T&RA EASTER Newsletter
CEO Update Easter 2019
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or many, another season draws to a close; but there is still plenty to anticipate. In Rackets, the highlights have included the National Schools Doubles and Schoolgirls Singles, along with the British Open Singles and then, latterly, the Doubles. School honours to Eton, St Pauls, Tonbridge and Cheltenham, with Tom Billings and Richard Owen mopping up the senior titles; with honourable mention to Mike Bailey and Nick James, Amateur Champions. However, on the world stage, Jamie Stout has decided not to defend his crown which he has held since 2008. This has created some late momentum as Tom Billings will now await the outcome of an eliminator match between Alex DuncliffeVines and Will Hopton, which will be played on 22nd and 25th May (Queen’s and Manchester respectively). Finally, a great weekend of Ladies Rackets beckons on 4th and 5th May at Queen’s when Lea Van der Zwalmen will defend her World Singles title. Lea has dominated the last four years but India Deakin and others are expected to mount a challenge. The last four months have also seen MCC defend their Pol Roger title, whilst Seacourt gained promotion to the premiership by capturing the magnificent Field Trophy. A battling Oxford team triumphed in the Brodie Cup, enjoying a marvellous weekend in Dorset at the Hyde. Another fabulous contest saw Jamie Douglas win a five set thriller against Ed Kay; with Ed turning the tables in the doubles, along with partner Jamie Giddins (US amateur champion), winning in three tight sets. The three top amateur players will combine forces and represent the UK in the Bathurst Cup in May, held in Chicago. The more senior players will be also in the US at this time playing in the biennial Masters. The Bathurst Cup squad and many in the Cockram, Bostwick and Danby teams will be using the newly designed Grays GB Tennis racquets. Finally, over the summer, Manchester will host the Van Alen/Clothier/Limb (VACL) for the GB Tennis Under 26 squad, led by Robert Shenkman. Having spent the last nine months working within an ever increasing membership structure, the T&RA is now seeking to redefine its strategic direction. This will not change the direction of travel to promote and grow the game, but more emphasis will be on the future professional pipeline which in turn will safeguard the future of both sports. Meanwhile participation will remain high on the agenda, as will new court development and ensuring the future of our existing courts. We are also looking at our overall marketing strategy with a view to using streaming to increase the awareness of the sports. Of course, we are also working to fulfil our members’ expectations and developing the tools available, such as RealTennisOnline, On-line Booking and Rackets Ranking. A final word of thanks to the numerous volunteers who run events at a local level, giving up their free time to the game(s) they adore. Also those who serve on the various committees, both at club and national level, along with those bringing forward fresh ideas and practices. A huge thank you. Chris Davies
2019
JANUARY
Real Tennis World Doubles Championship 2019 6 January, Hobart. Tim Chisholm and Camden Riviere successfully defend their title
Tim Chisholm and Camden Riviere beat Rob Fahey and Nick Howell 6/4 6/5 6/5 6/1 4/6 6/1
Under 24 Singles and Doubles and Under 21 Singles Championship 2019 6 January, MURTC. Robert Shenkman
Champions: Under 21 Singles Freddie Bristowe Under 24 Singles Rob Shenkman Under 24 Doubles Rob Shenkman & Ed Hyde Under 21 Singles Semi-finals F Bristowe bt R Giddins 6/5 6/4 N Batstone bt E Hyde 6/5 6/2 Final F Bristowe bt N Batstone 6/3 6/4 Under 24 Singles
Freddie Bristow
Semi-finals R Shenkman bt L Gale 6/2 6/3 Z Eadle bt R Giddins 6/5 6/5 Final R Shenkman bt Z Eadle 6/1 6/1 Under 24 Doubles Semi-finals R Shenkman & E Hyde bt N Batstone & F Bristowe 6/4 6/3 Z Eadle & H Batstone bt R Giddins & C Defries 6/4 6/3 Final R Shenkman & E Hyde bt Z Eadle & H Batstone 6/2 6/0 Robert Shenkman & Ed Hyde
2019
JANUARY
Chetwood Trophy 21 January
W
e had a great time holding the Chetwood trophy this year. On Saturday Doug Sheperdigian got off to a flying start against Steven Chapman and Christopher Prentice. However a short break and some big handicaps put him on the back foot. Donald Fung played the handicap beautifully against Doug. He narrowly lost his next two matches 5-6 5-6 and his final match 4-6… It was a matter two forty-all games that stopped him from going through. In fact all the games were close, but when it came down to the wire, Adam Mackintosh had the edge on the day. Sunday’s group was equally tight. Martin Trees (who was staring down the barrels of some hefty handicaps) gave us a masterclass in serving but it wasn’t quite enough on the day. John Prentice struggled to get used to the court. He eventually played some great Tennis, but it was two sets too late. Mark Robson put in a sterling performance given that he has only been playing tennis for a year. It was his first time away from Canford but he adapted to the court remarkably well. It was Max Jones and John Amor - Wellington rivals - who stole the show. It couldn’t have been tighter to decide the group, but John coped with the early start a little bit better and narrowly beat Max 6-5 to win the group. Adam got off to a cracking start in the final. It was the first time John had given a handicap and having played four sets already he lost the first 6-1. Adam started the second set well too, but John stuck in and narrowly took
it 6-5 having defended 3 set points. The third set was a tense affair and it was no surprise that they both reached 5 games but Adam held his nerve the best and took the final game confidently. Many thanks to the T&RA for sponsoring the event. Their support as ever was invaluable. Many thanks also to all the competitors for making the journey down to the south west. We couldn’t have asked for a better atmosphere in the dedans and the club room, not to mention all the great Tennis that was played.
