2023 AC Worlds: Last Eight
Tom Balding kept his run going and will face Alain Giraud in the Last Eight. Photo by Andrew Moss.
Round Two of the WCF Association Croquet World Championships did not disappoint as there was plenty of action at Hurlingham as 16 players took to the courts looking for a chance to advance to the last eight. Here’s a quick summary of the day’s action.
World #1 Robert Fletcher (AUS) was the first one through to the Last Eight based on a 3-0 win over #46 Gavin Carter (ENG) with three triples. That kept a streak of 14 straight games with a peeling finish for Fletcherhich means a peeling finish in 14 straight games.
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Moving down the bracket, Spain’s Jose Riva (#12) celebrated his birthday with a win over Zack Watson (USA) in three games 26-0, 26tp-0, 26tp-17. He is now 12-2 with two quintuples and five triples. He will now face off against Fletcher for what should be a high-level Round 3 battle.
Matthew Essick (#7) opened his match against Ireland’s Andrew Johnston (#26) with two triples before Johnston tripled to push the match to a fourth game. Essick rose to the challenge and took the match 26tp-9, 26tp-0, 19-26tp, 26tp-9.
To round out the top half, new British Open champiopion Mark Avery squared off against Gabrielle Higgins for an all-English battle that was the featured livestream match. It was an interactive affair throughout with a several twists and turns. A big moment occurred in game three when Higgins missed a jump at rover with her partner just past the hoop and for peg. This miss allowed Avery to finish and he then closed it out by a final score of 26tp-5, 9-26, 26-23, 26tp-1.
That sets up a Fletcher/Riva thriller at the top of the bracket and Essick and Avery in the lower top match. All-in-all the top half has played relatively true to rank.
The lower half on the other hand, saw all kinds of surprises. Perhaps the biggest was the finishing match of the day which saw #25 Alain Giraud (ENG) from Derbyshire knockout #2 Reg Bamford (ZAF) 26tp-8, 0-26tp, 23-26tp, 26tp-9, 26tp-0.
Speaking of upsets, after knocking off Stephen Mulliner in Round One, #31 Tom Balding (US) continued his run with a 3-0 win over Harry Fisher with three straight triples. Balding is now 12-3 overall in the event.
New Zealand’s Logan McCorkindale (#14) also refused to play to the script as he ended #7 James Death’s playoff run with a 9-26tp, 26tp-11, 26tp-0, 9-26, 26tp-0 win.
However, #3 Robert Fulford (ENG) bucked ther trend and was able to dispatch Stephen Morgan from the US in four games with a 26tp-16, 9-26, 26tpo-13, 26tp-3 win.
So, the lower half will see Giraud take on Balding and McCorkindale go up against Fulford for two matches that should be quite entertaining.