Another long NSW sporting drought broke last weekend - after 14 years the Australian open croquet singles title has returned to Sydney.
As the Tigers got up at Telstra Stadium, Peter Landrebe was demolishing the best Victoria had to offer on the Sunshine Coast.
Ranked number 7 in Australia coming into the comp, he cleaned up current Australian No 1 Ken Bald (Vic) in straight sets 26-9tp, 26-0 to set up a final with No 5 ranked Trevor Bassett (Vic) which he won 26-0tp, 21-26tp, 26-1tp, 26-0tp.
His lead-up form should have sent out a warning - after an impressive interstate he won the NSW 3 and under title, then the champ of champs, and would probably have taken out the open singles if he hadn't been otherwise occupied reaching the semis of the World Championships in Britain on the same weekend
Landrebe owes some of his success to the Qantas baggage handlers who managed to smash the shaft of his preferred weapon. Switching to a carbon-fibre mallet seems to have taken his game to another level.
Mind you, he could always fill in as a prop if Matt Dunning is feeling seedy...
John Ballantyne
Dear John,
The Open Singles reference is wrong. The Worlds finished on Sunday 14 August and the NSW Open Singles started on Tue 23 August. I was present on both occasions.
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In the round of 16 Peter Landrebe beat me with two quick games, using the Pidcock mallet I sold him last year when I got back from England. He was hitting very straight roquets from a distance. It is great to see an Australian selector winning the Open Singles!
He finished the best-of-five games final in the fourth game before the Win television crew arrived. As I was playing a best-of-three that morning to come 13th (I think) I only arrived in time to see the last of that fourth game. His final break in that game was started with a very long and wide approach to hoop 1. He ran the hoop with precision and confidence.
Best Regards,
Tony