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Foster makes the climb look easy
[by DM - 28 Nov 2004]
Harry Foster defeated Guy Smith-Bingham by four games to love
15/9,15/10,15/9,15/0 in the second leg to win the Eliminator for the
World Championship by five games to four.
After the first leg of the eliminator with Guy Smith-Bingham holding a
four games to one lead and a points advantage of 32, the words mountain
and climb were much mentioned. The only person who had evidently not
been listening was Harry Foster, who, in a stunning reversal of the
first leg scores produced a great display of attacking rackets to take
the second leg by four games to love15/915/10,15/9,15/0. He won the
eliminator by five games to four. Over the two legs the two players had
won exactly the same number of points
Harry went into an early lead in the first game taking a 10/2 advantage
in three hands, serving 6 aces. In the four games of the match Harry
would serve 32 aces to Guys 10. In the first leg Guy served 38 aces to
19 from Harry. Guy was having trouble finding his timing and touch and
was a little tighter than Harry who took a 12/2 lead helped by another
service ace and a great forehand kill.
Smith-Bingham having regained service lost it immediately with an
unsuccessful hammer but Foster was able to add only one point before
losing serve. Smith-Bingham reached 4/13 before being put out by a great
return from Foster. Going forward on his backhand he took the ball on
the rise and killed hard and low it down the wall. He was unable to add
to his score and Guy reached 8/13 and then having lost serve and
regained it for the added one more point before Harry reached game point
with a cross court kill and finished the game with another ace.
The second game was the most competitive, Harry again taking an early
lead, reaching 7/0 in his first hand. This time Guy managed to get into
the game earlier and reached 6/7 in two hands with the assistance of
four aces. Having lost serve but then put out Foster, he took the lead
at 9/7, the only time in the match he was ahead . It was unavailing
however, as he only scored one more point reaching 10 in his next hand,
before Harry took the game reaching 15/10 in his next two hands.
The third game followed the pattern of the first two, Foster taking an
early lead, leading 9/0 in his first three hands, serving six aces
before Smith-Bingham got a point and then 12/1 and then 12/3 Harry was
varying his serve with some success and Guy was making too many unforced
errors, still had not found his timing and was not really moving his
feet. At this stage Smith-Bingham had a run of five to reach 8/12.
Having got back in Harry served two more aces to reach game point and
although Guy, having put him out, served an ace to reach 9/15. he was
put out in his turn by a fine cross court return and Harry served
another ace to take the game 15/9.
The last game saw a rampant Foster serve 5 consecutive clean aces to
reach 9/0 in his first hand and then although a disconsolate
Smith-Bingham served once he failed to score and Harry took the game and
the match 15/0 in his next hand
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