T&RA Newsletter –Christmas 2014

hief Executive Update Probably the most exciting development for this

season is the establishment of a new Rackets

World Challenge Process for both Singles and

Doubles. The elite players now have a dynamic

ranking process and also a transparent system for

collecting race points (towards a potential challenge).

The result has seen all the top players in action, with

every competition bulging at the seams with talent.

The top three singles players have all collected titles in

the UK with Will Hopton winning the Manchester Gold

Racquet, Jamie Stout the Invitation and Alex

Titchener-Barrett the Amateur. Rackets continues to

thrive; the next step is to work and retain the current

players in the Schools’ Championships.

In Tennis, the British Open saw Camden Riviere win

the title for the first time and become the fourth

different winner in the last four years. He also teamed

up with the evergreen Tim Chisholm to win the

Doubles, so a good week’s endeavour. The event saw

the current World Champion, the World Number One

and the Rackets World Number One. The

implementation of the Markers’s Protocol has also

dramatically improved the standard and consistency of

this important aspect of the game – and further

strengthened the Club Professional Development

programme.

The other significant development is ladies

participation in Real Tennis. Claire Fahey applied and

was admitted to play in the British Open. Her entry was

accepted for this year with entries in subsequent years

subject to a review involving full consultation with

interested stakeholders – a process which is

underway. Claire’s handicap was good enough to

make the main draw, where she acquitted herself

admirably. More to follow before the end of this

season.

Finally, the prospect of a new court at Wellington is

edging ever closer. Fundraising has been very

successful, although there is still a short bridge to gap.

The project has secured its planning permission from

the Council and represents the greatest opportunity to

see the first new Tennis court since Radley. These are

exciting times and I’d urge anybody thinking about

donating to contact Eleanor Marsden, Deputy Director

of Development elm@wellingtoncollege.org.uk. Further

details on the T&RA website.

THE T&RA SENDS WARM WISHES TO ALL ITS MEMBERS FOR A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR

unior Open Singles Champ’ships

....31 August 2014 Paul Weaver and winners

Howard Angus writes…..

The weekend went really well, impeccably organised

by Paul Weaver as always! The final of the Under 12s,

an all-Seacourt affair won by Max Jones, was played

on Saturday evening, after the U16 Girls Plate.

Perhaps the most interesting of the finals was the U14

contest between twins Fin and Zak Ramjane, from

Prested, which the elder, Fin, (by 1 minute!), won 6/4

6/4, both playing some very stylish, if erratic, Tennis. In

the U16 final Alex Dyter was steadier than Nick Milton,

and in the U18 final Sam Willis did not have enough

guns to trouble the more complete game of Charlie

Braham.

he Over 60 Amateur Doubles Real Tennis Championships

Duncan Colquhoun & Paul Weaver eventually

prevailed in a splendid final, beating John Prenn &

Richard Moore 6/0 4/6 6/4. Both had been unbeaten in

the round-robin stage, surviving a strong challenge

from Philip Shaw-Hamilton and Sir Andrew Hamilton

(both by 6/4). Vern Cassin and Mick Dean just lost 3/6

to Prenn & Moore, thanks to Prenn’s court coverage

and despite Vern Cassin’s fine serving and aggressive

volleying. A potentially crucial match, poised at 3-3,

was halted as Mick Dean pulled a calf muscle against

Shaw-Hamilton & Hamilton but probably did little to

affect the eventual result of the tournament.

Both Marek Stefanovicz’s volleying & Jonathan

Fisher’s elegant floor play provided a stylish

combination without the success they perhaps

deserved while David Bryant’s experience combined

with William Donger’s power to provide stiff

competition for everyone. They played especially well

to defeat Stefanovicz & Fisher 6/5, coming from 1-4

down.

