This year’s tournament enjoyed another excellent entry, writes organiser Peter King, only a couple fewer than in 2012, and with twenty-two schools represented in at least one of the three age groups; and it was especially good to welcome a small contingent of senior boys from Edinburgh Academy. Eleven of these schools had representation in one or other of the singles or doubles finals, and the standard of play was excellent.
In the Open tournament, Matt Shaw (St Paul’s) was seen as the player to beat, and as in the West of England, his game, mature and free from unforced errors, prevailed. There were few upsets in the earlier rounds, but Ben Beltrami (St Paul’s) produced a ruthless semi-final performance to defeat Sam Wyatt-Haines (Blundells), 2012 Colts champion and runner-up in Sherborne. And in the all-Pauline doubles final, the West of England result was also reversed, as the younger pair of Beltrami and Oliver Arnold came through in two games. Winchester had been strongly represented with three singles quarter-finalists, and their first pair (Wylde and Ganendra) almost upset the champions in the semi-final, winning the first game 11-1.
The Colts’ tournament contained a small number of extremely strong players, and a large “chasing pack”. Rob Whitehorn of Derby Moor confirmed his steady advance with a powerful all-round game and after a semi-final victory against the steady Simon Whait (Loretto) in the final just edged out Tom Watkinson (Winchester) in two close-fought games. Hardest worker of the week award probably went to Sid Bhushan (St Paul’s), who followed a tough 3-game match against Hutt (Tonbridge) with a third-game 12-11 win in his quarter-final against Matt Blunden, former U14 champion.
The Colts’ doubles final was a repeat of the West of England, with Derby Moor (Whitehorn/Blunden) just ahead of St Paul’s I (Nunes/Jopling). Two-game matches don’t come closer (12-11, 12-11) and the spectators were enthralled by this game.
The Under 14 competition had a slightly reduced entry (by coincidence 44 in the singles, the same as both the other events), but the standard of play was extremely high. The final was an epic, won in three games – and 80 minutes - by Kosi Nwuba (St Olave’s) against Dominic Shaw (St Paul’s), who in his first year of playing the game narrowly failed to emulate his brother’s victory, which would have been a first! Both players looked exhausted, and in the end Nwuba’s power just had the edge. A strong contingent of (mainly U13) Eton fives players from St Olave’s made a big impact especially on the plate competitions. Tiredness from the singles final may have contributed to the semi-final doubles defeat of St Olave’s, or it may have been the greater experience of Alleyn’s pair Hanton and Kirwan (last year’s U13 champions), and in the final against St Paul’s the first game seemed to reflect that in a narrow 11-9 win, but the Paulines (Shaw and his partner Monty Evans) learned and improved as the match wore on, eventually hitting some very successful winners and completing a victory in 3 games.
Many thanks to all involved in organisation and support, especially to a large number of parents who clearly enjoyed the experience and learnt a bit about the game as well! As is now customary, the Jesters' Club (the club for all court games players) sponsored a very welcome Reception on the first day for all the participants, players, parents, teachers and coaching - attended by the new High Master of St Paul's, Prof Mark Bailey - and appreciated by all.
The whole championship was played in an excellent spirit, with the highest standards of sportsmanship and manners on court and camaraderie off it. (Connoisseurs of these reports will recognise the final sentiments, as true as ever in this year’s event!)
