The first Onward Americano happened on Saturday night at PadelX Burghley Park, and it worked exactly the way we hoped it would. Twelve players, two outdoor courts, three hours, and a format that quietly made sure everyone played eleven games and partnered every other player exactly once. Nobody sat out more than anyone else. Nobody had to organise a thing. You just looked at the big screen, found your court, and played.
How it finished
Tight, is the honest answer. Alex took the night with 108 points and eight games won, but only five points covered the top three: Ainsley finished on 103, and Kye took third on 102. Behind them Thomas and Oli tied on 95, and the whole field of twelve was separated by just forty points, which for eleven games of padel is about as close as it gets.
The standings stayed hidden on the night, that is deliberate, the leaderboard only reveals itself at the end, so the final scores landed with everyone gathered round one screen, which is exactly the moment we built this whole thing for.
The small print worth bragging about
A few numbers from the night that we like. Every one of the twelve played exactly eleven games. All sixty-six possible partnerships happened exactly once, which is the mathematical best case for a night of this size. The biggest single win went to Holly and Ainsley, 14-2, and the quiet story of the evening was Lou Lou, who climbed four places across the second half of the night.
Every player banked ranking points, from Alex's 100 down, and the Onward rankings are now live with the full history. Click any night to see its complete board.
The next one
The Americano is now fortnightly. The next night is Saturday 15 August, 6-10pm at Burghley Park, twelve places, £15 a player, and spectators are welcome free, come and watch the last game even if you do not fancy playing, it decides the night.
Details and entry on the Americano page. See you there.