C J

T

The final was a see-saw affair. Colquhoun/Weaver

raced through the first set before Prenn assumed more

control, and started to switch positions mid-rally to

claim more of the play. This was enough for the 2nd

set, but Weaver and Colquhoun proved too strong in a

tense final set.

ategory B Tournament ....Handicap 10-19

A mixture of old and wise with young and steady took

to the court in Bridport for this annual T&RA

tournament.

It was a pleasure to have Steve Brockenshaw down

from Manchester, but it was short lived as Adam

Player managed to dispatch him in the semis after a

close first set.

John Prenn was down once again (every year it has

been held at the Hyde), but despite practising well with

the home professional the day before the tournament,

he was upset by the young and talented Edmund Kay.

This proved to be a trend as the Cambridge/RTC man

managed to secure the tournament without losing a

set, beating Leon Smart in the semis and Adam Player

in the final. The final was certainly a contest though as

Adam only just lost 6/5 in the second, but the brilliant

engineer dazzled everyone with his sharp volleys,

speed and tenacity.

The 15-19s:

The semi-finals of this tournament were both nail biters

as they both finished 6/3 in the third with the victors

losing the middle sets. On the one hand it was Philip

Dunn squeaking past Alex Evans 6/3 5/6 6/3 with his

steady play-style and curious serving. On the other

hand, it was Charlie Harries-Jones who tore through

David Watson in the first set, only to be demolished in

the second. The third set was more of a contest

though, but with a three love lead Charlie kept his

head above water and finished 6/1 0/6 6/3.

The final was probably the longest match of the whole

weekend as these two players seemed to have

endless stamina despite having played the semis

earlier in the day. Phillip Dunn managed to clinch the

first 6/5 and was leading 4-0 in the second when

suddenly everything changed. Well, two things

changed: Phil seemed to hit a bit off a wall and Charlie

must have taken some pills or something such was the

metamorphosis that happened to his entire game. Phil

was still running hard but his shots were a little tired,

but Charlie started playing some tight and intelligent

tennis that had eluded him to this point all weekend.

The final score was 5/6 6/5 6/3 to Charlie Harries-

Jones.

ategory C Tournament ....Handicap20-29

Winner – Mike Henman (right) being presented the trophy by Sir Andrew Hamilton

ategory D Tournament ....Handicap 30-39

Hatfield once again had the honour of hosting the

Category D Singles event for players between 30-39

and as in previous years the event was split into two

divisions 30-34 and 35-39.

In the 30-34, section we had a new winner of the event

and someone who is very likely to go on to bigger and

better things in Real Tennis. James Green who has

recently become a Trainee Professional at Seacourt

managed to see off two Hatfield players on his way to

the title, first beating Silas Manhood in a very tight and

at times brutal semi-final 5/6 6/4 6/2. James started at

Seacourt as a Lawn Tennis coach and has a

phenomenal volley which Silas decided to attack at

every opportunity, leading to some long rallies where

the floor didn’t get much of a look in. In the end youth

and fitness won the day as Silas visibly tired in the

middle of the 2nd

set and James progressed. In the

final James would face another Hatfield player, John

Savage, who had himself come through a tight tactical

battle with Matthew Webb from RTC 6/3 6/4 and the

final was to prove another very close match. John was

trying to keep the ball on the floor but James was

getting more used to the court and took the 1st set

reasonably comfortably only for John to battle back

really well in the 2nd

set to take it to a decider. In the

final set there were many long deuce games and the

match was always in the balance until the end but

finally James ran out a worthy winner 6/2 5/6 6/3.

C

C

C

In the 35-39 section play started on the Friday where

Sav Cremona, over from Australia, failed to get value

for his flight losing 6/0 6/0 to James Hay of Hatfield

and on the way managed to take a memento of his

visit in the form of a bloody and potentially broken

nose after an attempted boast off the back wall went

slightly wrong and ricocheted back into his face.

