Clinical Lumley leads World Championship Final Eliminator after Day 1 despite late surge from Howell
Howell to rue missed chance for 2-all despite great forcing game
John Lumley has taken a 3-1 lead after the first day of the 2025 Real Tennis World Championship Final Eliminator against home favourite Nick Howell in Aiken, putting him one step closer to a rematch against incumbent champion Camden Riviere.
The tourning caravan of the World Championship returned to Aiken for the Final Eliminator, with Howell having won the bidding rights back in December. Opposite him was the defending challenger, John Lumley, currently undefeated in singles play in 2025. The two had previously faced off in the 2023 Final Eliminator, that time on Lumley’s home turf in Philadelphia in a match that he won 6 sets to 1.
The match commenced under the watchful eyes of Andrew Lyons, calling the shots from the marker’s box. The first game of the match started tentatively, with both players exchanging a few deuces before breaking the way of Lumley. He raced through the rest of the set, engaging in long rallies but never giving Howell much to work with for the latter’s target hitting. When the loose returns did come, Howell was often unable to capitalize, putting the ball on the penthouse or missing the dedans low. Lumley was incessant in playing the ball deep off the battery wall into Howell’s backhand, causing continuous trouble for the Australian. When Howell tried the same shot, Lumley was calmly able to move across and get the ball under his control. Howell only managed one game in the first set, with the first blood being drawn by the visitor.
At the start of the second set, Howell found the accuracy in his forcing and began sliding dedans past Lumley, stretching out a narrow 3-1 advantage. In response, Lumley found a series of late reaction volleys, including a periscope volley from a main wall force from Howell that had no right to make its way back over the net. Lumley adjusted his game, putting in a few powerful forces in of his own as he brought the set back level. The crowd, sensing that their favourite had an opportunity to even up the match, started to find its voice. The court erupted into a roar each time the ball struck the back of the dedans. Howell had a decent chance of closing the set in the 5-4 game, but an untimley unforced error prevent his progress. Howell started the deciding game with a brace of straight dedans forces, after which Lumley started serving side wall railroads from the middle of the last gallery line. The change of serve broke Howell’s rythmn, putting three balls into the net to give Lumley a set point. Changing ends with a second gallery chase, Lumley got the better of the long rally, winning the set with a ball that floated into the dedans beyond the reach of a diving Howell.
The disappointment of the second set took the sting out of Howell’s attack going into the third. Once again, Lumley was clinical in his execution as he found a good balance between defense and attack. Howell got stuck for extended periods at the hazard end with Lumley striking a good length under the grille, constantly fooling Howell with the aid of the tambour. Lumley won the set in barely 20 minutes without dropping a game.
Lumley looked as though he was carrying the momentum into the fourth set, finding ways to thread the ball between Howell’s racket and the side wall. But after two hours of play, Lumley was missing a fraction of a yard of pace compared to the start of the match, allowing Howell to finally reap the rewards from his cut-volley. Howell wrestled back the momentum, his forcing game now paying full dividends alongside his drives at the grille. He stretched out a 5-2 lead in the set, before Lumley again reached for his break-glass-in-case-of-emergency serve: his side wall railroad from the middle of the last gallery line. It helped save him a couple of set points, including a clean ace, but it was in vain. Howell closed out the set in the following game to rescue his day.
Play will continue on Tuesday evening with the next four sets. Lumley can win the match should he win all four sets, but if Howell wins any he will force the match into a third day.
Match results:
John Lumley leads Nick Howell 3-1 in the best of 13 set match:
Day 1: 6/1 6/5 6/0 3/6