The Fawley Construction Liverpool Closed
championships lived up to expectations, with the top four seeds reaching
their allotted semi-final positions, the quartet having safely negotiated
their respective group matches. The eagerly awaited showdown between Kevin
Dolder and Keith Williams was set up when Keith saw off doubles partner
and Bootle YMCA team mate, Wayne Percival. Wayne took the opening game but
dropped the next two before edging home 12-10 in the fourth, that, though,
was effectively the end of his challenge, Keith losing only two points in
the decider. In the top half of the draw, Kevin accounted for the
promising Crosby High youngster and Southport closed champion Tom Bray, 7, 9, 1, and followed up with a 3-1 win over
Ireland International (Wav. Lab's)
David Hayes, fourth seed Ken Jackson (Bath Street Marine) was then eased
out for the loss of one game in the semi finals which left him facing nine
times champion Williams in the final. Keith stands at 4 in the England
veterans list while Kevin, who has just risen to 16 in the England senior
rankings, has the verdict over the YM' man on both occasions in the league
this season. The Ford man, has lifted the trophy eight times and is one of
the best six champions in the past thirty years, he took the big decision
to use pimpled rubber on his backhand side hoping it would give him the
edge over his old foe, who first lifted the crown in 1977. Keith took the
opening game 11-7, Kevin though winning the next two to lead 2-1. At 9-6
down in the fourth and Kevin looking to regain the crown, Keith collected
the next four points but then had to save two match points before forcing
a fifth game decider by winning 15-13. The high standard of tactical play
continued with Kevin varying the pace, spin and speed of the rallies, and
although KW had coped well with KD's new style of play, he found himself
4-1 down in the final game. KW, who beat Kev 11-8 in the fifth in the 2004
final, and lost 12-10 in the decider to the Ford man a year later, hit
back to level at 6-6. He then piled on the pressure, forcing Kev into a
number of wayward shots and dropped only one more point in a tremendous
encounter to win 11-7 and claim the title for a tenth time in his
seventeenth final appearance, equalling the record of his former Rafters
team mate and England international, Ronnie Rumjahn. A year ago, the men's
crown went to Poland's Michael Rogala the first time the trophy had been
won by an Eastern European.
The 2008 ladies' singles crown also went
to a Polish player, Sylwia Rozek but not until she overcame a scare in the
last match in the Round Robin section when she faced Stephanie Howard.
Sylwia, the victor over holder Cherith Graham together with the 2006 and
four times champion Alice Howard, stood level at 8-8 in the fifth game
decider with Steph Howard, but pulled through to win 11-8 and take the
title at the first attempt, Cherith, having beaten Alice and Steph, mother
and daughter pair, was the runner up.
Keith enjoyed a comfortable passage to
last four of the veterans singles event, where he faced former champion
Ken Jackson, but qualified 3-0 to meet triple champion Dave Roberts who
had dismissed Wayne Percival. Again, Keith was in fine form, retaining the
title in straight games to cap a fine tournament.
Don Davies
10/3/08
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