Happily that was the only bloodshed in the tournament

as last year’s winner Martin Richards of Hatfield

managed to defend his title with tight 3 set victories

over 2 other Hatfield members firstly David Hudson 3/6

6/5 6/4 in the semi-final and then Johnny Borrell 4/6

6/1 6/3 in the final. The final in particular saw two very

different styles of play with Johnny playing a very

classic style by cutting the balls into the corners and

Martin taking a slightly more brutal approach, forcing

well for the targets along with some extremely powerful

boasts. It was a really entertaining match for the

crowd and both players deserve full credit for a really

competitive match.

ver 50 Amateur Doubles

In early October players gathered at Holyport to

play in the group stages of the Over 50 Doubles. The

format was two groups playing on Saturday with the

winners going through to the Sunday semi-finals

against the top two seeds.

Sunday started with some plate matches followed by

the two semi-finals. The first semi saw Steve Calder-

Smith and Nick Chambers take on the defending

champions John Prenn and Mark Nicholls. Despite

battling and playing far better than their handicaps,

Steve and Nick could not stop the heavy hitting and

accuracy of John and Mark – 6/3 6/4 to the holders.

The second semi saw an even more impressive effort

from Sue Haswell and Simon Talbot-Williams against

Mark Drysdale and Nick Jones – the number 2 seeds

were under the cosh from the off, with Sue and ST-W

going 3-0 up! Mark and Nick managed to claw their

way back and just closed out 6/5 in the first. Despite

Sue and particularly ST-W playing some awesome

tennis and coming back after Mark and Nick took an

early lead, the number 2 seeds just managed to take

the second 6/4.

So the final promised to be lively, with John and Mark

Nicholls being heavy hitters and Mark Drysdale being

capable of volleying almost anything – and so it was.

Mark and Nick took an early lead with some tight

serving and very crisp returns of serve and with some

long tight games took the first 6/1 – it must be said that

the score-line does not do the holders justice! The

second started in much the same way, with Mark D not

letting anything get to the back wall and Nick cutting off

various attempts at the galleries. With a match point at

5-2 the number 2 seeds looked home and dry, but

John and Mark were having none of it. Despite a

couple more match points against, the holders got

themselves back to 5 games all – tense stuff – and

with Mark and Nick at the receiving end, they took the

decision to attack everything, which gave them the

upper hand again and the match 6/1 6/5.

Winners Nick Jones (left) and Mark Drysdale National Over 50 Doubles Championship – Scott Hurley Cup

anchester Gold Racquet

The 2014 Gold Racquet was the first Rackets

Tournament to be held in the United Kingdom

since the introduction of the new World Championship

Procedures and the designation of the MGR as a Tier

2 Qualifying Tournament. Unsurprisingly, it attracted a

strong field. Will Hopton and Alex Titchener-Barrett

were seeded to renew their rivalry in the Singles final;

and the current holders of the Open Doubles title, Alex

Titchener-Barrett & Christian Portz, were seeded to

meet Nick James and Ben Snell, last season’s winners

of the Open and the current holders of the MGR

Doubles.

In the Singles final, Hopton started strongly, taking the

first game 15/2; and then followed up in the second

game, despite a strong recovery from ATB eventually

securing the game 15/11. ATB responded well and

took an early lead in the third; Hopton pulled back but

ATB just had enough to win 15/12. This spurred

Hopton who took an early lead in the fourth, eventually

securing the game 15/6, and the Manchester Gold

Racquet. The match lasted a little under two hours,

with much excellent Rackets. Neither player was able

to put the ball away with any consistency on the lively

Manchester court; and both made the occasional

unforced error. ATB was at his best when moving

forward and demonstrating his ability to strike the ball

cleanly and forcefully. But Hopton thoroughly deserved

his win, drawing upon his remarkable powers of

retrieval, varying his service, using the angles and

mixing in some well-judged drop shots in the final

game.

O M

The Doubles final saw James & Snell built up a

formidable lead until their opponents got in hand at 11-

2 and clawed their way back to 11-6. After putting out

their opponents without scoring, they then reduced the

lead still further to 11-9. But James & Snell could not

be denied and, having regained service, closed out the

game 15/9. Portz & ATB fought hard in the second but

again James & Snell were too strong taking it 15/5.

