Hat-trick of titles is so sweet for Honey

10:05am Thursday 28th August 2008

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MATTHEW Honey enjoyed the sweet taste of victory after winning three titles at the Marsden Building Society's Burnley and District Tennis League's finals day.

While one of them was a walkover — Adam Walne was stranded in America for the Express Cup final — Honey was pushed all the way as he completed an unprecedented treble.

The Golden Jubilee Under 21s singles final against Daniel Taylor was the match of the day and a game either player could have won.

The powerful Taylor took an early advantage to take the first set 6-2 then showed his battling spirit to claw his way back from 3-0 down in the second to lead 4-3. But Honey rallied to take the set and force a third set decider.

Neither player refused to give an inch as the momentum swung one way then the other with nearly every game going to deuce. But it was Honey who made the important break-through to win the set 6-3 and the match.

Honey was again pushed all the way by a gutsy Donald Windle in the Millennium Cup singles final but Honey, now on top of his game, completed his hat-trick with a 7-5, 6-4 victory.

The other outstanding final of the day came in the Clucas Cup men’s doubles final.

Iain Taylor and Paul Barlow beat Roger Haworth and Chris Sutton 6-4, 6-8, 7-5 in a match that went right to the wire.

While Taylor and Barlow took the honours, the match will be remembered for the standard of play from all four players that made it an outstanding match to watch.

That high standard spilled over in to the Harold Lever mixed doubles where Steve Palmer and Jo Heywood beat Harry Barry and Mary Poppy 6-4, 7-6.

The Vicki Taylor ladies doubles was a one-sided affair with the experience of seasoned campaigners Alison Padgett and Jenny Stewart proving to be far too good for two young girls who are just starting out in their tennis, Natalie Taylor and Mellisa Mitchell, as they raced a 6-0, 6-0 victory.

After the disappointment of losing in the Clucas Cup doubles, Sutton recovered to win the Veteran’s Singles Cup, beating Ian Wolstencroft 6-4, 7-5 in another match full of good tennis.

He then teamed up with Howarth, winner of the Clucas Cup with Taylor, to beat Wolstencroft again with Russell Hosker 6-1, 6-1 in the David Mercer Veterans Doubles Cup final.

And the Millennium Team Cup final was won by the Court Marshalls who beat the Cheeky Monkeys 6-4, 7-6.