After the easy pickings last week against the 6th A’s, we knew that this week would be a toughie. In our favour, we were playing UJ and it was the middle of the first test week – so the students would be eager to quit procrastinating by playing squash and drinking beer and get back to the books.
No. 1 Phil vs Jared: This guy had some serious speed to go with a very tight game. That Phil managed to get one game off him is a credit. I didn’t see much of the game, but what I did see was pretty impressive – nicely played by Phil, but up against a ringer and couldn’t get the ball past him enough. Lost 1-3; 14-16,15-5, 7-15, 10-15.
No. 2 Bruce vs Murray: If the UJ no. 1 was a ringer, then the no. 2 was even more so. Murray arrived late after playing a hockey match beforehand and still had plenty of legs left. Virtually zero unforced errors in the first two games and fetching the ball from all parts left Bruce very little to play with and they were over quickly. But our Bruce is made of sterner stuff and started to find his rhythm in the third game. At 12 all there was a marathon rally of note which would have left lesser men with a coronary. Not Three Oceans Bruce though and he pulled the point out of the bag only to lose the next by way of crappy serve. Now 13 all, there was another zillion shot rally with Bruce again claiming the point. Any euphoria was quickly lost though as he tinned the next shot and then lost two more to lose the match. Great all round squash though. Lost 0-3; 8-15, 6-15, 14-16.
No. 3 Nigel vs Ruan: My oppo was someone who looked the part – right up until the first service. And then he just faded into background noise. The only points he got coming from my unforced errors. Easy points, but I’ll take what I can get. Won 3-0; 15-4, 15-6, 15-7.
No. 4 Brennan vs Eric: Brennan’s opposite number seemed a little too eager to assure us that he was a fill in from 9th league – didn’t believe a word of it. And the on court performance proved this. He gave a loose hitting Brennan a hard time in the first three games with all being close battles, but Brennan ending up on the winning side of two of them. Think Eric pushed himself a bit too far in the third because Brennan just creamed in the fourth and took the match. Another victory for the Bionic Wrist. Won 3-1; 15-12, 16-14, 13-15, 15-7.
Doppios called us again for a calorie laden end to the evening – now a 3 week break to get into shape before the next league game…
Overall result: Won 9 - 7
