51st devon restricted badminton tournament
South Devon’s young badminton stars had their moments at the Fulfords-sponsored Devon Restricted Badminton Championships at Torquay but it was the 40-year-old veteran Betty Blair who enjoyed a ‘full house’ to win an eleventh triple crown.
Sister’s Holly and Verity Pitts (Buckfast), Darren Peterson (Abbotskerswell), Vernon Smeed (Chudleigh) and Jamie Roberton (Bishopsteignton) all enjoyed a modicum of success at the two-day event but all were eclipsed by the amazing Betty Blair.
Tremendous backing from respective doubles partners Dan Harris and Zoe-dee Ledger saw Blair finish unbeaten in all three events some twenty-three years after she swept all before her for the very first time alongside fellow England under 23 internationals Sue Louis and Paul Holden from Exmouth.
It is a quarter of a century since she won the singles for the first time and her twenty-first Restricted singles title came after her defeat of Charlotte Hawkins (Crediton) 21-12, 21-11 in the final.
Devon junior Claire Hannah (Exmouth), granddaughter of the late Paignton cricket legend Trevor Ward, did her best but was among those who went down to Blair 21-14, 21-8.
It’s a sad indictment of some of Devon’s other young ladies that they failed to rise to the challenge but Blair’s longevity is testament to a truly remarkable player who possesses great talent and a natural desire to succeed in all things at all times.
A successful businesswoman in her own right, Blair, who has a penchant for fast cars, is not a player to hang around or accept second best.
It’s almost twenty-years since she figured in the English Top 10 at a time when county team-mates Sue Louis and Miles Johnson from Exmouth were the respective number eight’s in the men’s and ladies singles tables.
Louis went on to become the England No 1 and collect 28 senior international caps as well as two national singles titles and appearances at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada. Johnson’s England career was relatively short and sweet with the irrepressible lefthander winning mixed doubles silver at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand.
But while her two illustrious Cranford clubmates were cashing in all over the place, Blair built up her business and a big reputation on the domestic circuit as well as dominating Devon’s early season closed event.
She never got the foreign trips that should have come her way after winning the National 18 and under title but in recent years, as a veteran, she has impressed in Australia, Bulgaria and Canada.
In 2002, Blair beat Australian Olympian and former Devon Open finalist Rhonda Cator to win the World Masters’ over 35 title in Melbourne and was later to capture the World Seniors’ mixed title in Sofia.
Two years ago at the World Masters’ Games in Canada, Blair came back from 7-10 down in the second game and 1-4 down in the third game to beat Karen Torstensen 5-11, 13-11, 11-4 in the final of the Over 35 singles.
A member of the Cranford Club for over twenty-five years, Blair saw former clubmate and one-time Exmouth schoolboy Alistair Jones win the Devon Restricted men’s singles title after beating Ben Watkins (Crediton) 22-20, 21-7 under the new scoring system.
The new system was in operation at the recent Duchy of Cornwall Open and Devon chairman David Burgess (Barnstaple) who refereed in Cornwall, said: “It went well and at the weekend it was the first time we’ve used the new system in Devon and yes, it does seem to be going well.”
Burgess was impressed by a lot of the youngsters at the Restricted and praised the work that is being done at Queen’s (Crediton) and at the Cranford Club (Exmouth) under former England number one Sue Louis.
“The overall entry was pretty reasonable and I think it is a credit to all the hard work being done by the coaches and Devon development officer Sue Jarvis from Torquay. Hopefully the county selectors are quite encouraged by what they saw.”
Certainly there was no substitute for experience in the men’s doubles with former junior internationals Matt and Daniel Corby (Ivybridge) beating Dan Harris and Tim Willis (Paignton) 21-12, 21-10 in the final.
Results - Fulfords Devon Restricted Badminton Tournament (Torquay)
Men’s singles
Semi-finals:
- A Jones bt T Rowley 21-7, 21-8
- B Watkins bt I Kirby 14-21, 21-8, 21-14
Final:
- A Jones bt B Watkins 22-20, 21-7
Ladies’ singles
Final:
B Blair bt C Hawkins 21-12, 21-11
Men’s doubles
Group A:
- M & D Corby bt K Cobbledick & I Kirby 21-14, 21-15; bt J Samuel & R Pering 21-11, 21-9; bt A Yeung & Hong EE 21-8, 21-14.
Group B:
- D Harris & T Willis bt L Green & I Honeyman 21-10, 21-14; bt J Bell & T Goode 21-10, 21-12; bt C Hewitt & D Williams 21-10, 21-9.
Group C:
- D Peterson & M Trebble lost to V Smeed & B Watkins 16-21, 21-18, 19-21; bt J Roberton & R Townsend 21-8, 21-6; bt D Chick & D Frisby 21-16, 21-14.
Semi-finals:
- Matt & D Corby bye
- D Harris & T Willis bt D Peterson & M Trebble 21-15, 21-15
Final:
- M & D Corby bt D Harris & T Willis 21-12, 21-10.
Ladies’ doubles
Group A:
- B Blair & Z Ledger bt C Hawkins & D Sawyer 21-8, 21-11; bt E Macauley & D Stewart 21-9,21-12; bt L Debenham & V Pitts 21-4, 21-8.
Group B:
- L Hunt & S Bates bt C Kingdon & T Chick 21-9, 21-8; bt C Hannah & H Pitts 21-17, 19-21, 21-17; bt K Briggs & J Brooks 21-17, 21-15.
Final:
- B Blair & Z Ledger bt L Hunt & S Bates 21-10, 21-17.
Mixed doubles
Group A:
- D Harris & B Blair bt K Cobbledick & J Brooks 21-13, 11-21, 21-12; bt L Green & V Wrycroft 21-9, 21-9; bt L Mayo & C Turnstill 21-12, 21-11.
Group B:
- S Roberts & C Hannah bt I Kirby & K Briggs 21-14, 21-19; bt J Roberton & L Debenham 21-15, 21-13; bt D Williams & H Pitts 21-7, 16-21, 21-13; bt A Waistell & C Kingdon 21-8, 21-15.
Group C:
- D Frisby & G Sawyer bt V Smeed & C Hawkins 21-15, 21-11; bt D & T Chick 21-18, 21-16; bt B Watkins & N Smethurst 21-8, 22-20.
Semi-finals:
- D Harris & B Blair bye.
- D Frisby & G Sawyer bt S Roberts & C Hannah 21-12, 21-15.
Final:
- D Harris & B Blair bt D Frisby & G Sawyer 21-13, 21-15.