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Guy Smith-Bingham defeated US Amateur Champion Rupert Owen-Browne in straight games 16/13,15/5,15/5 to win his third consecutive Amateur Championship

Guy Smith-Bingham retained his Amateur Singles title at Queens with a three games to love,16/13,15/5,15/5, victory over Rupert Owen-Browne. This was Smith-Binghams third victory in a row and perhaps some consolation for his disappointing loss to Harry Foster in the eliminator for the World Championship.

Smith-Bingham had an untroubled passage through to the semi finals, dropping only 24 points in six games but in the semis he found Tim Cockroft a more difficult proposition eventually winning three games to two, 17/15,9/15,7/15,15/6,15/1. In this match Guy, often did not look or play as positively as he does when he is at his best. Tim himself had only just managed to get the better of Willie Boone in an ill tempered Â¼ final, 15/3,11/15,12/15,15/3,15/7. Owen-Browne had also had an untroubled passage through to the semis, dropping just 21 points in his first two matches before beating Alex Titchener-Barrett 3 games to one, 11/15,15/10,15/1,16/13, in a match marked by some breath-taking ball striking

The first game decided the course of the match. Smith-Bingham took a 4/0 lead, but Owen-Browne in two hands went to 8/5 and then in his next hand to 11/6. At this stage Guy, having won back the serve with a stunning backhand return, started serving a top spin lawn tennis serve from the right hand box that was to change the course of the game and the match. He reached 10/11 in one hand and then the players exchanged service 3 times before Rupert, with two aces, reached 13/10, The total aces served by the players throughout the match was very close, 15 to Guy and 13 to Rupert. Although Rupert was able to cope successfully with the serve most of the time it was to win Guy points at critical times, one of them at 12/13 down to reach 13 all. Having chosen set 3 Rupert lost the game 16/13.

Guy then went to 9/0 in his first hand in the second game and Rupert although continuing to run the ball down seemed to have run out of energy. At 5/9 both players held serve 5 times before either won a point and then Smith-Bingham took a 13/5 lead serving three clean aces. Despite regaining serve after winning an exceptional rally at 5/13 Owen-Browne was unable to win a point and Smith-Bingham took the game 15/5 with two further aces.

The third game followed a similar pattern, Rupert never able to build a run as he was now serving very loosely to Guys backhand, giving Guy an easy kill on the return of serve. The rackets was still of the highest quality at times but Guy was now dominant and despite hitting his first Championship point smartly into the tin he made to mistake with his second. In defeating the newly crowned US Amateur Champion so emphatically, Smith-Bingham has taken the first step towards trying for another World Championship challenge.

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