{joomplucat:299 limit=4|columns=4}
RESULTS
N/national Schools’ Championships 2013
Open Singles
Pool A: 1st M.Shaw (St Paul’s); 2nd S.Redmayne (Alleyn’s); 3rd W.Rider (Tonbridge); 4th J.Tolley (Aldenham)
Pool B: 1st M.Hale (Winchester); 2nd G.Ramsey (Edinburgh Academy); 3rd J.Papadopoulos (Merchant Taylors’)
Pool C: 1st T.Walters (Whitgift); 2nd C.Farmer (Sedbergh); 3rd J.Rice (Bedford)
Pool D: 1st Z.Brubert (Alleyn’s), 2nd T.Chadwick (Rugby); 3rd P.Prabhu (St Paul’s)
Pool E: 1st J.Balfour (Edinburgh Academy); 2nd C.Davey (Bedford); 3rd T.Woods (Merchant Taylors’)
Pool F: 1st O.Arnold (St Paul’s); 2nd J.Webber (Blundells); 3rd L.Stone (Sedbergh)
Pool G: 1st E.Wylde (Winchester); 2nd D.Barnes (Eastbourne); 3rd L.Brandon (Whitgift)
Pool H: 1st B.Beltrami (St Paul’s); 2nd L.Brady (Merchant Taylors’); 3rd R.Smith (Edinburgh Academy)
Pool I: 1st M.Hunter (Rugby); 2nd A.Hubbard (Alleyn’s); 3rd D.Sorenson (Bedford)
Pool J: 1st J.Ganendra (Winchester); 2nd R.Christie (Derby Moor); 3rd J.Robson (St Paul’s)
Pool K: 1st B.Lawry (Sedbergh); 2nd H.MacPherson (Edinburgh Academy); 3rd S.McKenzie-Boyle (Tonbridge)
Pool L: 1st T.Edmonds (St Paul’s); 2nd C.Kent (Eastbourne); 3rd G.Fordham (Merchant Taylors’)
Pool M: 1st S.Browett (Alleyn’s); 2nd O.Thompson (Sedbergh); 3rd A.Jones (Bedford)
Pool N: 1st S.Wyatt-Haines (Blundells); 2nd J.Pinder (Winchester); 3rd J.Cameron (St Paul’s); 4th A.Rennie (Aldenham)
Round 1: Hale beat Walters 11-0, 11-2; Brubert beat Balfour 11-1, 11-5; Wylde beat Arnold 11-8, 11-6; Beltrami beat Hunter 11-1, 11-1; Ganendra beat Lawry 11-7, 11-0; Edmonds beat Browett 6-11, 11-0, 11-3
.Quarter-finals: Shaw beat Hale 11-0, 11-2; Brubert beat Wylde 11-6, 11-4; Beltrami beat Ganendra 11-2, 11-5; Wyatt-Haines beat Edmonds 11-3, 11-6
Semi-finals: Shaw beat Brubert 11-4, 11-8; Beltrami beat Wyatt-Haines 11-1, 11-1
Final: Shaw beat Beltrami 11-4, 11-9
First plate: Hubbard
Second plate: Stone
Open Doubles
Preliminary round: Winchester II beat Merchant Taylors’ II 11-0, 11-2; St Paul’s III beat Bedford II 11-2, 11-2; Sedbergh II beat Tonbridge 11-2, 11-0;
1st round: St Paul’s I beat Winchester II 11-1, 11-4; Blundells beat Edinburgh Academy II 11-7, 11-3; Sedbergh I beat Whitgift 11-3, 12-10; Alleyn’s I beat St Paul’s III 11-0, 11-12, 11-2; Winchester I beat Sedbergh II 11-2, 11-3; Bedford I beat Edinburgh Academy I 6-11, 11-6, 11-5; Merchant Taylors’ I beat Eastbourne 11-8, 11-6; St Paul’s II beat Alleyn’s II 11-0, 11-1
Quarter-finals: St Paul's I beat Blundells 11-5, 11-4; Alleyn’s I beat Sedbergh I 0-11, 11-3, 11-6; Winchester I beat Bedford I 11-0, 11-1; St Paul’s II beat Merchant Taylors’ I 11-1, 11-0
