Record entries for championships

Last season’s open singles champion Ernest Mpundu dropped only one game along the way to the final, defeating Steve Johnson 3-0 in the semi-final.

Mpundu will meet Richard Element in the final, who also dropped only a single game, reaching the final with a 3-0 semi-final success over Chris Cattell.

The biggest surprise was Peter Eyre and Jack Kirkland’s run Open Doubles final. Their best result was a 3-0 win over holders and favourites Rick Harris and Ernest Mpundu in the semi-final. The other finalists are Richard Element and Steve Johnson.

Another surprise came in the Second Division singles as Jeff Reay, top of the singles averages, was knocked out at the first hurdle by Kieran Tutter. who reached the final. Tutter will face Mark Bloomer, who knocked out another favourite, Mark Sansom, 3-0 at the quarter-final stage.

The final of the Second Division doubles will be between Clive Eden and Mark Bloomer and Jeff Reay and Alex Olliffe, who had to play only one match to make it to the final.

Reay and Olliffe defeated James Wormwell and Mark Fisher 3-0 in the first semi-final with Eden and Bloomer beating Mitchell Radford and George Makrakis 3-2.

The overwhelming favourite in the Third Division singles was Farhad Saiepour, who had won all 30 league singles matches. Saiepour cruised through to the final where he will meet Connor Bettley, who beat Jordan Potter, Graham Stent and Keith Bloomfield.

Bettley will also feature in the final of the Third Division doubles with his partner Ivan Stallworthy. They will meet Nigel Stent and Neil Fisher.

Three out of four semi-finalists in the junior singles were from the same family as Orestas, Martynas and Valentinas Riauba made it through with Jack Kirkland joining them. Valentinas defeated his brother, Martynas 3-0, and with Orestas beating Kirkland by the same scoreline to make it an all-Riauba final.

The most entries were in the handicap singles where Mark Sansom and Nigel Stent made the final.

Last season’s over-40s champion, Ernest Mpundu, will play Chris Cattell in that final. The plate final will be between Andy Lee and Jack Kirkland.

Four players from Division One — Peter Eyre, Rick Harris, Chris Cattell and Orestas Riauba — are to contest the draw doubles finale.

Finals nights are at Stanley Street Club on 28th February and 28th March.