Old College Lawn Tennis Club
Gallery Road • Dulwich • SE21 7AB
Like most of you on a Monday evening I am normally organising the spices in my cupboard. First alphabetically and then by colour light to dark. Not this Monday. I am down at the OC to watch the variety of tennis dishes that our club can produce.
How apt that the ladies from the third team had prepared a south Indian feast. So very delicious and welcome, this was hungry watching.
I missed the bulk of the junior appetisers but caught the match between Monty and Leo Belsey. Fresh herbs here, punchy basil and giant parsley. Joyous honest tennis, what a refreshing starter on a hot evening. Monty winning through 4-2, 4-3.
An unscheduled amuse bouche started the adults matches Dafydd James v George Hope. A classy stylish affair with James winning 6-0. 6-1.
Open Mixed doubles found the number 1 seeds James and Pulford serving up a paella. A bewildering mix of flavours: smokin paprika drives and cute subtle saffron volleys that proved a little too much for Henderson and Nadel though they certainly had some zesty touches that took a little of the heat out of the exchanges. Lewis Henderson gave us an exemplary demonstration of how to look after your mother on court against strong opposition. He was everywhere in a 6-2,6-1 defeat.
Adam Burgis served up a greek salad. A few simple ingredients, of good quality, elevated with a dried oregano, reliable and steady. Hamid sprinkled a few mixed herbs and a lot of craft, occasionally with some unexpected notes of sumac. Sadly Hamid had to retire hurt at 5-5 a match that had all the ingredients for a feast.
Veterans Mark Cheung and Alderton were as hard to separate as Cumin seeds and dried cumin. Eventually after 2 hours in the heat and then the cool the Cheung seeds released their stronger flavour and he won out. Mark Cheung described it as a war of attrition Mark Alderson called it ridiculous. 10-8 in the tie break.
Mens open singles then brought us a selection of curries.
Ajegbo and Cutler a fiery vindaloo. Chilli countered by coriander and then the educated flavours of cinnamon and clove a fairly epic mix of play left spectators satisfied. Cutler winning 6-4, 6-3.
Joe Reeve and Jonathan Pearson created a madras. Curry leaf and aniseed as a background but also hits of dried chillies that reminded us these two know a thing or two about tennis. Hard fought good to watch Reeve edging it 6-2,6-4
Into the 7.45 games.
Current chair v past chair. Caroline Beck v Alyson Fox. A sort of aromatic rice dish of a game where the pomegranate seeds of the Fox forehand burst through and she won 6-4,6-0.
Mens singles seeds 8 & 9, Karanvir Anand and Chris Alstad, chucked the whole spice rack at each other. Karanvir with deep roars of encouragement for himself and Alstad berating himself for being an old man. Karanvir the eventual winner making sense of the cacophony and a fairly timid nervous tiebreak rounded off the dish.
There was a ladies doubles Sergeant and Viravong overpowering Harrison and Michael...too much spice. 6-0,6-1.
Mixed doubles number 2 seeds Fenton and Viravong took on the Ireson team. The Iresons brought a wholesome sticky toffee pudding elevated with mystery, nutmeg, ginger and allspice. They were overpowered by the cardamom and clove custard of their opponents, power and subtlety.
Daniel Malyon and Sonia Whitehead against Nadya Chernysheva and Filipp Evsikov. A sorbet to finish, but a spicy one. Chilli and lime, tequila and pineapple all bright and fresh. Speed control and invention with a pleasant even-looking contest resulting in Malyon and Whitehead on top. 6-4,6-2
Pearson and Meredith played through the rain and into the dark - a lemongrass and ginger risotto, with bites of fenugreek. Pearson winning 7-6, 6-1.
Tomorrow I would normally be analysing the data from my smart meter and comparing the numbers with my readings from the same week last year. However with tennis and food like this I may come down again to enjoy the feast.
