Gediminas Smolskas wins Roehampton B-Class AC Singles

[<<] [>>] by John Pearson at Roehampton Croquet Club
26 May (AC)

Hardly any rain, with even a good deal of sunshine on Saturday, and lots of competitive play and an uncertain outcome until near the very end, for the final event of the Club's traditional AC tournament week, the B Level Singles. Due to last minute drop-out, Nick Yates of Roehampton (the holder, having won last year in his first such event) kindly turned out to make up even numbers. Three other previous winners were also in the field. Nick wasn't at his best, but still recorded the only 26-0 win - in 2 breaks - in the 3rd Round. He and Gediminas Smolskas, from Bury, - in his first appearance at Roehampton - met in the last Round (which, had Nick won, would have resulted in 5 players having 4 wins out of 5; the Manager's nightmare !). In the tightest of matches though, after Nick had reached Rover with both his balls (with Ged on 2 and 4 back), Ged held his nerve perfectly with a couple of fine breaks to win by +4 and thus be the outright winner. Diana Wilson of the home club, Simon Tuke of Ealing and Edinburgh's David Houston were worthy runners-up with 4 wins each.