National Schools' Championships: Day Four Round Up

Berkhamsted continued their successful week at Repton yesterday, winning the Open final against Eton.

In the morning matches, Berkhamsted finally knocked out surprise semi-finalists Eton 3, while the top seeds St.Olave's - after their marathon five game quarter-final win the night before - were beaten by Eton 1. Berkhamsted's win in the final was their first in this competition since 1981.

Charlotta Cooley reports on the final:

Congratulations to all four players for a hugely competitive final, played in the best spirit. Berkhamsted got off to a flyer and were sharp from the start. Eton weren't allowed to settle with unforced errors everywhere and they very quickly went behind. Eton improved towards the end of the first gamr but had left far too much to do, Berkhamsted taking it 12-4.

The second game always looked a much tighter affair, with Berkhamsted edging ahead and getting to 10 first, and Eton then catching up. Eton began to find their range on shots with impressive spin especially from back court and on the cut, with Berkhamsted struggling to return either from in the buttress or under the wall. Things got very close and tense as Eton went 13-10 up, then were pegged back to 13-13 and then had the first chance at 14-13. Some excellent cutting kept Berkhamsted  in it and there were then a few rounds of 14-14 where both pairs had chances before eventually Berko edged it 15-14 to go 2-0 up.

After a ball change, all four players started the third game with quality cutting which limited the scoring, but some errors from Eton and a return to some of the ruthlessness seen in the first set from Berkhamsted saw them pull ahead to 6-2. Despite some difficulties with cramp, they were able to keep the pressure on and take the game - and with it the match - 12-2.

Congratulations to losing finalists Eton, Toby and Dan, who put together an excellent tournament, and special congratulations to the winners from Berkhamsted, Ben and Sam, one of whom we may also see next year.

Elsewhere on the Repton courts, the U14 competition got underway and has reached the semi-final stage, with only Highgate and Berkhamsted able to prevent an all-St.Olave's final.

Results

Under 14s

Last 16

St.Olave's 1 beat Berkhamsted 4 2-0

Berkhamsted 3 beat Harrow 1 2-1

Shrewsbury 1 beat Berkhamsted 2 2-0

Berkhamsted 1 beat St.Olave's 3 2-1

St.Olave's 2 beat Cranleigh 1 2-0

Ipswich 1 beat Mill Hill 2 2-1

Mill Hill 1 beat Eton 1 2-0

Highgate 1 beat Shrewsbury 2 2-0

Quarter-Finals

St.Olave's 1 beat Berkhamsted 3 3-0 (12-1, 12-6, 12-2)

Berkhamsted 1 beat Shrewsbury 1 3-0 (12-5, 12-3, 12-9)

St.Olave's 2 beat Ipswich 1 3-0 (12-3, 12-0, 12-1)

Highgate 1 beat Mill Hill 1 (12-4, 12-2, 12-4)

Open

Last 16

St.Olave's 1 beat Cranleigh 1 2-0 (12-0, 12-1)

Harrow 1 beat Eton 5 2-1 (12-0, 6-12, 15-10)

Ipswich 1 beat Shrewsbury 3 2-0 (12-1, 12-3)

Eton 1 beat Shrewsbury 2 2-0 (12-3, 12-4)

Berkhamsted 1 beat St.Olave's 3 2-0 (12-4, 12-6)

St.Olave's 2 beat Eton 2 2-1 (6-12, 12-4, 12-9)

Eton 3 beat Ipswich 2 2-0 (12-4, 12-5)

Harrow 2 beat St.Olave's 5 2-0 (12-6, 12-5)

Quarter-Finals

St.Olave's 1 (T.Arjaria & A.Agarwal) beat Harrow 1 (G.Stanhope & A.Anderson) 3-2 (12-14, 12-10, 12-4, 11-15, 14-12)

Eton 3 (L.Turcan & H.Turpin) beat Ipswich 1 (E.Caldwell & A.Phillips) 3-0 (15-12, 12-6, 15-10)

Eton 1 (D.Hurst & T.Webster) beat Harrow 2 (V.Balingal & C.Allday) 3-0 (12-3, 12-4, 14-11)

