THE ROYAL COURT

king charles charlie crossley takes peter wright’s club crown See page 3

The Autumn Newsletter 2013 Number 105

020 8977 3015 u [email protected] u www.royaltenniscourt.com chairman’s chat elcome to Josh Smith, who joins the club as our drinks station at the end of the Wnew trainee professional. While Josh comes from galley kitchen. Hopefully these a background, I am confident he will quickly works will be completed by the improve his real tennis handicap on his way to becoming end of the year. a full professional. Josh has already proved popular with the members with his engaging cheerful personality. ver the next few months Owe have social and team ome of you will have already met another new face matches, the Club Dinner, the Sat the club, Jean-Pierre Guillonnet. JP is a very annual Carol Service and the experienced lawn tennis coach who has played real tennis aforementioned Open Day. The future success of any for many years. He is helping the club to try to increase club relies upon not just providing a sporting facility, the number of juniors who play here by reaching out to but also a place where members can socialise. Many schools in the area – as well as aiming to improve his members actively support club functions, but there are own real tennis standard at the same time with some also many others who do not, and it would be fantastic coaching from the club professionals. if more members could actively support events. n the last newsletter I mentioned the proposal to run ncluding myself, we have ten board members. Below Ia club open day on 28 September 2013. Following II have listed their names and relevant areas of consideration it was felt that, with the high court demand responsibility. All of us give our time for free, for the at this time of the year, it would be unfair on members wellbeing of the club and the game of real tennis. We try, to take out so many courts on a Saturday. The Open Day where possible, to limit costs of running events by will now take place on Bank Holiday Monday 5 May undertaking most of the duties ourselves, but sometimes 2014 – further details to follow. we have no choice. If you are able to give some time, please feel free to approach the relevant board member e have started on the process of undertaking some or myself to offer your services, if only for a couple of Wimprovements to the club. The sitting room and hours. To misquote from a Kennedy speech, “It is not dining room have been swapped over for a trial period, what your club can do for you, but what you can do and initial feedback has been positive. We have for your club”! purchased two leather sofas and a coffee table and TV cabinet will follow, while we will also be forming a Julian Sheraton-Davis

RTC Board members Helen Crossley (membership secretary) Geoffrey Russell (honorary secretary) Nicola Doble (ladies’ tennis and tournaments) Owen Saunders (social) John Halliday (facilities) Julian Sheraton-Davis (chairman) Richard Lawrence (health and safety) Fraser Shorey (premises) David Main (honorary treasurer) James Sohl (men’s tennis and tournaments)

calling all coming up budding artists! RTC 1 Nov: RTC v (social match) This autumn we are holding the first competition for 2-3 Nov: Barker Camm Cup Grade E (50-59 handicaps) members to design an image that will be displayed 9-10 Nov: Harris Watson Trophy doubles (early rounds) for a year in the main corridor. 24 Nov: Brodie Cup: RTC v Newmarket/Jesmond Dene The theme is ‘Tennis at Hampton Court’ and paintings, 1 Dec: RTC v (social match) drawings or photographs are all eligible. The competition 7-8 Dec: Barker Camm Cup Grade D (40-49) is open to all members and their children. The winning 15 Dec: Pol Roger Trophy: RTC v Oxford image will be framed and hung in the corridor throughout 18 Dec: Annual Carol Service 2014 and will also be produced as a greetings card ELSEWHERE available for members to buy. 1-3 Nov: US Ladies’ Open (Washington) The deadline for entries is Tuesday 10 December. 2-3 Nov: Inter-Club Singles/Doubles (Moreton Morrell) The winner will be announced and displayed at the 17-26 Nov: British Open (Queen’s) Carol Service on 18 December. Photographs can be 23 Nov: T&RA Annual General Meeting (Queen’s) emailed to [email protected] and other pictures 29 Nov-1 Dec: Over-50 Amateur Singles (Oratory) can be posted to the club or left with the professionals. 6-8 Dec: Doubles Handicap Tournament (Leamington)