However, Portz & ATB weren’t defeated and fought

back from 5-13 in the third to take the game into a set

to five. But that was the end of their resurgent

challenge. James & Snell immediately regained

service as James intercepted the ball and put it away

cross-court into the side-wall nick. Some fine serving

by James then took him and his partner safely home to

win the third game and the match 15/9 15/5 18/13.

Alex Titchener-Barrett

The prize-giving followed shortly afterwards, with Will

Hopton receiving the Gold Racquet Trophy, formerly

the Manchester-Liverpool Rackets Challenge Vase, for

his victory in the Singles.

Will Hopton winner of the Manchester Gold Racquet

nvitational Singles Jamie Stout dominated his group, although did drop

a game against an inspired James Coyne. Tom

Billings took second spot after a tense tussle with

Coyne. Ryan Tulley played well after qualifying and

gave Coyne a close run. In the other group, Alex

Titchener-Barrett and qualifier Richard Owen were the

top two, with ATB winning the decider in four games.

Ben Snell beat Christian Portz but neither progressed

any further.

Saturday's semi-finals saw the all-Cheltenham match,

end with Stout easing into the final; whilst a resurgent

Billings proved too strong for ATB - both matches

ending in three games.

The Sunday final produced an incredible match. Tom

Billings started strongly before Jamie Stout responded

and surged ahead. Long rallies and impossible winning

shots abounded, which kept the packed gallery

engaged. Stout took the first game to 11 and then a

tighter second game to 7; then Billings' persistence

paid off. Covering the court with ease, he nudged

ahead in the third before closing out the game to trail

one game to two. There was no let-up in the fourth

with the scores remaining close, with long rallies

becoming the norm. But it was Stout who held on to

win the game and the championship.

Tom Billings left and Jamie Stout right

I

Taking a breather

John Prenn presented the Invitation Cup, thanking

Neptune's very generous sponsorship. Jamie Stout

paid tribute to Tom Billings, and suggested that more

close matches would certainly follow.

ategory F Tournament - ....Handicap 50-59

Prested Hall had the pleasure of hosting its very first

National Category F competition, which meant a new

crowd of visitors, many of whom had never been to

Prested. It's always a great pleasure to see some new

faces!

The event was in the format of two round robin groups,

with the top two in each going through to the semi-

finals. Both groups were very close, one group even

leading to game difference to decide who went

through. The eventual semi-finals were set as - Zak

Ramjane (Prested) Vs Ian Hawkey (Prested), Melvyn

Keen (MURTC) Vs James Bargent (Prested).

The Prested players used their knowledge of the home

court well, however this wasn't going to help Zak or Ian

in the first semi-final. Zak had been playing well

throughout and seemed particularly focused on

winning this one. Ian too had played some great tennis

to get thus far, but couldn't quite step it up enough

against the young and fast improving Zak Ramjane,

who won 8/1.

The next semi-final saw another one of our young

stars take to the court, James Bargent, who crept in

the event with a handicap of 59 with Melvyn Keen as

his opponent. Melvyn found his range on his

underarm twist to devastating effect in the group

stages, but the next morning in the semi-final he was

struggling, with James placing everything into the

corners so well, the match was his, 8/1.

With both Prested youngsters playing well in their

respective semi-final matches, the final was sure to be

a good. It certainly delivered... fantastic tennis was

played by both players, aged only 13 and 15. It was

very impressive to see how they have come on in the

past few years. James was finding the corners well,

causing Zak some issues, but he managed to stay in

the rallies well, and more often than not put the ball

away. This lead to him winning the tournament, final

score was 10/5. Well played to all involved. From left to right Zak Ramjane (winner) Lewis Williams, James Bargent

ategory G Tournament - ....Handicap 60+

New British Real Tennis Champion

From Our Own Correspondent

After 40 years of playing squash and thirty years

playing Real Tennis, Martin Bronstein, a retired sports

writer, has won his first ever tournament.

