Not disheartened by a first game drubbing (3), the team of James Coyne and Will Hopton overcame a 1-12 and 7-14 second game deficits to win that game 17-14 on the strength of a 10 point service run by Will. The third and final game proved to be worth all the excitement, nip-and-tuck all the way, until Will served out from 11 all for a 15-11 game and match win.
Game one notes: Champions, Alex Titchener-Barrett and Tim Cockroft, used 7 aces (3-4 hammer serves by Alex) en route to 15-3 trouncing as challengers only were able to serve 7 times in total (hard to score 15 points with only 7 serves!). ATB and Tim Cockroft looked invincible as they threw the challengers pretty much a close equivalent of a baseball no-hitter.
Game two notes: Champs cruise out to a 10-0 lead and all looks pretty bleak for challengers and lead gets to 12-1 and then 14-3. As heard from the gallery, “it’s always darkest JUST before it all goes completely pitch black.” NOT! Champs had 5 game balls but failed to convert any of them and lo and behold Hoppy served out from a 14-7 deficit to win 17-14.He used a total of 17 serves and, Will being first hand, poor ole Coynie didn’t have a chance to participate in the serving side of things on the close out. But The Coynesaurus contributed mightily after several miscues in the first game and helped produce some spectacular shots with those quick hands of his. Two aces for TC/ATB and three for JC/WH in that game.Truly a magnificent comeback rally for the new champions.
Game Three notes: Only on the 12th serve was the very first point tallied and the game was nip-and-tuck pretty much the whole way. With the game tied at 11 all and the total point score now seemingly becoming very much part of the equation, the service box was again the property of Will from that point on. Game and match to the former challengers and newly minted World Champions, 15-11. A HUGE collective sigh of relief came from the crowd when Hoppy beat Coyne to it by first jumping into Coyne’s arms instead of the reverse!
Officiating so superbly were Eton professional Peter Brake and Queen’s Club professional Ben Snell. The post mortem remarks were so eloquently made to a full gallery by John Prenn. Realtennis.tv also used FOUR cameras to keep watchers from Columbia, SA (Ben Bomford) and North America very well entertained thanks to Frederika Adams.Thanks also to the brilliant commentary by Mark Agate and Oli “Chopper” Harris. To anyone we haven’t acknowledged we apologize! Until next season, fellow racketeers au revoir!