Day 10 Results
MS R32
Alex Walker [13] bt Josh Ritchie 6-0, 6-1
BS U12 R16
Noah Ghezzi bt Theodore Canham 4-1, 4-1
BS U18 QF
Hugo Odgers [1] bt Armen Tengayev 4-2, 4-0
BS U12 R16
Leo Belsey bt Joshua Ferrari 4-0, 4-1
BS U12 QF
Freddie Tidbury bt Sebastian Takacs 4-0, 4-0
BS U12 QF
Noah Ghezzi bt Laurence Bonzani 4-0, 4-1
BS U12 QF
Monty Coletto [2] bt Leo Belsey 4-2, 4-3 (7-5)
XD QF
Dafydd James [1] / Hannah Pulford bt Lewis Henderson / Deborah Nadel 6-2, 6-1
MS50+ R16
Mark Cheung bt Mark Alderson 4-6, 7-5, 10-7
MS R32
Will Cutler bt Daniel Ajegbo [14] 6-4, 6-3
MS R32
Joe Reeve [12] bt Jonathan Pearson 6-2, 6-4
WD QF
Amy Sergeant [1] / Virunee Viravong bt Henrietta Harrison / Marguerite Michael 6-0, 6-1
WS50+ QF
Alyson Fox bt Caroline Beck 6-4, 6-0
MS50+ R16
Jonathan Pearson [3] bt William Meredith 7-6, 6-1
MS R16
Karanvir Anand [8] bt Chris Alstadt [9] 6-1, 3-6, 10-5
XD R16
Virunee Viravong / Tom Fenton [2] bt James Ireson / Charlotte Ireson 6-0, 6-1
XD R16
Daniel Malyon / Sonia Whitehead bt Nadya Chernysheva / Filipp Evsikov 6-4, 6-2
Tuesday 23 June – Order of Play
4:15pm
Boys' Singles U11 – Round of 16
Max Clarke vs Sebastian Takacs
Laurence Bonzani vs Freddie Timmins
Boys' Singles U12 – Quarter Final
Phoenix Bidder [1] vs Arihaan Anand
5:15pm
Boys' Singles U11 – Quarter Final
Freddie Tidbury [4] vs Max Clarke OR Sebastian Takacs
Monty Coletto [2] vs Laurence Bonzani OR Freddie Timmins
6:30pm
Boys' Singles U14 – Quarter Final
Phoenix Bidder [1] vs Vasili Tsangalis
Mixed Doubles – Quarter Final
Luke Hymas [3] / Emma Michell vs Daniel Malyon / Sonia Whitehead
Men's Doubles – Round of 16
Alasdair Bradley / Marc Baylis vs James Ireson / Attila Takacs
Men's Singles – Round of 16
Lewis Henderson [6] vs Joe Reeve [12] OR Jonathan Pearson
Tom Fenton [2] vs Will Cutler
Mixed Doubles 50+ – Quarter Final
Peter Allen / Rosie Campbell vs Adam Burgis [2] / Aruna Iyengar
Women's Doubles 50+ – Quarter Final
Alyson Fox / Aruna Iyengar vs Anna Leslie / Manjit Roseghini
7:30pm
Mixed Doubles – Quarter Final
Joe Reeve [4] / Amy Sergeant vs TBC
Henry Britton / Vicky Flind vs Tom Fenton / Virunee Viravong
Men's Doubles 50+ – Quarter Final
Marc Baylis / Phil Harper vs Jean-Michel Steiger / Ken Cheong
James Hall / Bob Henderson vs Jonathan Pearson / William Meredith
Mixed Doubles 50+ – Quarter Final
Silvia Schubert / Judy Hammond vs Caroline Beck / Nicola Cox
Men's Singles – Round of 16
Jed Blacknell [7] vs Nyig Tin
Boys' Singles U12 – Semi Final
Monty Coletto [2] vs Noah Ghezzi
Men's Doubles – Round of 16
Lewis Henderson / Tom Henderson [8] vs Joe Reeve / Benson Yuen
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