Cattermull Cup 23 January
Results Quarter Finals Radley beat Clifton 6/5 Charterhouse beat Westminster 6/2 Marlborough beat Tonbridge 6/4 Worth beat St Edwards 6/4 Semi Finals Radley beat Charterhouse 6/2 Marlborough beat Worth 6/2 Final Radley beat Marlborough 6/4
Seacourt Silver Racquet 31 January - 3 Feb Sponsored by Peter Luck-Hille Results Final Neil Mackenzie bt Luke Danby 6/5 6/2 Semi-finals Neil Mackenzie bt Lea Van Der Zwalmen 6/2 6/1 Luke Danby bt Freddie Bristowe 6/1 6/4 Quarter-finals Neil Mackenzie bt Aaron Flippence 6/2 6/2 Lea Van Der Zwalmen bt Tom Weaver 3/6 6/3 6/1 Luke Danby bt Zak Eadle 6/3 6/4 Freddie Bristowe bt Ned Batstone 3/6 6/3 6/3
NOVEMBER
2019
Schools Real Tennis Doubles Championships 2019 Finals Senior A Final (Queen's Club) Radley beat Wellington 6/3 6/1
1, while Radley 2 gave a good account of themselves in a 3/6 loss to Wellington 1.
Under 13 Final (Oratory) Westbourne beat Christchurch 8/6
The final pitted the World Junior champion (Freddie Bristowe of Wellington) against his close rival (Ned Batstone of Radley) whom he had only just beaten in 3 close sets in the Seacourt Silver racket quarter-final the previous day. The decisive factor was that Ned’s partner, Harry Purton, was very close behind these two in standard while Bristowe’s partner for Wellington (Jack Kinnear) was far less experienced – manfully though he battled in this exalted company.
Reports Seniors (U18) at Queens Club A Grade Radley 1 bt Wellington 1 6/3 6/1
Wellington fought hard to stay with Radley up to 3-4 in the first set before Freddie’s efforts at Seacourt caught up with him and Radley raced away with 8 of the last 9 games.
he qualifying group was fiercely contested, with 6 of the ten matches reaching 4/6 or 5/6. All teams bar one managed at least one win. The Eton pair, Louis Manson & Ben Smith, with much less experience but bags of talent from the lawn tennis and rackets courts, proved surprisingly successful, only losing one match (to Radley 2) and that from 5/3 up. Their tactic of rushing the net met with varying success, but will no doubt be refined in future – and certainly produced a succession of spectacular volleys.
B Grade St Pauls (Rossiter & Livesey) bt Seaford (James & Sunderland) 6/3
Senior B Final (Queen's Club) St Pauls beat Seaford 6/1 Under 16 Final (Radley) Radley 1 beat Hayling 8/7
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Canford 1 were a little unlucky with only one win, but two 6/5 defeats which, on another day might have seen them qualify. Canford 2 battled manfully, but found themselves slightly outgunned while Wellington 2 found two wins and nearly a third, losing only 4/6 to Eton.
Two seriously competitive qualifying groups were played before the semi-finals. Canford 3 won the first group, just pipping Wycombe Abbey/Wellington (a girls pair of Isolde Taylor and Daisy Bristowe) 6/5 who then claimed second place. St Pauls won the other group with close matches throughout against Wellington 3, Seaford and Oratory. Seaford came second. In the play-offs, Wellington 3 beat MCS and Oratory beat Radley 3 (for 5th place). Seaford beat Canford 3 in a close 6/3 in the first semi-final while St Pauls put an end to the girls exploits, before beating Seaford (last years champions) 6/1 in a very solid performance from two young rackets players.
Radley 2 won all four sets, but two from well down (1/5 to Canford 1 and 3/5 to Eton). Good serving from Max Wetton and sensible retrieval from Oscar White U16 at Radley seemed to be decisive. Radley 1 bt Hayling 8/7 In the semi-finals, Eton were dispatched 6/1 by Radley
NOVEMBER
U13 at Oratory Once again, the standard of play was fantastic and I cannot praise them enough for they sportsmanship and competitiveness. The supporters were on the edge of their seats for most of the day. Possibly due to the cold and snow but mainly for the standard of play. Six teams participated this year. Westbourne House came in force with three teams. The format was a round robin one culminating with the top 2 teams in the final. We had all standards on court going from the very experienced to the fun loving participators. Many matches were close but sometimes the final result did not reflect the match seen from the spectator’s gallery. With 4 matches won by three teams, we had to use a count back to separate them. Magdalen lost out by one game. The final was between ChristChurch and Westbourne House 1. In a reversal of a previous match played during the day Westbourne House 1 managed to win 8/6 against ChristChuch. Congratulations to all the players for entering and for giving us a glorious day of Tennis. Thank you to the Oratory School for hosting this fabulous event, the spectators for giving up their whole day to watch and not forgetting Mick Dean for the tournament coordination. Last but not least, The T&RA for supporting the next generation of players.
FEBRUARY
2019
Billy Ross Skinner Hatfied 8 - 10 February
Huge thanks as always to Viv Dawes for her excellent organisation and pairing up of the teams, in what is her last year organising the tournament.
