Club Finals Day 2024

Hertford Cup (Level Singles)

Hertford Cup Div 1 – Paul Bollerman v Nick Baker 6/1 6/3

Hertford Cup Div 2 – Andrew James v Steve Brewerton 3/6 6/5 6/3

Hertford Cup Div 3 –Paul Tripp v Martin Tucker 2/6 6/4 6/3

Hertford Cup Div 4 – Maxi Ansell v Damien Fouracres 2/6 6/5 6/1

Club Level Doubles:Paul Bollerman & Steve Brewerton v Nick Baker & Duncan Colquhoun 6/0 2/6 6/4

Club Handicap Doubles: Andrew Todd & Ben Geytenbeek v Ros & Tim E-Roberts 6/2 6/5

Peter Brodie Trophy (Club Handicap Singles): James Scott v Robert Gray 6/1 6/3

60+ Handicap Singles: Mike Sambridge v Graham Clark 6/1 6/5

Tufton Racket: Liz Fisher v Nick Brodie: 8/7

Finals Day Reports

Herts Div 4 Damien Fouracres vs Maxi Ansell

With both players having a fantastic run up until the final this match was a great match! Damian started the strongest in the first set serving tightly and after many good rests took the first set 6/2.

Damien raced to a 5/2 lead dominating the initial games only for Maxi start to find his range and digging deep clawed his way back to 5/5 and managed to sneak the deciding game to force a final 3rd set!

Maxi carried his momentum from the 2nd set and growing with confidence, started to find his targets hitting 3 Grilles in one game and finding the dedans on critical points! Maxi didn’t look back and clinically took the final set 6/1. 

Congratulations to Maxi for winning the Hertford Div 4 Level Singles title 2/6 6/5 6/1!

Herts Div 3 Paul Tripp vs Martin Tucker

With only 1 point between the 2 players, the final of Division 3 of the Hertford Cup was always likely to be a close battle and so it proved to be.  Martin got off to the faster start, moving ahead early on as the players shared games before he took control with a combination of better width and length on his shots and fewer unforced errors to close out the first set 6/2 in relatively comfortable fashion.

Paul started the second set better, being more aggressive and making fewer mistakes to take a 2/0 lead and already 3 sets looked likely.  Martin didn’t panic though and gradually clawed his way back and then moved into a 4/2 lead and was looking very solid, making very few unforced errors compared to Paul who was a little up and down up to that point before he hit a real hot streak and moved from 2/4 down to take the set 6/4 with some really positive tennis. 

The final set continued in the same way but it was Martin making a few more mistakes now as Paul kept the pressure on, picked up some brilliant shots from the corners that he has been struggling with earlier and Paul moved into a 5/2 lead.  Martin managed to claw 1 game back to make it 3/5 before closed the match out 6/3 for a 2/6 6/4 6/3 win and to take the Division 3 title.

Herts Div 2 Steve Brewerton vs Andrew James

The Hertford Cup Div 2 Level Singles final was contested by Steve Brewerton (38.4) & Andrew James (39.2) and with one point between them this was going to go the distance.

Steve started well serving his lefthanded overarm side wall and drag to great effect, both players hitting a good length but it was Steve who was most clinical taking the first set 6/3

The next set was very tight with both players playing some great rests with Andrew timing the ball really well on the return & retrieving everything Steve could throw at him in the corners. Steve still was managing to find the grille and winning gallery but after trading games all the way to 5/5 it was Andrew who edged the 2nd set 6/5

So it was down to the final set. Both players started strongly and in the initial games you really couldn’t separate them but it was Andrew that was to go the distance in the final few games with some faultless play and win the deciding set 6/3 to clinch the Hertford Cup Div 2 Level Singles 2024 title 3/6 6/5 6/3.

Well done to both players in a fantastic final!

Tufton Racket Liz Fisher vs Nick Brodie

After a gruelling Knockout stage on the Saturday both Nick and Liz had played some fantastic matches and overcoming huge handicap restraints and this Final would be no different!

With Nick off 32.9 and Liz off 82.4 Nick was giving a handicap of Owe 40 / Rec 30 – 1 serve banned tambour and banned chases worse than 2&3 every point in a 1 set to 8 games match! 

Nick Started the strongest serving out the first game only for Liz to hit back to win the next bringing it to 1 game all, they continued trading games all the way to 4/4 with some fantastic cut shots from Nick averaging a chase of 1&2 and Liz tactically hitting the galleries to retake the serve and use her underarm twist serve to cunning effect!

