Now a regular part of the Hoe Lane based Hertford Squash & Racketball Club's calendar in December, is the Junior Racketball Handicap Finals. The standard of play has clearly improved over the last year and the competition was played in a good competitive spirit. The Plate final (for first round losers) was played between last years finalists Luke Savidge and Liam Evans, although both players had extremely close semi final matches that could have seen both their opponents in the finals had a couple of points gone the other way!

A closely fought match saw Savidge triumph 15-12, 13-15 and 15-13.

 

The main final saw the current Club Junior Champion Jonathon Ilett up against Dan Fuller. Starting with a four point handicap Fuller struggled to come to terms with Ilett's accurate play and the current champion took the first game 15-8. The second game was a treat for the watching gallery of parents and supporters and could not have been closer! Fuller's greater strength and height pressured Ilett on every point as Fuller levelled the match 17-16 and set up a deciding third game. That second game, combined with a strength sapping semi final earlier against Fuller's younger brother, took it's toll on Ilett and Fuller sensed that his opponent was showing signs of tiredness. The third and final game saw relentless pressure from Fuller as he attacked every shot not allowing his opponent to rest at all, a tactic that paid off as this took him to a decisive 15-5 winning game score and match win 2-1.

 

The attached picture of all the finalists L to R: Jonathon Ilett, Dan Fuller, Luke Savidge and Liam Evans.