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atfield House Tennis Club once again hosted the Billy RossSkinner Invitational Mixed Doubles tournament over the weekend of the 8th/9th/10th of February and as is always the case with this tournament it provided some very close matches and some excellent tennis The event is an invitational event for the best 16 ladies available, paired up with 16 men of a suitable standard to give each pair an even chance of winning the title and as ever that was very much the case. On the Friday the two strongest pairs to proceed looked to be Jill Newby & Owen Saunders who managed 2 wins out of 2 and Clare Bucknell & Jonathan Fisher who also managed a 100% record without dropping a set to take their place in the Quarter-Finals on Sunday. They were joined by Sue Bicheno & Geoffrey Russell and Sophie Dannreuther & Steve Brewerton, who managed to make it through via the repechage system which allows you one loss but means you have to win 2 out of 3 potential matches. On the Saturday, the first group saw some incredibly close matches, none more so than Nicola Doble & Alistair Hunter beating Amy Pye & Nick Brodie 6/5 in the deciding set to make it 2 wins out of 2.Amy and Nick though also rightly made it through to the Quarter-Finals via the repechage. Sadly though the afternoon group was a pair light though, as one pair had to drop out earlier in the week, leaving us with 3 pairs to play a
Katie Leppard & Simon Talbot-Williams....victorious
Natalie Barber & Fred Satow
From left: Jiill Newby, Owen Saunders, Katie Leppard & Simon Talbot-Williams
round robin group, with the top 2 pairs going through to the Quarter-Finals. This proved to be an exceptionally tough group with both last year’s winners Katie Leppard and Paul Bollerman in it, although split up this year to avoid a repeat. It was Katie who came out the better of the 2 with her partner Simon Talbot-Williams, as they managed to sneak through as runners-up in the
group courtesy of a 5/6 6/4 6/5 win over Paul and his partner Sian Medlow. Group winners were Natalie Barber and Fred Satow who won both their very tight matches without dropping a set. The Sunday would show that the final group on the Saturday, despite only being 3 pairs, really was the group of death as it was the 2 pairs to proceed from there that would go on to contest the final. Both had one incredibly tight win and one relatively comfortable win on the way to the final as Natalie and Fred just snuck through an incredibly tight 3 set match with Sophie Dannreuther & Steve Brewerton 3/6 6/4 6/5, before a relatively comfortable SemiFinal against Nicola Doble & Alistair Hunter 6/0 6/3, who themselves had also had an epic Quarter-Final win 3/6 6/5 6/4 over Sue Bicheno & Geoffrey Russell. Katie & Simon had their easier win first, beating Clare Bucknell & Jonathan Fisher 6/1 6/0 and playing almost faultless tennis along the way, giving Clare and Jonathan no chance. In the Semi-Final though they had a much tougher time, despite a very strong first set which they won 6/1 against Jill Newby and Owen Saunders.Jill and Owen though changed which server they took in the second set and that very much changed the dynamic of the match and they managed to sneak it 6/5 to set up a deciding set.The final set was very tight but Katie & Simon held their nerve to close it out 6/4 and set up a rematch in the final with Natalie & Fred. Natalie & Fred had won the group match 6/5 6/5 so maybe started as slight favourites but it was Katie & Simon who hit the ground running, as they were clearly out for revenge and as they had done in their QuarterFinal match, they played near faultless tennis, Simon controlling things on serve and return of serve and Katie making some incredible defensive volleys at the galleries and some amazing retrieval shots at the hazard end.Natalie & Fred did nothing wrong and made a great fight of it but ultimately went down 6/2 6/3, although the score really doesn’t do them justice. Huge thanks as always to Viv Dawes for her excellent organisation and pairing up of the teams, in what is her last year organising the tournament.It is an incredibly difficult task to match the pairs up so well but once again, all the incredibly tight matches just goes to show what an amazing job she has done. Thanks
also to Hatfield for hosting the event, Liz Fisher, Sarah Sullivan and Jackie Sherman who took care of the catering and the Hatfield Pros for all their efforts with the marking. Viv & Jon Dawes
FEBRUARY
2019
Amateur Singles and Doubles Championships
23rd February 2019; Jamie Douglas is Amateur Champion 2019 24th February 2019; Ed Kay and Jamie Giddins are Doubles Champions
Amateur Singles Champion, Jamie Douglas
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Singles: strong draw witnessed some excellent performances from some of the up and coming players, with Freddie Bristowe pushing Jamie Giddins hard, Lea Van der Zwalmen taking a set off Jonny Whitaker and Ned Batstone being turned over by veteran campaigner Peter Wright. The only upset in the first round was Tom Bomford beating sixth seed, Charlie Braham. The quarter finals ran to form with the top seed emerging without dropping a set to leave the top four seeds, the "Bathurst Four". The first semi-final saw Jamie Douglas beat Jamie Giddins in three extremely tight sets, 6/5 6/5 6/5. While no set points for the latter, the former champion was pushed all the way. The second
Ed Kay, David Watson & Jamie Giddins
semi-final saw Ed Kay overcome Peter Wright in three sets, which looked straightforward on paper, but Ed worked hard for the win. The final pitched defending champion Ed Kay against former champion Jamie Douglas. After three long and exhausting sets, Ed was in a tight 2-1 lead - with the seventh game pivotal in each. Jamie came back strongly to level the match and the deciding set was close. However, it was Jamie who took the honours. 4/6 6/4 5/6 6/2 6/3 in 215 minutes of exhilarating match play. Chris Davies, T&RA CEO, presented the famous amateur bowl, thanking tournament director, Luke Danby, for his usual sterling efforts and Ben Ronaldson for his professional team.
Doubles: Freddie Bristowe and Ned Batstone teamed up but were unable to steer past Phil Dunn and James Sohl. the second quarter-final saw Tom Bomford and Lea Van der Zwalmen ease past Luke Danby and Benjamin Jacquin-Turratini first lady in the semi-finals since 2011. The semi-finals saw the Bathurst Four triumph as the two dominant pairs set up an intriguing final. In a tight match it was some satisfaction for Ed Kay as he and partner, Jamie Giddins, beat former champions, Jamie Douglas and Peter Wright, in three tough sets. 6/4 6/3 6/5, another wellmatched final. David Watson, T&RA Chairman, presented the Bailey Cup to the worthy champions; a new pair of names on the trophy.
Peter wright (left) and Steve Taylor produced a superb display of Tennis at Prested Hall
Over 40s Amateur Doubles
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superb display of Tennis in the Over 40s Amateur Doubles Championships played at Prested Hall over the weekend of 2/3 March. Holders Peter Wright & Steve Taylor proving too strong for their competitors once again, however it was not without fight! After a sensational battle between home duo Matt Potter & Colin Sprott and the traveling pair of the north - Simon Shenkman & Richard MacAlister,
the latter stealing the match 6/5 in the 3rd! Richard and Simon put up a great fight in the final but ultimately Steve and Peter proved why they have dominated this tournament for the past 3+ years. A mention also to Richard Lidstone-Scott & Vince Lucey, who won the plate final 6/1 6/4 over Mike Cotton and Steve Steadman. All round a great day of doubles and congratulations once again to very worthy champions.
