Today’s WCF Association Croquet World Championship final at the Hurlingham Club in London featured a thrilling display of croquet as England’s Robert Fulford battled back from 2-0 to take a 3-2 win over American Matthew Essick by a final of 9-26tp, 9-26tp, 26tp-22, 26tp-0, 26otp-18.
Fulford had the first break in all five games but game three looked relatively bleak for Fulford as Essick set up for a sextuple finish. It did loosen up a bit as the turn progressed, but Essick was looking to end with a straight triple finish before a complication arose at 4B (H10).
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Rainy conditions at London’s Hurlingham Club didn’t slow down Mathew Essick as he rolled through his semifinal against world #1 Robert Fletcher 26tp-6, 26tp-10, 26tp-0 to advance to his third straight world championship final. Accordingly, five-time WCF AC World Champion Robert Fulford made his way through to the final to set up a repeat of the 2022 Golf Croquet World Championship final.
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Two US players have advanced to the 2023 WCF Association Croquet World Championship “Last Four” after working through their matches in relatively quick fashion earlier today. 2020 AC Worlds runner-up Matthew Essick was the first one through dispatching Mark Avery in three games, 26tp-9, 26-13, 26tp-0. Fellow American Tom Balding was next through as he worked past Alain Giraud (ENG) 26-9, 26-9, 26tp-9.
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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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The 2023 WCF Association Croquet World Championship moved into elimination play today with 32 players battling in the first round of the knockout. The event is being held at several clubs near London with Hurlingham as the primary venue. The event runs July 15-23 and continues tomorrow with the quarterfinals.
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One of the most well-liked and respected players in the game, it seemed only a matter of time until Paddy Chapman (NZ) would add the title of AC Singles World Champion to his croquet resumé. A past winner of the NZ Open, the NZ President's Invitation, the UK President's Cup, and a leading member of NZ's victorious MacRobertson Shield team, Chapman did not lack for impressive accomplishments. But the world singles title cements his reputation as one of the very best.
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Paddy Chapman found a way back from down 2-1 to claim his first WCF Association Croquet World Championship with a 26tp-19, 0-26tp, 0-26tp, 26tp-11, 26tp-9 win over Reg Bamford yesterday at Kelburn Municipal Croquet Club in Wellington, New Zealand. It was Chapman's second appearance in the final after he made it in 2013, but lost to Robert Fletcher. Bamford made his fifth appearance and is now 4-1 in AC World finals play.
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The Main KO semifinals were played at the Wellington Municipal Croquet Club, a hundred year old club with three lawns south of the city center. Weather was calm and overcast with occasional sprinkles, and fog developing throughout the day. The lawns were about the same medium-slowish pace we've seen at most venues throughout the week, with some lusher areas and a few tricky hoop approaches, but overall quite true. The main challenges were the hoops -- based on the number of failed shots these must have been quite solid -- and the pressure of the situation.
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