Sam has double success at League Tournament
27 April, 2016 Sally Copleston
There was a double success for Sam Owens at this year’s Exeter and District Badminton League’s Annual Tournament. Sam won the doubles with his brother, Callum, and mixed doubles title with his mother, Suzanne.
The new Men’s Singles champion is Zac Phillips who defeated the number one seed, Sam Owens, in his semi-final match and the holder and number two seed, Jamie Roberton, in the final. Jamie faced tough opposition from Nathan Scase in his semi-final match before winning 21-11 in the third set.
There was a shock defeat for the 2014 champions and number one seeds, Jamie Roberton and Zac Phillips in the first round of the Mens Doubles when they were beaten 21-13, 7-21, 21-19 by their clubmates, Lloyd Skinner and Alex Moir. Skinner and Moir had another tough match in their semi-final against Geoff Littler and Sam Lees, this time losing 21-15 in the deciding game. Meanwhile the number two seeds, Sam and Callum Owens, came through the bottom half of the draw without dropping a game and defeated Littler and Lees in straight sets in the final.
The new Ladies Doubles champions are Exeter’s Rowan Despard and Verity Greenaway who won all their games in the round robin event. The Ladies Singles was not contested this year due to lack of entries.
After the disappointment of losing in the 2014 final Sam & Suzanne Owens, the number one seeds, triumphed in the final of the Mixed Doubles with a straight sets win over the number two seeds, Jamie Roberton and Bronya Pike to give Suzanne her third mixed title at the Annual Tournament.
There were some close games in the round-robin Handicap Tournament. In the Men’s Singles John Carter and Sam Clark both won 7 of their 8 games but John scored 2 more points than Sam to win the event. The Men’s Doubles was split into 2 groups - Group A was won by Vernon Smeed and Darren Frisby with maximum points who finished 23 points ahead of Exeter’s Tom Laver and Alex Bulley. Group B was won by Adrian Wijay and Tom Phillips who finished 3 points ahead of Exeter’s Alexey Bessudnov and Steve Ford. In the final Smeed & Frisby defeated Wijay & Phillips 21-17, 21-18
Chulmleigh’s Leoni Bishop and Amy Holland were undefeated in the Ladies Doubles to finish 16 points ahead of Sidmouth’s Maureen Borer and Grace Williams.
Only 9 points separated the top 3 pairs in Group A of the Mixed Doubles which was won by Sam Clark & Amy Holland. Group B was equally close with Tim Wardale & Louise Gubbin (St. Leonards) finishing one point ahead of Adrian Partridge & Emilia Partridge (Queens). In the final Sam Clark & Amy Holland beat Tim Wardale & Louise Gubbin by one point 21-14, 15-21.
Results of Level Events
Men’s Singles
Semi-finals:- Zac Phillips (Queens) beat Sam Owens (Ringswell) 21-16, 21-15
Jamie Roberton (Queens) beat Nathan Scase (Queens) 18-21, 21-17, 21-11
Final:- Phillips beat Roberton 21-18, 21-12
Plate Final: Geoff Littler (Exeter) beat Sunam Uddin (Exeter/St. Leonards) 21-18, 17-21, 21-15
Ladies’ Doubles
Winners: Rowan Despard and Verity Greenaway (Exeter)
Runners-up: Sue Banks and Kay Brewer (St. Leonards)
Men’s Doubles
Semi-finals:- Geoff Littler and Sam Lees (Exeter) beat Lloyd Skinner and Alex Moir (Queens) 21-17, 27-29, 21-15
Sam and Callum Owens (Ringswell) beat Dan Harris (Exeter) and Paul Owens (Ringswell) 21-15, 21-17
Final:- Owens and Owens beat Littler and Lees 21-16, 21-12
Plate Final: Adrian Midmer and Tom Phillips (St. Leonards) beat John Carter and Martyn
Schmidt (Sidmouth) 21-15, 21-11
Mixed Doubles
Semi-finals:- Sam Owens and Suzanne Owens (Ringswell ) beat Adrian Midmer and Kay Brewer
(St. Leonards) 21-17, 21-16
Jamie Roberton and Bronya Pike (Queens) beat Joe Davies (St. Leonards) and Lisa
Stevens (Cranford) 21-19, 21-15
Final:- Owens and Owens beat Roberton and Pike 21-16, 21-14
Plate Final: Geoff Littler and Rowan Despard (Exeter) beat Tim Wardale and Louise Gubbin
(St. Leonards) 21-18, 21-19
Handicap Tournament
Men’s Singles
Winner: John Carter (Sidmouth -9) = 166 points
Runner-up: Sam Clark (Queens SCR) = 164 points
Men’s Doubles
Group A Winners: Vernon Smeed and Darren Frisby (St. Leonards/Queens -10) = 126 points
Group B Winners: Adrian Wijay and Tom Phillips (St. Leonards -5) = 122 points
Final: Smeed & Frisby beat Wijay & Phillips 21-17, 21-18
Ladies’ Doubles
Winners: Leoni Bishop and Amy Holland (Chulmleigh +3) = 168 points
Runners-up: Maureen Borer and Grace Williams (Sidmouth +2) = 152 points
Mixed Doubles
Group A Winners: Sam Clark and Amy Holland (Queens/Chulmleigh +2) = 164 points
Group B Winners: Tim Wardale and Louise Gubbin (St. Leonards -9) = 165 points
Final: Clark & Holland beat Wardale & Gubbin 21-14, 15-21