Photos by Dowling     Mark Hue Wiliams presents Guy Barker & Ali Robinson with the trophy

Report by Norman Rosser 

Guy Barker and Alister Robinson having won the first leg in Chicago by the narrow margin of 4 games to 2 and 82 points to 81, the gallery anticipated a determined fight from Tim Cockroft and Guy Smith-Bingham in the second leg, and so it proved.

A successful start being so vital, all four players showed signs of tension in the first game, resulting in long runs of service.  Cockroft served from 1-1 to 5-1, Robinson retaliated from 1-5 to 12-5 including six consecutive aces, and Smith-Bingham promptly pulled back from 5-13 to 11-13 and in his next hand to 13-13.  Having set three Robinson, in the forehand court, made a winning return off a difficult serve from Smith-Bingham by playing a backhand boast just above the board, and two aces from Barker got them to game ball at 15-13.  However they were pulled back to 15-15, survived that game ball with a forehand winner from Robinson and won the game 16-15 in the second hand.

The second game was relatively short.  Smith-Bingham served four aces in a run from 1-2 to 8-2 but then Robinson did likewise in a run to game from 2-8.  He served particularly well to the forehand and also got the letter of several superb cross-court duels with Smith-Bingham.

With a total lead of 6 games to 2, and a lead of 6-0 in the next game, all seemed over, but not a bit of it.  In a resolute fight back Cockroft and Smith-Bingham led 7-6, 12-9 and 13-10, and Cockroft put out Barker at 12-13 with an excellent return of service, an ace from Smith-Bingham clinching the game 15-12.

The fourth game was level pegging to 7-7 with Barker’s defensive volleying outstanding but Cockroft had his best run from 7-7 to 14-7, and by winning the game 15-7 and establishing a total points lead of two, he and Smith-Bingham needed to win the next two games, a distinct possibility with Robinson slightly aggravating a previous injury.

Cockroft, always at his best in critical moments, then served from 3-5 to 8-5 and later an ace to get to 11-9, but Barker and Robinson became the champions in the next two hands winning some hectic rallies with Barker playing particularly well when he was forced to cross over to the forehand court and Robinson even managing to sustain one rally by returning the ball croquet fashion between his legs.

The final score: 18-13, 7-15, 15-11, 8-15, 18-13, 16-14; 16-15, 15-8, 12-15, 7-15, 15-11 emphasises what an even match it was with the champions winning 4 of their 7 games in the set and the points total was 147 to 145.  Perhaps the fact that they have played together for over twenty years since their Marlborough days just made the difference, although Cockroft, an experienced doubles player, has formed an effective partnership with Smith-Bingham, much the youngest of the four players, in a little over a year.

Mark Hue Williams presenting the trophies, paid tribute to the sponsorship of John Prenn and Lacoste, to the players, and to the match officials, Peter Brake and Andrew Lyons.  Barker responding made particular mention of John Thompson’s influence at Marlborough over several decades and the support and coaching they had received from Robert Wakely.