Varsity Tennis
2019
Varsity Men's Oxford beat Cambridge 5-1
Ed Hyde - Cambridge
MARCH 1st/2nd March: MCC: Oxford beat Cambridge in both Men and Ladies matches
Varsity Ladies Oxford beat Cambridge 5-1
Charlie Defries - Oxford
Pol Roger 2018/19
2019
9th March, Queen's Club: A very close final saw MCC retain the Pol Roger Cup against rivals RTC. The match was decided 6/4 in the final set.
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Pol Roger Finalists
n a repeat of last year’s Pol Roger Cup final, MCC took on RTC in what proved to be an exceptionally close match. After eight hours of Tennis, MCC clinched the deciding final match to win the cup for the second year running. The final moved from its traditional neutral venue of Moreton Morrell to Queens Club. It was RTC who got off to a winning start in a close second doubles match. Charlie Packham and James Sohn defeated Neil Roxburgh and Jolyon Symonds 6-3 in the third set for important initial victory. Jamie Douglas made it 1 rubber apiece in a high quality match against Peter Wright. The high standard of Tennis continued much to the enjoyment of the busy dedans, MCC edging ahead with Jamie Giddins putting in a composed performance over the RTC captain Phil Dunn. The third singles, now a must win match for RTC, proved to be an epic contest. Horatio Cary of MCC, no stranger to long 3 set matches in the Pol Roger Cup, took on Tom Freeman of RTC. A tense first set went the way of RTC. At 5-2 up in the second set, RTC were in the verge of victory until a spirited comeback from Horatio brought the score back to 5 all. After a long game, Horatio claimed the second set, leaving MCC
one set away from claiming the Cup. Horatio started the third set strongly, taking a 4-2 lead. It was now Tom’s turn to stage a comeback, fighting for survival, he edged into a 5-4 lead. Inevitably the score went to 5-5 with everything resting on a final game, which Tom took, leaving the match delicately poised at 2-2 with one doubles match to go. The final match saw David and James Watson take on James Acheson-Gray and Peter Jarvis. A strong start from MCC lead to a 6/4 victory in the first set. The father and son duo rallied in the second set, producing a fine display of doubles Tennis to take it 6-1. Now well into the evening, with the dedans engrossed (in both the Tennis and generously supplied Pol Roger champagne) the third set was a nail biter. MCC edged into a 5-4 lead in a highly competitive match, notable for long rests, punctuated with fierce exchanges of volleying. It seemed poised to go to 5-5 until MCC clinched the victory with a force to the dedans followed by deadly volley return of serve. It was a terrific match, filled with high quality Tennis and played in great spirit. Thanks to the hosts Queen’s and of course to the generous sponsorship of Pol Roger. Thanks also the T&RA for another great tournament.
MARCH
Field Trophy 2018/19
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eacourt’s youthful 2nd pairing of William Flynn and Henry Liddington proved too strong and agile for Petworth’s experienced Charles Fuente and Andrew Page (6/2, 6/2) who struggled to find the necessary consistency to unsettle their opponents. Charlie Braham has been struggling with arthritis in his playing hand which was a hindrance against a domineering Luke Danby who strolled to a 6/1, 6/2 win in the 1st singles. The 2nd singles was one of the shortest on record when Seacourt’s Hugh latham pulled a fetlock after only three points in the first game thus gifting Petworth and Adam Dolman a lifeline. Several handicap points lower, Petworth’s Angus Williams (6/2, 6/2) was too strong in the 3rd Singles for Lea Van der Zwalmen, who nonetheless showed why she is now the leading women’s amateur but she struggled to force winners against Angus whose retrieving was first class. So at 2/2 the match result depended on the 1st doubles. Would we be treated to the first three setter of the day? Charles Danby and Mark McMurragh rushed into an early 3/0 lead but Petworth’s Bill Chambers and Steve Calder-Smith reduced the deficit to 2/3, but allowed their opponents to take the set with ease. The 2nd set was a closer affair and at 5/3 up the Seacourt pair were guilty of relaxing and allowing Petworth back into the game at 5/5. However, Danby and McMurragh were at the service end in the final game which proved decisive, securing a well-deserved Field Trophy win.
SEACOURT TRIUMPH IN FIELD TROPHY 3/2
Seacourt Team
Pol Roger champagne for winners and finalists!
Adam Dolman wore himself out on the American Squash court to compensate for his somewhat truncated match, while Hugh was able to savour the sponsors’ excellent Cote de Beaune! Pol Roger were warmly thanked for their most generous sponsorship of the event as were Moreton Morrell and particularly Tom Granville for laying on a most enjoyable day. Andrew Hamilton Photographs: Tony Branfield Petworth Team
MARCH
Brodie Cup 2018/19
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tight and occasionally tense final of this year’s Brodie Cup saw Oxford win the competition for the first time, beating a highly impressive Seacourt squad who had remarkably reached the final without benefiting from a home
match! The final returned to its traditional home at the Hyde after a year’s absence, and Oxford needed to make up for loses in the last two finals. However, it was Seacourt that started brighter, with the young pairing of Max Jones and Max Truman giving Oxford’s Wayne McLennan and Danny Dawson no chance at all. It was a mature and accomplished performance by the Seacourt pair, who won 6/0 6/0 without needing to hit top gear.
