries but seeded players Jim Dougal and Ernie Cowall withdrew and this involved a redraw with 11 entries, and the competition was played as a knockout.
There were three first round draws with one being played on Friday night between Walter McAllister (BoA President) and Dave Bissett. Dave lives near Bournemouth but grew up in the BoA area – this was an opportunity to visit family. Dave made the long journey from Bournemouth on Friday! Walter comfortably won the first two games 15/6 and 15/3 – however then Dave found his feet and fought back strongly to win the next three games 15/10, 15/12 and 17/15 and the match 3/2!
The other two first round matches were played on Saturday morning and were less exciting! William Jappy beat Phil Leek 3/1 and Robert Thomson beat 3/1 – this was Robert’s first win in the main draw on the Scottish Masters circuit.
The quarter finals were played on Saturday afternoon and the four top seeded players safely progressed to the semi finals. Dave Taylor (1) had a good match against William Jappy – Dave won 3/1 with William winning the third game 16/14.
Mike Hall (4) and Charlie Patrick (5) had an excellent match. Mike has not played much Masters squash but qualified for the O65s this season and is keen to do well. Charlie started well and with his good serving and lobbing game won the first two games 15/13 to lead 2/0. Mike is a good competitor – left handed and unorthodox – he fought back strongly to win the next three games 15/9, 15/12, 15/11 and the match 3/2.
In the other two matches Ian Ross (3) and Emilio Fazzi (2) had comfortable 3/0 wins against Robert Thomson and Dave Bissett.
The semi final line up on Sunday morning was Dave v Mike and Ian v Emilio. Dave was too strong for Mike and he had a good 3/0 win.
The other semi final was a very competitive match with both players playing well. Emilio started strongly – he struck the ball cleanly and played a number of winners and took the first game 15/6. Ian was working hard and always making Emilio play an extra shot in some long rallies and this proved effective as Ian won the second and third games 15/6 and 15/11 to lead 2/1. The fourth game was more of the same and Ian led 14/11 and had three match balls before Emilio saved all three to level at 14/14!
Incredibly there were another 16 points played – both players had several match/game balls – before Emilio won the game 24/22 and levelled the match at 2/2! The fifth game was ‘nip and tuck’ with Emilio going for winners and Ian trying to keep the rallies going – Emilio led 14/11 but Ian saved three match balls to level at 14/14 before Emilio closed out the game 16/14 and the match 3/2! The match lasted 76 minutes.
In the O65 plate there were only three competitors. Charlie Patrick beat Walter 3/1 and in the final Charlie played Brian Duffy. Charlie won the first two games before Brian had to retire with an injury and Charlie won 3/0.
Dave played Emilio in the final – did Emilio have anything left in the tank after the semi final? Dave started strongly and won the first game 15/10. Emilio appeared tired but clearly his game plan was to try to play winners and keep the rallies short – he won the second game 15/10. The next two games were shared 15/7 to Dave and 15/11 to Emilio. In the fifth game Dave took control and led 8/2 before Emilio had to retire with a leg strain and Dave won the Central Scotland Regional Masters title – he has won all three Masters titles that he has played in this season!
MO70
There was an entry of nine, so there was one first round match before the quarter finals stage. This match, between Andy Duff and John Mclaren, was a very close and entertaining five games encounter, with Andy taking a 2/0 lead, only to be pulled back to 2/2 and finally showing great retrieving skills to win the fifth.
Quarter finals
Andy then had to play the number 1 seed, Alex Everingham, and although Andy put up a spirited performance, losing the first game, just 12/15, Alex’s consistency and speed around the court gave him a comfortable 3/0 win overall. The number 2 seed, Alex Sinclair, also started with a sound 3/0 win, over George Dinnin. In the other quarterfinals, Ken Reid beat Bernard Starkey 3/0 and Tom Kane beat Warren Cameron 3/1. However, both matches were much closer than the scores suggest, Ken making the most of Bernard’s unforced errors right at the end of each of three very tight games, while Tom, after losing the second game to Warren 17/19, to make the score one game each, then held his nerve in a extremely closely fought, 21-19, third game before taking the fourth game and the match.
Semi-finals
In the first semi-final, Alex Everingham’s speed around the court allowed him to pick off most of Ken Reid’s, probably excessively used, drop shots, so Ken paid the penalty for not changing his game-plan, and after a fairly evenly match first game, Alex efficiently and quickly took the next two games.
