Dominique Redmond reports:
After many long nights of going through the Fives online database, calling and emailing, we had a firm entry of 28 pairs for this year's London Tournament. There were 16 pairs in the main competition and 12 in the festival. This year's entry was a great improvement from last year, with many top players and re-surfacing players entering. This year's competition was held at Harrow where we had rain-free weather! It was, however very cold, which made tea and coffee essential! Along with the drinks we also provided snacks, sandwiches and light refreshment along with some toast to keep people going.
Main Tournament
This year we had 16 pairs which meant 4 pools of 4. There was a late withdrawal of a seeded pair Howard Wiseman and James Toop due to illness and injury, but Howard managed to pull himself out of bed to help start the competition. Most pools were finished in good time with the exception of pool B due to the planned late arrival of Alick Varma who was partnering David Mew. As a result some of the quarter-finals were pushed into the early evening. All pool matches went the way of the seeds, but there was a real battle for second position in each pool, with a very level standard ensuring that there were many close matches.
Quarter-Finals
The quarter-finals were best of five games. Top seeds Peter Dunbar & brother Tom, took on the university pair of Paul Jeffries and Mike Birkett. It was all over far too quickly in the eyes of the Cambridge pair, but they did manage to get thirteen points off the top seeds. Second seeds Richard Tyler & Will Sorrell took on the Oxford pair Will Betts and Peter Kennedy and won in straight games, also conceding thirteen points along the way. The long awaited end of pools B & C saw Alick Varma & Dave Mew taking on another Cambridge pair of Nick Gill and James O'Callaghan, winning in straight games, but the match became quite a contest. The Olavian pair of Peter White and Peter Cohen, third seeds took on the fast improving pair of Anthony Theodossi and Ryan Perrie, winning comfortably. \"Pistol Pete\" Cohen destroyed them with his killer shots and Pete White's amazing consistency applied just too much pressure.
Semi-Finals
The semi-finals took place on the Sunday morning at 11am. The Dunbar brothers were to play the fourth seeds, Dave Mew and Alick Varma, and Will and Richard were to play the Peters. Dave and Alick started off well, but the Dunbars levelled the points and marched on and eventually dominating Alick and Dave with their terrific play in the buttress and their top court vollies. The Dunbars had made it into the final for the third year in a row. The other semi-final saw the Olavian pair storm into the lead with a 9-2 advantage. Somehow Will and Richard battled their way back into the match and overtook, taking the first game 13-10. The second was full of surprises and was well contested with the Olavian pair taking the lead yet again, but as before could not grab the final point. Will and Richard happily did winning 14-11. The third game was even closer but this time the second seeds took the lead which forced the Olavian pair to chase. There were only two points in it, but the second seeds triumphed, winning in straights games, taking the third 15-13. This match was so level that the three games took three hours to complete.
Final
After a long lunch break, the Dunbars returned fresh and ready to take on a very tired pair who had chosen to go straight into the final with only a ten minute break. All spectators, wrapped up in several layers, watched the final. Peter and Tom took the lead, but were soon caught up and the players were in a deadlock for five minutes or so. The Dunbars took the first game 12-10. The second was more relaxed with the tiredness catching up on some of the players. Most of the match was focused around the buttress with volleying and superb retrieving from Tom & Pete. The Dunbars took the second 12-6. Two games down it seemed impossible for Will and Richard to make a come back as Pete and Tom were getting stronger and stronger. They dominated the third and final game winning 12-2 and taking the London title for the third year in a row.
Quarter-Finals:
T Dunbar & P Dunbar beat P Jefferys & M Birkett 3-0 (12-5, 12-2, 12-6)
A Varma & D Mew beat N Gill & J O'Callaghan 3-0 (12-7, 12-8, 12-4)
P White & P Cohen beat A Theodossi & R Perrie 3-0 (12-7, 12-1, 12-3)
W Sorrell & R Tyler beat W Betts & P Kennedy 3-0 (12-5, 12-5, 12-3)
Semi-Finals:
T Dunbar & P Dunbar beat A Varma & D Mew 3-0 (12-6, 12-5, 12-4)
R Tyler & W Sorrell beat P Cohen & P White 3-0 (13-10, 14-11, 15-13)
Final:
T Dunbar & P Dunbar beat W Sorrell & R Tyler 3-0 (12-10, 12-6, 12-2)
Festival
The festival had 12 pairs which dropped down to 11 pairs on the morning. There were 2 pools, one of 6 pairs the other containing 5 pairs. The Festival had a mixture of standards and players - many university players, along side top school pupils and players who have just started playing or who were returning to the game.
Quarter-Finals
The first quarter-final saw a young but talented Olavian pair take on the Oxford University pair of Hugh Pattenden and James Duboff. The younger pair breezed through the first two games giving no points away and secured a place in the semi-final winning the third by by two points. The mixed pair of Ed Cole (Emanuel School) and Sam Matthews (Westway) were a strong pair coming third in their pool but were not strong enough to beat James Hammond and Sam Eglund-Newby who beat the mixed pair in three straight games giving away only five points. The Festival favourites Tom and Jamie Betts (Lancing College) beat John Cooley and another Emanuel School boy Alun Meredith who had played exceptionally well for his first tournament and managed to get eight points off the top seeds. Ashley Lumbard and Rob Cooper took on a very strong school girls' pair of Lia Redmond and Jess Lumbard, but the school girls could not overcome the more experienced older pair who won in straight games. At the end of the day it was decided that all semi-finals would be played on the Sunday.
Semi-Finals
The semi-finals started at the same time as the main but luckily did not take as long. The Olavian pair of Ben Michaels and Janahan Elansei took on the very determined pair of James Hammond (Old Harrovian) and fellow classmate Sam Eglund-Newby. This was a four game battle with James and Sam taking the first game 15-13 and Ben and Janahan taking the next three with their brilliant top step play and shots into the buttress. On the other half of the draw Tom and Jamie took on Ashley and Rob and won in straight games, but they did not get an easy ride Ashley's persistent attacking of the buttress and Rob's back court shots were not easy to beat, but the Lancing brothers found a way through and booked a place in the final against the Olavian school pair.
Final
The Festival final took place while the remaining main semi-final was still going on. This was a highly charged school match battle; tempers went off the scales for some players and loud shouting egging each other on. All players played extremely well and each game was extremely close. Ben and Janahan's shot selection and consistent play was too much in the end for the Lancing pair to handle. The Olavian took the title winning by three games to one.
Quarter-Finals
B Michaels & J Elansei beat H Pattenden & J Duboff 3-0 (12-0, 12-0, 12-10)
Hammond & S Eglund-Newby beat E Cole & S Matthews 3-0 (12-4, 12-1, 12-0)
T Betts & J Betts beat J Cooley & A Meredith 3-0 (12-1, 12-4, 12-3)
A Lumbard & R Cooper beat L Redmond & J Lumbard 3-0 (12-6 ,12-2, 12-7)
Semi-Finals
B Michaels & J Elansei beat J Hammond & S Eglund-Newby 3-1 (13-15, 12-9, 12-3, 12-5)
T Betts & J Betts beat A Lumbard & R Cooper 3-0 (12-6, 12-10, 12-1)
Final
B Michaels & J Elansei beat T Betts & J Betts 3-1 (12-6, 12-9, 6-12, 12-8)
It was a fantastic event and congratulations to all players who took part and the eventual winners in both events. I do hope to see you all next year and at the other major tournaments.