Nick finally managed to edge ahead and take a 7/5 lead however Liz wasn’t ready to surrender hitting a ball into the dedans and sliding another down the wall to level the match at 7all final game!

Liz took the first point of the final game and a Rec 40 / Owe 40 lead, Nick Clawed all the way back to 40 all with some tight side wall and on the final point of the match Liz managed to return Nick’s tight serve cross court hugging the main wall forcing one of very few errors from Nick in the match to take the 2024 Tuften Racket Title!

Well done to both players in a fantastic final; Liz Fisher Wins 8/7!

Hertford Cup Nick Baker vs Paul Bollerman

The Hertford Cup was a repeat of last year’s epic encounter between Nick Baker and Paul Bollerman that Nick won in a classic battle.  Paul has really pushed on this season though and started the final 4 points better than Nick and so had to be the favourite before the match started.  Paul showed exactly why his handicap has come flying down in the first set with a near faultless performance from start to finish.  Nick really did nothing wrong but absolutely everything he threw at Paul came back with interest.  The number of rallies where Nick was in control but Paul ended up playing a winner off what would normally considered a tough retrieving shot was amazing and Nick must have been wondering what he needed to do as Paul raced through to take the set 6/1.

The second set started in a fairly similar way with Paul moving 2/0 up but there were some epic rallies in those games, one in particular had Paul all over the court and it just seemed to take it’s toll slightly.  While Paul was still covering the court brilliantly, his shots were coming back with slightly less on them and Nick seemed to see his opportunity to get back into it which he did as he got back to 2/2.  Unfortunately for Nick he played a slightly sloppy game by his and this match’s standards to allow Paul back in and just lose a little of the momentum he had built up and despite making it 3/3 again, Paul had regained his control to a degree and despite some close games he held on to close it out 6/3 and to win the Hertford Cup for the first time 6/1 6/3 in a brilliant performance!  The match was played to a superb standard throughout and both players should take a huge amount of credit, we are really lucky to have such top players here at Hatfield for a packed dedans to get to enjoy.

Brodie Trophy Robert Gray vs James Scott

Rather bizarrely the final of the Peter Brodie Trophy was also a repeat of last year's final, which very rarely happens in a handicap event.  Last year was an epic battle which James Scott just managed to win 6/5 in the deciding set but James has made some real progress this season and his all round game has become much more consistent which put him in a much better place to give away the very nasty handicap of Owe ½ 30 – Rec 30 and so it proved in the first set.  James absolutely dominated from the serving end, mixing up his serves to great effect, making it incredibly difficult for Robert to even get into a rally and when he did James seemed to have a very controlled answer to everything as he moved through to take it comfortably 6/1.

Robert really hadn’t done anything wrong but he had just struggled to get any kind of foothold in the match but he did managed to in the second set as he won the first game with a couple of very effective returns finally putting James under some pressure and also moving 2/1 up when James has managed to level but whatever Robert tried James just seemed to have an answer to it and he literally played the perfect handicap match, great serving, good control of width and length when they did get into a rally and almost no unforced errors.  It was a textbook performance and he ended up closing the second set 6/3 for a 6/1 6/3 victory and to retain the Peter Brodie Trophy title.  Great credit to Robert too on a great season but sadly on the day there was just nothing he could do.

Club Doubles Baker & Colquhoun vs Bollerman & Brewerton

So onto the last Final of the day and it did not disappoint with defending champions Paul Bollerman & Steve Brewerton taking on Nick Baker and Duncan Colquhoun in an epic battle.

Paul & Steve got off to a flying start, attacking the return and clinically volleying loose balls away and finally with Steve hitting a backhand main-wall force into the dedans to take the first set 6/0 in a very impressive performance.

Nick & Duncan started the 2nd set much better and after a few tight games took a 3/0 lead. Paul & Steve tried to fight back taking a few games but at 2/5 down it was Nick & Duncan closed out the 2nd set 6/2

So into a deciding set with all players now on top form, Paul & Steve decided to swap the return of servers which now meant Duncan was serving to Paul and Steve to Nick. The initial games were traded all the way to 4 all with fantastic containing serves from Steve & Duncan to the big hitters and tactical boasts and cut shots & Dedans from both Paul and Nick there was nothing separating the pairs. Paul & Steve then managed to edge to a 5/4 lead and at 40/30 in their favour left a hazard half a yard chase which then Steve served a tight left handed drag, setting up Paul to hit the Grille to win the match 6/0 2/6 6/4!