|
The success of the Champagne Leagues in their inaugural season
means that Pol Roger,
our favourite Champagne House, has agreed to extend its sponsorship
of this most popular event for a further year!
We aim to fill the three Divisions of the Champagne Leagues
by the starting date of Friday 10th June 2011.
The rules:
Each Division will be split into 8 Groups, with 5 players
per group. Competitors will play each of the other four players
in their Group over the summer; Group matches are to be played
before Monday 12 September 2011.
All matches will be played off handicap consisting of one
set, first to eight games. Group Winners will be those who
won the most number of matches.
In the event of a draw, games won, games lost and the score
in match of the tied parties will be taken into account. The
winners of each of the 8 Groups will go through to the Knockout
stage in their Division. The Knockout Tournament will occur
on the evening of Friday 16th September and all day on Saturday
17th September.
The prizes:
On Saturday 17th September,
* The 4 semi-finalists of each Division will receive a prize
of a magnum of Cousino Macul Antiguas Reservas Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 (Retail price c. £20).
* The Winners of each Division will also receive a bottle
of Pol Roger Brut Reserve Champagne (Retail
price c. £35)
A presentation will occur after the final match to toast the
winners (and losers).
The cost to participate:
Group stages: Court fees only (no extra
cost to Summer Season Ticket holders)
Knockout stage: £20 per player to cover
court fees and marking.
Key dates:
Closing date for entry Friday 10th June 2011
Group stage matches start Monday 13th June
Group stage matches to be played by Monday 12th September
2011
Knockout tournament: Ist round Friday 16th September (4:00
pm - 8:00 pm)
Knockout tournament: Finals Saturday 17th September (9:00
am to 2.00 pm)
Presentation Saturday 17th September (2pm)
Email:
Tel: 01223 357106
Sponsored by Pol Roger
Although Real Tennis is no longer an Olympic sport, you are
cordially invited to enter a team to play in a very special
event being held alongside the 2012 London Olympic Games.
The Cambridge, Newmarket and Hatfield clubs intend to combine
their resources to host a total of seven competitions over
two weeks starting from the 28th July to the 11th August 2012.
The main tournament, The Corinthian Cup, will
use the same format as the successful Boomerang Cup and T
& RA Centenary Tournament. Thus all teams (of between
5 and 8 players) will be guaranteed four matches in the pool
stage, with the possibility of another four if they progress
through the knock-out stages to the final.
All entrants to the The Corinthian Cup will also be eligible
to enter a handicap doubles competition. This will guarantee
at least a further three matches and more where pairs progress
to the finals. And if that’s not sufficient attraction
there will also be “Gold Medal” competitions for
top amateurs and professionals, men and women as well as an
entertaining lottery Pro-Am, where lucky entrants will get
a chance to partner a Pro lottery. What more could you want?
Registering
To register interest in entering a team for this unique
event please email either the organisers
or the pros
by 30th June. Thereafter, entry forms will be issued in mid-July
for return by 31st August at the latest.
Places for 50 teams are currently available and will be allotted
on a “first come, first served” basis.
| Ladies' Singles |
|---|
| Oxford | v. | Cambridge |
|---|
| Alexandra Walvis | beat | Charlotte Breen | 6/1 6/3 |
| Christina Fast | beat | Kimberley Green | 6/4 6/0 |
| Maggie Henderson-Tew | lost to | Helen Morgan-Rees | 6/3 4/6 4/6 |
| Victoria Ormerod | beat | Lucie Browning | 6/3 6/2 |
| Ladies' Doubles |
|---|
| Oxford | v. | Cambridge |
|---|
| Maggie Henderson-Tew & Alexandra Walvis | beat | Helen Morgan-Rees & Charlotte Breen | 6/3 6/2 |
| Victoria Ormerod & Christina Fast | beat | Lucie Browning & Kimberley Green | 6/4 6/3 |
| Men's Singles |
|---|
| Oxford | v. | Cambridge |
|---|
| Alex Evans | beat | Jules Camp | 6/3 5/6 6/4 |
| Johnny Beale | beat | Ali Hakimi | 4/6 6/4 6/2 |
| Simon Roach | lost to | James Watson | 1/6 2/6 |
| Sam Halliday | lost to | Robert Hird | 2/6 3/6 |
| Men's Doubles |
|---|
| Oxford | v. | Cambridge |
|---|
| Sam Halliday & Alex Evans | lost to | Ali Hakimi & James Watson | 6/0 1/6 2/6 3/6 |
| Simon Roach & Johnny Beale | lost to | Robert Hird & Jules Camp | 1/6 2/6 2/6 |
Oxford Ladies win 5/1
Cambridge Men win 4/2
| Ladies' Seconds Team Singles |
|---|
| Oxford | v. | Cambridge |
|---|
| Emily Scaysbrook | beat | Emma Samia-Ali | 6/2 6/2 |
| Rosie Atkinson | lost to | Leah Bramwell | 5/6 6/5 6/5 |
| Sophie Dannreuther | beat | Olivia Power | 6/0 6/0 |
| Maddy Grant | beat | Emily Brady | 6/1 6/3 |
| Ladies' Seconds Doubles |
|---|
| Oxford | v. | Cambridge |
|---|
| Rosie Atkinson & Emily Scaysbrook | beat | Leah Bramwell & Olivia Power | 8/1 |
| Maddy Grant & Sophie Dannreuther | beat | Emma Samia-Ali & Emily Brady | 8/1 |
| Men's Seconds Singles |
|---|
| Oxford | v. | Cambridge |
|---|
| Nick Green | lost to | Edward Granger | 6/5 6/0 |
| Tom Woolerton | lost to | Rory Davidson | 6/2 6/4 |
| Rowan Jackson | lost to | Matt Barr | 3/6 6/2 6/3 |
| Henry Faber | lost to | Jimmy Campbell | 6/2 4/6 5/6 |
| Men's Seconds Doubles |
|---|
| Oxford | v. | Cambridge |
|---|
| Henry Faber & Nick Green | beat | Edward Granger & Jimmy Campbell | 8/3 |
| Tom Woolerton & Rowan Jackson | lost to | Rory Davidson & Matt Barr | 8/2 |
Oxford Seconds Ladies win 5/1
Cambridge Seconds Men win 4/2
You are invited to join the festivities at the 2011 Ladies
Tennis Carnival The Ballarat Tennis Club and Royal Melbourne
Tennis Club are hosting the Ladies Australian Open and Ladies
World Championships during May.
