MCC Gold Racquet 2019
Report of Gold Racquet 2019
Spectators at the 2019 Gold Racquet held at Lord’s on 25th May were rewarded by a fine display of competitive Tennis from both players.The final matched the holder and eight times winner of the trophy, Jamie Douglas, against his successful Bathurst Trophy teammate and Silver Racquet holder for the previous two years, Edmund Kay.
Both players showed that they had come back in fine form from their recent victories in Chicago in the opening games of this match.These were closely fought with both players going for their shots and showing none of the careful probing for advantage that often characterises early stages of matches at this level. Douglas looked like he might have made a decisive break by taking a two-game lead to go 4-2 up, but Kay responded by securing four games in a row to take the set 6/4.
The second set showed some of the seesawing of fortunes that was to characterise the match with Douglas winning all six games without reply from Kay, leaving the spectators wondering if a tide had turned in favour of the holder. However, there was once again a swing in favour of the challenger in the third set. Douglas was playing his usual game of powerful boasted shots to both sides of the court and forces for the dedans, Kay seemed very equal to the challenge. His retrieval was excellent and his volleying fully equal everything thrown at him. The set concluded at 6/1 to Kay.
Kay then went to a 3-0 lead in the fourth and the crowd began to wonder if this might be another one-sided set. However, Douglas had other ideas and stepped up his game another level pulling back two games. The momentum seemed to have shifted decisively in his favour and there was a question around Kay’s ability to find a response. As is so often the case, the sixth game proved to be crucial. Douglas, serving, took a 40-15 lead before surrendering the serve. Two errors on service return saw the game level and Kay was in no mood to give up the advantage. He then secured a further game, again from 40-15 down to stand on the brink of his first Gold Racquet. Although Douglas won a fourth game, Kay was able to hold on and win the fourth set 6/4 and the match.
Howard Angus, 16 times winner of the Gold Racquet who kindly attended and presented the prizes, was generous in his praises of both players and of the match marker, Chris Swallow, who did a fine job.
Ed Kay beat Jamie Douglas 6/4 0/6 6/1 6/4
MCC Silver Racquet played at Lords on Saturday 6th April
Ed Kay beat Jamie Giddins 6/4 6/2 5/6 6/4