Oxford got into the tie with solid performances from Harry Lawes and Ben Barber, both fresh from victories over Cambridge in the Varsity matches. Harry beat Jess Garside by being extremely careful not to feed her lethal volley, hitting the corners regularly instead, and Ben kept his head as Simon Flynn tried every tactic and shot in the book to try and get a foothold in the match. Point after point lasted for shot after shot, but Oxford eventually took a 2-1 lead in the tie. Seacourt’s youth policy paid off in the 50 singles, with James Medlow putting in probably the performance of the day in beating Oxford’s Graham Piddock 6/1 6/0. James kept points short, hitting winner after winner. The match was closer than the score sounds, but there was no doubt as to the deserved victor. The final therefore came down to the final doubles, with Oxford’s Grant Miller and Freddie Freeman facing Seacourt’s Josh McMurragh and Simon Armstrong, the latter a late substitute for his son, Timmy. The first set swung this way and that, with Seacourt leading at 3-1 and 5-4. Oxford got the service at the right time, and edged the set 6/5. If that set had gone the other way, things may have been different, but Grant and Freddie served almost the entire second set and secured the title.
2019 Sunday 10th March, Hyde; Oxford beat Seacourt 3-2 It was a great day, with a full and lively dedans throughout. The Hyde’s hospitality was wonderful, and the generosity of the sponsors Pol Roger and the T&RA meant a good time was had by all. It was Oxford’s year, but this young Seacourt team will be back before too long...
Kershaw Cup Manchester
John Prenn beat Philip Shaw-Hamilton 6/2 6/2 in the final
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here was another fine turnout for the Kershaw Cup, headed by John Prenn and Philip Shaw-Hamilton. If there was a disappointment, it was that they were the only two from the current selection for the Bostwick Cup to enter.
John Prenn & Jamie Douglas
First-round matches went pretty much to form, although the new kid on the block – Nick Jeffery from RTC – gave Philip Shaw-Hamilton a fright at the start of the match, taking a 3 love lead before the no. 2 seed got into his stride. Jonathan Fisher and Jamie Bebb were having a really good battle until Jonathan tore a groin muscle in the 8th game of the first set and had to withdraw. The two semifinals were won comfortably by the favourites, although the score lines don’t, perhaps, fully reflect either the quality of the play or the fact that both the top seeds had to be right on their game. John Prenn beat John Ward 6/1 6/0 and Philip ShawHamilton beat Jamie Bebb 6/1 6/1. The final was a repeat of last year’s. Unlike last year, however, John was pretty much fully fit and played like it. Philip had been paying excellent tennis throughout the tournament but went in to the final on the back of 3 sets of handicap doubles in which he was the ‘runner’ of the partnership. Nevertheless, John had to be at his best to wear Philip down – he definitely made fewer unforced errors – and was aided by Philip’s tendency to overhit when weary. John Prenn beat Philip Shaw-Hamilton 6/2 6/2. In the B singles, Tony Harrison beat Paul Butler – again a repeat of last year’s final – 6/2.
MARCH
C Open Championships
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2019
Sir Andrew Hamilton and Freddie Dixon
Jack Clifton and Sir Andrew Hamilton
oreton Morrell was delighted to welcome 18 players to the Category C Championships - 12 for the 25-29 section and 6 for the 20-24. In the latter, local 'boy' Philip Shaw-Hamilton found ex Hampshire cricketer James Hamblin too tough a proposition going down 4/6, 3/6. Another local Tom Lewis was below par in his match against Nick Baker who triumphed 6/3, 6/3. The first semifinal was an epic match between Freddie Dixon and James Hamblin; Hamblin took the first set relatively easily but the second was nip and tuck with Dixon scraping home 6/5, both players retrieving superbly. Dixon was in trouble in the final set but hauled his way back into the match to squeak through 6/5 in a two hour long match which played havoc with the overall schedule with play finishing at 10.30 pm! In the other semi Nick Baker struggled to find and consistency and succumbed easily to Charles Doyly 3/6, 0/6. The final was another long drawn out affair with Dixon cruising to a 6/0 first set win thanks to positive stroke play and effective railroad serving. The second set went in reverse - Doyly went 5/1 up only to take his foot off the gas which allowed Dixon to crawl back to 5/5 but then proceeded to gift points and lose the set. In the third set both players resorted to pushing the ball around probably due to weary limbs and minds with the score see sawing but Freddie Dixon held his nerve to win
deservedly the Category C trophy for the second year running. In the first quarter-final of the Category 25-29 Jeremy Taylor eased to a 6/3, 6/2 win over J. Brodie, Chris Kroeger took out M. Richards 6/5, 6/2, MCC assistant professional Jack Clifton came through a titanic tussle with Ashley Deakin 6/5, 4/6, 6/3 and local Rob Stewart avoided too many alarms against Andrew Keeley winning 6/3, 6/2. In the semis Stewart continued his good form in a 6/3, 6/2 win against Jeremy Taylor and Jack Clifton won a superb contest with Kroeger 6/3, 5/6 4/6. The first set of the final was a close affair with some excellent rests with one memorable one that ended with Stewart marooned at the net as Clifton lobbed the ball into the dedans. Clifton went up a gear in the second set tucking into Stewart's railroad serve and exerting constant pressure winning the match and title convincingly 6/4 6/2. There was an excellent standard of Tennis played throughout the three days, in fact a joy to watch and it begged the question as to whether or not the standard has improved over the years! Tom Granville was thanked for organising a difficult timetable and for marking duties shared with Nick Jury and Lloyd Pettiford.
D Open Championship
Ronald Paterson (left) & John East
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atfield once again had the honour of hosting the Category D Singles event for players between 30-39 handicap and as in previous years the event was split into Matthew Alden (left) & Rory Musgrave 2 divisions 30-34 and 35-39.
Unfortunately the entry was down a little on the usual numbers with only 14 players entered in the 2 sections. In the 35-39 section the final was between last year’s winner Ronald Paterson of MCC and John East of RTC and it was an extremely entertaining battle from two very experienced players. Both players had faced very tough semi-final battles earlier in the day. Ronald beating Attila Kerekes of Queen’s in a marathon encounter 3/6 6/5 6/4, while John made an amazing comeback against Andrew James of Hatfield after losing the first set 6/0. He somehow managed to halt Andrew’s progress to take a tight second set 6/4 and clinch the deciding set 6/3.
