Le Tocq ends the wait
PAUL LE TOCQ battled his advancing age and thoughts of retirement to attain his dozenth island badminton singles title.
The 38-year-old still commits himself to his beloved sport, despite his niggling body often having other ideas, and he reaped the results at this year’s Senior Closed Tournament.
Against up-and-coming player Jordan Trebert, 15 years his junior, Le Tocq reversed the result of last year’s final for his first men’s singles triumph since 2016.
Le Tocq’s reservoir of experience and wisdom came into play in a fairly convincing two-set victory.
He commanded proceedings against two-time champion Trebert throughout the first set, playing a smart game to lead from the start and win 21-13.
But Trebert opened the second by winning a fine rally and though Le Tocq quickly forged ahead, his sharpened opponent showed his mettle to bring it back.
Trebert equalised at 10-all and then stole the lead with a great smash. That statement of intent soon withered, though, as a resurgent Le Tocq cruised to 21-14 victory from there.
That proved a dramatic reversal of the 2019 final where Le Tocq retired with a calf injury.
‘I really thought last year about stopping,’ he admitted.
‘Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t expect to win at this age, but I think I still offer something for kids to try and beat.
‘I love my sport and I still love playing, but I’m very surprised. Jordan and “Stu” [semi-finalist Stuart Hardy] are the two best singles players for me on the island, so I’m really pleased to beat them both in two sets.
‘To be completely honest, Jordan beat Jordan and I was on the court at the same time.
‘I let him try and beat himself, because if Jordan plays at the pace that Jordan plays and with the skill Jordan’s got nowadays, he beats me every time. The way he played helped me – he made a few mistakes and then he played a nice, steady sort of game.’
Carys Batiste, 18, sealed the ladies’ singles title in very disparate fashion.
Grace Edwards, just 13 and a five-event winner at the earlier Junior Closed, had come through the four-person draw to make for a very youthful final.
But Batiste’s few extra years of age and experience made it an unfortunate mismatch. A plucky Edwards earned deserved applause at times, but with Batiste converting fast starts into two 21-5 wins, the scorecard offered less sympathy.
Both individual champions went on to earn extra silverware in the doubles.
Le Tocq and Hardy joined forces in the men’s event to dispatch Trebert and his partner, Daniel Penney, in a tighter final that went 21-19, 21-15.
In Batiste’s case, she partnered with Sarah Garbutt for a 21-17, 21-11 victory over Anika Penney and Stephanie Stuart. Hardy gained some consolation from the mixed as, alongside Chloe Le Tissier, he beat the two Trebert siblings – Jordan and Emily – 21-19, 21-15.