Berkhamsted 1 (B.Spooner & S.Kaynama) beat St.Olave's 2 (T.Farmer & A.Anoop) 3-0 (12-3, 12-2, 12-5)

Semi-Finals

Eton 1 beat St.Olave's 1 3-1 (12-6, 12-10, 7-12, 12-7)

Berkhamsted 1 beat Eton 3 3-0 (12-8, 12-2, 12-3)

Final

Berkhamsted 1 beat Eton 1 3-0 (12-4, 15-14, 12-2)

Under 16s

Quarter-Finals

Berkhamsted 1 beat Ipswich 2 3-1 (12-8, 10-12, 12-11, 12-0)

Berkhamsted 2 beat Harrow 1 3-0 (12-6, 12-8, 14-11)

Highgate 1 beat St.Olave's 1 3-0 (12-8, 12-4, 12-5)

Shrewsbury 1 beat Berkhamsted 3 3-1 (6-12, 12-4, 12-3, 12-6)

Semi-Finals

Berkhamsted 1 (T.Aston & E.Horsley) beat Berkhamsted 2 (R.Morjaria & T.Patel) 3-0 (12-6, 12-0, 12-8)

Shrewsbury 1 (M.Draper & G.Battersby) beat Highgate 1 (M.Wijeyeratne & B.Musikant) 3-1 (9-12, 12-8, 12-6, 15-10)

Final

Berkhamsted 1 beat Shrewsbury 1 3-0 (12-5, 12-6, 12-2)

Girls Under 16s

Quarter-Finals

Highgate 1 beat Repton 1 2-0 (8-0, 8-0)

Shrewsbury 2 beat Highgate 2 2-0 (8-3, 8-3)

Ipswich 1 beat Shrewsbury 3 2-1 (2-8, 12-5, 12-6)

Shrewsbury 1 beat Repton 3 2-0 (8-2, 8-0)

Semi-Finals

Highgate 1 (M.Roxburgh & Z.Kirstein) beat Shrewsbury 2 (W.Bowett & S.Earles) 2-0 (12-2, 12-1)

Shrewsbury 1 (M.Parry & E.Clark) beat Ipswich 1 (E.Oxborrow & M.Lee-Steward) 2-0 (12-8, 12-7)

Final

Highgate 1 beat Shrewsbury 1 2-0 (12-7, 12-3)

Under 15s

Quarter-Finals

Berkhamsted 1 beat QEB 3 3-0 (12-8, 12-8, 12-2)

Charterhouse 1 beat Eton 1 3-2 (12-4, 9-12, 10-13, 12-8, 12-8)

QEB 2 beat St.Olave's 1 3-1 (12-2, 12-2, 10-13, 12-6)

Shrewsbury 1 beat Harrow 1 (12-8, 12-4, 12-4)

Semi-Finals

Berkhamsted 1 (L.Clarke & L.Faulkner) beat Charterhouse 1 (J.Formige & M.Gilardini) 3-0 (12-9, 12-5, 12-11)

QEB 2 (A.Lele & P.Patel) beat Shrewsbury 1 (M.Sharman & S.Spiby) 3-0 (13-10, 12-8, 12-8)

Final

Berkhamsted 1 beat QEB 2 3-1 (12-6, 5-12, 12-9, 12-6)

Girls U15

Quarter-Finals

Highgate 1 beat Shrewsbury 3 2-0 (8-0, 8-0)

Ipswich 1 beat Shrewsbury 5 2-0 (8-0, 8-0)

Highgate 2 beat Shrewsbury 2 2-0 (8-7, 8-6)

Shrewsbury 1 beat Repton 1 2-0 (8-1, 8-2)

Semi-Finals

Highgate 1 (M.Roxburgh & Z.Kirstein) beat Highgate 2 (S.Valensise & A.Holmes) 2-0 (12-3, 12-0)

Shrewsbury 1 (M.Parry & S.Earles) beat Ipswich 1 (M.Hodgkinson & B.Laws) 2-1 (6-12, 12-10, 12-8)

Final

Highgate 1 beat Shrewsbury 1 (12-3, 12-2)