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TODAY at the Nationals
Sat 4th, Day 2 -
QUARTER-FINALS
Ghaffar survives a scare ...
 Defending
men's champion Aamir Ghaffir had to fight back from a game and 7/4
down against local favourite Michael Edge, to keep his dream of a
hat-trick of titles alive. Ghaffir won 15/8, 8/15, 15/4.
No such problems for fourth seed Rajiv Ouseph, who beat Andrew
Smith 15/11, 15/10.
Top seed Nick Kidd also needed three games to get past Mark
Constable, taking a comfortable lead before dropping the second 15/2, then
recovering to take the third 15/3 in exactly an hour.
In the longest match of the tournament so far, Toby Honey prevailed in a
90-minute marathon against Nathan Rice, finally winning 15/9, 7/15, 15/5.
Honey meets Kidd in the semi-finals while Ouseph faces Ghaffir.
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Richard Eaton reports
on Day TWO
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Finals start at 2pm on Sunday:
ORDER OF PLAY:
MEN'S DOUBLES:
[1] Blair & Clark v
[2] Archer & Lindley
WOMEN'S DOUBLESs:
[1] Emms & Kellogg v
[2] Nicholas & Tripp
MEN'S SINGLES:
[1] Nick Kidd v [2] Aamir Ghaffir
WOMEN'S SINGLES:
[1] Tracey Hallam v [3] Jill Pittard
MIXED DOUBLES:
[1] Robertson & Emms v
[2] Clark & Kellogg |
THE DRAWS
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Quarters:
[2] Aamir Ghaffar bt [7] Michael Edge
8/15, 15/8, 15/4 |
 "It's
the first time I've played him, and I knew he was out to beat all the
England players so I think I proved a little point there.
"I made a lot of mistakes in the first, and that side is a little
slower which suited him, but changed my game to slow it down in the
second, and even though I was down I knew I was strong enough to play
three games. I just calmed down, didn't give him any opportunities,
but I couldn't relax until I was well up in the third.
"It's good to play different players, that's what we need as there are
only really four of us at the EIS and we play each other all the time.
Maybe we need to go abroad to get more practice, or to bring in more
sparring partners in England."
Aamir Ghaffar |
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 "I'm
not used to playing people of that standard, it's a big step up from
the early rounds to players like Ghaffar.
"I felt I played ok, but I'm disappointed not to have won from 7-4 up
in the second."
Michael Edge |
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Quarters:
[3] Tony Honey bt [5] Nathan Rice 15/9, 7/15, 15/5 (90m) |
Quarters:
[3] Tony Honey bt [5] Nathan Rice 15/9, 7/15, 15/5 (90m)
 "I've
been working hard on my fitness these last few weeks, so I knew I
could last three games.
"I was a little worried to lose the second game so heavily, but I got
my second wind and picked up the pace in the third, as I could see
that his pace was beginning to drop."
Toby Honey |
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Quarters:
[4] Rajiv Ouseph bt [6] Andrew Smith
15/11, 15/10 |
Quarters:
[4] Rajiv Ouseph bt [6] Andrew Smith 15/11, 15/10
"I felt happy with the way I played, but I had to ease my way into the
match as he's got some dangerous shots until I got used to them, and
then it was easier."
Rajiv Ouseph |
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| [1] Nick Kidd bt [8] Mark Constable 15/9, 2/15, 15/3 (60m) |
 "I
started well, but found myself being rushed in the second, playing the
game he wanted to play. I'd give he a cheap point and he was straight
back at me, rushing me. I should have tried to put him on the back
line, he can't do anything from there.
"I knew it was important to get a good start in the third, especially
at that end where there's a bit of drift. I did that and I'm happy to
come through."
Nick Kidd |
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Hallam & Mann to meet ...
 The
first women's semi-final will be between top seed Tracey Hallam and
eight-time champion Julie Mann. Hallam came from 10-1 down in the
first to beat Rachel Howard 13/11, 11/5, while Mann, 18-years the senior
of 16-year-old Michelle Cheung, won 11/4, 11/1.
The second semi-final will be between defending champion Elizabeth Cann
and Jill Pittock, who each conceded just two points in their
quarter-finals.
Interestingly, Howard scored more points in one game than the other three
losing quarter-finalists put together! |
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Quarters:
[4] Julia Mann bt Michelle Cheung 11/4, 11/1 |
 "I
decided that this was my last season after having a lot of injuries
last year, I thought I'd have one last go. I'm playing well, feeling
relaxed and there's no pressure on me, I've been there, done it all
before, although of course a ninth title would be a great bonus.
"The next match should be pretty tough, so we'll see ..."
Julie Mann |
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 "The
score didn't really reflect the performance, there were lots of long
rallies but I couldn't finish them off. She's got all the experience,
which made the difference I guess.
"My target was to reach at least the quarters and to give one of the
seeds a fight. I didn't play to the best of my ability but I'll learn
from that."
Michelle Cheung |
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Quarters:
[1] Tracey Hallam
bt Rachel Howard 13/11, 11/5 |
 "I
started well, but she tightened up and didn't give me anything, so I
started going for a few too many risks trying to get that last point.
"It's disappointing, since one of the targets for us in the under-24
squad it to take a set off one of the top four seeds. I played
Elizabeth and got close, but this was closer ... pity."
Rachel Howard |
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Quarters:
[3] Jill Pittard bt
Nicola Cerfontyne
11/1, 11/1 |
"It's good to get off quickly. I had
quite a hard match yesterday, so I feel well into the tournament now.
"I play Elizabeth lots, and although she beat me the last couple of
times it should be a good match, I'm looking forward to it."
