Sabine’s win was a highlight of Masters
A week of unforgettable squash at Bridge of Allan Sports Club came to an end on Sunday night when a recordbreaking Central Masters tournament was completed at Minewood.
The Allanwater Brewhouse sponsored ladies team got proceedings off to a flyer when they hammered ESC1 5-0 to move within four points of leaders Edinburgh University at the top of the East of Scotland Ladies Division One.
The highlight of the night was No.1 Sabine Mackenzie’s impressive three set demolition of former Scotland No.1 Senga MacFie at the top of the order.
Ecstatic skipper Sheena Logan, who was a four set victor at second string, said: “We really needed to win and win well to keep the heat on Edinburgh University and to reduce the gap to four points is fantastic.
“All credit To Sabine who produced a superb performance of line and length and exceptional discipline against an inventive and unorthodox opponent of the highest quality.”
The week really caught fire when the men’s firsts and seconds met in an EoS Division One match and top players Dougie Kempsell and Fergus Richards served up an epic encounter.
In the first half of the season Kempsell beat Richards in four sets and it looked like he would improve on that when he went two sets up.
But Richards mounted a gritty rear guard action to win the third then fend off three match points in an unforgettable fourth set with some quite breathtaking retrieving to take it into a decider and eventually break Kempsell to win 11-3 and receive a standing ovation from a packed and utterly absorbed gallery.
An ecstatic Fergus admitted the victory is the best of his career. “I was really worried that this match was going the way of our first meeting in that I had chances early on, didn’t take them and that came back to haunt me big time!
“But I stuck with it and winning the fourth set tie break 14-12 and saving the three match balls was the big turning point. But you get nothing for free against Dougie and the fact we were on court for almost an hour-and-a-half says it all.
“There is no doubt this is the biggest win of my squash career so far. To beat someone like Dougie who has been there and done it has given me a huge boost ahead of the British Nationals this week in Nottingham.”
With the thirds match called off due to a flu outbreak and this week a clear card due to the holiday week, all the focus was firmly on the Central Masters tournament over the weekend.
With a record-breaking entry of 91 and competitors coming from as far afield as Canada the action was fast and furious over three days of engrossing squash played by entrants ranging from 35 years old to 83 yearsold.
There was to be major home success with Sabine Mackenzie claiming the women’s over45 title, Andy MacBean the gents’ over-40 title and Pauline Douglas was winner in the ladies vintage category.
An all Bridge of Allan men’s over-50 final saw Andy Meldrum edge Martin Jack 3-1 in a tense meeting of two Minewood second team stalwarts and still sprightly septuagenarian John McLaren claiming the gents’ over-70 plate title.
Club champion MacBean summed up a memorable weekend when he said: “What a great weekend of squash and a huge thanks to Walter McAllister and his team for putting on such a seamless tournament.
“As current Bridge of Allan club champion to back that up by winning the Central Masters title in the last final of the championship is something I will cherish for a long time.”