World Masters Championships 2021 Huelva Spain

Launa Eyles & Kerry Mullen played in the World Championships in Huelva, Spain, in November 2021.  Covid restrictions were in place with masks having to be worn on transport & when watching in the arena.

In the first couple of rounds of the O60 WD they beat a pair from France, 4 & 6 & one from Switzerland 8 & 15.

Having qualified for the semi-finals the standard of opposition raised considerably…Heidi Bender (Germany) & Birte Bach Steffanson (Sweden), the No. 1 seeds, had won the World Championships together in 2017, whilst Heidi is a multiple World & European Championships winner. In a tight match that ebbed & flowed Launa & Kerry won 22-20 & 21-17. 

In the final the pair had to play Sonja Hermann (Sweden) & Maureen Oskam (Netherlands).  Launa & Kerry stormed through the first set 21-7 & a tighter 2nd end followed.  Despite being down in the 2nd end a few times they came through to win 21-17 to become O60 WD World Champions!  Wow!

 Kerry also played O60 XD with a scratch partner from Sweden, Bengt Mellquist. After a bye in the first round then a good victory over a Swedish pair they had to play a good pair from Scotland.  In a very close match Kerry & Bengt won 23-21 in the 3rd end to qualify for the semi-finals.  In the semis another pair from Sweden led to another close match which the Swedish pair won in 3 ends.  The Swedish pair went on to become World Champions.  Congratulations to Kerry & Bengt on wining a bronze medal at the World Championships 

Cath Wheller  played  in the O45 XD with Chris Spice (Sussex) they beat a pair from Spain in the 1st round then lost to a good pair from Germany in the Round of 32.

In the O40 WD Cath played with Ioana Platts-Mills (Kent) and lost to a France/German pair after a close 3 end match

Kelly Fairey played in the O40 WD with Ulla Pederson from Denmark, and lost to a strong pair from Poland in a close match.

In the O35 XD she played with Mark Law (Essex).  In the first round a tight match was won against a pair from France which was followed by victory against a pair from Germany.  In the Last 16 they played a pair from India and lost in a close game. The Indians went on to reach the semi finals.

 In November 2021 Kelly Fairey played in the National Championships O35 XD with Mark Law (Essex). They won their box and qualified through to the semi-final where they won a close 3 set match against Joe Steele (Lancashire) & Natalie Taylor (Cambridgeshire) before playing  No 1 seeds Joel Gayle (Essex) & Caroline Westley (Essex) in the final.  Kelly & Mark finished as runners-up – an excellent result. 

In the 2021 Kent Masters  Kelly Fairey played in the O40 WD with Sarah Burgess and finished as runners-Up.

In the O35 XD she partnered Mark Law (Essex)  and again finished as runners-up.  A good weekend in Kent

In October 2021 Kerry Mullen travelled to Carlisle to play in the Cumbria masters Tournament.

Playing with Kay Armer (Cumbria) the pair had a good day playing some tough pairs in the O60 WD.  They did not drop a set & won the Tournament.  Well done!