As well as showcasing the top players in the world in the
premier ladies event, the Carnival will cater to every tennis
level with a minimum of seven different tournaments being
run along side many exciting social functions. Please see
the attached entry forms for full details of the events.
Please note the closing date for entries of 11th April, 2011.
Australian Real Tennis Association
18 Sherwood St
Richmond VIC 3121
AUSTRALIA
phone: +61 3 9429 9788
The large number of new players taking up real tennis and
improving quickly at Cambridge has the effect of increasing
the handicaps of players with established handicaps. From
time to time it is deemed necessary, by our Committee, to
make a general change to the handicaps of those playing off
35 and greater, to keep Cambridge in line with at other Clubs.
If your handicap is 35 or greater you will notice that your
handicap has been reduced by a few points (about 5%). We have
waited for this moment, after the Category Tournaments have
been completed, to make this adjustment and hope that you
will appreciate the reasons for the change.
Entry is open to current SENIOR MEMBERS (ie not students)
of the club who have a NON-VOLATILE handicap (ie haven't just
started) and at least FOUR recorded results (ie have a recently
validated handicap) against different opponents since 30th
November 2010. Other players may be deemed eligible to enter
but please consult the organisers
for clarification before entering.
Please read the
rules for all the details and then contact
via email asap to enter
Closing Date for Entry Friday 25th February
The sign up sheet is now on the board for this tournament
run by the club for players with handicaps of 50-59 (as recorded on 6th February).
It runs from Sunday the 13th of February.
The precise format will depend on the numbers entering, but it is likely to be run
as round robin leagues followed by knock-out rounds in the later stages. Matches
will be played off level. There is no entry fee, court time will be simply charged
to your account.
If you would like to enter, please add your name to the sign-up sheet on the main
notice board. Alternatively contact the
Closing Date is February 6th.
Malcolm Howlett
The sign up sheet is now on the board for this tournament
run by John Trapp. This fun tournament involves singles and
doubles, a great way of working off the Christmas excesses.
Cost is £15 on your account. There are group stages
lasting three hours starting at 9am, 10.30, 1pm and 2.30.
The final stage is a singles Knockout in the evening.
Closing date for entries: 22nd December
John Trapp
100% Cotton CURTC Polo Shirts with the Club’s embroidered
logo - £22 (S, M, L, XL,)
White Shorts with Club’s embroidered logo (L, Xl )
White Tracksuit Bottoms with Club’s embroidered logo
£26
(M, L, xl)
Silk ties in club colours, £25
White Prince shoes ideal for real - £47 a pair (English
size please)
Rackets:
Grays standard £125,
Extratech £190, (weight light, medium
or heavy)
Please contact Peter or one of the pros
Congratulations to Scott Blaber who reached the final of
the Browning Cup at the Hatfield House Tennis Club. Scott
won three, tight, three setters in the early rounds of the
Professionals Handicap Championship but was unable to defeat
Mathew Ronaldson in the final.
The opening game in this inter-club friendly fixture of doubles
was won by Charlotte Breen and James Campbell who overcame
more experienced opposition to set us on our way. However
Andrew Petrie and Rory Davidson were beaten in two sets to
level the match.
Jeremy Davidson and Keith Beechener restored the lead, then
David Pimblett and Matt Barr (a late inclusion into the squad)
extended it in Cambridge's favour to 3-1. Malcolm Howlett
and Gerald Smith were overcome in the tightest game of the
day despite taking it to 5-5 and 40-40 in the deciding set.
Tom Hartley and Ian McGonigal made the result certain with
a comprehensive victory in the final game and Cambridge took
the match 4-2.
Keith Beechener
The club may be offline for half an hour or so on Friday
the 29th of October whilst we upgrade our broadband to a faster
connection that supports the broadcast streaming of video
footage of matches by realtennis.tv.
We do not have details on what time during the day the upgrade
may happen, but the pros should be offline for less than an
hour.
Video coverage of key matches played at CURTC, such as Premier
League fixtures, will join the matches shown on the exciting
new internet channel realtennis.tv.
This new webstreaming service, supported by the T&RA,
streams live matches over the internet, bringing quality Real
Tennis to more people.
