Court Drama... MB Nottingham Vs. Oxford

Court Drama... David Coghlan

Before the match started I knew that this could be one of the tightest matches of the year. Having informed the expectant Nottingham crowd that every match was 50/50, it was a hugely exciting / heart wrenching / thrilling / rollercoaster of a night that has in all likelihood advanced my inevitable journey towards grey hair.

Emma Beddoes lost Madeleine Perry 7/11, 10/12, 7/11

First up on the show court, Emma Beddoes faced Irish international and World Number 7 Madeleine Perry. A tough match on paper for the home player but she gave it everything she had and deserved more from the match than she got. Perry took the first 11/7, her high tempo game and movement in the first impressive, limiting Beddoes attacking opportunities and keeping her constantly reaching into the corners. The second was better for the home crowd. Beddoes slowed the game, disrupting the rhythm of Perry who allowed a few errors to creep in to her own game. Combine this with some stunningly gutsy winners from Beddoes and with a backhand nick she achieved game point at 10/8. Perry simplified her game and dug in to creep back to 10/10 before two errors from Beddoes gave Perry the second game 12/10. The third game swayed between both players as first Beddoes gained a slight lead following a few unforced errors from Perry, before errors of her own and a renewed determination from Perry, allowed her to edge ahead and close out the game and match 11/7.

Eddie Charlton beat Piedro Schweetrman 11/7, 7/11, 11/6, 11/6

Meanwhile on the back court former club junior Eddie Charlton faced Dutch man Piedro Schweetrman ranked just five places apart. This was a tight match with both players moving the ball well and extending the rallies. The first was shot for shot to 7/7 before Schweetrman hit four tins to hand the first game to Charlton 11/7. Impatience shown in the first didn’t materialise in the second, Charlton hit too many short cross courts to the Dutchman’s vicious forehand who happily buried the ball taking the second 11/7. Charlton clearly recognised that avoidance of the Schweetrman fore hand was key and varied the pace well in both the third and fourth, dominating the T, minimising his opponents options and taking a well deserved victory 11/6, 11/6.

Let the pain begin...

At one match apiece, Simon Parke took the first game against Scott Handley, while on the show court a massively dominant Renan lavigne took a comfortable 2-0 lead over Chris Ryder. Then the whispering started. “Dave, this could be your year” one notable NSRC member told me. “This will be a great result tonight” said another. That was all that was needed to condemn MB Nottingham to possibly the most tense 45 minutes I’ve experienced during my 4 years running our PSL team.

Parke was dominated in the second losing 11/4. But that wasn’t the end of the world because Lavigne had just hit an outrageous volley nick winner to reach match ball at 10/7.

“Do you remember Renan’s match last year against Lee Beachill? When he lost 3-2 from 2-0 and match ball up?” asked one NSRC member. I did and i didn’t want to comprehend it, however Ryder came back fighting with three, back to the wall, no holds barred winners 8/10, 9/10, 10/10. Renan took another match ball 11/10. Pegged back 11/11. Another at 12/11, the shouting from the crowd getting hoarser. 12/12, an error, Ryder was game point up and a desperate looking Lavigne succumbed to the inevitable comeback 14/12.

Still, it wasn’t all over yet, a blip surely? Renan came back and continued playing the good fast squash that had won him the first two. The difference now was that Ryder smelt a chance and didn’t let anything go. At all. Long, hard rallies, physically draining for the players mentally draining for spectators. Neither established a lead so we reached 10/10. No matter how much we shouted or jumped up and down Ryder was on form now and again managed to play some top draw winners at the crucial moment taking the fourth 12/10 to set up a nightmare (for us) deciding fifth game.

On the back court Parke was doing everything he could to contain Handley who it seems had the brief of giving Simon a heart attack. Huge rallies, particularly hard on the legs as the ball was continually fired in short by both players. Parkey ran and ran some more narrowly losing the fourth 11/9 and then with Renan / Ryder at 2/2, Handley sneaked another hugely physical 4th game 12/10 to have the whole match hanging on the one final game between Lavigne and Ryder.

Needless to say i was now having kittens on the gallery of the show court and the tension and atmosphere around Court 10 was electric. Lavigne feeds on a crowd’s energy and having mentally regrouped looked the more hungry in the fifth. Having established another 10/7 match ball lead everybody was ready to jump up and down. Tin. Tin. Tin. 10/10. This was agony and the Nottingham crowd now joined me in the kitten birthing stakes. A tin from Ryder and Lavigne had an 11th match ball 11/10. It was the one he needed, a forehand drop winner. Lavigne flat out on the court floor, me and 100 Nottingham fans on our feet screaming! We were still in it.

Laurens Jan Anjema beat Cameron Pilley 4/11, 11/5, 11/9, 11/9

This was the first outing at home for LJ and with the tension of the previous game still gnawing at the stomach, everybody hoped for a smooth and stress free final match. Pilley had other ideas. I haven’t seen a player hit the ball so viciously or so accurately for years. Reminiscent of former Nottingham player John White, Pilley simply picked any nick on the court, hit the ball as hard as he could and it would roll. LJ could do nothing, and with a final cross court volley nick Pilley wrapped up the first 11/4 to the dismay of a stunned audience. Luckily Renan lavigne had a word and as the master of changing a match’s fortune i left them to it. LJ came back and slow balled Pilley, disrupting his rhythm and playing some beautifully deft un-returnable drops. Everything was now going the Dutch mans way and wrapped the game up 11/5 with a cross court volley nick of his own.

Parity then, the crowd where now sitting more comfortably although i had finally reached for the bottle. Pilley frustrated by the lack of pace in the game and the minimising nature of LJ’s game made error after error to hand LJ a 10/3 lead. Now unencumbered by trying to win the game Pilley went for his shots. A nick for 10/4, winner, winner, and another cross court volley nick to reach 10/7. The relaxed crowd, now being made to sit up straighter as Pilley ground out every rally with clean and error free squash, he got all the way to 9/10 before an unfortunate loose ball and an obvious stroke gave LJ the game and generated a collective sigh of relief. The fourth was tight all the way; with Pilley taking an 8/9 lead. LJ came back however and had looked the more likely winner throughout, a tin from Pilley gave LJ a 10/9 lead before finally closing the match out 10/9 and a second victory for MB Nottingham who now go joint top with Chapel Allerton.

A great night for everybody present and a fantastic advert for the league. All the players gave 110% and the crowd were well and truly put through the wringer. Newport next week so we are already looking forward to another great match.