Pipet wins an epic battle, but war is lost

EXPERIENCE overcame youth in Whistlers A's Division One clash with Lions A but it was not enough to give them victory. In a five-game epic, Whistlers' Mark Pipet just got the better of 15-year-old Scott Romeril, but it was the younger player's team who had the last laugh as they walked away 7-3 victors. The win stretches Lions A's lead at the top.

The veteran island player Pipet believes his days of having the advantage over Romeril are coming to an end.

'I don't think I'll be beating him for much longer,' said Pipet.

'He did play well but I managed to keep him quiet so when he doesn't flow, he is not the same player. I was fortunate to win the fourth but after that I led all the way.'

With the match kicking off with Lions' Gary Dodd beating Graham Lesbriel in three straight games, it was the turn of Pipet and Romeril to take to the table. And it was Pipet who got off to a brighter start taking the first game 11-8, but Island Games team member Romeril hit back straight away to win the second and third 11-8, 13-11.

The fourth game turned out to be a right ding-dong going to deuce at 10-all and despite having two match points, Romeril could not get ahead by the two needed for victory.

Pipet gathered his game together and bounced back to eventually claim the game 19-17.

The fifth was again tight, but Pipet came through to win 11-8 and take the rubber.

Next up, a win for Jez Powell over Adam Langlois gave the advantage back to Lions, but then Pipet had a straight-games victory over Dodd to level the scores at two-all.

Into the doubles and the performances of Romeril and Powell over Lesbirel and Langlois ensured that Lions took a 5-2 lead.

Pipet gave Whistlers a glimmer of hope when he beat Powell in five sets, but Dodd secured the honours with a 3-1 win over Langlois.

The two teams chasing Lions A, Whistlers B and C, also met and it was the C team that came out on top 6-4.

Phil Hunkin won three for the C team, showing a welcome return to form.

Also Joel Clancy won two and Hunkin and Clancy combined to win the doubles giving them the six games needed.

The B team's Tim Le Page had a good game with wins over Clancy and Matthew Stubbington. Young Stubbington must have been kicking himself after letting a big fifth game lead dwindle away against Dawn Morgan.

The win would have been his biggest scalp so far, but frustratingly he squandered several match points before Morgan clinched the decider 14-12.

In week six's other league match, Lions B beat Whistlers D 7-3 with Lions' Phil Ogier winning his three games.

Paul Hainsworth would have been pleased to have claimed two games including a deuce in the fifth win over Derek Webb. James Lesbirel also had the better of Webb and combined with Ogier to take the doubles and a comfortable victory.

Twelve-year-old Ollie Langlois continues to impress, crushing both Hainsworth and Lesbirel and narrowly losing out to Ogier 14-12 in the fifth.

In Division Two, Whistlers G dropped their first point of the season being held to a draw by Whistlers E. Island star Kay Chivers took her three games for the E team including a 3-1 win over Kieran Guilbert and Keith Opie.