Group #2 Quarter-Finals

The first set of matches were held over from the previous week when the Group #2 quarter-final games were delayed. This group consisted of Nick, Bobby, Tom, and Myles.

The ideal start for any pairing is to get a heavy victory, in the knowledge that the losers of that game would be hard-against it for the rest of the matches. This is exactly what happened here, as Bobby & Nick beat Tom & Myles 21-7. Bobby kept his winning streak going with a 21-13 win partnering Myles.

Bobby looked to be heading through safely, but his brother Tom needed a 21-6 win to also go through, or a 21-7 to force a tie-break. The final score was 21-8, meaning Bobby and Nick progressed to the semi-finals, with Nick nicking it by just a single point.

*Brackets signify the Skillcentre teams the players play in (e.g., OA = Open A). Nick played in Open 6 for Needham.

Semi-Final #1

Back on track for the night, Bobby and Nick entered this stage having already played 3 more highly competitive games than the other challengers. The top 2 players of each group would progress to the Final group.

Our B-Team’s Somesh and Simon went up against Nick and our fast-improving D-Teamer Ishan. This game went right to form as the Somesh/Simon pairing ran out 21-13 winners. The second game saw Somesh win again, this time partnering Nick as they took it 21-15.

Heading into the final stretch, the top 3 scores were incredibly tight. Everyone knew exactly what they needed: Somesh required 16+ points; Simon and Nick needed to win by 21-15 or better to both go through; Ishan needed a 21-7 margin.

The final game score line hit 21-16! The abacus was definitely out for this one a few times, and it ultimately confirmed that Somesh and Simon had reached the Final. Tough luck to Nick, who put up a massive fight!

Semi-Final #2

This group featured a fantastic mixture of tiers: two Open A players in Bobby and tournament favourite Jason; a D-Teamer in Ash; and our final lady remaining in the competition, Liz.

Unfortunately for Ash & Liz, they suffered a heavy 21-6 loss in the first game to the relentless pairing of Bobby & Jason. Liz bounced back brilliantly to win her next game alongside Jason 21-18.

This meant that in the final game, Jason needed just 7 points to go through, while Bobby needed 10. Playing against each other, both successfully hit their respective targets to secure their places in the grand final, as Jason and Ash claimed a 21-17 win.

🏆 The Grand Final

In Simon, Somesh, and Bobby, Jason was pitting himself against three hungry protagonists. With two Open A’s and two Open B’s competing, the big question was whether Simon and Somesh could pull off another tournament surprise.

Jason and Somesh paired up first and defeated Simon and Bobby 21-15. Next, it was A’s vs B’s, and no quarter was given by Jason and Bobby as they ran out dominant 21-7 winners.

Going into the Last Round:

• Jason knew he needed 16 points to retain the trophy.
• Bobby needed to win 21-15 for the overall title, or score more than 9 to secure the runners-up spot.
• Simon was out of contention for the win by virtue of partnering Jason, but still had an outside chance at runner-up if they could win 21-7 or better.
• Somesh was the outsider, needing a massive 21-7 win for the title.

The final game brought spectacular rallies: powerful smashes, unbelievable defensive returns, rapid court speed, delicate drop-shots, and 100% sheer effort from all four players.

Ultimately, pre-tournament favourite Jason proved to be just too good. He didn’t just pass his 16-point target—he swept the table. He and Simon ran out impressive 21-7 winners. Jason successfully defended his trophy with maximum points across both the semi-final and final stages!

Thanks to that heavy scoreline, Simon also achieved his target, pipping Bobby to the runners-up trophy by one solitary point, aided perfectly by his handicap of one.

Congratulations to Jason and Simon