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World Champion dominates Invitation Singles Final

photo dowling

Harry Foster receives the trophy from Tim Cockroft of sponsors KBC Peel Hunt

World Champion Harry Foster beat Guy Smith-Bingham in straight games,15/6,15/9,15/5 to take the KBC Peel Hunt Invitation Singles title at Queen's Club.

Of the two finalists Smith-Bingham had looked to be playing the better rackets during the round robin and semi finals. He won all his matches without the loss of a game and although he was in trouble during the second game against Willie Boone in their encounter, surviving 7 game points when coming back from 3/14 down to take the game in the set 17/16, that was as close as he came to losing a game before the final. In the semi final he was too strong for Charlie Danby who was carrying an injury. Foster on the other hand had lost a round robin match with Radley Professional Mark Hubbard by 3 games to two and lost a game in his semi final against Neal Bailey and appeared to be in less good form.

Foster won the spin and although he only won a single point before losing serve he got straight back in won another point was put out and then again put Smith-Bingham out for no score and then went to 6/0 in his next hand, again kept  his opponent pointless and took an 8/0 lead before Guy, at his fourth attempt, won 5 points during his serve. He put  out Foster for no score but was himself kept at the same score while Harry on his next foray in the service box went to twelve with  2 aces. Over the course of the match Harry served 21 aces to Guys 14.Throughout this game and indeed during the whole match Foster was easily the more consistent of the two players making very few unforced errors whereas Smith-Bingham made a plethora of mistakes especially on attempted kills on his forehand volley, gifting foster many cheap points. One of Foster's few unnecessary errors came when he had a chance for a seemingly straightforward kill to go to 13/5 and hit it smartly into the bottom of the tin. He got Guy out straight away and went to 13/5 with an ace and although Guy managed to get back in and served an ace himself to reach 6/13 foster was back in and served another ace to take the game 15/6.

The second game was closer with Smith-Bingham briefly taking a lead at 8/7.  However he only managed one more point during the game. The next passage of play saw neither men seemingly wanting to win the game. Both had six hands in with the score only moving to 9/9. Foster went to 10/9 with an ace and Smith-Bingham had a chance to level the scores again but only managed to hit a forehand volley into the bottom of the tin. Foster took the game in the next two hands going from 12/9 to game point with two aces. The match was being played on the Bridgeman court and this led to longer rallies as it is less severe off the back wall. Harry in particular retrieved magnificently and even at full stretch got the ball back with interest.

In what proved to be the final game the scores were close to 4/4 after four hands each. After that Harry went to 9/4 in one hand and then to 12/4. Guy was still rallying well but time and again he made an error to hand the rally to his,no doubt grateful, opponent. Having reached 14/5, match point, Harry served his 21st ace to take the game and the match. In his remarks at the prize giving Tim Cockroft Chief Executive of Sponsors KBC Peel Hunt made mention of the  clinical play of the World Champion and his great retrieving.

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