Waller and Beddoes take Boston titles
Top seed Adrian Waller beat the second-seeded defending champion Andy Whipp to claim the Boston Open 2011 title, while Emma Beddoes retained her title as she beat Tania Bailey in the women’s final.
Emma Beddoes successfully retained the Ladies’ title whilst world #59 Adrian Waller lived up to his number one seeding in the men’s event at the BSPA Boston Open this weekend.
The fact that both favourites won their respective competitions accurately reflected the unusually precise nature with which the tournament went to seeding.
Friday saw 22 matches take place as the men’s first and second rounds were completed. In the first round local competitors Mark Hildred and Chris Clements both put in respectable performances against seeded professionals. Clements lost 11/6, 11/9, 13/11 to world top 100 player Eddie Charlton, whilst Hildred was defeated by 5/8 seed Lewis Walters 14/12, 12/10, 11/5. Charlie Johnson, Sunil Seth, Matt Hardy and Tristan Eysele were all victorious in four games, whilst everybody else progressed with 3-0 wins. Andy Whipp received a walkover against Sho Miyawaka whilst Adrian Waller comfortably beat Phillip Bull in straight sets.
n the second round Waller defeated Robert Dadds 11/8, 11/2, 11/1 in 21 minutes, whilst Whipp took a minute longer to beat Tristan Eysele 11/8, 11/8, 11/3. ¾ seeds Eddie Charlton and Charles Sharpes, and 5/8 seeds Alex Phillips, Arthur Gaskin, Chris Truswell and Lewis Walters all reached the quarter finals in straight sets, meaning that no unseeded players were left in the competition.
On Saturday the seedings again proved to be spot on as the four 5/8 seeds were knocked out. Adrian Waller beat Alex Phillips 11/7, 11/4, 11/8, Eddie Charlton overcame Arthur Gaskin in 53 minutes 11/6, 8/11, 11/8, 11/9, Charles Sharpes beat Chris Truswell 11/8, 11/9, 8/11, 11/9, and Andy Whipp beat Lewis Walters 13/11, 11/5, 11/7.
In the evening the semi finals got underway, and they were without doubt the best matches of the tournament. Number one seed Adrian Waller beat Eddie Charlton 11/7, 11/5, 8/11, 11/8 in 40 minutes, and the ferocity with which the battle was fought is highlighted by the statistics – with the referee having to make 28 calls within the game’s duration. The match of the Open then entertained the sizeable crowd that had gathered. Andy Whipp and Charles Sharpes put on a spectacular show, with Whipp eventually winning 3/11, 11/6, 7/11, 11/9, 11/8. The encounter, the longest of the tournament at 54 minutes, was one in which Sharpes had chances to cause the only major upset of the weekend. Sharpes took the first and third games but Whipp drew level twice, digging in to win the fourth game after Sharpes had shot into a 9/6 lead as Whipp appeared to sustain a back problem. The clash therefore went to a fifth and deciding set, and it was the only match to do so over the weekend, an unprecedented occurrence at Boston. Whipp won the semi final 11/8 in the fifth as Sharpes failed to hit his shot up when retrieving the 2010 winner’s backhand drop shot in the final rally.
In Sunday’s men’s final Adrian Waller beat Andy Whipp 11/6, 11/1, 11/5 in just 19 minutes. In truth, it was the poorest men’s final to watch for a number of years, with Whipp suffering from his tough semi final during which he had incurred a back injury. Nevertheless, Waller, the British U23 National Champion, was pleased to take the winner’s check for £570 and to secure his first Boston Open title.
The women’s final also had a disappointing end after looking to be a promising affair. World #22 Emma Beddoes was fighting to retain her crown whilst former world #4 Tania Bailey was seeking her 5th Boston Open Ladies’ title. The final had been set up after the two stars had topped their respective pools by beating the other two competitors in each of their groups on Saturday. Bailey stole the first game 11/5 before the score was reversed for the next two games. With Bailey trailing 2-1 she was forced to retire by breathing difficulties. The Open will return for a 16th consecutive time next December as it continues to hold the prestige of being the BSPA’s longest-running event.