Semi-finals: St Paul’s I beat Alleyn’s I 11-3, 11-4; St Paul’s II beat Winchester I 1-11, 11-3, 11-7
Final: St Paul’s II (Beltrami/Arnold) beat St Paul’s I (Shaw/Edmonds) 11-6, 11-2
Plate: Eastbourne (Kent/ Barnes)
Colts Singles
Pool A: 1st T.Watkinson (Winchester); 2nd J.Halligan (Derby Moor); 3rd A.Vogel (Merchant Taylors’); 4th C.McKinney (Sedbergh)
Pool B: 1st T.Owen (St Dunstan’s); 2nd J.Grut (Whitgift); 3rd L.Baird (Merchiston Castle);
Pool C: 1st H.Fry (Marlborough); 2nd M.Segun (Tonbridge); 3rd T.McFarlane (St Paul’s)
Pool D: 1st S.Bhushan (St Paul’s); 2nd I.Jagger (Alleyn’s); 3rd A.Wheal (Merchant Taylor’s)
Pool E: 1st D.Hutt (Tonbridge); 2nd H.Thompson-Green (Sedbergh); 3rd D.Kuteyi (St Dunstan’s)
Pool F: 1st M.Blunden (Derby Moor); 2nd J.K.Hunt (St Paul’s); 3rd R.Hunter (Rugby) (scr);
Pool G: 1st T.Robinson (Sedbergh); 2nd C.Baxter (Derby Moor); 3rd B.Ford (Whitgift)
Pool H: 1st R.Whitehorn (Derby Moor); 2nd L.Heidrich (St Paul’s); 3rd A.Armstrong (Whitgift)
Pool I: 1st E.Tebboth (Merchant Taylors’); 2nd G.Wainwright (Sedbergh); 3rd W.Husaini (St Dunstan’s)
Pool J: 1st T.Dawber (Alleyn’s); 2nd J.Raison (Whitgift); 3rd A.Shah (Merchant Taylors’)
Pool K: 1st J.Singh (Derby Moor); 2nd M.Nunes (St Paul’s); 3rd J.Byford (Tonbridge)
Pool L: 1st Z.Jopling (St Paul’s); 2nd G.Bentley (Sedbergh); 3rd R.Harbord (St Dunstan’s)
Pool M: 1st O.Horner (Whitgift); 2nd J.Miller (Rugby); 3rd O.Aucamp (Sutton Valencef)
Pool N: 1st S.Whait (Loretto); 2nd K.Jessel (Alleyn’s); 3rd B.Singh (Derby Moor); 4th F.Connolly (Sedbergh)
Round 1: Owen beat Fry 11-5, 11-9; Bhushan beat Hunt 11-9, 8-11, 11-5; Blunden beat Robinson 11-0, 12-10; Whitehorn beat Tebboth 11-2, 11-4; J.Singh beat Dawber 11-2, 2-11, 11-8; Jopling beat Horner 12-10, 11-2
.Quarter-finals: Watkinson beat Owen 11-5, 11-3; Bhushan beat Blunden 4-11, 11-9, 12-11; Whitehorn beat Singh 11-3, 11-0; Whait beat Jopling 11-0, 11-2
Semi-finals: Watkinson beat Bhushan 11-5, 11-8; Whitehorn beat Whait 11-4, 11-2
Final: Whitehorn beat Watkinson 11-8, 11-9
First plate: Miller (Rugby)
Second plate: McFarlane
Colts Doubles
1st round: Whitgift II beat Alleyn’s II 11-5, 11-2.
2nd Round: Derby Moor I beat Whitgift II 11-2, 11-1; St Paul’s III beat Merchant Taylors’ I 11-6, 11-7; Tonbridge I beat Sedbergh II 11-9, 12-10; St Paul’s II beat Derby Moor III 11-7, 11-3; St Paul’s I beat Sedbergh III 11-3, 11-5; Whitgift I beat Tonbridge II 11-0, 11-3; Alleyn’s I beat Merchant Taylors’ II 11-6, 11-2; Sedbergh I beat Derby Moor II 11-5, 11-8.
