Summer is over!!! Herts Open has arrived!

Posted 16:29 07 September 2009 in Weekends.......What are they?

Last Season finished early for me……the last weekend in March, which was the County Weekend. Way back when, at the Nationals the brilliant Badminton England physio advised to fix my shoulder I should limp to the end of the season, then have 6 weeks …..then he promised my shoulder would be fixed.

 

 

I stopped for 4 weeks doing nothing, went camping and was throwing balls etc, which wasn’t the required rest so stopped for an additional 2 and a half months. In that 14 weeks I went for only two runs……really lazy…..especially as I don’t think gardening counts as exercise properly. I was concerned that after not playing during that time that when I came back what happened if it was still as bad….I’d wasted 14 weeks! Fortunately my shoulder is good….thanks to the Physio!

 

Well I started back mid July and I was really unfit, I had ballooned to over 17 stone, just over 2 stone heavier than I was back in March. In the time since I have been hitting with my coach who’s been involved with my badminton since I was 9. I’ve been running 3 times a week (now up to 5 miles….and I’m not a distance runner, well not really a runner!) and doing a short 15 minute circuit fitness routine 3 times a week. At least 2 court sessions, one a purely movement based session with my coach.

So definitely back into the swing of things, lost about a stone and a bit, have picked up speed, fitness and ironed out some faults in the basics of my game.

 

I decided not to play Kent or Yorkshire Elite, too early and too strong for 1st tournament back. Planned to play Hertfordshire and arranged men’s and mixed partners. Herts came round, a little nerves Sunday morning of the doubles, as last tournament was early March the Bournemouth Open. Travelled up, leaving at 8 from Eastleigh, arriving about half past 9…..plenty of prep time before 1st game of MD at . Had a knock and a catch up with a few old faces.

 

Playing with Adam again this season we had to play two guys from Cheshire in the 1st round. We both had the attitude to improve from previous seasons, whereby 1st rounds are usually slow starting and always go to 3 sets. So we pushed hard at the right times and came through in 2 sets.

The second round we played two young singles players from Wimbledon, both talented and played really good doubles. We won the first set and had a blip mid way through the 2nd set where they really took advantage, we came back at the them, but lost in setting. In to the third set and one of the young lads served to Adam at 9-7, he returned cross court net and then there was a dispute over the line call. They called out, we called in, they stood their ground, we stood ours, Adam then went and got the Referee. When the Ref eventually got onto court, we explained the situation that there was a stalemate, the Referee spoke to the lads and asked to play a “let”. The one lad who’d served argued that it was his call and he was calling it out, the Ref advised that he wanted a let to be played. The lad rightly asked what the rules of Badminton were and that they were it was his call and he was still calling it out. The Referee then overruled everything (the entire world and Universal laws of diplomacy) advising he decides what happens and there will be a let.

So a Let was played, sadly it had a negative impact on the lads, but it had a positive impact on Adam and I and we won the third.

A tricky situation, one that was well defused by the Referee, but unfortunate for the lads, as if the boot was on the other foot, I would have felt hard done by. I still maintain the shuttle was in and am glad we had a let on the point. This ruined a really tough and enjoyable game, one which I was really impressed with the doubles style of two “supposed” singles players.

 

We then played two more Wimbledon guys in the next round (Mike Cooper and Rich Southward), we won the first, were 19-15 up in the second and lost 27-25, a third hard fought set and we came through 21-18. Could have done with this match being over in 2 sets, 3 were quite punishing on the fitness levels.

This win put us through to the Semi finals, we had to play an Essex pair of Chris Dakin and his young partner Andy Brunning. Andy had come down to Westgate in Hampshire as a Junior about 3 or 4 years ago, you could see then that he was talented and its nice to see some of the talented youngsters coming through. They had put out the number 1 seeds and 5/8 seeds in their quarter, both in 3 set matches.

The first set was quite slow paced, all fitness levels had suffered after hard games before, also the extremely slow Ashaway shuttles weren’t helping matters. We were a bit sluggish and were definitely not as sharp as earlier rounds, smashes had less power and movement wasn’t as quick. We lost the first set 24-22 (not liking setting this weekend!!!), we then changed game plans and picked up the second set to 17. The third was tight all the way up to the change, but as we changed they got a 15-10 lead and from there we found it hard to come back, we got to 17-15 down and then it was 20-17, with them taking the final point to win 21-17.

Whilst very disappointed to lose 3rd set in the semi, it was my first tournament back, we had reached the semis, my shoulder lasted through the painfully slow shuttles, fitness wasn’t too bad and it was very enjoyable. Sadly the Essex guys lost in the final to Victor Liew and Joel Gayle.

 

After a sandwich and a very quick shower, it was time for mixed. Playing local guys from Dorset. Mark James, who’d lost 1st round of the doubles (was well rested) and Kat Gittens (who hadn’t played doubles = well rested). In the knock up my tendons were struggling in my wrist and forcing my two middle fingers to lock round my racket. I couldn’t release them without using my other hand to prise them open. After a bit of advice from a mate about pulling the fingers out and drinking lots more water, I changed my racket to a bigger grip and was able to play. It happened 4 more times throughout the 2 sets, but I was able to pull them out and play again.

In all honesty I think the mixed was 2 sets too far, the shuttles didn’t help matters, allowing Mark to lift and defend a lot, there was no way I was going to be able to smash through from the back of the court at this point in the day. We lost 19 and 19, so very close, but I do feel as though I let my partner down a bit.

Bad traffic on the M25 and M3 meant the hour and a half journey in the morning, took 3 hours…..stationary for vast amounts of time!

 

I have a month now, to continue the fitness campaign, get used to some new rackets (thanks Carlton) and be ready for the Restricted at the end of the month.

 

Special thanks to Lynne Parker the tournament Secretary for Herts, talk that she might stop after 10 years of organising. I think that would be a real shame and hope she is convinced to continue, as good Volunteers in badminton, particularly good tournament organisers are hard to come by!