2 Maverick shoots Ice Man down Charlie Crossley has won his first Barker Camm Cup after a pulsating battle

rost and Senna; Borg second set it looked ominous and McEnroe; Davis for Charlie, whose focus had P and Higgins; Faldo and seemingly wandered. Ballesteros; Lauda and Hunt; This was just a temporary Gooch and Gower... so often blip, though, and Charlie the careers of great sportsmen emerged from his rough patch run parallel with others, with renewed consistency. offering a fascinating contrast Suddenly his cut volleys between their personalities were finding the corners of and styles. Ice men versus the court rather than the tape mavericks. of the net, as the quality of So it is with our two Barker his returning left Peter Camm Cup finalists vying for struggling to find an effective the title of club champion. serve. Having lost six games Cast in the role of professor in a row, Charlie set off on a was the defending champion, winning streak of his own, Peter Wright – a deliberate, taking five on the trot to lead calculating player whose 5-1. Peter pulled one game mission appears to be to get back, but this time it was every single ball back in play, Before the battle: Peter Wright (left) and Charlie Crossley Charlie’s turn to finish off a preferably off the middle set with a backhand winner strings of a perfectly perpendicular so that Peter could gather his senses – and we were into a decisive third set. racket face. Up against him was Charlie but the restart saw a newly focused Charlie carried his momentum into Crossley, whose creative array of champion. At the service end he began the third set, while Peter was now strokes ranges from Exocet-paced forces to unleash his trademark volleying, making more errors than usual. A love to heavily cut fizzers and surprisingly while at the other end he returned some game gave Charlie a 3-1 lead, before a soft-handed dinks. No prizes for perfectly respectable railroad serves simple forehand error from Peter at guessing who wears out their strings past Charlie’s backhand side into the 30-40 sent him 4-1 down. It wasn’t long more quickly here. dedans, via shallow boasts off the side before Charlie had made it 5-1 and Last year Peter had dealt fairly wall underneath winning gallery. stood at match point, 40-15 up and comfortably with an unwell Charlie, A 1-3 deficit soon became a 4-3 lead defending a chase of better than four. but this time it was the latter who for Peter. People talk of the “crucial Two desperate lunges in the corners settled more quickly, taking advantage seventh game”, but in this case it was kept him in the point, and when he got of some loose serving to establish a 3-1 the eighth, lasting several deuces, that a chance to finish it he did, sending the lead. Peter needed a wake-up call – and held the key to this first set. Some of the ball off the main wall and tambour it duly came at the start of the fifth best tennis of the match came in this behind Peter and nestling too close to game, although perhaps more violently game, and it was Peter who found the the back wall to retrieve. The comeback than he might have liked. As he killer blow with a fine backhand. was complete, 3-6 6-2 6-1, and the club prepared to defend the dedans from a Serving for the set, Peter hit a hot had a new champion to toast. main-wall force, the ball kicked off the streak, finding winning gallery twice Straight after the match, Charlie was wall closer to him than anticipated, and making some tremendous reaction outside enjoying a well-earned catching the inside edge of his racket volleys when Charlie opted for power. cigarette, before returning to collect and ricocheting into his face. It was a First set to Peter 6-3, then, and when he his prize of a magnum of Pol Roger.

painful blow that required a short break quickly added the first game of the James Hunt would be proud. Photographs here and on cover by John Halliday

NEWS in brief • NEWS in brief • NEWS in brief

Club competitions Holyport members. The professional team remains in place Congratulations to David Stephens and Phil Beard on under Chris Bray, and is boosted by the return of prodigal winning the de Laszlo Bowl, beating Scott Levy and Ron son Andy Chinneck from the Oratory. Slade in the final. Meanwhile the Barker Camm Cup is already under way, with Doris Siedentopf taking the Grade F Sydney project (60+ handicap) title by defeating Ian Wimbush 6-3 6-2 in the With help from Claire Vigrass, the members of the homeless final. Grade E (50-59) will take place on 2/3 November. Sydney club have put together a brochure for their proposed two-court development in Moore Park. They are determined Holyport takeover to raise the funds required to restore real tennis to Sydney, After months of uncertainty over its future, our where the Macquarie University court closed in 2005. You neighbour is under new ownership after its sale to a group of can find out more atsydneyrealtennis.com.au . 3 Mather bursts Simpson’s bubbles Pol Roger man narrowly fails to win his own magnum in the Lathom-Browne Cup final

