KAREN CRAWFORD described the Game4Padel Tour as “a super important” development.
Karen and Michelle defeated second seeds Iria Del Rios and Ashley Mills 7-5, 5-7 12-10 in a truly epic three-set final. The race was described by Game4Padel Tour Manager Neil Harden as “the best women’s race to date” at our event.
For Karen, who left her hometown of Aberdeen for the Scottish capital at 6am, the Game4Padel circuit provided a padel lifeline as Granite City currently has no courses.
In response, the new LTA padel regional Game4Padel third class champion said: “It’s very important, if I hadn’t started doing these one-day events, I wouldn’t have even tried padel, because Aberdeen doesn’t have the facilities yet.
“So the opportunity to travel, play and meet new people in Edinburgh is fantastic, I love it. The Game4Padel Tour makes it possible for people like me to come down and play, and win or not, it’s well worth it.
“The final was very close, Ashley and Elijah played well. We were leading, they were leading, every game was full of good points and tough confrontations, people watched in a good atmosphere.
“They were up 9-6 in the title tie-break, we tied the score at 9 and kept it together for the win, we’re all happy.”
As Karen explains, her fledgling partnership with Michelle (Saturday’s match was her debut) also stems from the camaraderie of previous G4P Tour events: “Michelle is from Edinburgh, but we Bonded at the Mixed Doubles Championships at Edinburgh Park. During the break, we decided to pair up in the next women’s doubles match.
“For me, that’s one of the great things about Game4Padel tournaments because they give you the chance to meet new people and I’m sure we’ll work together again at other events.
“In Aberdeen we hope to have a couple of cricket grounds open by May but there are no firm dates yet.
“So, now the only time I’ve competed in padel is in these competitions, my third competition in the mixed event in the last month, in which I was runner-up, and then I competed in the women’s doubles at Thistle.
“Really, they are a lifeline and a great way to meet other cricketers and make new friendships.”
Unfortunately, the top seed in the women’s event was stripped of Desni McIntosh’s back injury, which meant she and partner Fiona Livingston had to scratch, But special mention must be made of third place Elaine Easton and Christine Hobden and fourth place Mary Rose Brennan and Lorna Lorna Nicholl, they all made a huge difference to a great day.
Game4Padel Tour Manager Neil Harden has no doubts that the Women’s Final was the perfect end to the event: “The event actually ended with two high-quality races, but in the decisive race Karen ( Crawford) and Michelle (Crease) against Ashley (Mills) and Elijah (Del Rio) was a great game, I might even say our best women’s game to date.
“Considering that this is Karen and Michelle’s first match together, and the fact that it’s only Karen’s third, it’s already a big deal.
“As far as the game was concerned, it was played right down to the end and it was very close at the end, which is what you hope for in a final and all the players were challenged in the game, so it was a fitting end to the Women’s Championship.”
Second seeds David Holmes and Sammy McKinney beat previously shocking top seeds Stuart Alexander and Mathias Kupik 6-4, 6-2 in the men’s Division 3 event Richard Bancroft and Mark Hinchcliffe.
It was a good weekend for the Edinburgh duo as Holmes and McKinney beat UK number 18 padel aces Ethan Baldo and Tim Wise, with Neil sharing: “The final was an intense competition with a high level of competition and it was great to see some new faces making it to the final, with another duo of Richard Bancroft and Mark Hinchcliffe from Ha It was great that Roquette came.
“David and Sammy are currently 54th and 99th respectively in the UK rankings and this win will see them both move up the rankings and I have no doubt they are capable of going higher up the rankings.
“But it’s our third boys’ competition and we’ve had 14 pairs each time, with eight pairs from Year 3 and six from Year 4, and it’s been great that all of those guys are starting to improve their ranking points, We are beginning to see an order emerging.
“We still need to bring in new guys and eventually we’ll probably want to have a fifth grade, but first and foremost you want everyone to enjoy a competitive game.
“That is, even when people lose, they love it and enjoy it, and I think that’s the beauty of padel.”
Oriel Ortigosa and Juan Carlos Santos Alonso go 7-6 after a roller-coaster three-set match in the senior event , 1-6 defeated Ross Gladwin (Ross Gladwin) and Gordon Hamilton (Gordon Hamilton). 10-4.
The next Game4Padel Tournament, a mixed event, is scheduled for June.