In the 30-34 section the final was between Rory Musgrave of Queen’s and Matthew Alden of Oxford. Both had different routes to the final with Rory coming through an epic battle with Graham Defries, also of Queen’s, winning 3/6 6/2 6/4 in a game that swung first one way and then the other. Matthew on the other hand came through relatively unscathed in his semifinal, beating Nick Browne of Radley 6/1 6/1, barely making an unforced error in the whole match.
The final though proved to be a very different thing with Rory tearing out the blocks and putting Matthew under the type of pressure he hadn’t faced at any Both players were obviously feeling a little tired by the point up to then. He was cutting the ball heavily from time the final came round but it was definitely John the hazard end and hitting the grille for fun from the who recovered slightly better and having got his nose service and with all this pressure, suddenly Matthew in front early in the first set, never really relinquished started making some unforced errors and the match that lead. The game was always tight and hard fought started drifting away from him. Rory never took his and littered with numerous chases of 2 or better but foot off and eventually ran out the 6/1 6/2 winner to take the much deserved title John eventually ran out the winner 6/3 6/4.
MARCH
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2020 1919 F Open Championship
nother packed out weekend at Prested Hall for the National Category F Championships. We had players come from far and wide and delighted to welcome players also from the Netherlands & New York to play in the prestigious event. Saturday saw the 50-54 category Championships. Whilst most first round matches were straight forward, eventual winner Ben Geytenbeek played a nail biter 3 setter, beating Prested local 6/5 in the 3rd set. Ben then continued his good form, winning his semi-final & Final in straight sets. Congratulations also to Tom Lucey, for making the final after two great results, also winning through in straight sets. In the plate draw, some incredibly close matches, plenty of 10/9s. The winner was Christian McCall from New York, beating Candida Nicholls in the Plate final. Onto Sunday with another jam packed day on both courts. A notable semi-final match between Jonathan Ellis-Miller & Richard Coughtrie put the whole schedule in the bin, however was a thrilling match for all to watch, Richard Coughtrie eventually winning through in over 2hours. Richard was in for another 3 set battle in the third, but this time running out of steam as Prested local Dan Worboys ran away with the title. Huge congrats Dan! In the plate, Malek Al-Chalabi took the title, with no less Ged Parsons (left) & Dan Worboys than another epic battle 10/9 against James Wells. Congratulations to all our Champions and a thank you to everyone who came to play.
E Open Championship 40-44 H’caps Renaud Besnard bt Max 6/5 1/6 6/3 45-49 H’caps Max bt James 6/4 6/4
MCC Silver Racquet 2019 MCC, 6 April 2019 MCC Silver Racquet played at Lords on Saturday 6th April Ed Kay bt Jamie Giddins 6/4 6/2 5/6 6/4 Ed will now play Jamie Douglas, the holder, for the MCC Gold Racquet on Saturday 25th May at 1100 Over 70 Amateur Singles and Doubles Championships 2019 Wellington, 6-7 April 2019 Results Singles:John Ward beat John East 8/7 Doubles:John East & Dick Tanfield beat John Ward & Simon Da Halpert 8/4 H’Cap Doubles: Tim Harper & John Burnett beat David Bevan-Thomas & Andrew Falk 8/5
T&RA Tennis and Rackets Association
Always Evolving...
2019 Under 21 and Under 24 Singles & Doubles Rory Giddins defends the Under 21 and U24 titles. Rory and partner, Ed Hyde, wins the Under 21 Doubles. Alex Duncliffe-Vines & Jock Jamieson-Black win the Under 24. Under 21 Singles Final Rory Giddins beat Ed Hyde 15/3 15/8 15/2 Semi-finals R.Giddins bt S.Navapurkar 15/7 15/5 15/3 E.Hyde bt J.Jamieson-Black 15/7 15/10 16/14
Rory Giddins (left) Chris Davies & Charlie Mackelvey
Under 24 Singles Final Rory Giddins beat Charlie McKelvey 15/7 15/5 15/8 Semi-finals R.Giddins bt Jono Jamieson-Black w/o C.McKelvey bt Jock Jamieson-Black 15/9 15/4 15/10
Under 21 Doubles Final Rory Giddins & Ed Hyde beat Jono Jamieson-Black & Max Dymoke 15/2 15/11 15/6 Semi-finals Rory Giddins & Ed Hyde bt Foreman & Perper 15/1 15/12 15/11 Jono Jamieson-Black & Max Dymoke bt Symonds & Vleck 16/17 17/15 4/15 15/5 15/12
Varsity Rackets Results (Oxford first) 3rd Singles Charles Defries lost to Ivo MacDonald 4/15 5/15 9/15 2nd Pair Doubles Charles Defries & George Peel lost to Ivo MacDonald & Alex Moen 11/15 15/9 15/6 15/8 4th Singles George Peel bt Alex Moen 16/14 15/7 15/10 2nd Singles Ed Kandel bt Salil Navapurkar 15/8 8/15 15/7 15/1 1st Singles Rory Giddins bt Ed Hyde 15/4 15/7 15/3 1st Pair Doubles Rory Giddins & Ed Kandel bt Ed Hyde & Salil Navapurkar 15/11 5/15 4/15 15/7 15/4 Oxford beat Cambridge 4-2 Freya Miller presented the Pol Roger and the trophy to the victorious Oxford team.
