It was a beautiful sunny Saturday morning, the air was
crisp, the dew still evaporating and the birds singing but little did the
people of Epsom know that a bloody battle was about to to unfold. It was the 22nd
December 2001 and the Quarterfinal of the Veterans of GB Doubles Championship
were to be decided at the plush and prestigious courts of The RAC Country Park
in Surrey.
In one corner, all the way from Radlett LT&SC in
Hertfordshire, stood Derek “The Iceman” Thorpe and Phil “Genesis” Collins. And
in the other corner, playing on their home turf, were Patrick Keenan and Stuart
“Ex Chief Exec” Courtney. The positioning of the players meant that Courtney
and Thorpe were to battle it out on the left with Keenan and Collins on the
right.
Courtney did not take long to warm and clinically despatched
99% of the loose balls into the cross-court nick to great effect. Thorpe’s
method of attack was to tire Courtney, stretching him from the front to the
back again and again. It was on the other side of the court that much of the
real action was to be seen. Collins found success with his trusty hard-hitting
sidewall rallies but Keenan was more than happy to reply.
The heat on court was fast becoming unbearable and the rallies
were finding almost every angle on the court. The margin between the pairs was
paper-thin but after around an hour Thorpe and Collins stormed their way
towards match point. At 13-13, and 2 games to 1, victory was in sight and
Collins could almost taste the Champagne but their opponents were not prepared
to give in that easily and evened the game 2-2.
The marathon continued as Derek stretched Courtney, keeping
him away from the front, with the ball glued to the wall, but whenever Courtney
found himself under pressure, the ball seemed to find its way into the middle
of the court for the inevitable let. Phil majestically covered the forehand and
front of the court for the first 4 games but it was clear to see that the
combined attack was having its effect.
After winning the 4th game, Courtney &
Keenan’s doubles experience began to tell. There were numerous hands-in/out at
0-0 in the 5th game, but Courtney & Keenan eased ahead and kept
a small but telling lead for the entire game, Derek & Phil were eventually
beaten 3-2 in 1hour 30minutes.
Who was The Weakest
Link? Probably neither. Just watch this space for news about the Vets
Doubles next year.
Vets Reporter Dec 2001