Please visit the www.realtennis.tv
website and register your interest by leaving your email address
to be kept informed of future matches, starting with the inaugural
match from Lords on Sunday the 31st of October at 15:30 between
Rob Fahey (World Champion) and Claire Vigrass (Ladies Champion)
After a canvassing of views, an analysis of court usage and
some discussion, the Committee decided to end the trial allowing
members to book half hour slots on both courts. The significant
number of unbooked isolated half hour slots and generally
reported confusion over times and courts argued for a return
to the old system. All comments from members are being noted
as is court usage and the whole situation will be kept under
review. We apologise to those for whom the trial was an obvious
success and who now regret its passing.
George Pearson
An exhibition match between Rob Fahey, World Champion, and
David Woodman (+4 former Amateur Champion) will take place
on Thursday the 11th of November at 7pm. Tickets are £20
for dedans seats, £10 for the galleries (drinks included)
There is a raffle, and members will have received details
through the post. Contact the pros by email
if you would like to purchase raffle tickets.
The exhibition match will be preceded at 6:30 by a game between
the raffle winner, off handicap, and the World Champion Rob
Fahey. The winner also receives a Rob Fahey racquet.
Following the exhibition match there will be dinner with
the players (£30, limited to 30 diners)
Scott would like to invite members to enroll their children,
between the ages of 10 -12, for his Autumn Junior Course.
There will be 6 sessions in total scheduled on Saturdays at
8:00 a.m. The sessions will start after half-term and will
be on the following dates:
- 1 29 Oct
- 2 06 Nov
- 3 13 Nov
- 4 20 Nov
- 5 27 Nov
- 6 04 Dec
The cost of the course is £35
Please contact Scott by email
if you are interested
The three winners of this year's Cambridge League
played each other, on handicap, to see who should take the title of
Cambridge League Champion of Champions.
Kings Parents, winners of division 1, Taybali
Tomlin & White, division 2 winners and Hazard
When Wet, division 3, played each other to decide
this covetted title.
Taybali Tomlin & White romped through
their two fixtures to become Cambridge League Champion of Champions
2010. The wooden spoon went to Kings Parents after the burden
of the handicap difference wore them down in the decider fixture
with Hazard When Wet. Kings Parents did, however, take the honour
of the Best Post-match Food award
This year's Cambridge Leagues
have completed and the final results are in. In all, seventy
five players from right across the spectrum of handicaps at
the club competed in three different divisions
Each of the five teams in each division played each other
twice, once 'away' and once as hosts, providing the post-match
food and drink. Three players from each team met at each fixture,
and as each match won carried two points, and the fixture
win an extra point, winning all three matches attracted seven
points, winning two five and just one two points.
Winners in 2010:
- King's Parents
- Tayabali, Tomlin and White
- Hazard When Wet
There are plans for these three winning teams to play each
other, under handicap, to decide a champion of champions:
| Division One (handicaps 30-46) |
| Kings' Parents | | Glen Pilgrim, Julian Stafford (c), Nic Rhode, Nigel Brown, Linda Fairbrother, Norbert Peabody |
|
| 36 |
| Mead Turner & Co | | Roger East, Mark Perriton, Rupert Grose, Patrick Ward, Chris Eggleton (c) |
|
| 31 |
| St Johns' Parents | | David Pimblett, William Russell, Charles D'Oyly, Graeme Menzies, Nicholas Heath, John Firth |
|
| 30 |
| Tee Lorimers | | Phil Hind, John Lees (c), John Burnett, Steve Chadwick, John Howard [CURTC], John Trapp [Cambridge, Hardwick] |
|
| 28 |
| Frog | | Nick Chrimes, Eric Nutter, Stuart Arrandale (c), John Kirkpatrick, Andrew Parkhouse |
|
| 17 |
| Division Two (handicaps 46-55) |
| Tayabali Tomlin & White | | Gerald Smith, Malcolm Howlett, Imran Tayabali (c), Simon White, Jeremy Newsum |
|
| 36 |
| Mott Macdonald | | Shaun Ruffles (c), Chris Walthew, David Dove, Simon King, Alasdair Poore |
|
| 30 |
| kleinwort Benson | | Alex Wright, Chris Wykes, Michael Magnay (c), Raymond Spencer, Justin McCann |
|
| 28 |
| Addenbrookes | | Steve O'Rahilly, Ken Smith [Doctor/Academic], Robert Tasker, Barnaby Perks, Nick Wareham, Malcolm Kerr-Muir, Jon Fistein |
|
| 23 |
| Price Bailey | | Julian Kirkpatrick, Jeremy Fairbrother, Lawrence Bailey (c), Paul Robison, Becky Coombs |
|
| 23 |
| Division Three (handicaps 55-70) |
| Hazard when Wet | | Richard Holt, Guy Kirk, Philip Martin, Tom Hartley (c), Ian Mcgonigal |
|
| 37 |
| Shelford Stranglers | | Neil Ruffles, Tony Clarke [New+Prstd] (c), Mike Whibley (c), Mark Evans, Jeremy Risebrow |
|
| 36 |
| Thunderdogs | | Jeremy Davidson (c), Patrick Humphrey [Cambridge], Rob Cassels, Charles Rowland-Jones, Keith Beechener |
|
| 32 |
| Cambridge Central | | Hugh Dawson, Mark Palmer, Michael Womack (c), Terry Gardner, Gillian Moore |
|
| 23 |
| Town & Gown | | Ken Worthing, Paul Murray-John, Peter Miller, Rick Albrow, Jonathan Spence, Dave Isherwood |
|
| 12 |
Sponsored by Pol
Roger
Scott, Peter and Kees hope that you will support this new
idea. All you need to do is play 4 games over the summer,
by Monday 13 September 2010.