or the second After some good serving by consecutive year, a James it was 4-4, 5-4 and then F Mather has won the 6-4, after a good force down Lathom Browne Cup to Peter’s backhand side forced become the club’s handicap a framed volley into the net. singles champion. Unlike A forehand error from Peter John Mather’s 9-0 final stroll, made it 7-4 – six games in a however, younger brother row for James, and Peter’s Peter had to dig very, very earlier consistency had totally deep in order to keep the evaporated. Just in time, he trophy in the family. settled down and fought back, This year’s final, as with fine retrieving helping befitting a handicap him claim the next two competition, offered a games. The 14th game was contrast of styles and beyond him, though, as James characters, if not such a large found winning gallery with a gulf in playing ability. On the Peter Mather (left) and James Simpson could hardly be half-volley and produced a one hand there was Peter: separated in an hour of topsy-turvy fortunes terrific low volley to lead 8-6. young, lithe, wristy and Back came Peter, with his playing a range of strokes with a matches on his way to the semi-final, own volleying to the fore. 8-6 became mixture of touch, spin and pace. Up but at that stage things really clicked 8-8 – and crucially Peter was serving at against his was ‘the Man from Pol as he steamrollered grade A winner the start of the final game. James Roger’, James Simpson: slightly less Chris Swan 9-0. opened up with a main-wall force into young, broad-shouldered and with a Both men were playing slightly better the dedans, but Peter hit two winning blunt, uncomplicated game to match. than their April-set final handicaps, but forehands, James found the net and Indeed, during the final he even early on in the final Peter, giving owe then the roof, and at 40-15 Peter struck remarked on his rugby background 15, threatened to run away with it. At a forehand to the main wall and after one unsubtle blow. 3-0 he was firmly established at the tambour that sealed his comeback and Peter had been improving throughout service end and looking good. a 9-8 triumph. the season, so it was no surprise to see As James got going, however, Peter So, the Man from Pol Roger had to him reach the final. Along the way he started to hit too many balls up on to be content with a bottle of his own defeated 2011 finalist John Harbord- the penthouse. The first key moment product, while his opponent made off Hamond and, in an enthralling semi- came with the first 40-all point, with with a magnum to share with his final, his defending champion brother, Peter 4-1 ahead. A fabulous chance of a family. Father Paul was a keen observer winning the decisive 40-all point at 8-8. 5-1 lead was spurned, a forehand into in the dedans – surely, he must be James had come through some tight the net giving James a lifeline at 4-2. thinking, next year will be his turn...

edmund cohen (1926-2013) It seems fitting for someone who loved tennis so much that Edmund Cohen spent his whole working life working for a company (his family’s firm) called Courts. After serving in the war for the Royal Artillery and then studying economics at Cambridge, he joined the furniture retailer in 1950 and remained a director until 1999. After losing his wife Daphne in 1994, Edmund devoted much of his time and energy to helping others, most notably founding and being a benefactor to the Edmund Cohen Vascular Research Laboratory in Barbados. He also supported many of the UK’s most promising tennis players, including Andy and Jamie Murray, Anne Keothavong and Laura Robson. Shortly before his death he was present at the All Club to see Andy Murray become Wimbledon champion. He was a lover of football and cricket, but as he got older tennis became an ever greater part of his life – and then he discovered real tennis, playing at Queen’s and the Royal Tennis Court until as recently as this summer.

sandy sempliner (1953-2013) Sandy Sempliner, who succumbed to cancer in August, was an enthusiastic player of real tennis with whom every opponent enjoyed playing. He was an artist and aid worker who divided his time between the United States and Mayfair, where he used to drive around in classic cars. He taught art to international students in Marylebone and was an aficionado of gentlemen’s clubs around the world.

