Outstanding match accounts from the 2009 Charleston Doubles… in the words of Richard Millman…

On the first evening of the 2009 Charleston Doubles, in the Men's Open, Charleston Squash club professional Richard Millman and evergreen supporter of South Eastern and National Squash, Bob Burton, were paired against Piedmont Driving club duo Hugh Hailey and Billy Benedict. The Piedmont pair had a flying start winning the first two games in what were tight battles. Millman and Burton then performed an escape act worthy of any contortionist as they survived not only the two game deficit, but also several match balls, before Burton's beefy backhand betrayed Billy Benedict and squirted unplayably out of the nick as the score stood at 16 all, match ball in the fifth.

On Day Two, Charlie Benedict and John Sheffield from the Piedmont Driving Club in Atlanta Georgia were confronted by Hunter Lott and Jim Semple of the Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington Delaware. The standard of play was high with multiple reverse corners from both teams - messrs Sheffield and Semple in particular. The first two games went the way of the Georgia twosome with the rightwall competition going mainly to Charlie Benedict whose lofty reach and impressive attacking straight volley often won the rally. However, despite the deficit, The Wilmington team never gave up and to paraphrase Hunter Lott: "My father always

said that when you have the opponent in the killing bottle - don't open the lid to peak at whether he is still there, because he can climb out through even a tiny opening." This is precisely what ensued in the this match. Jim Semple stopped trying to battle the right wall with Charlie and lobbed the back corner of Jim Sheffield's left wall. While there was no immediate collapse, the Georgia pair didn't have the same hold over the match thereafter, and the coolness of the Northern Southerners prevailed in a hard fought fifth.

There is one question that was answered. Could anybody possibly serve two double faults in a single game? It took focus. It took determination. It took training beyond the norm. But. Yes, it could be done. Nominated the best athlete at the club, Chris Murphy carried away this ultimate accolade on Saturday afternoon.

In other competition, Paul Gingrich and Harry Miley had already settled the argument in the 50+ division having beaten both the other teams in the round robin to take the blue ribbon. So it was left to the Atlanta pairing of Bob Burton and Alladin Mitha to sweep up second place honors by beating a war weary Charleston twosome of Berry Rudisill and Bruce Ball - who nevertheless came away with the consolation trophy.

Gingrich and Miley were double winners this weekend as they also took the gold (or in this case the engraved Pilsner glasses) in the B division, seeing off the challenge of Chris Tountas and Jonas Laursen in a sharp 3-1 encounter. In a copy cat of the 50+ competition, Wilmington Country club compatriots Hunter Lott and Jim Semple carried the competition in the 60's having won both of their round robin games on Saturday. It was then left to Piedmont Driving Club's stalwart pair of John Sheffield and Charlie Benedict to steal the second place honors as they defeated Charlestons septuagarian pairing of Bob Sade and Chris Tountas in the final match of the 60+, winning 3-0.

Finally in the Open competition, a very close run tournament came down to the wire with three teams in contention right down to the last match. With the final match to play this left the following situation: Alladiin Mitha/Mike Donnelly, played 3, won 3, lost 0, games for 9, games against 3. Jonas Laursen/Berry Rudisill, played 4, won 3, lost 1, games for 9 games against 6. Richard Millman/Bob Burton, played 3, won 2, lost 1, games for 8, games against 5.

Thus, for Millman and Burton to win they would have to beat Mitha and Donnelly better than 3 games to 2, as two games would secure the win for the latter.

And so the epic final commenced. It soon became clear that Millman and Burton were up for the challenge and they took a commanding lead in the first game and then came through to win. The same pattern followed in the second and suddenly Millman and Burton stood at 2-0 on the verge of an historic victory. But wait! A stumble! And Mitha and Donnelly came roaring back with a flurry of winners which combined with a spate of Millman errors, brought victory in the third and a score line of 1 game to 2. And so the rubber game of the competition unfolded - and what a game it was, with several rallies going over twenty and maybe even thirty shots. If Mitha and Donnelly could win this game - their victory in the competition was assured. And so it came to pass. The match stood at two games all. But with the tournament lost, there was still a play for second place for Millman and Burton. Perhaps relaxed and in the absence of the burden of pressure to win the tournament, Bob Burton proceeded to delight the gallery with a series of stupendous, only slightly frame-assisted and misshit winners to put the Millman Burton team in an unassailable position. They won the last 15/11 to win the match,

lose the championship, but take second place. After the presentation and a celebratory libation, Alladin Mitha was heard to remark that he was particularly appreciative of winning by losing. Oh Alladin - you contrarian!

Thanks again to our sponsor David Lewin and the Hamlin Fine Art Galleries, to our patrons Bob Sade, Harry Miley and Mike Donnelly, and to all the participants who contributed to a truly enjoyable weekend.!