All matches will be played off handicap to make it fun. Straightforward
first-to-8-games format. Knockout stages will be marked.
The prizes:
On Saturday 18th September
- The 4 semi-finalists of each Division will receive a
magnum of Cousino Macul Antiguas Reservas Cabernet Sauvignon
2007 (Retail price c. £20).
- The Winners of each Division will also receive a bottle
of
Pol Roger Brut Reserve Champagne
(Retail price c. £35)
A presentation will occur after the final match to toast
the winners (and losers).
The cost to participate:
Group stages: Court fees only (no extra cost to Summer
Season Ticket holders)
Knockout stage: £20 per player to cover court fees and
marking.
This is bound to be an exciting event, especially with the
generous prizes provided by our favourite Champagne House,
Pol Roger.
Please call us at the Club, 01223 359 106
The fifth Cambridge Real Tennis Weekend will take place at
CURTC on the 8th and 9th May 2010. It will be an ideal occasion
for supporters of Cambridge Real Tennis and University Alumni
to renew and strengthen their connections with the Club. There
will be two social events and a handicap doubles tournament
for you to participate in.
The Handicap Doubles Tournament:
Tournament play will occur on the Saturday only.
Pairs will be placed into one of two divisions. Doubles is
usually more enjoyable when partners are of a similar standard,
so we would ask you to organise your pairing with this in
mind. Alternatively, you may request that a suitable partner
is found for you. The initial round robin stage of the tournament
will involve groups of three pairs. Each pair will play a
set (first to six games) against the other two pairs in their
group. The winners will go through to the knock-out stage
of the tournament.
On the Saturday evening there will be an On-Court Dinner.
This will be a combined Cambridge Weekend dinner and the Cambridge
Club Dinner.
An extra opportunity
For anyone wishing to enjoy some more relaxed tennis,
there will be some friendly doubles on Sunday morning with
impromptu pairings.
Calendar of events
Saturday 8th
8:00 am Division 1 and Division 2 Doubles Tournaments
2:00 pm Knock-out stage of the Doubles Tournaments
7: 30 pm Play ends for the day
7:45 pm The On-Court Dinner and dance until 11:00 pm
Sunday 9th
9:00 am – 12 noon Social Doubles
Please contact the pros
if you wish to join us. ENTRIES CLOSE Wednesday 28th April
2010
Friday 19th & Saturday 20th February
| First Team Mens Singles |
|
Cambridge |
Oxford |
Score & Winner |
| 1st |
Rober Hird |
Will Fortune |
3/6 6/1 1/6 Ox |
| 2nd |
Ali Hakimi |
Horatio Cary |
0/6 3/6 Ox |
| 3rd |
James Watson |
Sam Halliday |
6/1 6/0 cam |
| 4th |
Ed Pearson |
Chris Stefanowicz |
4/6 3/6 Ox |
| First Team Mens Doubles |
| 1st |
Rob/Ed |
Will/Sam |
2/6 6/3 6/4 5/6 6/4 cam |
| 2nd |
Ali/James |
Horatio/Chris |
6/2 3/6 5/6 6/5 4/6 Ox |
| Oxford won 4-2 |
First Team Ladies Singles |
| 1st |
Karen Hird |
Victoria Ormerod |
6/0 6/0 cam |
| 2nd |
Alex Bryant |
Stephanie Walton |
6/0 6/3 cam |
| 3rd |
Lucie Browning |
Sarah Hird |
1/6 6/4 6/4 cam |
| 4th |
Pippa Tregear |
Charlotte Barker |
6/0 6/4 cam |
| First Team Ladies Doubles |
| 1st |
Alex/Pippa |
Stephanie/Sarah |
6/4 6/1 cam |
| 2nd |
Karen/Lucie |
Victoria/Charlotte |
6/0 6/0 cam |
| Cambridge won 7-0 |
Saturday 6th March
| Second Team Ladies Singles |
| 1st |
Bronwen Derry |
Maggie Henderson-Tew |
6/0, 6/1 Camb |
| 2nd |
Kate Mason |
Dara Walsh |
1/6, 2/6 Ox |
| 3rd |
Georgie Ireland |
Caroline Major |
2/6, 1/6 Ox |
| 4th |
Olivia Lawrence-Bright |
Emily Scaysbrook |
1/6, 4/6 Ox |
Second Team Ladies Doubles |
| 1st |
Bronwen/Olivia |
Maggie/Caroline |
4/8 Ox |
| 2nd |
Kate/Georgina |
Dara/Emily |
6/8 Ox |
| Oxford won 5-1 |
Second Team Mens Singles |
| 1st |
Nick Sutcliffe |
Simon Roach |
1/6, 1/6 Ox |
| 2nd |
Jamie Stallybrass |
Jules Camp |
3/6, 0/6 Ox |
| 3rd |
Graham Sill |
Oli Plant |
0/6, 1/6 Ox |
| 4th |
Edward Granger |
Alex Gilmore |
6/5, 6/5 Camb |
Second Team Mens Doubles |
| 1st |
Nick/Edward |
Oli/Jules |
4/8 Ox |
| 2nd |
Graham/Jamie |
Simon/Alex |
5/8 Ox |
| Oxford won 5-1 |
The highlight of the Cambridge tennis playing year is just
around the corner... yes, it's Graduate Cup time again!
Places are bound to be in short supply again this year as
Kees, Peter & Scott do a sterling job promoting the tournament
worldwide... well club pro’s office-wide at least!