4 Middlesex heavens Once again the RTC welcomed the country’s club handicap champions for the Chetwood Trophy, and again a talented young prodigy claimed the spoils

ith the field comprising the however, Irina lost her focus and John finalists from many clubs’ smelled blood. He spent more time up W handicap singles at the service end and was rewarded competitions, the Chetwood Trophy with a 6-6 scoreline. Honours even – but brings together players of all ages, Irina was having a crisis of confidence. abilities, shapes and sizes. Last year She played a strong game to go 7-6 15-year-old Henry Mullan of up, and the next game went all the way beat a 12-year-old in the final; sadly to 40 all – championship point. an injury meant Master Mullan was Attacking a hazard chase, Irina netted. unable to defend his title. Remarkably, a tense final game also After more than two days of round- went to 40 all! After a few cautious robin play, the final four had an Anglo- strokes from both, John, at the service Russian Hendon feel, with Irina end, hit a ball to Irina’s backhand side. Winner Irina Dulbish with Nick Wood Dulbish and fellow Middlesex member Stretching to get it back, Irina looped it Zuzana Botkova launching a joint up, and the spectators in the dedans assault. Irina, the captain of her Balfour-Lynn (60) of Hatfield House. saw it dropping towards them with a university’s lawn tennis team, is still This match was nip and tuck, but John’s sense of inevitability. John saw it too, learning the nuances of the royal game relentless side-wall serve won him a lot but too late. The ball nestled into the but displayed a talent way beyond the of easy points on the way to a 6-4 win, dedans netting and Irina was an elated 49 handicap she was playing off here, ending the hopes of a Middlesex final. and very relieved champion. especially if anyone was foolish enough In the early stages of the final Irina It was a fitting climax, and great to feed her volleys. In her semi-final she held the service end and dominated, credit should go to Nick Wood and his was too good for Pete Rose (52) of making light work of the handicap professional team, who dealt with all Prested Hall, who battled away and allowance she was giving up. At 4-1 manner of logistical challenges before took his 6-4 defeat very graciously. (in a match to 8) she was cruising. and during the weekend and marked Zuzana (70) was then up against John After two 40-all games were shared, with authority and patience. Hambusters breech Radley

