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Surrey is a tough place for Lightning to strike - Briggs
King ofthe AJ Bell NBL tie-breaks, Peter Briggs insists Surrey Sports Park is adifficult place for Loughborough Lightning to start the season as they look tobuild on back-to-back runners up finishes.
And Briggs,who has been involved in two final point shoot-outs in his last two visitsplaying men's doubles against Surrey Smashers, expects nothing more thananother battle when the two sides meet in Monday's curtain raiser to Season 3.
“I'mdefinitely excited for the NBL to be back – I love the competition and I loveplaying in it” said Briggs, “but Surrey is going to be a tough opening fixture.”
“Ithink they are one of the strongest teams in the league and to play them away fromhome, again, will definitely be a difficult match.”
“But LoughboroughLightning is a great team to play for, we always manage to put out a strongsquad and have a good time, so I'm definitely looking forward to getting theseason underway.
Honourshave been even in the two previous meetings in Guildford with Surrey Smashershaving won 3-2 in Season 1 before a 4-1 Loughborough Lightning victory costSmashers their 100% home record last time out.
And Briggs' own recordagainst Smashers is just as varied. He's yet to win a men's doubles event on Surrey soil but claim victory in a 5-0 Finals Day play-offwin two and half years ago.
The 6ft4 doublesspecialist is back reunited with Greg Mairs on Monday and the pair will havefond memories of that whitewash as the duo were paired together to fire Loughborough Lightning into their maiden final.
Indeed,Monday night's fixture looks an intriguing one on a number levels.
With 4wins from 5 at home, the Smashers have turned Surrey Sports Park into 'FortressGuildford' but Loughborough Lightning are unbeaten in three away visits.
Thenthere is extra spice in that Briggs will have to overcome his regular playingpartner Tom Wolfenden who will face him across the net in Monday's openingbout.
TheLoughborough star intends to try and use the inside knowledge to his advantage.
“Playing against Tom is always nice. It's always fun because weknow each other inside-out and when he plays a certain shot I might know it'scoming and read it, or the other way round.
“But itdoesn't really matter who you are playing – you don't know what's going tohappen. The AJ Bell NBL is very different, it's not your standard three sets to21 points, so you have to take that into account.
It should make for a good match.”
BOOK THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT
Anotherbumper crowd is expected in Guildford on Monday night (7.30pm start) but youcan still book your seats here.