At the British Open Category G (Handicap 65+) Real

Tennis Championship played at the Leamington court

on Sunday (Sep 28), Bronstein took the title without

dropping a set.

In the final he beat local player Ben Compton a 21-

year old student. Bronstein, who celebrated his 79th

birthday this year, came from 7-5 match point down to

prevail 8-7 in the one set match.

C

C

Martin Bronstein

“My 30 years experience just about tipped the balance

against Ben’s very fast legs,” said the new champion,

and added: “I was lost for words. I am so used to

losing I didn’t know what to say when I won.”

Bronstein, from Weybridge in Surrey, is a member of

the Royal Tennis Court at Hampton Court Palace and

started playing the game in 1984 after interviewing the

then world champion Chris Ronaldson for a magazine

article.

OTHER RESULTS:

60-64 HANDICAP: Felicity Sergeant bt Mark Bellis 8/7

60-64 Plate: Isabel Candy bt Jo Hunter 8/7

65+ Plate Martin Hornby bt Julie Levy 8/7

he Noel Bruce Cup Harrow retain the Noel Bruce Cup

Harrow I (Alex Titchener-Barrett & Charlie Danby)

beat Wellington I (James Coyne & James Fuller)

The gallery witnessed two great semi-finals with

Harrow defeating Marlborough four games to one in a

great match. Harrow showed why they have been so

successful in this tournament with some clinical

finishing and managed to keep an, at times, formidable

Marlborough pair at bay.

In the second semi-final, Wellington took the first game

but then Cheltenham fought back to lead three-one. An

inspired Wellington then dug deep, fighting back from

the brink of defeat in a mammoth battle, saving match

points when 7/14 down in the sixth game, before

clinching the match in the seventh.

Harrow surged in a 9-1 lead before taking first game

15/2. Wellington recovered to draw level securing the

second game 15/9. Back came Harrow, re-established

their lead 15/11 but once again Wellington were level,

15/10. A gripping fifth game went to Harrow 15/13,

who then held on to their trophy, winning 15/11 in the

sixth.

L to R Charlie Danby, Jamie Bruce, Alex Titchener-Barrett

Harrow beat Wellington

DID YOU KNOW??

Have you changed your contact details recently?

You can quickly and easily change your contact details

by logging onto your Account on RTO. This will

ensure email notifications will come to you and the

Annual Report will be posted to your correct home

address.

rowning Cup

Rod McNaughtan (L) Ben Ronaldson (R)

In the quarter-finals, Josh Smith caused arguably the biggest upset in this year’s tournament by defeating Lewis Williams 3/6 6/4 6/4. Mark Eadle, playing in his first competitive tournament for over 5 years came up against the ever improving Women’s World Champion Claire Fahey (Vigrass at the time, congratulations by the way). Sadly Mark had to retire in the deciding set, trailing 2/0. Rod McNaughtan beat Craig Greenhalgh 6/5 6/4 in a very close match where each player exchanged blows, never establishing more than a one game lead, until Rod played a very solid final game from the service end to see out the match. Darren

T

B

Long, the defending champion, came up against another old timer in the form of Ben Ronaldson. Ben showed that “old school” still has its merits by beating Darren 6/4 6/3. In the semi-finals Claire struggled to find her rhythm against those old school tactics, with Ben seeing out a very close match 6/5 6/3. Rod had looked very solid on court all weekend and he needed to be when playing against a consistently improving Josh who couldn’t quite convert some big 40-all games in this match and eventually losing 6/4 6/3. The final was a match that swung in many different directions; Rod flew out of the blocks taking a commanding lead in the first set (4/1) before finally closing it out 6/3. Ben then stepped up in the second set retrieving some great balls finding the courts openings at will, Ben won the second set 6/4. Ben began to tire in the final set and Rod took full advantage of playing at a high pace and never letting Ben rest. Rod won the Browning Cup by winning the final set 6/1. Canford would like to thank the School for allowing them to host the Browning Cup. Also Savills Real Estate services and Steele Raymond Solicitors for their generous sponsorship that allowed Canford to host the Browning for two consecutive years.

