Dorset Open.....ouch!!!

Posted 10:20 13 October 2008 in Weekends.......What are they?

3 weeks on the trot….gonna need a rest after this. Restricted, Middlesex and then this last weekend was the Dorset Open. Playing Doubles and Mixed, although a couple of the young Hampshire lads asked why I wasn’t playing singles…..I just presumed they were short sighted and couldn’t see the belly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Managed to get my timings slightly wrong, thought it was better to allow a couple of hours to get down to Bournemouth from Southampton, so as I was on at 1pm, I wanted to be there by 12, so needed to leave about 10. I stopped at the local supermarket to pick up supplies….I’m sure anyone looking at my basket wouldn’t immediately think I was off to compete in a tournament. Jelly Babies (good for quick energy I understand), a pack of Fudge Bars (a favourite and a bit of chocolate for quick energy???), a couple of bottles of coke (can’t drink water all day – too boring) and the piece dé lá resistance…..a pack of 30 mini doughnuts half dipped in chocolate (now probably the most unhealthy option….but anyone you offer to, doesn’t think twice about accepting). I must have left about 10:20 and it took me 45 minutes….ooops! So was at the venue for 11am , not on for two hours….a chance for serious preparation….or catching up with some old friends.....it was great to see Mark James back in a badminton hall.

 

 

 

Being in a hall all day, you’ve got to occupy yourself somehow, the options can be….chatting to friends, watching badders (can only do so much of that), reading, listening to music….or a particular favourite of mine…banter.

One of the Dorset guys hadn’t entered on time so was hoping for someone to pull out, he tried convincing a couple of people, but to no avail. Then whilst he was chatting to friends, I went up to him and said someone’s just pulled out of the Men’s Doubles over there…he asked who, I said no idea just some bloke over there….he then went bounding off to find the organiser bouncing around saying someone’s pulled out….when the organiser asked who…he yelled to me…who? Sadly my laughter as with many others, was the cruel part of breaking his elation into further disappointment…..I’m a cruel evil man, but in a long boring day, you’ve gotta get your kicks somehow and what goes around comes around...at some point!

 

 

 

Not long after 1pm the Men’s doubles started, I was playing with Matt Sprake and we were seeded no.2, behind no.1 seeds Graham Hurrell and Mark James. We won our first game, then realised that as we had gone on, it was the same time as the 1^st round match that had to complete, then the winners play someone in the second round, for us to then play them….so we had a bit of a wait. We eventually got on for our second match (Quarters), once completed….we had played two games in 4 hours.

We had a long wait for the semi, as our opponents were still waiting…..one of the Jacobs brothers had got to the singles final and won it, he and his brother had played one round of doubles and won, so they had another round (2^nd round), then had to play their quarter final against Gennery and Hepworth, then the winner had to play us. A real long wait, could have gone home!

Eventually in a 3 setter Simon and Jon won and we were to play them….the third week running I would face Jon at doubles. Sprakey was smashing really well and with us having a break and them just coming off a 3 setter, we managed to win in 2 straight. We were into the final to play Hurrell and James, who had come through their half, having had a tough semi against Sam Ellis and Rob Wellard.

A tight first set, where right at the end, Graham and Mark managed to close it out, taking the 1^st. Matt and I kept at things, focussing on trying not to give away cheap lifts, especially to Graham and working to get Matt the smash at the back….he was hitting down really hard and I……well....I was hitting down….with the shoulder feeling sore from earlier not being warm enough because of the long wait it was a case of hitting in the right areas and focussing to make sure the pain was avoided as best as possible. We managed to take an equally tight second set, so tied at one set all. The third was fairly tight, but for most of it Graham and Mark were 1 / 2 points ahead all the time, it would be 12-10, we’d get a point back for 11-12, then they’d win the next to keep it 13-11. Then we managed to get back to 16 all, Mark was puffing pretty bad, so wanted the shuttles changed (must have been for a breather!). Matt and I managed to keep things going and closed out the third to 18 or 19 I think. It was a really enjoyable game, everyone was going at it, plenty of vocals on court (well mainly from me), Mark got hit in a very sensitive place (sorry mate) and the icing on the cake was that we managed to win. I lost last year in the final to these two playing with Hampshire’s Pete Shepperd and the year before was another final, the Men’s Doubles plate final with my friend Pete Arnold. So my first win over Graham and some prize money to assist with expenses for the tournament, really enjoyable.

The body however wasn’t liking the fact there was still a mixed event to go……is 27 to young to specialise in one event, coz it’s less exhausting on the body?

 

 

 

I was playing with Kat again (a regular thing for the season), she had been successful in the ladies doubles, so we were both up for trying to make it two out of two. We were no.3 seeds and had a bye; we came through our 2^nd round game in 2 sets. Then we played an experienced pair from Wiltshire, a lady who I’ve lost to before I think on a couple of occasions (Definitely at Leicester), we lost the first set, then managed to change tactics and win the next two. We were in the semi’s to play no.2 seeds Jon Hepworth (Again) and Kelly Holdway both friends from Hampshire.

Jon had, had a long day doing well in singles and doubles, so we were fortunate that they weren’t at 100% and managed to take the game in two sets.

Really happy that I’d managed to make the final, the body was knackered and the shoulder was sore. We had to play Rowen Taylor and Charmaine Webb, both of whom had been playing really well during the day and had already put out the no.1 seeds.

They had too much for us, they were taking it early and put us under pressure to keep the shuttle going upwards towards them, it was a game too far for us (well me!) and they played well, so we lost comfortably, being 12-2 down in the 2^nd, in 2 sets. They deserved it and I was very happy to reach a mixed final….as mixed wasn’t really successful last season.

 

 

 

A good day, although a long day, 2 games in the first 4 hours then 6 games in the second 4 hours...with a couple of 3 setters. I left the hall at 9:15 last night, had seized up and was very glad for some food and a bath on returning home. Today is a lot of pain, its amazing how the body manages to get through the day and holds up to it bearing in mind I’m not as fit as I’d like….but then it gets its revenge today…..getting out of bed is agony and I’m walking so much worse than the 50 year olds in the office!

 

 

 

I’ve chosen not to play Staffs….too far and too much dosh at the moment, especially as Adam is out of action. The Oxford…..well after moaning about the hall and the way the tournament always runs ridiculously late….I had planned not to play it this season. However I agreed with Kat I would, but now I’ve got a family doo to go to…..so won’t be at that one. My next event is the county weekend on the 15^th November, a month to rest, try and fix my shoulder, lose some weight and get sharper for that. It’s been an enjoyable start to the season, 3 tournaments – two wins, 1 runner up and a semi. Not bad!