Sunday 10th.
Camden Riviere has been in London Queens club practicing to defend his world champion title.
During his stay he found time to stop by MURTC and challenge two of our students for a friendly game. With him he had Sean Quinn, founder of Gold Leaf Athletics. On the side of MURTC we had Lennox Johnston and Joshua King.
The match inspired an impressive turnout of members, students, juniors and Real Tennis dogs alike.

From the left Sean Quinn, Camden Riviere, Joshua King, Lennox Johnston

Short video about the current World champion .

Howard was champion in the late 60’s the 70’s and early 80’s.

https://thesporting.blog/blog/2017/11/16/realtennisracketshowardangus?format=amp

45 Doubles

James Eadie & Hugh Sayer (Radley) v Lennox Johnston & Asher Ward (MURTC)

Our two MU students opened the batting for MURTC after a pleasant run down to Radley and 45 minutes acclimatising themselves to the court. They started very well, considering this was the earliest either of them had been up on a Sunday morning in years. The Radley pair were still in their proverbial pyjamas as Lennox and Ash took the first set 6-1 and an easy victory looked on the cards. However, the Radley pair suddenly woke up, changed into their tennis whites, and in a flash they had taken the second set by the same score. And so it came down to a the final set decider. It was tight for the first few games but the superior guile of the elder pairing saw them home 6-3.

30 Singles

Ned Batstone (Radley) v George Lewis (MURTC)

This was a top quality match which tested George’s pain threshold (and my captaincy) to the very limit. The younger player (unusually, not George) had a handicap of 28.6 so George (35ish) was up against it. The first set went Ned’s way, 6-3, as George struggled with his return of serve and made too many unforced errors.  Then early in the second set George damaged his lower back causing him intense pain and restricting his movement. Naturally, this improved his game immensely and he took the second set 6-2, with the help of some Voltarol applied (by a somewhat reluctant captain) to the affected part. The final set saw George yelping with pain whenever he stretched for a shot. He fought on manfully, but, ultimately in vain, as Ned took it 6-3.

40 Singles

Giles Fitzpatrick (Radley) v Mark Heffernan (MURTC)

My preparation for this one was not ideal. I had been out of the country and hadn’t played for 10 days, and was suffering from a dose of man-flu.  Excuses aside, Giles did serve really well, particularly in the second set. The first set was tight, going to 5-5 deuce, with Giles taking it at the death.  Unfortunately (for me)  Giles had by then worked out that I was having real difficulty with his backhand serve which kept tight to the side wall. It made laying chases difficult and I was spending too much time at the receiving end. The second set was close, but he deservedly edged it 6-4.

50 Singles

Ian Williams (Radley) v Yuri Kugler (MURTC)

Cometh the hour, cometh the man! And fortunately for us, that man was Yuri Kugler. We were 0-3 down in the tie, so this was a dead rubber. But “dead rubber” is not in the Kugler lexicon. Yuri’s opponent was an awkward customer, happy to chip the ball in to the corners to a good length, and frankly our man struggled in the first set, going down 2-6. But Yuri wasn’t going to lie down and he came out fighting for the second set. At one point Yuri (at the service end) played a backhand stroke but lost hold of his racket (which ended up at the bottom of the net). Loss of his racket was not going to stop him though, and he attempted to continue the rally by kicking the ball over the net. (Radley 0 Stoke City 1). It was nip and tuck in the second but Yuri edged it 6-4. So, we had a final set decider on our hands! Yuri was behind from the start and Ian led 4-1 at one stage (I think), which then became 5-3. Yuri’s back was to the wall but he just wouldn’t give up. He clawed his way back to 5-5, but he was at the receiving end. At 30-30, 2 well cut chases by Yuri saw him regain the serve and close out the match 6-5.

35 Doubles

Benedict Yorston & Harry Purton (Radley) v Mark Gillespie & Frank Goulbourn (MURTC)

Let’s get the stats out of the way. The combined ages of the Radley pair was lower than, not just Frank’s age, but Mark’s singles handicap. The big question on everyone’s lips was whether the two small children would be intimated by the Goulbourn power game? Unfortunately the answer was no………..not in the least! Goulbourn & Gillespie took a 2-0 lead in the first set……..and then lost the next 6 in a row. The teenagers were virtually faultless….on the floor, overhead, backhand or forehand, everything came back and the MURTC duo began to make mistakes. There was a glimmer of hope in the second set as Frank and Mark raced into a 4-0 lead………but for the second time, Radley won 6 in a row. Game, set and match!