uesday 3 September 2013 will used batons rather than . But months ago. On each occasion John’s stand out as one of the great days Hambusters had a cunning plan! Their playing improved markedly after the T in the legend of this historic opponents were lulled into a state of head-bashing. tennis court. It was on this day at overconfidence, which was when David Glover (having set up his 1400hrs that the RTC Hambusters Clark & Glover pounced to push the many cameras, checked the lighting team, led by Graham Aston, did rubber to a nail-biting 7-7 scoreline. and acoustics) could now concentrate administer a sound thrashing to a team Sadly Radley squeaked home 8-7. on the tennis and showed great from Radley. Next on was Martin Bronstein, who strategic thinking with the use of his It should now be admitted that gave a dazzling, breathtaking display forehand crosscourt from the service previous reports of this biannual of racket ability, court sense and end. Simon Holland put up a good fixture gave the impression of lightning movement that even had the fight but Glover would not be denied Hambusters being victorious. The many tourists cheering and whistling. and won 8-6. Victory was ours! truth is that Radley won each and (I should point out that Martin In the final doubles, Aston and every encounter. Bronstein is the writer of this report. Maestro Bronstein led 4-1 but then But this day was to be turned on its Ed.) His opponent, Ken Mannering, succumbed to the consistency of the greying head. Captain Aston started could do nothing with an array of Radley pair and lost 8-5, the off using his splendid touch and court serves and backhand cuts that would previously impeccable Bronstein sense (as you would expect from have had Rob Fahey begging for returning the final four serves into someone who plays squash, lawn mercy. The rubber finished 8-1 and the net. Final score: 4-2 to the tennis and real tennis six times a now Hambusters were well and truly Hambusters. Game count: 47-29. week), to earn a splendid 8-2 victory in the driving seat on the front foot. Another great afternoon, a first for over John Miller. He then handed the (Physically impossible, surely? Ed. ) the Hambusters, who now have the baton to John Clark and David Glover Aston & Clark turned the tables measure of Chris Ronaldson’s team for the first doubles. Their with an 8-7 win, this despite Clark selection. Roll on March 2014, when performance in the first four games falling over and hitting his head on coaches will be laid on for the trip to would have been improved had they the floor, as he had done at Radley six Radley. Buy tickets on eBay now. 5 World title Wood’s Words Head pro Nick Wood on what we countdown can do for the ‘good of the game’ f I were to choose just one thing quality of new individuals taking up ith the world title up for grabs I that stands out from training the profession and developing pros’ again next May in Melbourne, during my real tennis apprenticeship skills to help take the game forward in W we are now in a key phase of (a long time ago now), it would be clubs around the country. the race to challenge Rob Fahey. the phrase “all for the good of the At the RTC, the membership has a The new season has seen Camden game”. These few words were team of professionals who are Riviere – who has usurped Fahey as ingrained into me and have naturally enthusiastic and ambitious, world No 1 – continue his domination of underpinned a lifetime’s passion, who are all keen to be involved with the circuit. First off he took the French as everything I have strived for has the CPD programme. Their continued Open in with a destruction of been for “the good of the game”. development brings an added level of Steve Virgona, after the Australian had The final of the club championship skill to the RTC, shared with you as beaten Fahey. Then the American added saw an extremely high-quality match the members on a daily basis. the European Open at Lord’s, edging a between Peter Wright and Charlie We are all fortunate to have found 3.5-hour, five-set thriller over Fahey. Crossley; as the match marker, I was this wonderful game, and in our case As this newsletter went to press, being assessed to attain a level 3 particularly fortunate to be playing in Riviere and Fahey were preparing to go marking certificate. Not only was it such majestic surroundings. If we are at it again, in the final of the IRTPA important to provide the best privileged enough to enjoy the game, Championships up in Manchester. officiating for the players, I was also so can others; if we all, as the current Barring miracles, the quartet who will endeavouring to achieve a higher custodians of the game, wish it to do battle in the new year for the right to qualification as a professional – these survive and grow, we must do all we face Fahey will be Riviere, Virgona, qualifications are all part of the newly can for the good of the game. British No 1 Bryn Sayers (currently established Club Professional If you have any thoughts, ideas or struggling with tennis elbow) and Tim Development programme (CPD). the time and energy to help with the Chisholm of the US. The man to beat The CPD programme’s underlying future of real tennis, or you want to right now is unquestionably Riviere. ethos is “all for the good of the game”. know more about the CPD, please The programme aims to assist in the get in touch with me. Chris Chapman future of the game by increasing the PS Level 3 marking result, pending! Chris has enjoyed a very solid start to the season. In Paris he was unfortunate to face Virgona in the first round but Doubles, won the previous five times The champions leapt out to a 3-0 lead did take a set off the world No 3. In the by Fahey and Virgona. As expected, it on day one, but the Americans hauled European Open he had an impressively was Riviere and Chisholm who took them back, saving championship points smooth win over Jon Dawes before them on in a best-of-9-sets final, and as in a thrilling eighth set to level the running into Fahey in the semi-finals, expected it was close – very close. match. The deciding set also went to and at Manchester he again reached the While there wasn’t much subtlety on 5-5, and at 30-30 no one could guess semis and again fell to Fahey. display, the quality was undeniable, as what might happen next. No one would all four players dealt admirably with have predicted two errors by Riviere – World Doubles the incredible speed of the rallies. but that is what happened, and the While they were in Paris, the world’s Virgona and Chisholm in particular Australians could breathe sighs of relief elite also fought it out for the World generated huge pace. and celebrate a sixth title.

Start your Christmas celebrations by joining us at The RTC Annual Carol Service in the Chapel Royal on Wednesday 18 December 2013 at 7.30pm Followed by mulled wine and mince pies in the club Tickets: £14 (or £12 per head for groups of four or more) available from the pros. If applying by post, cheques, made payable to the Royal Tennis Court, should be sent to the club with the application (please enclose SAE)