The Graduate Cup is a fantastic opportunity for higher handicappers
to gain the experience of playing better players, and for
low handicappers to really test their control, technical prowess
and composure when giving away significant handicap advantage.
Time is of the essence, we want to start the tournament
as quickly as possible to give the maximum period of time
for people to play their matches, so don’t delay...
SIGN UP NOW!
As the playing sub-committee honed the rules to absolute
perfection last year, the tournament organisers have had to
content themselves with redesigning the tournament announcement
notice instead (see below), so please do read and imbibe its
every detail. It was hand crafted with love... or was it Word
2007?
To enter just add your name to the signup list pinned to
the club notice board or phone/e-mail the club pros.
Key Dates
Closing Date for Entry: Friday 26th February
Group Stage Matches: Monday 1st March to Friday 23rd April
Last-16, Quarter-, Semi-Final Knockouts: Saturday 1st May
Grand Final: Saturday 8th May (Cambridge Weekend)
Eligibility
Entry is open to current SENIOR MEMBERS of the club who
have a NON-VOLATILE handicap and at least FOUR recorded results
against different opponents since 30th November 2009. Other
players may be deemed eligible to enter but please consult
the organisers for clarification before entering.
To enter, just add your name to the list
below and we’ll contact you when the group draw has
been made.
Format
Group Stage:
Groups of 4 will be created by random draw and each player
will play each of the other 3 players in their group once,
all matches to be played between 1st March and 23rd April.
Players are responsible for arranging their own matches.
Each match is “first to 8 games”
played off a maximum handicap difference of 23.
Court fees will be charged at the usual peak/off-peak rates
of £7.50/£6.50 per person per hour. Before
entering please ensure that you will be available to play
ALL 3 of your group matches before the group stage ends on
23rd April. If you fail to play matches you disadvantage
your fellow group members!
We strongly encourage members to arrange
& play their matches before the Easter holiday (Easter
Sunday is on 4th April). After schools return there is only
1-week to the close of the group stage!
Knockout Stage:
The 16 group winners from the group stage will contest 3 rounds
of the knockout competition on Saturday 1st May, which will
produce our two finalists. These matches will be arranged
by the tournament organisers.
The Grand Final will be played on Saturday 8th May and the
winner presented with the trophy during the Cambridge Weekend
dinner that same evening. The tournament winner will also
be eligible to enter the National Handicap Tournament in the
autumn.
A group winner unable to play in the knockout stage will
not necessarily be replaced with the runner-up from the same
group. Rather, the “best” runner-up from any of
the groups will be selected using the following criteria (in
order): most matches won, most games won, fewest games lost,
coin-toss!
(01223) 357106
Yes, by entering the CURTC Christmas Tournament you will
be excused trotting round the sales with your husband, wife,
gigolo, concubine, family, in-laws, etc.
There are no more places left for this prestigious tournament
on Monday 28 December, although if you would like to be considered
as a 'reserve' should someone have to pull out you could still
sign up (email
or telephone the pros to enter your name on the sheet). Full
details of the tournament are posted on the information board.
Details
of the draw
Click on the link above for details of the draw, which is
also posted on the noticeboard. John says that, having taken
into account all your preferences, please note the time at
which you will be playing (NB. those whose singles start at
noon and 4.00 p.m. must arrive in time for the doubles that
start at 10.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. respectively).
John also says that he is having trouble with his phone at
the moment, but will try to contact all of you to make sure
that you are aware of the time that you are playing, and that
you are still available (as if there can be any alternative).
Our Brodie Cup team defeated Jesmond Dene last Sunday which
sees them through to play Queens, away, at Queens club on
Sunday 13th. That same day CURTC will be hosting Queens here
at home in the Field Trophy. Lunch will be available for spectators:
email the pros
by Mon 6th Dec.
Another first for our club, a book launch! Our fellow member
Nick Chrimes has written an excellent book on the University
and Town - with many references to tennis in Cambridge. You
are invited to come to the club on Wednesday 18th November,
6:30 start for a package of book launch, with the author,
and a demonstration match. The match will be refereed by Peter
with two present Blues and two of a slightly older vintage
playing. You can also drink immoderately at the author's expense.
Ladies' Afternoon started last week with 4 takers. This trial
will run to early December. Do come along on Mondays at 2.
When an invitation came our way to compete in the Royal Tennis
Court's summer handicap doubles tournament, Malcolm Howlett
and I jumped at this rare opportunity. "Oh you play real
tennis, like Henry VIII at Hampton Court?". "Well,
yes!". Although this is not actually Henry's 1530 court,
but one that was completed circa 1626. This was fortunate
timing since we arrived at 1700.
The tournament was played on a time-limited format (30 mins),
so the pair in front when the bell sounded won the game. Note
to Fixture Secretary selves: a great way to control court
timings. Note to Player selves: weird not being able to target
a set number of games.
We squeaked through undefeated in the Friday evening round
robin stage, which included a rubber against two members of
the Hird Dynasty (mother and the "other place" triplet).
Congratulations to Doris and Sarah who went on to win the
plate tournament.
I think our primary focus on Sunday, having endured a hot,
blocked M25, was to stay around for more than just 30 minutes.
We managed to win through tight matches in the quarters and
semis by just sneaking ahead in the final minutes. At times
I could hear a Buddhist chant – stay calm, keep the
ball down, get serve, keep serve, serve tight, make them work.
Oh, and stay calm. Thanks Malcolm.
