[<<] [>>] by Dave Kibble
25th August 2007 (AC)

This year's Roehampton Invitational was a strong event with all players in the World Top 50. The two seeds, Robert Fulford and David Maugham, reached the final, though Fulford lost in one half of the event to James Death.

The final was an exciting contest with Robert going into a two-nil lead. In the third David hit in on the second turn and went round to three back where he failed the hoop. Robert hit but failed hoop one. David hit and finished with a quadruple peel on turn four. In the fourth Robert shot hard from B-baulk at the supershot on turn two missing and going into A baulk. David was hampered after running one and missed. Robert hit and laid for a sextuple, peeling David's ball through hoops 2 3 and 4 in the process. David missed and Robert completed the sextuple to win the event which now has a trophy: the Ranelagh Gold Cup.

Samir Patel won the third place play off and James Death won the plate with a sextuple in the second game to beat Sam Tudor.

The event is designed to give players a series of high quality best-of-three matches over two days. This year Robert played fourteen games. It's a kind of Draw and Process but Samir playing in it for the first time thought the format deserved its own name. The players decided it should be called the Openshaw J Format because ... well those of you with a mathematical mind may be able to work out why.

Results

Round 1

Fulford beat Beijderwellen +17tp -20 +26tp
Dawson beat Openshaw +26tp +8tp
Patel beat Death -7 +26tp +26tp
Maugham beat Tudor +23sxp +16

Round 2

Death beat Fulford +17 +17tp
Tudor beat Openshaw -26tp +26tp +15tp
Beijderwellen beat Patel +26tp +26
Maugham beat Dawson +22tp -25tp +16sxp

Players with one win go into the Quarter finals, players with two wins go straight into the semi finals.

Quarter Finals

Patel beat Tudor +26tp +26tp
Fulford beat Dawson +26sxp -10tp +12tpo
Beijderwellen beat Death +26tp +11tp

Semi Finals

Maugham beat Beijderwellen +26tp +26sxp
Fulford beat Patel +26sxp +26tp

Final

Fulford beat Maugham +20sxp +17tp -26qp(4th turn) +22sxp

Plate

Death beat Openshaw +11tpo +12tpo
Tudor beat Dawson +13tpo +26tp
Death beat Tudor +5 +9sxp

3/4 Place Play Off

Patel beat Beijderwellen +4