Round 7 Men's Open Interclub - results

If your reading this then you have your priorities right, that or you’re sick of turning on the TV and finding cricket live, replays or highlights. None the less Week 7 of Heller’s Autumn Interclub Men’s Open  was much more interesting than any game at the Cricket World Cup. With the last round of round robin at Squashways the low roof and warm conditions proved ideal for fast paced, attacking squash that would’ve made anyone sweat. Here’s a summary of what happened.

CHRISTCHURCH 1 v FOOTBALL 1

Jackson Beresford lost to Adam Odering 0-2

Simon Kidgell lost to Matt Smith 0-3

Graeme Dill-Russell lost to Jason Cumpstone 2-3

FOOTBALL 1 WON 3-0

Well would you look at that, Football 1 wins again, making them comfortably the top qualifiers, 14 points clear of the next team!. The tone was set when Adam Odering TERMINATED Jackson Beresford as Beresford retired hurt after 2 sets with the first being very toughly fought. It wasn’t all one way traffic though as Jason Cumpstone struggled against Graeme Dill-Russell battling through 5 sets. Jason must have forgotten his hockey mask and machete as he was certainly not killing it on court as he was lucky to survive a roller coaster match. Thankfully for him he found his footing in the 5th set as Dill-Russell hit the wall giving Cumpstone the victory for himself and the team.

FOOTBALL 2 v BURNSIDE 1

Joe Petelo beat Nathan Briggs 3-0

Emma Cormack lost Ryan Ko 1-3

Trent Reynolds lost to Aaron Briggs 1-3

BURNSIDE 1 WON 2-1

Both these teams lacked their best players this week. Scott Gardiner was out with injury and Charlie Barker seemed to have undergone a name change and more as Emma Cormack fronted up for the first time in the Men’s Open. No matter though for Ryan Ko as he put on a display of accurate hitting against Cormack. Ko had to be careful of Cormack’s main weapon as she whipped in some knee-buckling boasts but Ko was up to the task, countering and killing any chance he got. A quick lapse in Ko’s concentration allowing Cormack to seek a game but Ko gave the Knock Out punch to seal it in 4.

SQUASHWAYS (MIDLANDS) v BURNSIDE 2

Paddy Mulvihill beat Callum Betteridge 3-0

Steven Leckie beat Carl Tyson 3-2

Toni Liken beat Craig Nixon 3-2

MIDLANDS WON 3-0

GET UP MIDLANDS!!!.....and Toni?? No Lee Barker this week which meant less tension at the courts as Paddy Mulvihill was a bit more chatty. Mulvihill’s quick 3-0 victory against Caelum Betterridge was down to Mulvihill’s great length but also thanks to a Betteridge who was caught off guard by Football 2’s female fill in. Match of the night had to go to Toni Liken and Craig Nixon as these two redefined the meaning of a roller coaster. Both players aren’t natives to the Men’s Open but gave it their all for their respective teams and starting the 5th set Liken flew ahead with a 9-3 lead but one might have likened him to South Africa in the 2015 Cricket World Cup Semis as he all but blew the lead. A couple of lucky shots sealed the win for him and a semi-final spot for his team.

SQUASHWAYS 1 v CHRISTCHURCH 2

Oliver Johnson beat Joe Williams 3-1

Jason Oxenham beat Tim Preston 3-1

Mark Revis beat David Schultz 3-1

SQUASHWAYS 1 WON 3-0

These two team’s really turned out a treat this week as they both put forward their strongest teams. Oliver Johnson who is well and truly back from injury, well at least we hope so, certainly showed Joe Williams how squash should be played. The way in which Johnson eases around and continues to an inevitable victory is only comparable to the feats of Darth Vader. In the match Williams was forced to all corners of the court and great squash was played and with no lack of effort managed a set. But out of fear of losing his right arm after Williams won his solitary set, Johnson took his third and final set with ease winning 3-1. 

After 7 great weeks of round robin the draw for the finals has been decided with FOOTBALL 1 topping the table and BURNSIDE 2 being handed the wooden spoon. The semi-finals will be at Christchurch Club and if you look at the table below you’ll be able to work out who’s playing who. Who will you place your beats on to be in the final?