N A REPEAT of the 2006 Cuppers Final, Queen’s/Wycliffe were seeking revenge against Catz, who, although strengthened by Vadim Varvarin and Matt Brooke-Hitching, were lacking the all important no.1: Blues player Tim Weir.
In the first round Catz had the advantage, but after barely one set of play the rain poured down on the Queen’s courts. As the players huddled in the Queen’s pavilion, the teams agreed to relocate to the “magical” Catz/Trinity courts, where Catz had won their Quarter Final fixture only 3 weeks previously, in the pouring rain.
As if rehearsing for Wimbledon, the clouds returned and another heavy shower rained down, this time on the Catz courts, but it finally cleared, and play got underway, Brooke-Hitching and Luke Reeve Tucker salvaged a draw against Tyler and Thomas, the strong Queens 2nd pair.
The Catz 3rd pairing, Taylor and Iltchev, also halved against Carpenter and Craig, the Queens 1st pair. Varvarin and Szlachcic had little trouble in overcoming Grainger and Stott, the Queens 3rd pair, with a convincing 6-0, 6-1 win, making the overall score 4-2 in Catz’s favour.
In the Second Round, Reeve Tucker and Brooke-Hitching forced their way past Grainger and Stott, but Iltchev and Taylor struggled to draw with Tyler and Thomas, who raised their game having been a break down in each set. The Queens 1st pair gained a good win against Varvarin and Szlachcic, taking advantage of Varvarin’s twisted ankle. The score stood at 7-5.
In the final round, Varvarin and Szchachic lost 6-4, 7-5, despite being close to winning the second set, while the battle of the third pairs was won by Iltchev and Taylor.
At 8pm, 7 hours after the supposed start time, Catz were up 9-7 with the final match to go between the first pairs. A quick count-up showed that Catz had a large game advantage, meaning that even a heavy loss in the final match would make no difference to the overall score.
For the third year running, Catz pulled off a Cuppers Final Victory, but the captain was keen to give credit to the Queen’s side, who, for the second time this year, gave the Catz boys a serious run for their money, and provided a ‘highly entertaining afternoon of top quality tennis.’
Catz reign supreme once more
