Mixed title is a real Silver lining for Tan
THE annual Northumberland Senior Silver Tournament took place at Tyneside Badminton Centre.
There was an increased entry on last year, a regulation change from Badminton England meaning early rounds could be played on a roundrobin basis.
A decent showing from the locals was highlighted by a title for Newcastle University’s Vivian Tan in the mixed doubles.
Philip Pahatouridis led the local challenge, being seeded second in the men’s singles – and he duly justified that seeding without the loss of a set.
His semi-final against Neil Bhabuta of Lancashire was a different story, however, with Bhabuta having done well to defeat seeded Nathan Rossiter in his quarterfinal.
The first set saw Bhabuta race into an 11-4 lead which soon became 19-11 before a fightback from Pahatouridis saw him rally to 19-15 and then 20-19 before a winner from Bhabuta clinched it.
The second set was tighter, Pahatouridis briefly leading at 5-3 before reaching the interval 11-8 down.
The lead was to change hands again at 16-15 – but Bhabuta eventually clinched the set 21-17.
In the other half of the draw, top seed Alex Marritt’s progress had been serene and although he faced a sterner test in his semi-final against Adam Dolman he again prevailed in two sets, 21-13 21-19.
Marritt maintained his good form in the decider and took the opener 21-17.
He pressed home his advantage from an 11-5 lead at the interval and ran out a 21-10 victor.
In the ladies’ singles, top seed Newcastle University student CiCi Lu made the final without the loss of a set, as did second seed Basia Grodynska from Lothian.
The final was a curiously flat affair, with Lu seemingly unable to maintain her usual immaculate length and Grodynska was able to dictate play and clinch the final in straight sets.
In the ladies’ doubles, top seeds Terri-Lee Holmes and Ellie Wheatley dominated their group but the surprise winners were to emerge from the other group – veterans Sarah Pulley and Joanne Wilson from Derbyshire.
All their matches were three-setters – the closest against Andrea Lean from Yorkshire partnering Northumberland’s Tan which they only narrowly clinched 22-20 in the third.
The final was going to plan for the top seeds when they took the opening set 21-18 but the second was tighter and they trailed 11-8 at the interval.
Back they came to level at 17-1 – only to fall game point down at 20-18.
They saved two match points to level at 20-20 and another at 21-20 before finally getting home 23-21.
The story of the men’s doubles was the run of the Chong brothers Raymond and Osmond.
They defeated the fourth seeds in their group and then top seeds Dominic Ashton and Richard Morrissey from Cheshire before losing in the final to Marritt and Nathan Rossiter – who reached the decider by beating Pahatouridis and Matt Train from Teesside in two sets.
In the mixed, Eddie Burgess and Rachel Frobisher prevailed in their group and made the semi-finals but second seeds Ashton and Grodynska were too good for them as they went down in straight sets.
In the other half of the draw, Northumberland Gold winners, Teesside’s Josh Young and Tan claimed their semi-final in two sets to set up an intriguing final.
It did not disappoint, the first set having six changes of lead before Young and Tan prevailed 24-22.
The second set started evenly but an excellent run on Tan’s serve from 5-4 saw them lead 11-4 at the interval – and they maintained control of the match there on in to run out winners.