ritish Over 50s Amateur

Championship The Bridgeman Cup sponsored by Neptune Investment Management – David Watson wins for the fourth time The British Over 50s Amateur Championship (the Bridgeman Cup) was held at Lord’s for the first time between 28 and 30 November 2014. The tournament reverted to a straight knock out format with a plate competition and all matches in the main draw were the best of three six game sets. This format produced several competitive matches throughout; Ronald Paterson led 6/3 4-2 against Sue Haswell who eventually won 3/6 6/4 6/0. Simon Talbot-Williams had match point against James Rothman who just got over the finishing line 6/2 0/6 6/5. In the semi-finals William Maltby beat James Rothman 6/1 6/1 in a match that was closer than the score suggests and Simon Barker led 3-1 in the second set against David Watson, the eventual winner by 6/2 6/4. This set up a final between Maltby and Watson seeded 1 and 2 respectively which proved to be a fitting finale to this championship. Maltby was well on top in the first set which he took 6/1. Watson raised his level, began serving the railroad really well, fought back to take the second set 6/2 and got off to a good start in the third set to lead 3-1. The fifth and sixth games of the third set were heavily contested with numerous deuces before Watson took both to lead 5-1 and ran out the winner 1/6 6/2 6/1 winning the British Over 50s Amateur Singles for the fourth time.

David Watson (left) Winner and William Maltby

nnual Lunch and Awards .… 22 November 2014

Real Tennis

Greenwood Trophy for Most Improved Player

For an outstanding season and reducing his handicap

3.8 points to +6.6, the prize was awarded to Ben

Matthews.

Baerlein - Best performance by a British Amateur

After considerable debate the prize was awarded

to Charlie Braham for his outstanding performance in

winning the British Under 18 Championship for two

consecutive years, a notable achievement which is

extremely rare. Conor Medlow was a close contender

winning the MCC Gold Racquet against long-term rival

Jamie Douglas.

B

A

Warburg – Best performance by a British

Professional Ricardo Smith’s success in the British

Challenge was the stand-out professional performance

of last season.

Rackets

Latham Cup - Best Performance for a Professional

The award went to Will Hopton for his outstanding

season and notably his victories in the Invitation and

British Open. Jamie Stout was a close contender.

Collected by Will's father, Christopher.

Negretti Cup - Best Performance for an Amateur

The decision was made to make the award

to Christian Portz, winner of the Open Doubles and

magnificent victory over WEL Hopton in the

Manchester Gold Racquet. Alex Titchener-Barrett was

a worthy nominee.

Renny Trophy - Most Improved Player

The final decision left two outstanding candidates: Ben

Snell and Ryan Tulley. It proved difficult to separate

their relative improvements and it was decided to

make a joint award.

General

Maltby Salver

For his outstanding contribution leading the Rackets

World Championship Review, the award was given

to Patrick Maxwell. Patrick couldn't be present but

asked for his small team to be acknowledged,

including Alan Lovell, John Prenn and Tim Cockroft

(with Jonathan Larken and Neil Smith in the US). The

award was collected by Alan Lovell. The

transformation of the World Championship Challenge

process has galvanised the players into participating

with ten Singles Qualifying Tournaments and four

Doubles Qualifying Tournaments, where each player

or pair can monitor their progress via their Elite

Ranking and gather Race points towards a possible

challenge.

ritish Open 2014 Singles Final This proved to be an

interesting final where differing tactics created a

tense, five set finale. World Number 1, Camden

Riviere, started the stronger against defending

champion, Steve Virgona. After exchanging the first

pair of games, it was Riviere who stepped ahead.

Winning the vital points, he closed out the first set 6/3.

