Brown Advisory British Open Doubles Championship 2018
Tom Billings and Richard Owen came from 0-1 and then 1-2 to recapture the British Open title they has won in 2016. No strangers to success, the pair have now the right to challenge for the World Doubles Championship, which the current holders, Jonathan Larken and Jamie Stout has accepted. This two legged match will take place later this year in both the US and at The Queen's Club.
The Final was a tightly contested affair against an extremely strong pair, James Coyne (a former World Champion himself) and the talented Alex Duncliffe-Vines. The first game started with both pairs sizing each other up, knowing each other's game extremely well. World number two, Billings never takes long to settle and served most of the early points to lead 8-3, as Owen's power came into play. But a strong couple of hands from first Coyne and then Duncliffe-Vine stemmed the early tide and established a small 10-8 lead. They remained locked at 10-8 with both pairs defending well, before Coyne and Duncliffe-Vines levelled at 12-all to leave the first game in the balance. Further stalemate followed but it was eventually Coyne who served out the first game, finding precision length on the back wall. The number two seeds were ahead 15/12.
The second game was extremely tense, with neither pair dominant. After three hands apiece the score was still 2-1 to Billings and Owen. Billings steadied to establish a 5-1 but Duncliffe-Vines served equally well to level at 5-all. The lead changed before a fabulous patch with Billings serving saw the top seeds surge ahead 13-8. Coyne rallied cutting the lead to 11-13 but two pivotal points followed on the next Billings and Owen serve. First a sublime Coyne drop shot at game point, but he then collected a return from his partner to concede the second game. 15/1 to Billings and Owen; match level; and gallery very excited but the quality of the play.
The third game will be remembered for its brevity - and missed by many spectators who were recharging their victuals. Billings served six points in his first hand; but this was better by eight straight points by Duncliffe-Vines and s further four by Coyne. Great rallies in-between, but more like tsunami tidal flow that anything normally experienced. 12-6 to the second seeds. Billing responded with four points, Owen one more, to trail 11-12, before Duncliffe-Vines served out the final three point. 15/11 to Coyne and Duncliffe-Vines in lightning time, and a 2-1 lead.
Normal service was resumed in the fourth game, both pairs locked together and after four hands apiece the score was a symmetrical 4-all. The top seeds now nudged ahead to 7-4, but their opponents rallied to level, before wonderful Billings serving and Owen power re-establish a 12-7 lead. Points became tight and the score slowly eased to 14-9 but the last, vital point simply evaded Billings and Owen. Coyne retrieved doggedly, Duncliffe-Vines played unlikely recovery shots and then started to claw back the deficit. Owen missed a hammer serve by millimeters - the game continued but eventually a jubilant Billings served a winner to take the game 15/11 and level the match.
Coyne was running out of racquets as he delivered endless volley winners, and now Owen was suffering the same issue as his powerful strokes tested the opposition - the match went on. The fifth game saw Billings and Owen slowly establish their authority. Billings recovered and volleyed everything, forcing his rivals to aim even closer to the tin. Billings and Owen led 7-3 and then 8-5, so never out of sight and mindful of the service firepower of Coyne and Duncliffe-Vines. At 9-6, Billing now served five points to change the dynamic of the match and on the brink of a 3-2 lead. Back came Coyne and Duncliffe-Vines to 8-14 but it wasn't enough and the former champions took the game 15/8, and an overall lead in the match.
The sixth, and what was to be the final game, started well for the top seeds, quickly establishing a 7-0 lead. Duncliffe-Vines pulled back a point but Owen was hitting perfect length and straight winners. Billing returned to serve and reeled off eight points to take the game 15/1, ably supported by Owen hitting harder than ever. Coyne and Duncliffe-Vines had played their part in this magnificent match, for the most part remarkable close and fully appreciated by the packed gallery.
Peter Mallinson, vice President of Brown Advisory and the T&RA, Chairman of the Queen's Club applauded the players and the gallery for the role played in this spectacle by all. Ben Bomford and Patrick Maxwell controlled the match with precision and gentle humour, a fitting end to the tournament. Peter further announced the extension of the Brown Advisory sponsorship arrangements for a further two years, with options beyond, to even greater cheers from the gallery.
The T&RA would also applaud and thanks Oli Harris, who has run this event for many years; a highly labyrinthine task to schedule. Oli steps down at the end of this season and is seeking somebody to organise next year's Open Doubles.
Results
- R.Owen & T.Billings (1) bt J.Coyne & A.Duncliffe-Vines (2) 12/15 15/11 11/15 15/11 15/8 15/1
Semi-finals
- R.Owen & T.Billings (1) bt B.Bomford & B.Cawston (3) 15/5 15/8 15/12 15/6
- J.Coyne & A.Duncliffe-Vines (2) bt A.Titchener-Barrett & J.Bone (6) 12/15 8/15 15/2 15/4 17/16 17/15
Quarter-finals
- J.Coyne & A.Duncliffe-Vines (2) bt T.Morales & E.Rowell 15/2 15/6 13/18 15/11 15/8
- R.Owen & T.Billings (1) bt S.Higson & N.Hutton 15/2 15/3 15/8 15/10
- B.Bomford & B.Cawston (3) bt P.Cipriano & C.Portz (5) 15/0 15/7 15/3 8/15 15/11
- A.Titchener-Barrett & J.Bone (6) bt M.Bailey & N.James (4) 15/17 15/7 15/8 6/15 17/14 15/6
Second Round
- T.Morales & E.Rowell bt R Spender & A.Coldicott 15/2 15/6 15/1 15/12
- J.Coyne & A.Duncliffe-Vines (2) bt A.Rozier-Pamplin & T.Buckley 15/3 15/9 15/9 15/7
- B.Bomford & B.Cawston (3) bt A.Green & H.Hardman 15/9 15/8 15/6 15/12
- M.Bailey & N.James (4) bt P.Sutton & T.Bomford 15/7 15/3 18/13 15/7
- S.Higson & N.Hutton bt G.Rozier & E.Beard 15/0 15/4 15/6 15/11
- A.Titchener-Barrett & J.Bone (6) bt J.Bailey & T.Stevens 15/4 15/0 15/2 15/10
- P.Cipriano & C.Portz (5) bt R.Giddins & N.Hughes 15/11 15/10 15/12 15/9
- R.Owen & T.Billings (1) bt J.Jamieson-Black & J.Jamieson-Black 15/2 15/0 15/4 15/9
First Round
- A.Rozier-Pamplin & T.Buckley bt F.Clarke & T.Faber 7/15 15/3 9/15 15/12 17/18 15/10 15/2
- P.Sutton & T.Bomford bt D.Kay-Shuttleworth & Q.Ings-Chambers 15/5 15/9 15/11 15/7
- J.Jamieson-Black & J.Jamieson-Black bt S.Navapurkar & N.Navapurkar 15/7 15/4 12/15 15/7 15/3
- R.Spender & A.Coldicott bt L.Symonds & G.Key 15/6 15/10 15/6 15/3
- T.Morales & E.Rowell bt A.Pittalis & O.Cooke 15/11 15/12 15/11 15/5
- A.Green & H.Hardman bt G.Tyndall & A.Rudd 15/11 15/2 15/13 15/10
- J.Bailey & T.Stevens bt A.Gourlay & A.Robinson 16/13 15/7 15/10 15/6
- R.Giddins & N.Hughes bt V.Scott-Geddes & T.Foster 15/0 15/0 15/1 15/1
