Grand Finals enjoyed by all

Winter Season interclub competition has ended with grand finals played and winners decided.  

For Wednesday evening session Rolf reported "

It was appropriately between the top-finishing team this year of Bob/KK & Simon, and the second-finishing team of Harry & Sang (who has replaced Lawrence). Bob didn’t play on the night. KK & Simon won the toss and elected to play as the home team. The first match was KK v Sang. When they played one another in Round 8, KK won 8-0, and despite Sang’s steady improvement since then, that was again the result this time.  Next up was Simon v Harry, the season's runner-up leading player versus the leading player. The two had played twice this season, both times Harry winning 7-1. This time, perhaps because it was the grand final, Harry played over-cautiously, and Simon ran through him winning 8-0! (To be fair, three of the four games lost by Harry were by a 2-point margin). What an upset, and with it almost certainly Harry’s chance for the flag.  So at the halfway mark in the singles, KK & Simon were leading 16-0. The third singles match was KK v Harry, and it was Harry’s chance to redeem himself, which he did by winning 8-0. KK put up a good fight, losing the first two games by two points, but by then Harry was on a roll. The team score went to 16-8.  The final singles match was Simon the Harry-slayer v Sang, an all-Korean showdown. Sang played a very smart game, putting the ball back softly and disrupting Simon’s rhythm to comfortably win the first two games. But to Simon’s credit he worked out what to change, and proceeded to win the next four games to finish with a 6-2 result, taking the team of Bob/KK & Simon to Championship winners with a 23-10 result. The doubles were not required.

So the season finished with the winning team being Bob/KK & Simon, and the runner-up finalist team being Harry & Sang. Congratulations to both teams, and especially the winners Bob/KK & Simon!"

For Thursday and Friday night sessions, Jon reported " 

Thursday's competitors, Michael and Henry started proceedings on Table 1  and took an early 2-0 lead, but Henry fought back in s very tight 3rd set finally winning it 17-15, Michael won the 4th convincingly 11-3, but not to be outdone, Henry returned the compliment winning the 5th 11-3, if the first game was anything to go by there was not going to be a walkover. Michael won the 6th though and he and Kevin had a 6-2 lead.

Friday's competitors were on Table 2 (no Allan yet J) Lobber Lance took the first 11-6 and was off to a good start, but Bob has been playing very well since that hand operation (I am sure it’s a bionic implant) and broke back to win game 2 again 11-6 the battle was on, Lance won the 3rd 11-9, Bob the 4th 11-9 and the 5th 11-7 was Bob making his move to take it out? Well if he was Lance had other idea’s winning the 6th 11-7 and the 7th 11-2 a big win for Lance and Allan (still not here).

Back to Thursday's finals, Kevin and Sohail had commenced on Table 1, Sohail won the 1st 11-8 could Keven come back? The answer was no, Sohail to strong taking the 2nd 11-7 (Allan turned up) which had little affect on Sohail or Kevin apart from a brief halt in proceedings, before Sohail won the next 2 against Kevin 11-4, 11-9.

 Meanwhile for Friday's finals, Allan had warmed up by this time and was playing Anna on Table 2, not put off by the rushing around and won the first game 11-9 Anna needed to pull her socks up (no her ankles were not cold) which she did winning the 2nd 11-5 there was much shrieking from that table for some reason.  Allan won the 3rd 11-5, but Anna had worked things out and won the next 3 11-7, 11-6, 11-3.

 Back on Table 1, Sohail was off to a good start against Michael winning the 1st 3 11-7, 11-6, 11-7 there was a return from Sohail in the 3rd game that went about 3 metres in the air and started dropping 300mm on Michaels side of the net, but all the time Michael was running in to get to it the balling was moving away from him eventually hitting the table and the backspin taking it back over the net out of his reach, did not look like it was to be his night, however he rallied to win the 4th 11-9 and was putting up a really good fight in the 5th but Sohail prevailed 13-11.  So Sohail and Henry were now 17-7 up, Henry needed 4 to stop it going to the doubles, so he had to win against Kevin, not an easy task.  Henry got off to a good start here winning the 1st 12—10 in a struggle, but it seemed Kevin was not going to let Henry get away with it easy and won the 2nd 11-8, Henry came back again to win the 3rd 11-9 to rapturous applause from his partner sitting at the back. Sohail went a bit quieter though when Kevin took the next 11-8, but he was clapping again when Henry again went ahead in the 5th winning it 11-8, Kevins turn againto fight back which=h he did with some really good shots to win 11-9, was it doubles time? Not if Henry could help it, he came out firing and took the first few points Kevin caught up a few but Henry maintained his lead to win11-5 and therefore win the grand Final for Sohail and Henry.

 On Table 2 the game had commenced between Anna and Lance, but it would appear Anna had used Allan and a really good warmup and came out all guns blazing winning in straight games 11-5, 11-7, 11-8 and 11-8 which meant the scores funnily enough were 17-7 exactly the same as Table 1. But the night was not over, there was a battle taking place on Table 2, Bob got over the line in the 1st 12-10 but only just, he then won the next 2 11-5, was it over for Lance and Allan? Not if Allan could help it, he arrived late but did not want to go home early, he beat Bob in the next 2 games convincingly with some great shots 11-4, 11-4. But Bob decided enough was enough and came out after a pep talk from Anna and won 11-9 and therefore the match.

 So congratulations to our Grand Final Winners, (Thursday) Sohail & Henry and (Friday) Anna & Bob, a very entertaining night I think every one who turned up would agree. But there has to be losers so commiserations to Michael & Kevin and Lance & Allan".

Thanks also to organisers Rolf and Jon.