In an almost complete reversal, it was Virgona who

raised his game in the second set; nudging ahead and

then sealing the set 3/6 with pace and athleticism. The

packed galleries knew they were in for a long

evening's entertainment.

Champion in waiting

B

The third set belonged solely to Virgona, who seemed

to have an answer to anything Riviere could muster.

The two players covered the court with astonishing

speed, but it was the pace of Virgona which drove

home the advantage - winning the set to love. With his

back against the wall, Riviere then fell behind 1-3 in

the fourth set; and a couple of key points could have

increased Virgona's advantage. But the top seed held

his nerve, clawed back the next two games to level the

set, and then carried the momentum for the next three

games to take the set 6/3 and level the match. Supper

plans were on hold!

The final set saw more of the same cat and mouse

Tennis, breath-taking at times but always engaging.

Riviere nudged ahead, using a little more pace, but

Virgona came back again. Neither player was tiring,

but it was Riviere who came through this tightest of

sets, punching the air as he claimed the set 6/3, and

the British Open Championship for the first time.

Steely determination from Camden Riviere

Robin Geffen, of Neptune Investment Management, presented the prizes; Camden Riviere responded acknowledging the generous sponsorship which has been graciously extended for the next five years. Camden Riviere (1) beat Steve Virgona (3) 6/3 3/6 0/6 6/3 6/3

Doubles Final Last year’s winners (Tim Chisholm and Bryn Sayers) were teamed up with different partners this season. World Number 1, Camden Riviere, reformed his traditional partnership with Chisholm, whilst Sayers played with World Champion, Rob Fahey.

The first set was a routine Chisholm/Riviere onslaught,

losing just one game. However Sayers/Fahey came

out fighting in the second and started to find their

targets. However, the Chisholm/Riviere partnership

held firm and took the set 6/3. The third set saw both

pairs play their best Tennis and the game scores

reflected the close contest. At 5-all the match could

have been all over, but it was Sayers/Fahey who stood

tall, winning the vital eleventh game. But now the most

established pair picked up their game again and

starting ruthlessly closing in on the title and it was

Chisholm who struck a wonderful shot into the winning

gallery to seal the match.

Tim Chisholm (left) Camden Riviere (right)

This proved to be a fitting game for the final and Robin Geffen was present to award the spoils to Chisholm and Riviere.

Tim Chisholm & Camden Riviere (1) beat Rob Fahey &

Bryn Sayers (2) 6/1 6/3 5/6 6/3

No way past this dynamic pair

mateur Singles Championship ATB wins seven in a row

Tom Billings started the stronger, establishing a

healthy lead in the first game. Alex Titchener-Barrett

fought back but too late to save the game and give

Billings the advantage. However, ATB reversed his

fortunes in the second game, with Billings always

playing catch up, allowing ATB to level the match one-

game all. ATB carried the momentum into the third

game dropping only two points, before taking an early

advantage in the fourth (and final) game. With Billings

on the back foot, it was ATB who stayed clear of his

opponent the take the game and the Championship. It

was ATB's seventh successive Amateur Singles title,

matching the achievement of James Male in the 1990s

and HK Foster in the 1890s - nobody has ever won the

event for eight years running. Tom Billings runner up, Alex Titchener-Barrett winner

chools’ Championship

Charlie Braham wins the Foster Cup in four

games at The Queen's Club.

The 2014 Schools' Championship saw 250 boys start

the four competitions on Saturday 6th December,

narrowed down to just eight finalists a week later, with

six different schools represented on the day. The

competition was kindly sponsored by the Jesters' Club.

In an all-Eton final, Charlie Braham beat favourite Toni

Morales in four games to win the Foster Cup. Quite a

year for young Charlie who won the Under 18 Open

Tennis Championship at Queen's in August. 1965

Foster Cup winner, AHV Monteuuis (Tonbridge),

presented the prestigious trophy.