But then....in the final we met another Hird, this time one
of "ours". Karen played with Kate Lawrence, a provisional
60-ish handicap, and our Zen mindset was defeated by Karen's
court coverage and accuracy - I think it's called talent -
coupled with Kate's ability to keep her concentration and
play a really solid game. We lost 4-6 and our tactical plan
almost worked. Let's face it winning RTC's internal tournament
would have been impolite, but that didn't stop us from trying
as hard as we could.
Thanks to all at RTC for their friendly welcome and hospitality
(and prizes). And finally a word of advice to the tourist
who departed the galleries stating "It's just a load
of old blokes playing tennis".........Dude, you watched
the wrong match!
Gerald Smith
Malcolm Howlett took the Graduate Cup this year, beating
Alex Wright 8-3 in the final :
Simon White |
61 |
Malcolm Howlett
(8-4) |
Malcolm Howlett
(8-0) |
Malcom Howlett
(8-6) |
Malcolm Howlett |
47 |
John Lees |
44 |
John Lees
(8-5) |
Jim Ludden |
28 |
Alex Clarke |
35 |
Michael Magnay
(8-4) |
Michael Magnay
(8-7) |
Michael Magnay |
47 |
John Firth |
43 |
Roger East
(8-5) |
Roger East |
34 |
Alex Wright |
44 |
Alex Wright
(8-5) |
Alex Wright
(8-6) |
Alex Wright
(8-7) |
Alastair Cocks |
48 |
Julian Stafford |
38 |
Richard Brookes
(8-7) |
Richard Brookes |
46 |
Justin McCann |
55 |
Justin McCann
(8-5) |
Jeremy Davidson
(8-6) |
Robert Altham |
60 |
Alasdair Poore |
51 |
Jeremy Davidson
(8-6) |
Jeremy Davidson |
34 |
Hampton Court on Wednesday saw the final of the National
League Premier Division, between CURTC 1 and RTC. Rob Fahey
and Mark Hobbs, now back from injury, were up against the
division leaders, Nick Wood and Ben Matthews of RTC.
The first singles, between Mark and Ben, was a close affair
in the first set, with Mark volleying the return of serve
effectively. Ben finally clinched it 6–4. He continued
with some good tennis to win the second set 6–2. The
eagerly anticipated match between Rob and Nick was up next,
with their record 1–1 in the league matches this season.
Nick started the match well, taking the first 2 games, but
then Rob began to play blistering tennis, taking the first
set 6–3 and the second 6–0. Apart from the brilliant
tennis, the crowd now had what they wanted; a doubles to decide
the match. Once again, there had been nothing to separate
the two teams during the season.
Cambridge started the doubles well, running off to a 4–0
lead. Then RTC came back at them, playing some fine tennis,
to take the score to 4–3. The tennis then went to another
level, with a succession of brilliant shots and thrilling
points. We have rarely seen Rob play better in the doubles
and he was well supported by Mark. The set went 8–4
to Cambridge, to win the match and the title.
The trophy was awarded by the sponsor, Maurice Lacroix; Rob
was also named MVP for the Premier Division. Hampton Court
provided an excellent and welcoming venue for the match, and
our thanks go to the organisers and the sponsors.
Congratulations to Rob and Mark on a fine win; and also to
Rob Hird and Peter Paterson, who both played for the team
during the season. We look forward to another fine season
in the Premier Division next year – perhaps we can make
it three in a row!
The Cambridge Weekend was the 9th and 10th of May
Division 1
| GROUP 1A (Blue Court) |
Score |
Total |
| Ali Hakimi & Ed Pearson (19.3) |
|
4 |
2 |
6 |
| Andrew Petrie & Scott Newman (24.9) |
8 |
|
8 |
16 |
| George Pearson &John Trapp (33.3) |
8 |
5 |
|
13 |
| GROUP 1B (Green Court) |
Score |
Total |
| Clive Bowsher & Charles Harcourt (21.8) |
|
3 |
3 |
6 |
| Nigel Brown &Glen Pilgrim (31.2) |
8 |
|
3 |
10 |
| Eric Nutter &Ken Smith (41.7) |
8 |
8 |
|
16 |
Winners Group 1A
A Petrie & S Newman |
A Petrie & S Newman
(8-3) |
A Petrie &
S Newman
(8-3) |
Runners-up Group 1B
N Brown & G Pilgrim |
Winners Group 1B
E Nutter & K Smith |
G Pearson & J Trapp
(8-7) |
Runners-up Group 1A
G Pearson & J Trapp |
Division 2
| GROUP 2A (Blue Court) |
Score |
Total |
| Guy Kirk & John Bailey (55) |
|
7 |
3 |
10 |
| Linda Fairbrother &Jeremy Fairbrother (47) |
8 |
|
7 |
15 |
| John Firth &Ray Spencer (44.5) |
8 |
8 |
|
16 |
| GROUP 2B (Green Court) |
Score |
Total |
| John Ferguson &Paul Tolkien (55.8) |
|
6 |
3 |
9 |
| Fiona Brown & Michael Womack (58) |
8 |
|
7 |
15 |
| Malcom Howlett &Gerald Smith (46.2) |
8 |
8 |
|
16 |
Winners Group 2A
J Firth & R Spencer |
F Brown & M Womack
(8-7) |
M Howlett &
G Smith
(8-7) |
Runners-up Group 2B
F Brown & M Womack |
Winners Group 2B
M Howlett & G Smith |
M Howlett & G Smith
(8-6) |
Runners-up Group 2A
L & J Fairbrother |
Its not too late to take advantage of this excellent offer,
allowing you to play lots over the spring and summer months
for a set fee. We have extended the offer to allow children
and families to benefit too. Keep fit, improve your game,
enjoy regular play without incurring added court fees after
making the initial Ticket payment. Payment must be made (or
at least a believable promise) by the end of April.