Brown Advisory British Open Singles Championship Tom Billings beat Ben Cawston to win the Open Singles championship Final T. Billings (1) bt B. Cawston (2) 15/13 15/3 15/5 15/6 Semi-finals B. Cawston (2) bt C. Portz (6) 11/15 15/6 15/11 15/11 15/7 T. Billings (1) bt J. Coyne (4) 15/8 15/1 15/1 15/0 Quarter-finals T. Billings (1) bt B. Bomford 15/1 16/13 15/2 J. Coyne (4) bt A. Titchener-Barrett (5) 15/12 15/7 15/10 C. Portz (6) bt N. Hopcroft (3) 15/6 retired B. Cawston (2) bt M. Bailey (7) 10/15 15/11 12/15 15/12 15/3 Ben Cawston, Peter Mallinson and Tom Billings
Brown Advisory Ladies Rackets Open Singles Championships Lea Van der Zwalmen wins her fifth Open Singles title Final Lea Van Der Zwalmen bt Lauren Gooding 15/2 15/4 15/0 Semi-finals Lea Van Der Zwalmen bt Issy Thorneycroft 15/2 15/0 Lauren Gooding bt India Deakin 15/7 15/0 Quarter-finals Issy Thorneycroft bt India Blake 15/2 15/1 India Deakin bt Minty Knowles 15/7 15/0 Lea Van Der Zwalmen bt Fionnuala Dowling 15/0 15/1 Lauren Gooding bt Francesca Sweet 15/4 15/8
Lea Van Der Zwalmen, Peter Mallinson and Lauren Gooding
2019
FEBRUARY UK Professional Singles
Eton: Ben Bomford beat Ben Cawston 15/10 15/9 11/15 7/15 15/13 in the final. Results Quarter-finals B. Cawston bt N. Brett 15/4 15/3 R. Tulley bt R. Williams 15/2 15/3 B. Bomford bt P. Brake 15/1 15/6 N. Smith bt D. Makey 3/15 17/14 15/3 Semi-finals B. Cawston bt R. Tulley 15/5 15/9 15/8 B. Bomford bt N. Smith 15/12 16/13 15/3 Final B. Bomford bt B. Cawston 15/10 15/9 11/15 7/15 15/13
Richard Montgomery (left) and Ben Bomford
Amateur Rackets Doubles Championship Charterhouse; 23rd February; Mike Bailey & Nick James beat George Loup & Ben Stevens to become amateur champions.
Nick James and Mike Bailey
MARCH National Schools Doubles 2019 Sponsored by Brown Advisory Queen's Club. 23-30 March 2019 Tonbridge win the Peter Gray Cup; St Paul's win the Eric Angus Cup; Eton win the First and Second Pairs. Saturday 30th March Finals Day Peter Gray Cup (Junior Colts) Tonbridge bt Radley15/10 15/11 12/15 15/11 Eric Angus Cup (Colts) St Pauls bt Winchester 10/15 17/14 15/5 15/13 Palmer Tomkinson Cup (Second Pairs) Eton bt Harrow II 13/16 15/5 15/1 15/5 National Schools Championship (First Pairs) Eton bt Tonbridge 10/15 8/15 15/7 16/15 15/3 14/17 15/7
MARCH
2019
Lots of fast action from The National Schools Doubles
National Schoolgirls Singles Championships 2019 Cheltenham Double: F. Dowling-Membrado wins the Beryl Danby; I. Deakin wins the Judy Angus Cup
Results Judy Angus (Senior Girls) Final I. Deakin (Che) bt I. Thorneycroft (Wel) 15/7 14/17 3/15 15/12 15/11 Beryl Danby (Junior Girls) Final F. Dowling-Membrado (Che) bt C. Sweet (Wel) 12/15 15/5 15/13
2019 Inaugural Rackets Mixed Open Doubles 2019
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he T&RA and the Queen's Club were proud to host the Inaugural Rackets Mixed Open Doubles, which was a resounding success. The atmosphere in the gallery was truly amazing while Rackets was being played all day in the best spirit. The players were blessed with a significant number of spectators who were all impressed with the standard of play. Special mention to all the male players and in particular Ben Cawston (Assistant Professional at Tonbridge School) and Graeme Tyndall (Head Profesional at Haileybury School) who, as a result of their astute play, enabled the girls to play some of the best Rackets they have ever played. Many players and spectators were amazed by their spectacular improvement.
Congratulations to India Deakin & Felix Clarke (from Cheltenham College)) for becoming the first ever Rackets British Mixed Open Doubles Champions, defeating Ella Gaskell & Graeme Tyndall (from Haileybury College) in a very entertaining Final! Lastly, a massive thank you to the generous sponsors The Queen’s Club Foundation and The Tennis & Rackets Association and to all those who actively supported this historical event. The hope is to grow this event into one of the biggest and most popular tournament in the Rackets calendar.
The Queen's Club; 6th April. Left to Right: India Deakin & Felix Clarke beat Ella Gaskell & Graeme Tyndall 15/1 15/7 in the final.
