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| The Final: Sussex singles champion Mark James, with 5 times previous champion Terry Race |
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| The Final: Sussex singles champion Mark James, with 5 times previous champion Terry Race |
SUSSEX MEN'S SINGLES 2000-2001 Hurstpeirpoint SC Sunday 14th January 2001
It was decided to hold the Men’s singles on 1 day instead of playing rounds through the season. 36 players turned up to contest the title.
Round 1: A big name out in round 1 was Barry Holt. Just chosen to represent England in the forthcoming International in Jersey this February. Not the best way to prepare for the match as he’s ousted by Dick Dawdney from Horsham.
Round 2: Team mates Terry Molloy played Terry Race. Only 1 winner here, Racey running out leg 2 for 18,350. Nigel Senior was ahead of Steve Mariner after leg 1, but Steve ran out leg 2 for 18,210. A repeat of last years Sussex singles final saw Tony Lewis take on Jim Millward. Same result Jim winning through. Mark James also through with a decent break, 17,580.
Round 3: Gareth “I’m gonna kick your arse Mariner” Lloyd, played Steve, but not for long, as an opening break of just 600 doesn’t represent an arse kicking in my book!. Steve was 8k up with his break to come, but was not happy to miss on 17k with 3mins left in leg 2, so Steve kicked his own arse!!! Team mates Jim Millward and Mark James played each other. Both struggled in leg one, neither happy with the table. Jim took a slender lead into leg 2. Mark kept his nerve though and touched up on a 10k break to go through and dispatch Jim to the bar.
Q-Finals: John Slee trying hard not to progress creeps through. Steve Mariner comes up against a table he can’t run out, as he’s turned over by Terry Race, now concentrating very hard. Mark James looking good dumps out fellow Inter League team mate, Chris Tupper. As Chris is Inter League captain, I don’t expect Mark to get another break this season!. Doubles winner Graham Lewis beats doubles runner up Kim Wood.
Semi Finals: A semi both John Slee and Terry Race will want to forget. Neither seemingly wanting to progress! as they manage to score less than 10,000 points between them. In the other semi Mark James was heading towards his second Sussex singles final, the last was in 1993. Graham Lewis had a good weekend, he started on the Saturday where he won the doubles, carried on the good form Sunday, where it took Mark in the semi Sunday evening before he was finally beaten. Loads of ranking points.
The Final: It seems the relentless pace of alcoholic beverages imbibed during the day may well have finally caught up with 5 times former holder of this title, Terry Race. Even Mark would agree, the match would surely have been closer otherwise.
Leg 1: Terry only started with 2k, then another 3k but a stray shot saw the felling of the black peg. So it was Mark who took a slight lead into leg 2. leg 1 scores… Terry 150 - 2,220 Mark.
Leg 2: Mark was to make no mistake, as he calmly slotted home an 8k break for an unassailable lead and his first Sussex Singles title. Not a classic but Mark won’t mind that…leg 2 scores… Terry 20 - 8,140 Mark.
Totals… Terry 170 - 10,360 Mark