Men’s Band 1:
Steve Beerling justified his top seeding at the Tees Sport Doncaster Grand Prix by claiming the Men’s Band 1 title in confident fashion against Scott Barton.
Beerling ensured steady progress to the final stage with wins against Nicolas Leung (3-1) and Sam Logue (3-0), whilst Barton had to beat fellow Scots Craig Hardie (3-1) and Calum Main (3-1) to join him.
In the final it was Beerling who took charge, winning the first two games 11-4 and 11-8 to seemingly set up the title. Although Barton came back in the third, it was only delaying the inevitable as Beerling took the fourth 11-7, and with it, the trophy.
Women’s Band 1:
Natalie Slater was the winner of a seven-way Women’s Band 1 group that progressed deep into Saturday evening. Slater had to battle all the way in several of her matches before she could finally take the title home.
Slater’s win over Sue Collier 3-0 (11-9, 11-6, 11-7) proved crucial in winning the title after both girls had won five times.
The best matches of the group stage both included Slater after a tight 3-2 (10-12, 2-11, 11-4, 12-10, 11-7) comeback win for the champion against Janay Gibson and another 3-2 (11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10) victory over Gillian Edwards.
Men’s Band 2:
Scotland’s Calum Main waltzed to the Men’s Band 2 title after dominating England’s Danny Lawrence in the final.
It didn’t seem as though that would be the case after analysing their semi-final performances. Lawrence was consummate in his 3-0 (11-7, 12-10, 11-8) victory over promising cadet Marcus Giles, while Main had a much tougher battle against Ireland’s Sam Logue.
Logue led 2-1 before a nerve-wracking fourth game was narrowly held 16-14 by Main. He repeated the feat in the decider too – saving a match point to win through 15-13.
The final, high on expectation after the form of the pair, was somewhat of an anti-climax with Main cruising past Lawrence, recording a comfortable 3-0 scoreline.
Women’s Band 2:
Gillian Edwards was unbeaten on her way to securing the Women’s Band 2 with a professional performance in the knockout stages to advance without any scares.
While Edwards beat Lynda Flaws 3-1 (11-8, 11-4, 6-11, 11-6), her final opponent, Sue Collier, had to recover from 2-1 down to beat Corinna Whittaker 3-2 (8-11, 11-7, 12-14, 11-2, 11-8).
However, despite fighting hard to make the final, Collier was no match for Edwards who won through comfortably in four games.
Men’s Band 3:
Stephen Joslin had to survive a match point in the fourth game to come from behind to win a classic encounter with Matthew Man who was desperately unfortunate to lose the final.
Both players had progressed with ease to the final with Man winning three successive 3-0 matches against Richard Element, Rob Owen and Tony Stead, while Joslin just dropped two games against the trio of Pawel Orzechowski, Andreas Pusch and Josh Band.
That set up the final which began as dramatically as it ended with a 13-11 game to Man. Joslin replied 11-9 in the second but when Man won the third 11-2 it appeared to be going only one way.
However, Joslin recovered in the fourth, saving a match point with some fortune from an edge, before taking the decider 11-5 to seal the title.
Women’s Band 3:
Zoe Cheesman avenged her group stage defeat to Pavlina Polakova in the final of the Women’s Band 3 in style with a straight games win.
The pair finished first and second in group one despite battling each other in a classic five game encounter that was the closest in the group. On that occasion Polakova came out on top 3-2 (6-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-3, 14-12).
However, after Polakova had beaten Sandra Rider in three, and Cheesman had beaten Janine Bromley in the fifth game, the latter finalist was too strong as she reversed the result from earlier – conceding just 13 points in the victory in the final.
Men’s Band 4:
Sam Hitchen fought through a succession of full-distance knockout matches to rightfully earn his Men’s Band 2 title at the Tees Sport Doncaster Grand Prix.
Firstly, he came up against Bradley Wood in the quarter-finals – winning with the most dramatic of fifth games 3-2 (7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 13-11). Then, in the semi-final, he battled past Noor Owadally 3-2 (11-5, 5-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-5).
Not to be outdone, his final opponent, Adam Smith, also won in five against Sean Ward but could not hold back the ever-energetic Hitchen who, once again, went the full distance 3-2 (6-11, 11-9, 9-11, 12-10, 11-4).
Women’s Band 4:
The Women’s Band 4 was a single group round-robin competition with Sigourney Ducksbury taking the spoils for the first time in a Grand Prix this season.
Her first match proved to be the most important against runner-up Maria Lebedeva who she beat 3-0 (11-4, 11-2, 11-4). The closest match of the tournament was between Lucy Budworth and Lynda Lo – the latter coming out triumphant 3-2 (11-8, 13-11, 9-11, 7-11, 12-10).
Men’s Band 5:
Richard Hague suffered his second final defeat on the first day in Doncaster (after the morning’s Band 6 below) with Adam Jepson the victor this time around.
Jepson always seemed in control of the final and eventually inflicted Hague’s second last stage defeat in four games 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7).
Men’s Band 6:
Marcus Reynolds was the first title winner at the Tees Sport Doncaster Grand Prix as he raced to the title early on Saturday morning.
After beating Mikey Daley in five games in his quarter-final, he came from 1-0 behind against Richard Zurynski in his semi-final to hold his nerve three times in a row 11-9, 11-9, 11-9.
In the final he met Richard Hague who had a similar experience in his semi-final. After losing the first 11-5, he also held his nerve three times 14-12, 11-9, 12-10. However, there could only be one winner in the final and it was Reynolds whose cool head saw him home once more in three tight games.
Tees Sport Doncaster Grand Prix Final Results
Men’s Band 1:
Steve Beerling bt Scott Barton 3-1 (11-4, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7)
Women’s Band 1:
Natalie Slater wins round-robin
Men’s Band 2:
Callum Main bt Danny Lawrence 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-3)
Women’s Band 2:
Gillian Edwards bt Sue Collier 3-1 (13-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7)
Men’s Band 3:
Stephen Joslin bt Matthew Man 3-2 (11-13, 11-9, 2-11, 12-10, 11-5)
Women’s Band 3:
Zoe Cheesman bt Pavlina Polakova 3-0 (11-3, 11-5, 11-5)
Men’s Band 4:
Sam Hitchen bt Adam Smith 3-2 (6-11, 11-9, 9-11, 12-10, 11-4)
Women’s Band 4:
Sigourney Ducksbury wins round-robin
Men’s Band 5:
Adam Jepson bt Richard Hague 3-1 (11-8, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7)
Men’s Band 6:
Marcus Reynolds bt Richard Hague 3-0 (11-8, 12-10, 11-9)