Please join the many members already signed up for this fabulous
dinner dance, with the return of Dan Leighton's band and the
aid of a caller, this promises to be a memorable night on
Blue Court
Congratulations to Malcolm Howlett and Alex Wright reaching
the final of the Graduate Cup - a great achievement given
the full draw of 64 players. Adrian Grange with the support
of the pros and all who took part must also be congratulated
for achieving a play ratio of 85%. No brownie points for the
couple who put their name down but did not play any matches!
on Thursday 30th April is Clubnight which starts at 17:30
followed by the Club AGM - 18:30 in the clubroom. We encourage
all players to attend.
Thursday saw CURTC 1, represented by
Rob Fahey and Peter Paterson
(filling in for the injured Mark Hobbs) play league leaders
RTC, represented by the in-form Nick Woods and Ben Matthews.
Ben started well in the second-string singles, taking the
first set 6–2. Peter then began to put him under some
pressure, and looked as if he might take the second set, but
Ben stepped up a gear to take the match 6–2, 6–4.
The spectators were looking forward to the match between the
top two players, and they weren't disappointed. It was a very
even first set, which finally went 6–5 to Nick, who
was playing at the top of his game. Rob, recovered from the
injury that kept him out of the US Open, looked a little under
par but came back with some fine tennis to take the next two
sets and the match 5–6, 6–2, 6–3.
The doubles followed. In a hard-hitting and exciting game,
RTC kept ahead until Cambridge levelled the score at 5–5.
RTC then applied more pressure and ran out 8–5 to win
the game and the rubber by two matches to one.
The next home Premier League match on Thursday 16 April is
a double-header, with CURTC 1 playing Prested, who are currently
above them in the league table, and CURTC 2 playing Petworth.
Matches start at 2 p.m. and will continue into the evening.
Light refreshments will be available.
The final home match of the season will be on Wednesday 22
April, between the two Cambridge teams.
Please come to support your Premier League teams: contact
Kees, Peter or Scott for further details.
Before the Premier League match above, you can come along
to support CURTC 3 at 6 p.m. on Tuesday 7 April, playing their
last league match of the season. In a very close league, Cambridge
are only 1 point behind the two leaders, who have both played
all their matches. If Cambridge can beat Oratory, they will
top the league and go to the league final. Peter Paterson
and Robert Hird will be playing for Cambridge.
The Kleinwort Benson Cambridge League final results appear
in the local paper, the Cambridge
News, as well as being available online
via our KBCL page. Below are the final standings of the
three divisions:
Kleinwort Benson Cambridge League Div 1
1st Science Park 37 points
Stew McTavish (c), Mark Perriton, Rupert
Grose, Patrick Ward, Linda Fairbrother, Malcolm Howlett
2nd Tee Lorimers 31 points
John Lees (c), John Burnett, Steve Chadwick,
John Howard , Phil Hind, John Trapp
3rd King's College School Parents 30 points
Glen Pilgrim (c), Julian Stafford, Jay Harrison,
Norbert Peabody, Nic Rhode
4th Frog 26 points
Eric Nutter, David Walmsley, Stuart Arrandale
(c), John Kirkpatrick, Andrew Parkhouse
5th St John's College School Parents 16 points
Graeme Menzies, Nicholas Heath, David Pimblett,
Louise Ludekens (c), Martyn Downer, Paul Murray-John
Kleinwort Benson Cambridge League Div 2
1st Kleinwort Benson 41 points
Chris Wykes, Raymond Spencer, Alex Wright,
Michael Magnay (c), Justin McCann
2nd Addenbrookes Hospital 26 points
Ken Smith , John Firth, Barnaby Perks (c),
Nick Wareham, Steve O'Rahilly
3rd Price Bailey 25 points (higer game %)
Lawrence Bailey (c), Paul Robison, Jeremy
Fairbrother, Becky Coombs, Guy Kirk, Alasdair Poore
4th Total Eye Care 25 points
Lorne Williamson, Shaun Ruffles, Richard
Brookes, David Thomas (c), Julian Kirkpatrick
5th Tayabali, Tomlin & White 21 points
William Rankine, Gerald Smith, Christopher
Dean, Imran Tayabali (c), Simon White
Kleinwort Benson Cambridge League Div 3
1st Shelford Rugby Club Stranglers 40 points
Rick Albrow, Tony Clarke (c), David Herbert,
Neil Ruffles, Jeremy Risebrow
2nd PeopleChecking.com 33 points
Richard Holt, Michael Womack, Tom Hartley
(c), Chris Walthew, Mark Flynn
3rd ARTVPS 31 points
Jeremy Davidson, Edward Johnson, Chris Eggleton,
Brian Tyler (c), Robert Cassels
4th Newnham Village 21 points
John Ferguson [Cambridge] (c), Mark Palmer,
Gillian Moore, Smuts Beyers, William Lawes, Stephen Armitage
5th Architecture IMG 15 points
Fiona Brown, Michael Lennox, Ian Mcgonigal
(c), Ken Worthing, Peter Miller, Jonathan Spence
As part of the Club's increasingly successful youth development
programme, there will be a series of junior courses during
the Easter school holidays. These sessions will be held on
the mornings of Wednesday the 15th, Thursday the 16th and
Friday the 17th of April:
| under 10 years: |
09:00 to 09:50 |
| 10 to 13 years: |
10:00 to 10:50 |
| 13+ years: |
11:00 to 11:50 |
The cost will be £5 per person per day. The focus is
on general ball skills and movement skills, as well as specific
Real Tennis coaching. If you are interested please contact
Scott at the club, on 01223 357106 or via email
Members may have noticed that the court booking system will
be changing from the 1st April. The main features are:
- Each booking slot will be ½ hour, rather than
1 hour as before, on both Blue and Green courts.
