Moore Family Office Summer Challenge kicks off at the Oratory
Hamilton, Long through tough 3-setters; Merola, Fahey with straightforward victories
The brand new Moore Family Office Summer kicked off this week, with the 12 best ranked UK-based professionals fighting it out for a share in a £20,000 prize pot off half-handicaps.
The tournament began on Thursday evening with a match between Darren Long and Neil Mackenzie, with Long owing 1/4 15. Both players took time to adjust to the dimensions of the Oratory court, which hadn’t featured at the professional level during their careers. Plenty of targets were struck during the first set, as were plenty of penthouses. The serving was key, with Mackenzie trying to keep his high serve along the back wall and Long hitting his railroad deep. Often, it was too deep, with several serves rolling out for hazard chases. At 4-all with two short chases to defend, Long looked like he had the advantage in the set, but Mackenzie was able to beat both, one on the floor and the other into the dedans. That proved enough to be able to take the first set. Long was not fussed and got back to work, slowly getting a leg up over his opponent. He held a narrow advantage over Mackenzie for the bulk of the second two sets, winning both despite the threat of a late comeback from Mackenzie.
The later match was between Nino Merola and Louis Gordon. At 2-all, it looked as though it would be a tight contest, with Gordon having beat a better than yard chase on game point. But it would not prove to be, as Merola settled into the match while Gordon did not. Merola was better able to utilise the full width of the court on offer, while Gordon struggled to find the dedans, with the Oratory having both one of the largest yet narrowest dedans in the world. Once Merola gained a foothold, Gordon could not cope with the scoreboard pressure. Merola went on a run of ten straight games to win the match.
The first round matches continued on Friday evening, beginning with a battle between Lewis Williams and Vaughan Hamilton. The match was a see-sawing affair. After Williams won the first two games, Hamilton took command of the match, dictating the rallies and putting Williams onto the back foot. He won six of the next seven games to secure the set.
At 0-1, 15-40 down in the second set, a switch flipped for Williams. A couple of well-honed, high-pace forces, and he had seized the initiative of the entire match, helped also by a high back wall that Hamilton slammed into the net at point blank range. Williams was unstoppable in his attack, with his high risk shots coming off more often than not. At 3-all, game point, Hamilton missed the grille high by inches, before Williams’s response ricocheted off the last gallery bandeau, clipped the edge of the dedans, rolled along the entire length of the dedans ledge before falling for a short chase. A dumbfounded and increasingly irate Hamilton couldn’t hold on in the set any longer, with Williams tying the match at 1-all.
Hamilton once again seized the initiative at the start of the third set, hitting three back-to-back dedans to get proceedings underway. Those shots reignited his confidence, and he once again ascendant in the rallies. He won the last five straight game of the match, locking in an all-Prested quarter-final against Levi Gale.
The last match of the first round saw home professional and recently re-anointed Ladies World Champion Claire Fahey challenged by Oxford professional Craig Greenhalgh. The match was a battle over the service end, from where Fahey was able to dominate the play, utilising the wide Oratory tambour to her advantage. Had the match been level, her play from the service end would have been enough to push ahead with a clear advantage on the scoreboard, but the owe 1/2 15 handicap kept Greenhalgh in contention. Both players were taking second gallery chases at every opportunity. In the deciding game of the first set, Greenhalgh earned three set points following some loose return of serves from Fahey. However, he could not convert any of them with Fahey pummelling the backhand corner until she crossed the line herself. The match would only last another one and a half games, with Greenhalgh retiring due to tension in his forearm.
The quarter-finals will take place on Thursday and Friday, with Rob Fahey, Ben Taylor-Matthews, Bryn Sayers and Levi Gale entering the competition, with the semi-finals and final to follow a week thereafter.
Tickets for all days play are for sale for just £25 via the Oratory pro shop, which includes the bar and nibbles.
Match results:
Thursday 5:30PM: Darren Long (Owe 1/2 15) def Neil Mackenzie (Love) 4/6 6/4 6/4
Thursday 7:00PM: Nino Merola (Owe 1/4 15) def Louis Gordon (Love) 6/2 6/0
Friday 5:30PM: Lewis Williams (Owe 1/4 15) lost to Vaughan (Love) 3/6 6/3 1/6
Friday 7:00PM: Claire Fahey (Owe 1/2 15) def Craig Greenhalgh (Love) 6/5 1/0 ret
Upcoming matches:
Thursday 5:30PM: Darren Long (Rec 1/2 15) vs Bryn Sayers (3) (Owe 1/2 15)
Thursday 7:30PM: Rob Fahey (1) (Owe 15) vs Nino Merola (Rec 1/2 15)
Friday 5:30PM: Claire Fahey (Rec 15) vs Ben Taylor-Matthews (2) (Love)
Friday 7:00PM: Levi Gale (4) (Owe 1/2 15) vs Vaughan Hamilton (Love)