Quarter-finals: Derby Moor I beat St Paul’s III 11-1, 11-0; St Paul's II beat Tonbridge I 12-10, 12-10; St Paul’s I beat Whitgift I 11-4, 11-5; Sedbergh I beat Alleyn’s I 6-11, 11-6, 11-1
Semi-finals: Derby Moor I beat St Paul’s II 11-5, 11-0.St Paul’s I beat Sedbergh I 11-8, 7-11, 11-9;
Final: Derby Moor I (Whitehorn/Blunden) beat St Paul’s I (Nunes/Jopling) 12-11, 12-11
Plate: Merchant Taylors’ I (Tebboth/Vogel)
Under 14 Singles
Pool A: 1st J.Hanton (Alleyn’s); 2nd A.Song (Winchester); 3rd S.Ragudasan (Merchant Taylors’); 4th K.Patel (St Paul’s)
Pool B: 1st A.Connolly (Sedbergh); 2nd A.Ahuja (St Paul’s); 3rd A.Patel (merchant Taylors’)
Pool C: 1st J.Salkeld (Merchant Taylors’); 2nd J.Tate (St Olave’s); 3rd W.Stevens (Bradfield)
Pool D: 1st M.Evans (St Paul’s); 2nd J.Denison (Bradfield); 3rd C.Needham (Tonbridge)
Pool E: 1st K.Nwuba (St Olave’s); 2nd T.Knollys (Sherborne); 3rd A.Younger (Winchester)
Pool F: 1st S.Yang (Alleyn’s); 2nd J.Oxley (St Olave’s); 3rd J.Walker (Merchant Taylors’)
Pool G: 1st G.Hollings (Sedbergh); 2nd K.Shah (St Paul’s); 3rd J.Norris (Bradfield
Pool H: C.Holden (Bradfield); 2nd M.Palacci (St Paul’s); 3rd T.Smith (Sedbergh)
Pool I: 1st K.Swanson (St Olave’s); 2nd E.Taberham (Merchant Taylors’); 3rd S.Patel (Tonbridge);
Pool J: 1st W.Saunter (St Paul’s); 2nd R.Kim (Winchester); 3rd J.Savage (Merchant Taylors’)
Pool K: 1st B.Kirwan (Alleyn’s); 2nd K.Walton (St Olave’s); 3rd J.Thompson (Bradfield)
Pool L: 1st O.Balcombe (Tonbridge); 2nd G.Barnard (Alleyn’s); 3rd M.Cheung (St Paul’s)
Pool M: 1st B.Derrick (Bradfield); 2nd W.Green (Sedbergh); 3rd J.Hopkins (Merchant Taylors’)
Pool N: 1st D.Shaw (St Paul’s); 2nd S.Ujoodia (St Olave’s); 3rd R.Patel (Merchant Taylors’); 4th J.Norris (Tonbridge)
1st round: Connolly beat Salkeld 11-5; Nwuba beat Evans 11-2; Yang beat Hollins 11-4; Swanson beat Holden 11-5; Kirwan beat Saunter 11-3; Balcombe beat Derrick 11-3
Quarter-finals: Hanton beat Salkeld 15-4; Nwuba beat Yang 15-7; Kirwan beat Swanson 15-1; Shaw beat Balcombe 15-0
Semi-finals: Nwuba beat Hanton 15-7; Shaw beat Kirwan 15-9
Final: Nwuba beat Shaw 11-3, 8-11, 11-9
First plate: Tate
Second plate: Younger
Under 14 Doubles
1st round: St Paul’s III beat Bradfield III 15-8; St Paul’s IV beat Tonbridge II 15-0; St Olave’s III beat Merchant Taylors’ II 15-4; Bradfield II beat Merchant Taylors’ III 15-4.
2nd round: Alleyn’s I beat St Paul’s III 15-1; Merchant Taylors’ I beat St Olave’s II 15-7; Bradfield I I beat Sedbergh II 15-2; St Olave’s I beat St Paul’s IV 15-0; St Olave’s III beat Sedbergh I 15-4; St Paul’s II beat Tonbridge I 15-7; Alleyn’s II beat Winchester 15-6; St Paul’s I beat Alleyn’s II 15-1.
Quarter-finals: Alleyn’s I beat Merchant Taylors’ I 15-4; St Olave’s I beat Bradfield I 15-1; St Olave’s III beat St Paul’s II 15-13; St Paul’s I beat Alleyn’s II 15-1.
Semi-finals: Alleyn’s I beat St Olave’s I 15-13; St Paul's I beat St Olave’s III 15-2.
Final: St Paul’s I (Shaw/Evans) beat Alleyn’s I (Hanton/Kirwan) 9-11, 11-7, 11-5
Plate: St Olave’s II (Tate/Walton)