Sunday evening saw Andy Peers regain the title of Club Champion by beating Michael Burnett three games to love. Michael worked very hard with lots of movement and frequent lobs but struggled to make any headway against Andy’s patient direction of the play. The final score was 11 - 6, 11 - 5, 11 - 7.
Andy was previously champion in 2016 whilst Michael is also a two time champion from 1997 and 1999 and was runner-up three times before this final.
Next up, Rakesh Gulati beat David Sledge 3 - 1 in the final of the Vintage
Tournament. Rakesh was Champion in the second Vintage Tournament in 2016
and has played in every final since then. David struggled from the outset
but recovered well to take the second and level the score. The third
game was over in a flash and it looked like the fourth would go the same
way with Rakesh leading 8 - 0 before David rallied briefly to make it 8
- 7 before succumbing to the inevitable. Digging balls out of the back corner isn't enough, you've got to be able to bury them at the front, too. The final score was 9 - 4, 6 - 9, 9 - 2, 9 - 7 as these old duffers venerable gentlemen of the court elected to play under English scoring rules.
The evening was brought to a close with the final of the Veterans' Tournament which saw Stewart Hefferman add an eighth title to his impressive haul by beating Michael Burnett 3 - 0. Michael pushed Stewart all the way in a close opening game but then struggled to make his shots count over the next two games. The match ended 14 - 12, 11 - 6, 11 - 6. It was a tough night for Michael and disappointing also for headline writers with the prospect of using puns on Burnett's Night but having to resort to porn titles.