Scorecard

45 doubles: James Eadie & Hugh Sayer (Radley) v  Lennox Johnston & Asher Ward (MURTC) 1-6 6-1 6-3

30 singles: Ned Batstone (Radley) v George Lewis (MURTC) 6-3 2-6 6-3

40 singles: Giles Fitzpatrick (Radley) v Mark Heffernan (MURTC) 6-5 6-4

50 singles: Ian Williams (Radley) v Yuri Kugler (MURTC) ­­6-2 4-6 5-6

35 doubles: Benedict Yorston & Harry Purton (Radley) v Frank Goulbourn & Mark Gillespie (MURTC) 6-2 6-4

Short video describing real tennis and what it is about .

Brodie Cup 2017/18

MURTC v Hardwick

Middlesex University

Sunday 22^nd October 2017

Match Report

45 Doubles

Lennox Johnston & Asher Ward (MURTC) v Katie Leppard & David Fox (Hardwick)

The day kicked off with our two Brodie Cup debutants playing in the 45 doubles.  The first set was nip-and-tuck all the way, with neither pair really dominating the service end, but at 5-5 Lennox and Ash regained the serve to close out the set and calm the nerves of the MURTC supporters in the dedans.  The second set was a completely different affair as, from the start, Katie decided to employ an unusual combination of lobs and drop-shots which had the students floundering.  At 1-5 down a third set looked inevitable (particularly to George Lewis), but an astute change of tactics saw Lennox volleying solidly from in front of the galleries and Ash covering the back of the court.  Thus the comeback began..1-5 became 2-5, 3-5 and ultimately 5-5. The momentum was now with MURTC and after a couple of match points, it was first blood in the fixture to MURTC.

30 Singles

Rob Dickinson (MURTC) v Simon Constantine (Hardwick)

This was a high-quality match which featured some really top-class tennis.  Unfortunately most of it came from Simon. Rob was the first to admit that he didn’t play to his usual high standard, but he was put under relentless pressure by an opponent who served well and retrieved even better.  Simon dominated the serving end and Rob struggled to lay chases.  Simon raced into an early lead and, despite Rob’s best efforts, kept the pressure on.  6-2 6-2 to Hardwick and the fixture was now tied at 1-1.

40 Singles

Mark Heffernan (MURTC) v Richard Oldham (Hardwick)

The less said about this match the better.  Richard was struggling with a bad back and had driven 3 hours to get from Somerset to Hendon to take part in the fixture.  Huge credit to him, but I suspect he wishes he had stayed in the West Country.  The journey had left him somewhat immobile and the result was 6-0 6-1 to MURTC.  At least he enjoyed the lunch!

50 Singles

Yuri Kugler (MURTC) v Candida Nicholls (Hardwick)

This was an interesting contrast of styles (and sizes). Despite losing his focus for a few games in the second set, Yuri was never really in any difficulty.  He eased through the first set, despite Candida’s best efforts to move him around the court, closing it out 6-2.  The second set was proceeding in similar fashion until Yuri’s mind began to wander and Candida picked up three quick games.  At 5-4 up in the second, Yuri regained his composure to take it 6-4.

35 Doubles

George Lewis & Mark Gillespie (MURTC) v Colin Butler & Tim Tomalin (Hardwick)

The final match of the fixture was a bit of a mismatch, not just in terms of handicap but also of age. The Hardwick pair were playing off a combined handicap just below 100 (and a combined age well above it) and were no match for George and Mark. With Mark deftly lobbing into the grille at will, and George adopting a more forceful approach, the only doubt was whether the Hardwick pairing would register on the scoreboard. They did, but just once. 6-0 6-1 to MURTC.

So a 4-1 victory for MURTC. The next round is away to Radley on 19^th November.

A big thank you to Chris Bray for his faultless marking and to Mary for a wonderful lunch.

