When play resumed this week Birkirkara’s Aldo Polidano/Stefan Salomone won their 2 matches to win the Div . 1 league title with a 100% record.
Div. 1
The first match Aldo/Stefan played was to be a crucial one as their opponents – clubmates Samuel Cali/Stephen Ferrante were just 1 point behind in the league table. The match was a very balanced and thrilling one with play fluctuating from one pair to the other. In the end, however, the experience of the former won on the enthusiasm of the latter pair with the score of 21-16, 21-17. With this win on their nearest rivals Aldo/Stefan made sure of the title.
In their second match Aldo/Stefan defeated Msida’s N. Degaetano/K. Sciberras easily 21-16, 21-17. Samuel/Stefan secured the runner-up spot winning 21-9, 21-10 against Shuttles pair G. Camilleri, C. Spiteri.
Birkirkara’s other pairs in this division – Martin Farrugia/Arif Rochman and Albert Bezzina/Ivan Salomone – met each other with the former emerging winners in a tight and entertaining match 21-19, 21-17. As the score shows the result could have gone either way with Albert/Ivan unlucky not to have won at least a point from this match.
In their second match Albert/Ivan also lost to Paola’s Matthew Abela/Kenneth Vella in a close match 21-16, 21-18; whilst Martin/Arif lost to another Paola pair – Owen Grech/Henrik Thomsen – 21-12, 21-16.
Div. 2
Klara O’Berg/Fiorella Sadowski, although losing their first match of the evening against Paola’s strong Edmond Abela/Godwin Grech 21- 14, 21-16, made a brave effort and lost only because they made some unforced errors which could have been avoided.
Marica Micallef/Katerina Vella Ryabkova won a point in a drawn enccounter which was balanced throughout. In their first match they met Paola’s C. Cassar/P. Cassar and won the first set 21-17; they then lost the second 18-21.
Marica/Katerina’s next match was against clubmates Klara/Fiorella which the former won 21-14,21-18.
Div. 4
Unfortunately Birkirkara’s Olga Galea Fedotkina/Daniella Galea lost both matches played to Paola opposition. They lost the first match 21-14, 21-17 to S. Fava/C. Gilford – mainly through a number of unforced errors; then they lost the second to M. Abela/S.Cassar 21-12, 21-13.