The second semi-final was a real tussle, with the score at 1/1 in games, Tom Kane was 14-10 up in the third, only to see that lead, and the game, disappear 14/16 to Alex Sinclair, clearly the major turning point in this excellent match. Alex then played his usually steady, containing, game to ease home in the fourth, and into the final.
Final
Alex Everingham’s hard-hit serves, to the backhand, and excellent speed around the court, saw him quite rapidly win the final 3/0 against Alex Sinclair, who probably had the tougher semi-final that day, and was perhaps struggling a bit with his movement. Thus Alex Everingham, without losing a game throughout the tournament, deservedly, became the Over 70s Central Masters Champion.
Plate
There was only one match played in the plate, in which Andy Duff closely defeated George Dinnin 3/1, with Andy’s excellent mobility around the court getting the better of some marvellous drops and lobs from George.
Over 70s Rankings
After the Central Scotland Regional Masters, the top five ranking spots, in the Over 70s, look pretty well settled, but with “extra” points available for any good run in the Scottish Masters National Championships, at Inverness, there is the possibly this could make a difference at 4/5. Also, there should probably be at least one player coming up from the Over 65s, by May, which hopefully will give the Over 70s a strong team for the Home Internationals, especially for this year, which will be held in Edinburgh, on 1st and 2nd of May, for this age group.
MO75
There were five competitors and the competition was played as a round robin.
Saturday
The competition kicked off with the Duel of the Professors
Andrew Rugg-Gunn , retired professor at Newcastle University, from Devon versus Ken Reid, retired professor at Oxford University, from Oxford
Andrew, very sprightly round the court, but Ken steady and accurate. Result 3/0 to Ken.
Next, Tom Kane v Dave Brown
Dave out of the traps very quickly, Tom off to a slower start, Dave winning first game 15/13. Tom woke up after that and ran out the next three games fairly quickly. Result 3/1 win Tom
Next Tom v Alfie Thomson
On a cold court, Alfie got off to a good start going up 15/13, again with Tom struggling to cope with Alfie’s return of serve.
The second game was a dour struggle with Tom taking it 16/14.
However in the third, Tom found his rhythm and ran out the next 2 games fairly quickly, Result – Tom won 3/1
Next Dave v Andrew – probably the most competitive match of the competition.
Both very quick around court, with Andrew’s crisp forehand drives leading Dave to make uncharacteristic mistakes..
Andrew took first two games 15/13 and 15/10, and looked good to take the match.
However, Dave had other ideas, and stepped up the pace to take the next 3 hard fought games.
Result – Dave wins 3/2
Last of the day, Ken v Alfie
Ken won first two games, but Alfie dug in to win third game 19/17. Fourth game was tight, with Ken winning 15/10
Result- Ken wins 3/1
Sunday started off by the book with No1 seed Tom and No. 2 seed Ken both unbeaten.
First match Dave v Alfie a fairly straightforward 3/0 win for Dave
2nd match Tom v Andrew, again straightforward 3/0 for Tom
3rd match was the big upset of the weekend, Dave v Ken
Dave had been playing well throughout the competition and was in good form. Ken, as European O75s holder, started as favourite.
Both Ken and Tom had also played in the O70s competition, and it showed on court with Ken.
Ken looked weary, as opposed to Dave who was up for the challenge.
Result Dave won 3/0 (15/7 15/13 and 15/7)
Next match, Andrew v Alfie
An evenly matched one this. At 1/1 the third game swayed back and forth before Alfie won 15/13 – game on!
The fourth game was a cracker, with Andrew battling to a 16/14 win to set up a 5th game battle. However, Alfie had succumbed to the early pressure, while Andrew was still fresh, and ran out a 15/5 win.
Result 3/2 win for Andrew.
Last match of the comp Tom v Ken
Tom only needed 1 point from the match but had just come off a semi final in the O70s followed back to back with his match with Andrew.
Ken had looked tired in his previous match, but was known to up his game when required,
The match, however, was over fairly quickly. Ken looked and played very wearily, and although giving it his best as ever, was always behind in each game.
Result – Tom won 3/0 and won the O75 Central Masters title.
Dates for your diary
Scottish Masters National Championships – Inverness Tennis and Squash Club – 20-22 March 2020
British Open – Hull University – 26- 31 May 2020
World Masters – Hasta La Vista, Wroclaw, Poland – 23-29 August 2020
For details of 2020 Masters Tournaments and Masters Rankings, see Scottish Squash website
