The sun set on their title defence last night as their L’Ancresse club-mates Jack Mitchell and Stuart Wallbridge fought back from 2 down with four to play to oust the title holders at the quarter-final stage.
It promised to be the tie of the round and it lived up to that billing, despite Blondel and Mahy getting off to a flier as they won three of the first four holes.
Their opponents did not let the holders get any further away from them, though, and the gap was two for much of the evening as the pairs virtually matched each other stroke for stroke through the middle of their round – outstanding chip shots from Mahy and Wallbridge having both been short-sided on the 13th emphasised the quality of matchplay on show.
The momentum swung Mitchell and Wallbridge’s way down the stretch, though, started by winning the 15th where the champions found themselves in trouble through the back of the green.
Buoyed by being back within one, the challengers produced a classy birdie on the 16th with Mitchell coaxing in the putt with his broomstick putter after an excellent wedge shot from his teammate to get them back on level terms.
They edged ahead for the first time on the 17th.
Twenty-four hours earlier on the same hole, Blondel had hit a gem of an approach to 4ft, but this time his ball took a firm bounce and bounded through the green from where he and Mahy were unable to save their par.
When Mitchell knocked in his short putt to win the hole, the punch of the air that followed told how important the moment was in the match.
Now with the lead, he put his tee shot on the 18th safely on the putting surface and although Blondel stuck his closer, it was only an outside chance for the birdie the champions required and Mahy was unable to convert.
Mitchell and Wallbridge will face two more former winners in tonight’s semi-finals when they meet Rory McKenna and Jeremy Nicolle, who saw off the challenge of Noah Davy and reserve Mick Marley in 16 holes.
In the bottom half of the draw, the battle of the youngsters went the way of Island players Lewis Marley and Conor McKenna as they saw off juniors James Troop and Josh Neville to set up a last-four clash with Andy Chamberlain and Roland Mills, who played very well to knock out Daniel Griggs and Harry Bushby.
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