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Finals Night Report by League
Chairman Don Davies
The 83rd Liverpool Closed finals played on Monday 7th March and
sponsored by Fawley Construction, turned out to be one of the best in
recent memory. With the Police club no longer in use, a suitable
alternative venue was required, the CADWA club in Childwall, being chosen
for the first time. The main tournament, staged at Wavertree Tennis Centre
on Sunday 27th February commenced at 9am and finished on time at 6-30pm
with thirteen players' qualifying for finals' night.
Nine times men's champion, Kevin Dolder opened the event with a three
straight win over Stewart Mudie, who went out at the same stage to Tomasz
Rzeszotko a year ago, came close in the opening game but, was swept aside
in the next two. The other semi saw Paul Hutchings take the first game but
was unable to contain, or impose his relentless top spin game, on Jonathan
Taylor, and lost the next three.
For the fourth year in a row, the ladies' singles event had to be decided
by a round robin competition with only four players bothering to enter.
Top seed Cherith Graham, a finalist for the fifth year in succession met
Terri-Anne Nolan, the pair winning two each in the group the pair thereby
qualifying without facing each other. Cherith, four times the champion in
the past eight years, was too strong and quick for Terri-Anne and eased to
her fifth title and stands behind the late Eileen Mansell won took the
title six times between 1946 and 1955.
Junior title holder Michael Lunn retained his crown in a tremendous
encounter with Joe Mullin over five close games. Mullin edged the opening
game, 12-10 the holder hitting back 11-6 before sneaking home again 13-11
to open up a 2-1 lead. Mullin wasn't out of it though, forcing a decider
when taking the fourth, 11-8. The contest had been of a high class and
this continued in the last game where Lunn, the top seed and coached by
Keith Williams, did enough to hold on to his crown which his mentor won in
1975, winning 11-8. Others who have won the junior title and have gone on
to win the men's singles, include, Gordon Birch, John McNee, Mark Thomas,
Andrew Eden and Kevin Dolder.
The final was a scintillating affair which had the crowd applauding
almost every point , Taylor drawing first blood with the game to 7. Dolder,
appearing in his 14th Closed men's final, levelled matters, winning 11-8
both players giving a taste of what was to come. A free flowing third game
produced some tremendous rallies both players smashing and retrieving from
all parts of the court which at times had the audience gasping with the
sheer intensity and accuracy of the shots. At ten all in the third Taylor
snatched the points to lead 2-1. Although Taylor seemed to be in the
ascendancy, back came Dolder, sweeping to a crunching 11-4 win to force a
decider. From one all Dolder took charge and at 6-3, it seemed his final
experience would guide him home. However, Taylor who, prior to the match
told me it was his long held ambition to win the Liverpool men's title,
restricted Dolder to just one point from the next seven to lead 9-7. He
then pulled one back from the first of his two serves before a fierce
forehand smash from Jonathan gave him match point. With the packed room in
raptures over the standard of play, the tension heightened when Kevin made
it 10-9 the crowd rising to their feet in tribute to both players' when
Jonathan scored the winning point to take the title, the first Englishman
other than Dolder, Williams and Hutchings, to claim the crown since Peter
Flint in 1993.
The Open Doubles event went according to the seeding with Kevin Dolder
and Andy Taylor regaining the title they won in 2009. In the last eight
they made short work in disposing of John Hope and Ray Jackson, dropping
just nime points and repeated the act in the semi's beating the James
Bartolo/Steve Green partnership, 6, 4, 6. Second seeds Paul Hutchings and
Aaron Beech also progressed in the quarter's beating Cherith Graham and
Michael Lunn, 9, 6, 7, but, then had a scare in the semi's, dropping the
first and third games against the Jonathan Taylor/Rob Wylie combination
before taking the next couple, 8 and 7. The opening game in the final was
all one way traffic. the top seeds taking only two points. They came close
to opening up a 2-0 lead but fell just short when the Ford pair levelled
matters, winning 11-9 and their chance was gone, Dolder and Taylor
sweeping to victory in the next two, 11-5, 11-8 and the title.
Paul Hutchings, the veterans' top seed, playing his third event of the
night, comfortably dealt with first time Closed finalist and Crosby High
club-mate, England ranked 159 veteran Rob Wylie, to claim the over 40's
title which he did in straight games.
John Hope, who plays in four leagues' in the north west and lives in
Manchester, was the runner-up to Keith Williams in the veteran final in
2009, made sure he didn't leave the city empty handed as his team MU, did
the day before. Dave Evans started off in confident mood but was soon put
to the sword, losing three straight to give Hope his first trophy in his
third Liverpool Closed.
Only two sets on the night required a fifth game decider, the junior final
and the unforgetable, men's final which closed the event. The general
opinion of the players' was that the standard of play was helped greatly
by the Cadwa club conditions. When the winning point was scored by
Jonathan Taylor, the whole room rose from their seats' to acclaim a
thrilling finale, a credit to both players, the event and the league.
I'm sure that our guests' tonight Bill and Vivian Fawley, will forgive
me for leaving until now, to say how delighted we are to see them again,
as we have over the past twenty three years since the Company first became
involved in sponsoring the tournament. Their generous financial
assistance is most appreciated. Thanks also are accorded to Cadwa
Association Chairman, Roy Smythe, a former Cadwa junior player in the
1960's, for allowing the League to stage tonight's finals' and to Rob
Davies for the use of the social club and organising the refreshments
following the conclusion of play. With no member of the League holding
Tournament Referee qualification, thanks are in order to Dave Cochrane,
who has also taken charge of this and the G.P. in recent years. A number
of others helped along the way and I am grateful to all for their
invaluable contribution. I must also mention Tournament Organisers'
Russell Thornton and Arthur Garnett together with League Secretary Mike
Power, who was heavily involved in the build up to the event and to Roly
Wright who produced the programme just days after turning out the latest
excellent Digest edition. Finally, I'd like to thank Faith Moore and
Rachel who again sat at the check in desk for many hours at Wavertree
together with Graham Rollinson and to our Blue Jacketed umpires who help
make tonight's event look polished and professional. Well done to all. As
in previous years, I'm certain we shall witness a night of top class play
with 100% effort given by every player at the table. Hope you all enjoy
the evening and the food, at the end of play.
The night had been a total success with the crowd, some of whom, had never
seen play of his calibre, left with a feeling of great satisfaction while
those who have seen it all before, concurred that this was the finest
men's final in recent memory.
Don Davies
Chairman
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