Jill Pittard |
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Mixed Seeds Into Semis
The four seeded pairs will contest tonight's Mixed Doubles semi-finals,
after contrasting wins in the quarters. In the bottom half of the draw
second and third seeds Clark & Kellogg and Blair and Munt
recorded comfortable wins, but in the top half favourites Robertson and
Emms needed to pull out the stops at 13-all in the second against
Hurrell and Connor, while fourth seeds Roebuck and Wallwork
prevailed in a long three games ...
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Quarters:
[3] Blair & Munt bt Adcock & Tripp
15/9, 15/0 |
"We just didn't get going in the first end, but in the second we
played like we should have done all along.
"For the semi, they're number nine in the world so it will be tough.
We beat them in the Swiss Open three weeks ago, so we'll be giving it
our best shot."
Natalie Munt |
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Quarters:
[1] Robertson & Emms bt Hurrell & Connor
15/3, 15/13 (39m) |
"We were off the pace in the first, but got into it in the second. It
would have been good to take a game, but considering I only play once
a week, concentrating on coaching in Dorset, it wasn't a bad effort.
It was good fun, we enjoyed it, it's good to have some class
opposition on the other side of the net."
Graham Hurrell
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Quarters:
[4] Roebuck & Wallwork bt
Lindley & Rayappan
10/15, 15/13, 15/12 (70m) |
 "Neither of us were playing at our best, it was a scrappy game. As
fourth and fifth seeds it's a match everyone wants to win so it's
bound to get a little tense. We're both injured - he's got a bad back
and I've got a bad foot, so we weren't that much help to the girls
really!"
Kristian Roebuck |
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Sat 4th, Day 2 - SEMI-FINALS
Men's Singles:
[1] Nick Kidd bt
[4] Rajiv Ouseph
17/14, 15/6 (44m)
[2] Aamir Ghaffar bt [3] Toby Honey
10/15, 15/8, 15/9 (77m)
Women's Singles:
[1] Tracey Hallam bt [4] Julia Mann
5/11, 11/8, 11/7 (67m)
[3] Jill Pittard bt [2] Elizabeth Cann
11/5, 11/0
(26m)
Mixed Doubles:
[1] Robertson & Emms bt Roebuck & Wallwork
14/17, 15/3, 15/3 (60m)
[2] Clark & Kellogg bt [3] Blair & Munt
15/7, 15/3 (27m)
Men's Doubles:
[1] Blair & Clark bt [3] Palethorpe & Roebuck
15/8, 15/9 (39m)
[2] Archer & Lindley bt
Foster & Trueman
15/4, 15/9 (37m)
Women's Doubles:
[1] Emms & Kellogg
bt Munt & Rayappan
15/8, 15/6
(25m)
[2]
Nicholas & Tripp
bt
Bok & Wallwork
15/6, 15/9 (36m) |
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 Men's Singles:
Ghaffar and Kidd in repeat final
Defending champion Aamir Ghaffir and top seed Nick Kidd will
meet in tomorrow's final, replaying their final of 2005. Ghaffir was
forced to fight back from a game down and trailing in the second for
the second time today before finally seeing off the challenge of Toby
Honey. Kidd also staged a comeback - trailing 14/7 in the first to Rajiv Ouseph
the top seed rallied to take the game 17/14 and went on to claim the
second comfortably.
Semis:
[1] Nick Kidd bt
[4] Rajiv Ouseph
17/14, 15/6 (44m) |
 "Another slow start! At 14-6 down I stepped it up and started
reacting quicker. He was pushing the pace off the net really well, and
looking for it, but once I started getting it over him and making him
do the work I was ok. I knew I was fitter than him - he's very
talented, but I knew the longer I kept him on court the better.
"I not thinking about the final, that's for tomorrow."
Nick Kidd |
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Semis:
[2] Aamir Ghaffar bt [3] Toby Honey 10/15, 15/8, 15/9
(77m) |
"I won, but I don't feel as if I'm flowing at all. It's not about what
my opponent's doing, it's always about me. I was going too short too
soon, but I knew today that I had to play fast.
I'm putting myself under pressure all the time, trying to prove
myself, which I've already done by winning titles. I care too much,
maybe I should stop caring!"
Aamir Ghaffar |
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Women's Singles
Pittard takes title away from Cann
Defending champion Elizabeth Cann was dethroned in the women's
semi-finals, suffering a straight-game defeat to part-timer Jill
Pittard, the fourth seed who afterwards claimed it was "the best she
had ever played".
And there will be no ninth title for Julia Mann, who took the opening game
against top seed Tracey Hallam but couldn't hold on as Hallam too
staged her second recovery of the day.
Semis:
[1] Tracey Hallam bt [4] Julia Mann 5/11, 11/8, 11/7 (67m) |
 "It's
difficult for me to play Julia, she's such a good fighter and
competitor and we know each other's games so well. I'd only ever
beaten her once before and I found it hard to find the confidence that
I could do it again - I don't always have a lot of confidence.
"It was a poor start again. I've been trying everything to start
better, different mental approach, different warm-up. It doesn't sound
very professional, but sometimes I play better without a warmup!
"I'm just relieved to get through to the final, tomorrow doesn't
really matter now, I'll take that as it comes."
Tracey Hallam |
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Semis:
[3] Jill Pittard bt
[2] Elizabeth Cann
11/5, 11/0 (26m) |
 "I
was hoping to win, but not that easily, that's the best I've ever
played, especially in the second where I was error-free.
"The pressure was on her as defending champion, and I went in with a
game plan. I knew I couldn't give her time, so I had to play fast,
flat and attacking, if I'd put it up she could hurt me.
"My training's been pretty good recently, my coach Steve Butler has
helped a lot, made me believe I can play really well.
"I feel good now!"
Jill Pittard |
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"We've
had some real tough matches with those two, and we put a lot of
pressure on ourselves to beat another English pair.
