Mixed Doubles Invitation (Billy Ross-Skinner) 2017
Feb 10, 2017 - Feb 12, 2017 Hatfield LRTA
The event is an invitational event for the best 16 ladies available, paired up with 16 men of a suitable standard to give each pair an even chance of winning the title and as is always the case, most of the matches were very close battles.
Things hadn’t started well when on the Thursday two of the top ranking ladies had to pull out due to illness and injury, both of whom were in the first group on Friday morning which left the other two pairs to move serenely through to the knock-out stage on Sunday. Luckily no other groups were affected and all had some great tennis on show. The early front runners were Helen-Frances Pilkington and Anthony Jenks who won through their group for the loss of only 3 games and Sara Metherell and George Foxall who won a fantastic match against another strong pair Izzy Hunt and Ed Popplewell 6/5 6/5 to take their place in the Quarter-Final. Thanks to the format though Hunt and Popplewell had another chance to get through and they certainly took it, storming through that match and then on to the semi-final.
In the first semi-final Hunt & Popplewell took on the all Hatfield pair of Alex Brodie & David Barnes in what turned out to be a topsy-turvy match. The first set flew by in a flash with Hunt & Popplewell cruising it 6/0 and everyone thought it was going to be very quick but the Hatfield players had other ideas and narrowly took the second set 6/5 with the crowd now getting fully involved in proceedings. With the final set starting 3/3 it was nip and tuck all the way with both men beginning to look visibly tired but eventually Hunt & Popplewell prevailed taking the deciding set 6/4 to take their spot in the final.
The second semi-final was an equally see-sawing affair as Pilkington & Jenks took on Katie Leppard and Geoffrey Russell who had earlier despatched Metherell & Foxall in an excellent quarter-final. Pilkington & Jenks took the first set 6/1 only for Leppard & Russell to take the second set by the same score and so another deciding set was required. This was really tight all the way with Pilkington & Jenks finally seeing it out 6/5 to set up a much anticipated final with Hunt & Popplewell.