6 Welcome... Josh Smith any of you will already have it’s going to end up on court, and I had the pleasure of meeting want mine to be as good as Nick’s.” M our new trainee professional, As for marking, Josh highlights an Josh Smith, who joined Nick Wood’s unease that many of us have felt at team in September. If you have, you’ll times: marking someone who is better probably have noticed the relaxed, than him at the game (for now, assured manner that helped him during anyway). “It’s a confidence thing, and the frenetic early weeks in which he I’m more confident marking players had to absorb a huge amount of with handicaps in the teens now.” information about the game, the club Of course, developing his own game and the varied elements of the job. is important too. His squash skills, “The first week was... not quite athleticism and those 7am practice overwhelming, but there was such an sessions with Nick and Chris will all influx of information, and it was a case help. “It gets the day off to a good start of trying to remember everything while – you can be productive after that,” he doing the job at the same time,” he says. De Laszlo Bowl is not a receptacle for says. As you would expect with any Fortunately for -reared breakfast cereals. pupil of Nick Wood, Josh says they Josh, he comes equipped with some Among the most daunting tasks for have been spending “lots of time on the useful skills, namely a strong squash any new real tennis pro must be ball- floor game – whatever comes over the background (to help him on court) and making. Not so for Josh, it seems, as he net, making sure I get it back. Then I a degree in psychology and criminology spent the 16 months between can develop other things later.” (the former of which, at least, will come graduating from university and joining While a handicap is usually a fair in handy off court). So now it’s merely a RTC making use of his hands: doing reflection of someone’s standard, it can case of perfecting his game, mastering gardening work and also pursuing an also become too much of a focus for the mysterious arts of marking, ball- entrepreneurial career with his many of us – something Josh is already making and racket maintenance, girlfriend, making and selling hand- aware of. “I’m trying really hard not to learning the names, faces and foibles crafted items. “One of the things I like think about it, to put it to one side,” he of a few hundred members, and about this job is that it’s hands-on, says. Having reduced his by 10 points remembering that Lathom-Browne is physical,” he says. “I enjoy making in just a couple of months, it seems that not a shade of Dulux paint and that the stuff. When I’m making a ball, I know policy is paying dividends.

...and JP Guillonnet Social v Jesmond t the other end of the experience Now he’s aiming to get the next Our visitors from Jesmond Dene had enjoyed the evening before the scale from Josh Smith is Jean- generation playing real tennis – match, which took its toll on the Pierre ‘JP’ Guillonnet, a involving local schools such as the A earlier rubbers in this social inter- seasoned lawn tennis coach who is Vineyard in Richmond, Grey Court in club encounter. The handicaps were helping out part-time at RTC as a Ham and Tiffin Girls in Kingston. The closely matched in most rubbers, but junior development officer, reflecting aim, he says, is to target children aged Robin Mulcahy did have to overcome the club’s commitment to nurturing 12 and under, particularly those in the an owe-30/rec-15 deficit to win his the future membership of the club final year of primary education and singles with some careful play. and long-term health the first year of of the game. secondary school. After 17 years as a The club enjoyed a lawn tennis pro, JP strong few years for moved into banking as youngsters a while a financial adviser, back, thanks mainly to although he did also members’ offspring keep his hand in with (hence familiar names tennis coaching. In such as Watson, Hird 2009, though, he had and Halliday). But Lunch saw a variety of Thai curries had enough of the behind that now served and the club’s wine stocks financial world and moved back into twentysomething generation is a gulf duly depleted – but the hospitality tennis full-time, first at a David Lloyd that urgently needs filling. did not extend to the result, with the centre and then ploughing his own While there’s no formal structure home team prevailing 5-2. furrow. He has had great success yet for the junior development The visitors were given a brief tour of the palace gardens before being bringing kids along at Ham & programme, we can expect to hear returned to their hotel in Kew to Petersham and runs squads of players much more from JP in the coming prepare for the following day’s match aged 10-18 at Roehampton, helping months, as well as seeing more young against Queen’s. Oliver Buckley as many as 120 kids a week. people taking to the court. 7 Wimbledon champions Anagrams The organiser of RTC’s inaugural golf day clearly planned it well... Can you identify the past and present real tennis ow can such a wonderful day maestros? (Answers at ever be matched? The inaugural bottom of page) RTC Golf Competition was H 1 Jail Now Sun held at the Royal Wimbledon Golf Club in late July. The weather was 2 Breathiest Creeper perfect, the sandwiches afterwards 3 We Say Invade kept coming and the company was 4 Foyer Bather of course jolly, understanding, 5 Vinegar Stove appreciative, sympathetic , consoling, encouraging and patient – all necessary Weatherill, Harris, Ronaldson, Watson 6 Scalds Iron Horn for team golf. Of course, the event was rigged by The prizes were modest so that a the organiser, who played as mascot donation of over £70 could be made to A palace visitor overheard only to an in-form team of David The RTC Junior fund to help the young in the galley corridor... Watson, Richard Harris and Bernard tennis players of RTC afford to play and Weatherill (team captain). Runners-up improve by contributing to their entry “It’s like squash – but were David Jeffcoate’s team, featuring fees, lessons etc. for dead people” Sara Stewart, Adam Stebbings and Fred The day was a great success and next Satow. Thanks also to the other hosts, year will be repeated at St George’s Hill Charming. Ralph Cake and Stephen Brook. Golf Club. Lesley Ronaldson

