2021 Open State Championships – Day 7 Wrap

The finalists for the 2021 Open State, Senior and Reserve Singles Championships have been confirmed, with a mixture of new players and familiar faces in the running for a state title.

Open State Singles

Kenta Treacher (North Sydney) will play Lee Stinson (Warilla) in the pinnacle event after both players survived tight semi-final finishes. Treacher started the day with a comfortable Round 3 win over Gary Martin (Westport) 31-10 before coming up against Zeljko Trbara (Merrylands). Treacher jumped out to a comfortable lead for the majority of the match, but Trbara refused to give in, closing the gap to a handful of shots heading into the late stages of the match. Despite the comeback, Treacher held firm to win 31-22.

Lee Stinson enjoyed a similar start to his day, overcoming Josh Andriske (Macquarie Dubbo) 31-10 in Round 3. He then faced two-time State Singles Finalist David Ferguson (Engadine) in a cracking semi-final clash. The match was a high quality affair, with Lee just edging Ferguson 31-22.

Open Reserve Singles

Phillip Hall (Urunga) will be up against Troy Brown (Coonabarabran) in the Reserve Singles Final in an all-country affair. Both players have remained undefeated throughout the Championship, winning through their sections and recording solid semi-final wins.

Regardless of the result, history will be made as neither club has had a player feature in a State Reserve Singles Final.

Open Senior Singles

The two remaining competitors in the Senior Singles had very different routes to the final. Although he lost his Round 3 match to Gary Corey (Cabramatta), Bernie Melville (Alexandria-Erskineville) had accumulated enough margin to top his section and qualify for the semi-finals where he faced Armidale City’s Steven Fuller. Melville was in fine form, drawing consistently and piling pressure on Fuller throughout the match. Melville would eventually run away a 31-13 winner.

On the other side of the draw, Terry Warder (Harbord) endured a tough Round 3 match against Mark Langfield (Austral), edging his opponent 31-27 to remain unbeaten in his section. Things only got tougher for Warder as he faced Tony Shoebridge (Bateau Bay) in the semis. The match was incredible form start to finish, with heads consistently tight. Shoebridge was proving to have the edge on Warder, leading him 27-15 and 29-18. Undeterred, Warder produced one of the comebacks of the event, reeling off scores of 3, 4, 3, 2 and 1 to snatch a 31-29 victory in an epic match. Spectators are in for a treat if both finalists continue their hot run of form.