APRIL
Brown Advisory British Open Doubles Championship 2019 Tom Billings and Richard Owen retain their Open Doubles title
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rown Advisory British Open Doubles Championship 2019Brown Advisory British Open Doubles Championship 2019. A scintillating tournament was drawn to its conclusion by a festival of Rackets at the Queen's Club. Sponsors, Brown Advisory, now completing their fourth year of Rackets sponsorship witnessed top class rallies from all four players. The reigning champions, Tom Billings and Richard Owen had progressed smoothly through the tournament before encountering the toughest challenge in the semi-finals, where Mike Bailey and Nick James proved worthy opposition, as many would have forecast from this established pair. Having dropped a narrow first game 14/16, Billings & Owen stepped up into a two-one lead with two strong games, only for Bailey and James to level after a fourth dogged game. However, with the game in the balance, the extra fire-power of Owen and the supreme talent of Billings moved the momentum back in their favour as they closed down the match four games to two. The number two seeds, Alex Duncliffe-Vines and Ben Cawston, also reached the final fairly comfortably,
although were pushed by Mark Farmiloe and James Bailey in their opening match, and then the fast starting James Coyne and Ben Bomford in the semi-final. Both opposing pairs taking a game off the second seeds. The semi-final did prove to be a momentous battle of wits, with virtually every game separated by a few points. A packed gallery saw a showdown of the top seeds, with every vantage point taken up. After a couple of early skirmishes and a couple of hands apiece, it was Duncliffe-Vines and Cawston who generated a fragile 2-0 lead. This proved to be short-lived as Billings gripped the game, serving cleverly with good length, backed up by the impressive Owen, who showed great footwork and raw power and accuracy. Eight points on the Billings serve changed the momentum and with only one point on the opposing serve, the top seeds lead 8-3. Billings & Owen then extended their lead to a dominant 12-3 and, with only one point in response, it was Owen who closed the first game, 15/4; an important first blood to the defending champions. The second game was remarkabley similar in the early exchanges before, once again, seven points on the Billings serve and a further four from Owen, established a 12-3 advantage. Duncliffe-Vines & Cawston dug deep
2019
into their repertoire but were simply not getting much change from their determined opponents. The score was soon 13-5, before the game was won with further powerful shots from the top pair, winning 15/5; and a two games to love lead. The gallery knew it was now or never for Duncliffe-Vines & Cawston and they secured a small advantage in the third as Duncliffe-Vines served well and Cawston scurried to retrieve everything thrown at him. The young partnership held a 5-2 before the more seasoned champions clawed back the lead, although generally training by the odd point. The game reached 8-all, then 9-all, and then 11-9 Billings & Owen. The third game seemed to be swinging towards the top seeds. However, Cawston then stepped up to produce some top class serving, backed up by sublime shots by his partner. They inched closer to the game reaching 14-11, before losing the first hand. Duncliffe-Vines stepped up and, after a couple of lets, played out the final point with precision. 15/11 and back in the match, trailing one game to two. Game on! The fourth game started quite tentatively with shots being traded either way. Billings seemed less certain and Owen's footwork was marginally slower, and many shots came back off the back wall. However it was still the Billings-Owen combination which inched ahead, 4-1 became 8-4, then 9-6. The match was tight and the game could swing either way. It was the second seeds who grabbed the game, with five points in a hand, and took what seemed to be a critical lead 11-9. More rallying and the champions were 12-11 ahead but two points later it was 13-12 Duncliffe-Vines-Cawston. A vital missed point with both players close together let in their opponents who seized the opportunity. Level at 13-all and then steaming through the set to five without reply. 18/13 and the match had turned, Billings & Owen regaining the vital momentum. The fifth game was critical. Billings was back to his best and Owen was revitalised, taking a 4-0 lead on the opening hand. However, Cawston then Duncliffe-Vines came back strongly and soon it was 5-all. The match was far from over. But then Owen stepped up and found
his touch in the box. Eight points later, all on Owen's serve, the score was 13-5, and situation looked forlorn. Duncliffe-Vines rallied and pulled back a couple of points but the Billings-Owen combination served a point apiece to close out the match 15/7. The gallery roared its approval for both pairs after an exhilarating match. The top seeds had been pushed hard and came though the challenge and retain their primacy in the doubles game. Only one more step to ascend. The defeated finalists put on a brilliant display of resilience and determination, demonstrating they are a force for the future. T&RA President, David Norman, warmly applauded both sets of players, thanked the sponsors effusively, represented by Louisa Cottrell, and Queen's Club for its continued support to Rackets. There was a huge roar for departing Queen's Club CEO, Andrew Stewart, who has proved to be a stalwart supporter of Rackets and will be seriously missed when he departs in July. Results Final T Billings & R Owen bt A Duncliffe-Vines & B Cawston 15/4 15/5 11/15 18/13 15/7
Rackets World Challenge Announcement James Stout has decided not to defend his world title, held despite several challenges, continuously for the last 11 years. James is retiring from singles competition and his grace and style will be missed everybody who follows the game, opponents and supporters alike. The World Challenge Procedures therefore state that Tom Billings will step up into a Challenge match in November 2019 and that he will play the winner of an Eliminator Match between Alex Duncliffe-Vines and Will Hopton. The Eliminator will be played over two legs in the UK, as selected by Alex Duncliffe-Vines. After consultation with the players, the following schedule has been decided by the T&RA. First leg: Queen's Club Wednesday 22nd May at 1830 Second leg: Manchester RTC Saturday 25th May at 1100 The Eliminator will be played over two best of seven game legs. The player winning the Eliminator Match is the player who wins the most games. If the games are level after two Legs the player with the most points wins the Match.
APRIL BRNC Dartmouth Open
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he Rackets Weekend at BRNC is over for this year and seems to have worked so very many thanks to all of you who came to watch or play and particularly to Ben and Reggie who marked so judiciously. For the record, the new Dartmouth Cup was first (and last) presented in April 1904, and was found in her antique shop by Queen’s Tennis player Sue Haswell. She kindly gave it to Chris Davies who generously presented it to the Dartmouth Rackets Club. The second presentation of this cup was to the 2019 winners- Felix Clarke and Deane Pennick and the cup was presented on the court by Charlotte Mason, wife of Lt Cdr David Mason who is now running Naval Rackets and very much hopes to increase the number of serving Naval
12th to 14th April - Rackets weekend, BRNC, Dartmouth.
players. Runners up were Luke Danby and Rory Sutton. The winners of the Dart River Competition (more by default than anything else) were Mike Samuelson and James Luard. Traffic to Dartmouth on the Friday was frightful but a few games were enjoyed that afternoon and then 18 of us met for supper in the Floaters with very many thanks to Mark Agate. Fifty four of us sat down to an excellent dinner in the Wardroom on the Saturday night and the younger elements. Admiral Mike, kept going until the early hours. The first match on the Sunday was particularly sketchy but play then improved. Thank you to all Rackets enthusiasts for coming all the way to Dartmouth. James Luard
Wishing you all a very Happy & Peaceful Easter. From us all at The T&RA