Letters to the editor results Sir, Barker Camm Cup Final: Charlie Crossley beat Peter Wright On reading the Summer Newsletter I noted with some trepidation the inclusion of a 3-6 6-2 6-1. ranking table (Top Ten) for left-handers. Now while I have nothing against left- handers, this sort of thing could be the thin edge of the web for endless Top Ten lists. Lathom Browne Cup In the present climate would there be clamourings for a Gay Top Ten? Also, I am Final: Peter Mather beat James Simpson aware of one prominent club member who has the sight of just one eye; could this lead 9-8. to a Nelson Top Ten? Would this then lead to a Gay, One-eyed, Left-handers Top Ten? RTC v Jesmond Dene (social) Do you think that in the archives you would find an historic ranking for Reigning RTC won 5-2. Oliver Buckley beat Monarchs with Six Wives? I doubt it. Gordon Reed 9-7; Buckley & Richard East beat Reed & Jon Hanson 9-5; Nick Yr. Obdnt. Svt. Carew Hunt lost to Hanson 7-9; Carew Martin Bronstein (right-handed, heterosexual, binocular) Hunt & John Clark lost to John Taylor & Ian Fairley 6-10; Robin Mulcahy beat Fairley 8-5; Julian Sheraton-Davis & East beat Reed & Taylor 7-6; Sheraton-Davis RTC Top Ten UK Top Ten drew with John Taylor 8-8; Mulcahy & Handicaps (Not to be confused with Clark beat Hanson & Fairley 8-7. October 2013 world ranking points) French Open (Paris) Men’s semi-finals: Camden Riviere beat 1 Peter Wright 4.1 1 Bryn Sayers +7.3 Tim Chisholm 4-6 6-4 6-3 6-2; Steve 2 Charlie Crossley 5.8 2 Ricardo Smith +5.4 Virgona beat Rob Fahey 5-6 6-2 6-3 6-3. 3 Dave Harms 7.6 3 Ben Matthews +3.1 Final: Riviere beat Virgona 6-0 6-4 6-0. Ladies’ semi-finals: Claire Vigrass beat 4 David Watson 9.7 4 Nick Wood +3.0 Frederika Adam 6-0 6-0; Penny Lumley 5 Tom Freeman 14.0 5 Jamie Douglas (amateur) +0.8 beat Sue Haswell 6-2 6-1. Final: Vigrass 6 James Watson 15.5 6 David Woodman +0.7 beat Lumley 6-0 6-2. 7 Phil Dunn 16.1 7 Conor Medlow (amateur) 0.6 World Doubles (Paris) 8 Ed Kay 16.4 8 Tom Durack 0.7 Final: Fahey & Virgona beat Riviere & Chisholm 5 sets to 4: 6-5 6-4 6-1 1-6 0-6 9= Simon Barker 16.8 9 Andrew Lyons 1.5 6-5 4-6 5-6 6-5. 9= James Sohl 16.8 10 Jon Dawes 1.9 European Open (Lord’s) Semi-finals: Rob Fahey beat Chris Chapman 6-0 6-3 6-1; Camden Riviere The Royal Tennis Court Newsletter beat Ben Matthews 5-6 6-5 6-1 6-3. Final: Riviere beat Fahey 6-4 5-6 3-6 is published four times a year and the editor would love any contributions 6-2 6-3.

from members. Please get in touch if you have any ideas for the winter 6 5 Chris Ronaldson Chris

issue, either via the professionals or by email at the address below. Virgona Steve 4 3 Fahey Robert Davies Wayne Etchebaster

2 1 answers: Anagram Pierre Pierre Editor: Simon Edmond [email protected] Snow Julian 8