Full Results

45 doubles: Lennox Johnston & Asher Ward (MURTC) v Katie Leppard & David Fox (Hardwick) 6-5 6-5

30 singles: Rob Dickinson (MURTC) v Simon Constantine (Hardwick) 2-6 2-6

40 singles: Mark Heffernan (MURTC) v Richard Oldham (Hardwick) 6-0 6-1

50 singles: Yuri Kugler (MURTC) v Candida Nicholls (Hardwick) 6-2 6-4

35 doubles: George Lewis & Mark Gillespie (MURTC) v Colin Butler & Tim Tomalin (Hardwick) 6-0 6-1

The Village cup doubles was played in great spirit again this year. There were a number of high quality  and extremely close matches. The Final was a tense affair with Zuzana Botkova and Freddie Jacobs holding their nerve to beat Catherine Hudson and John Harrington 6/3. Thank you all who participated in the event and we look forward to the next one.

Summer Pennant Final 2017

Beastly Boasters v Dedans Bruisers

The Boasters finished top of the league, and were straight into the final. The Bruisers sneaked into the semi-final, and battled to a win and a place in the final, for the third time in four summers.

First up it was Zuzana Botkova v Tim Harrison, a left-handers match. Tim started well, but after some errors, found himself 2-4 down. He got a second wind, and triumphed 6-4, those railroad serves hitting the spot. Yuri Kugler and Peter Fisher were next up, an even start, then Yuri pulled away to what seemed like a winning position at 5-2. Peter, on the other hand, had not thrown the towel in, and his never-say-die attitude won the day by 6-5 ! The final singles saw Freddie Jacobs v Charles Trevor, Charles looking for revenge for the loss in the round-robin match. Sadly it was not to be, and after a hard-fought set, Freddie was victorious, 6-5. After 3 matches, it was Bruisers 2, Boasters 1.

Onto the doubles, and it was Peter and Tim facing up to Yuri and Zuzana. What looked a tricky game on paper turned into a procession of hard-hitting and accurate strokes from the Northerners, and a 6-1 win to put the Bruisers in the driving-seat. Could Yuri and Freddie rescue the tie for the Boasters, or would Peter and Charles bring the cup home ? More fantastic tennis from the Bruisers, and it was all over at 6-3 and 4 sets to 1, with one set to play. It was approaching 10:30 as the final four hit the floor. Tim and Charles found themselves behind to Zuzana and Freddie, but picked themselves up, suddenly found their range, and sealed the win by 6-4.

The 2016/2017 season proved to be the most exciting yet at the club with plenty of competitive matches and some superb tennis. Finals weekend brought together all the finalist in what proved to be a feast of tennis.

Here are the results:

Grade B Handicap Final

Alan Wheeler beat Paul Rivlin 6/2 6/2

Grade D Level Singles Final

Sam Asgedom beat Alan Wheeler 6/1 6/4

Grade C Level Singles Final

Lennox Johnston beat Georgina Allen 4/6 6/2 6/5

Grade B Level Singles Final

Josh King beat James Fazal 6/5 6/2

Grade A Level Final

Simon McLoughlin beat Kunal Dusad 6/1 6/2

Grade A Handicap Final

Jonathan Platt beat Alex Mullan 6/2 6/2

Congratulations to all the champions and finalists!! We look forward to another great season so use the summer to get training and practicing for the new tournaments ahead.

It was another fantastic night of action yesterday at Club Night! The event was again supported very well by the members and we had a fine turnout. It was high octane mixed doubles action with quick matches and an amazing array of handicaps. The players ranged from 40 – 79 handicap.

Fun was had by all as players competed with and against everyone else. The innovative rolling handicap system used keeps games very close and exciting and we had a number of matches that went to 40 all match point. Matches are first to 3 games which means that there isn’t much waiting around and you get plenty of action on the night.

Will was present all the way through the night and was on hand to mark all matches, give advice and play a combination of lefty and righty to the amusement of the members. Feedback was positive from all that took part, ” its just a great way to spend a Monday night in a relaxed environment”.

We hope to continue running club night on a Monday and as always we welcome players of all levels – the more the merrier!!!