- The default will be to book two slots, i.e. 1 hour as
before.
- You will also have the option to book any number of slots,
including 1. This means sessions of ½ hour can be
booked, as well as 1½ hours or longer.
Hopefully the changes will be self-explanatory, but if you
do have any difficulty please contact the Club on 01223 357106.
The Kleinwort Benson Cambridge League weekly results appear
in the local paper, the Cambridge
News. Below are the results from the second week of March
Division 1: Monday 9 March 2009, 5:30PM
Frog V King's College School Parents
Stuart Arrandale lost to Nic Rhode 6/2 4/6 5/6
Eric Nutter defeated Glen Pilgrim 4/6 6/4 6/4
John Kirkpatrick lost to Julian Stafford 6/3 3/6 3/6
Kings won 2 matches to 1
Division 2: Tuesday 10 March 2009, 5:30PM
Addenbrookes Hospital V Kleinwort Benson
Steve O'Rahilly defeated Justin McCann 4/6 6/2 6/4
Barnaby Perks lost to Alex Wright 4/6 2/6
Ken Smith lost to Raymond Spencer 1/6 4/6
Kleinwort Benson won 2 matches to 1
Division 3: Wednesday 11 March 2009, 5:30PM
Architecture IMG V Newnham Village
Fiona Brown lost to Gillian Moore 6/2 1/6 5/6
Ian Mcgonigal defeated Smuts Beyers 6/3 6/3
Peter Miller lost to Mark Palmer 1/6 3/6
Newnham Village won 2 matches to 1
Scott was safely delivered of a baby daughter, called Darcie,
weighing in at 7lbs 11oz on the 1st of March. Mother and daughter
are doing well
As part of the Club's increasingly successful youth development
programme, there will be further courses during the Summer
holidays. These sessions, organised for different age groups,
will be run on four consecutive days during 21-24 July and
28-31 July. There will be an all-inclusive charge of just
£20 per child for each 4 day course (payable by cheque
to CURTC). Spectators will be welcome.
If you have any questions or would like to book one or more
places please do not hesitate to
ring 01223 357106 and ask for Kees, Peter or Scott. These
courses really are great chances to become involved in the
king of racquet sports – real tennis.
The Cambridge University Real Tennis Club is one of the world’s
foremost – with two fine courts. The Club is represented by
the undisputed world champion Rob Fahey, British amateur champion
David Woodman and two women in the World’s top ten, Sarah
Vigrass and Karen Hird. The three professionals, Kees, Peter
and Scott are all enthusiastic and well respected coaches.
Week 1
21-24 July 2008 |
Week 2
28-31 July 2008 |
| Age |
Session Time |
Age |
Course Time |
| Under 9 |
10:30 - 11:10 |
Under 9 |
10:30 - 11:10 |
| Under 11 |
11:10 - 11:50 |
Under 11 |
11:10 - 11:50 |
| Over 11 |
11:50 - 12:30 |
Over 11 |
11:50 - 12:30 |
Starts 9 July
1. Given the widespread feeling that as a club we play insufficient
doubles, we are organising a Continuous Doubles Tournament
that will run from 9th July throughout the summer months finishing
on 15th September 2008.
2. Our aim is to give people a chance to play more doubles,
allowing for holidays and other commitments, be on court with
a variety of other members. And Have Fun!
3. The Competition will consist of matches played in 2-hour
sessions, each session accommodating 4 people. Each member
plays a normal set (to 6) with each of the other players –
i.e. total is 3 sets in 2 hours.
4. Taken over the entire period, each player will compete
as an individual, but the format will allow him or her to
play as much or as infrequently as desired, with a multitude
of different players of diverse playing standards within specified
handicap categories.
5. The Pros will add a series of pre-booked slots onto the
Booking System on evenings, daytimes and weekends, and will
add additional sessions in response to specific requests or
general demand. Members merely need to add their names in
the normal way to a slot which covers his or her handicap.
(The 4th player will need to add him/herself to the second
1-hour slot). The Pros will endeavour to fill up any vacant
slots.
6. The membership is divided into 4 Categories of player
(as determined by singles handicap). The handicap ranges overlap,
which should allow most participants to play in more than
one Category.
- 20-45 (80 members)
- 35-50 (81)
- 45-60 (108)
- 55-70 (98)
7. Matches are to be played on handicap as stated on the
noticeboard next to the draw not the list that is usually
used. Handicaps will be set for the entire course of the tournament
and only changed by the Tournament Organisers. Score sheets
will be provided by the pros.
8. There will be several categories of winners, but to be
eligible a minimum of 3 sessions must have been played:
- best ratio of games won/ matches played
- most matches played
Prizes will be awarded at the end of the tournament. |
Cambridge playing the MCC at Lords
Tom Hartley and Ian McGonigal at Lords
Presentation of the Premier Division Trophies
