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CLICK CUP COMES TO BADDOW One thing that was certain this season was that the CLICK KO Cup would come to Baddow (see News Release 7 February)! As two of the Club's CLICK teams faced each other for the trophy. Baddow Village A (Andrew Orme and Alex Stone) had a fairly easy route to the final and on paper started as favourites. By contrast Baddow Village B (Ben Steed and Tom Lee) had played tremendously, fighting all the way for their final spot, knocking out the CLICK League's top two teams in the process. So the scene was set for the Final, played on 24th March at Newlands. And what an excellent match it proved to be.
Tom & Ben won the toss and decided to be the away team, so that neither player had to play consecutive singles. First match on was Andrew against Ben. The handicap system meant Ben would have a 3 point advantage. Both players started nervously but with Ben making the most of his handicap he raced into a 2 game lead. Andrew struck back in the third capitalising on mistakes from Ben. But Ben was not to be denied, a mixture of steady pushes and the occasional top spin gave him the edge to seal the set 3:1 (7:11, 5:11, 11:7, 8:11). It was Alex who faced the prospect of back to back singles. And the prospect of giving away 4 points to each of his opponents on handicap. Tom was his first opponent, and what a nerve tingling cracker this was. Alex restraining his natural aggression and open play to keep the games tight with some controlled defensive play and some excellent deep side spin serves. But Tom was determined to hang in there with some real steady play of his own and a variety of good short and long serves. Making the most of the handicap Tom took the first only to see Alex fight back to take the second and third. Some daring and adventurous backhand play in the fourth saw Tom even the set at 2:2, and a real cat and mouse struggle followed in the last end. It was Alex's serve that just saw him through in the end of a marathon encounter 8:11, 11:6, 14:12, 7:11, 12:10. It couldn't have been closer. Alex stayed at the table to take on Ben. And this was to be an equally close affair. Alex continued where he left off taking the first end only to see Ben strike back with some attacking forehand play to forge into a 2:1 lead. Mistakes in the fourth end let Alex back in and he didn't look back taking the last end fairly comfortably to give the A Team a 2:1 lead, 11:6, 8:11, 8:11, 11:9, 11:6. So if the B Team were to salvage the match it was up to 13 year old Tom to make his mark. This match proved to be a real see-saw. Tom took the first end, only to see Andrew race back in the second, with Tom registering just 2 points of his own. However Tom was not shaken. Resolute defence and good serving saw him back in the third only to see the fourth end again slip away by the narrowest of margins. It was neck and neck in the last end. But just as it looked as if the match would go to a doubles decider, Andrew suddenly threw caution to the wind, launching a series of vicious attacking forehand shots. As they say, who dares wins. The shots went on and Andrew, to his great delight, had the set and the match, 7:11, 11:5, 8:11, 13:11, 11:9. A victory for Baddow A 3:1. The closeness of the singles suggests the handicaps were about right, giving an excellent match. Only one slight disappointment, there were only a handful of spectators to support these talented young players. League President and Chairman Norman Smith was on hand, together with Vice Chairman Hugh Piper, to make presentation of the trophies at the end of a very sporting and entertaining match.
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