Alex Titchener-Barrett took the US Open Singles Championship hardware on Sunday as defending champion James Stout retired (injury) midway into the fifth and final game at 8-7 down. Sunsequently, James Coyne and Will Hopton won in a walkover against the finalist team of Mike Gooding and Stout.
Said Detroit Racquet Club president Thomas Howe in a phone interview to NARA , "We saw the greatest rackets ever in Detroit this weekend. There were so many people in the Club throughout the weekend. We are quite pleased that so many Queens Club members made the journey as we witnessed the highest quality play ever." Despite an overabundance of moisture on the floor and walls due to an overachieving thermometer (approximately 60 degrees Fahrenheit / 15 degrees Celsius) that caused the "sweating" on the court walls and floor, organizers were able to get all matches in, in an orderly manner. Play had to be suspended for some time to allow a warm front to pass to alleviate the condensation. Despite that minor hiccup, the weekend still proved a huge success. NARAs final act for the season begins next week in Chicago with the commencement of the Western Open, the Murray Sales (+40s) and the Kendrick Cup (novice) competitions. Organizers are expecting close to 60 out-of-towners to help tie a bow on a highly successful club season.
However, The World Doubles team of Neil Smith and Mark Hubbard begin their defense of the World Doubles Championship on April 17th in NYC against Harry Foster and Mark Hue-Williams. The second leg will take place on April 25th at the Queens Club in London. Submitted by: Jeffrey L Durkes on 08Mar2009