Charlie Braham (Eton) receiving the Foster Cup from Anthony Monteuuis

In a strong field, Jamie Jordache (Harrow) beat Jamie Jamieson-Black (Cheltenham) in three tight games to win the Renny Cup. The Incledon-Webber was won by Alex Engstrom (St Paul's) who beat Ben Cawston (Westgate) in a reversal of last year's final.

Renny Cup winner Jamie Jordache (Harrow)

Steve Tulley with Incledon-Webber Cup winner Alex Engstrom (St Paul’s)

Finally, the Jim Dear returns to Marlborough for the first time since 1984 as Dom Coulson came from behind to beat Matteo Perper (St Paul's).

A

S

Jim Dear Cup winner Dom Coulson (Marlborough)

IN a year’s free membership. Take the T&RA Christmas Quiz

When was the famous painting of the Leamington Dinner Match unveiled? A 1984 B 1982 C 1980 D 1986 Who unveiled the painting of the Leamington Dinner Match? A Dick Bridgeman B Henry Johns C Howard Angus D Chris Ronaldson How many Racquets Professionals have there been at Charterhouse from 1877 to 2014? A 12 B 8 C 6 D 13 What English Real Tennis court has a chase 8? A Seacourt B Canford C Manchester D Jesmond Dene Who built the Canford Real Tennis court? A Sir Ivor Guest B Sir Walter Raleigh C Duke of Monteacute D Lord Salisbury What is height of the battery wall on the Canford Real Tennis court? A 107cm B 109cm C 111cm D 113cm

The court at Jesmond Dene opened in 1894 with a match between then champion Charles Saunders and A Sir Andrew Noble (1831-1915) B Sir Edward Grey (1862-1933) C John Meade Falkner (1858-1932 D Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) When was the first court at Hardwick opened A 1894 B 1896 C 1901 D 1907 Who was the only man to finance and have built three A Sir Charles Rose B The Witney Family C Mike Carter D Peter Luck-Hille Which year did the Royal Tennis Court at Hampton Court become a members’ club? A 1661 B 1702 C 1818 D 1896 Sir Andrew Noble, who built Jesmond Dene in 1894, was is involved in which industry A Coal Mining B Ship Building C Steel Manufacturing D Farming What year was the first Lady Member at Holyport Real Tennis Club elected? A 1981 B 1982 C 1983 D 1984 Where was the first meeting of the Ladies Real Tennis Association held? A RTC B Seacourt C Moreton Morrell D Queen’s How many players have won the Amateur Rackets Singles seven years in a row A 1 B 2 C 3 D 4 Please submit your answers to Andrina Webb at

membership@tennisandrackets.com. The winner will

be announced in the Easter Newsletter. GOOD LUCK!!

W

Gift Ideas for Christmas 2014

.

.

This is a A3 limited edition signed print of the Queen’s Club by James Hart Dyke.

The A3 print of the Club House costs £100 + P&P and may be purchased from the T&RA’s online shop

http://www.tennisandrackets.com/NewsItem.aspx?id=1190 or by contacting the T&RA on 0207 835 6937.

THE NEPTUNE BOOK OF TENNIS & RACKETS by James Bruce will be published in February 2015

The book contains comprehensive and completely re-

written chapters on the history and present situation

of every active court in the world (over 200 new

pages) covering all that is new in the games-people,

places, clubs and achievements.

The author has also scoured the records of the UK,

Australia, Canada, France and the USA to bring the

statistics of all major tournaments up to date.

This large format book has over 450 pages.

The order form for either the £35 standard edition

or the £350 leather-bound limited edition (100

copies) can be provided by sending an e-mail

(with your mailing address) to alan@tennisbookshop.com

This is a complete revision and update of his father

the late Lord Aberdare’s earlier books, which have

long been internationally regarded as the most

authoritative works on the games of Real Tennis and

Rackets. It provides the reader with a

comprehensive account of everything that has

happened in the games from their inception hundreds

of years ago to 2014.

This new edition is bursting with over 300 new photos

all in colour covering not just active courts and

players but also every known court still standing in

the UK, Ireland, USA and Australia.