OC Club Champs. 2024 - Fri 21st (Day 14) Order of Play

Dear all,

The most exciting evening of the champs kicks off tomorrow night. Fantastic Friday. Semi-finals agogo. You can’t miss it.

**NB – Please can players arrive at 6pm for the 615pm start as we need to you on playing your matches as early as possible **

Ones to watch...

If only you could somehow watch all eight courts at once!

A re-run of last year’s women’s doubles final will be on display for you at 745pm as Jane Buswell and Alice Allan take on reigning champs Emma Michell and Jess Moody. Last year’s final went the distance, and you can expect a tight match, with plenty of hard-hitting. But can Jane and Alice take their revenge?

Huge men’s singles semi-finals between Matt Whitehead and Lewis Henderson (can Matt take out another youngster?) and Tom Fenton and Jed Blacknell will also be gracing our courts. These matches really are going to blow your mind, with huge forehands all round, plus outstanding net-play, you can expect some serious tennis masterclasses from our young lads.

In the vets too, there is a cracking match up between Jo Morris (who has surely somehow faked being over 50 to enter the vets?!) and Alyson Fox. This is going to be a battle of attrition we reckon and could be a long one. Hopefully Alyson’s foot will hold up!

Elsewhere, mixed-doubles, men’s doubles and men’s vet’s semi-finals will be in action, with more than a few mind-games already taking place. Tariq, who was overheard complaining this week that Hamid incessantly wins the vets singles, will be delighted that he will face a different opponent in Charlie Casey. But will he prove to be his new nemesis?

What else is on?

OC women’s first team slightly mad duo Emma and Jess will be behind the bar tomorrow night. Serving up some taste sensations: aubergine and halloumi bake, flatbreads, garlic bread, pasta salad and some brownies. Plus, probably some hysterical laughter about not much.

As ever, remember to follow OC on Instagram @oldcollegetennis, where lots of photos and videos of the tournament will be posted!

Thursday's highlights

The headline tonight has to be the eviction of last year’s men’s singles champ, Miles Speer. Rising star Lewis Henderson took Miles out in straight sets, with some terrific tennis on display. Lewis will now play newcomer Matt Whitehead, who showed his nerve coming back from one-set down to beat another teenager in the draw, Charlie Beales.

The other upset tonight involved Hamid Irshad – the man who has surely been on the honours board more than any man in history – in the men’s vets singles. The in-form Charlie Casey won a remarkable champ tiebreak in the deciding set 10-8. Hamid will surely be pleased, however, that he won’t have to play the usual 10 finals on final’s day.

Elsewhere, Tom Hladick and Alyson Fox put up a good fight to take eight games off favourites Virunee Viravong and Tom Fenton in the mixed doubles quarter finals. There were easy wins for number 1 seeds in the women’s doubles Lereesa Easterbrook and Virunee Viravong, as well as number 3 seeds in the mixed doubles Joe Tyndall and Hannah Pulford. Joe is looking remarkably smug about his arrival in the semi-finals and in a post-match interview noted that he was in a much better place mentally than he was this time last year. But is he ready to take the crown?

Their victory puts them in prime position to take on reigning champs Jess Moody and James Gubb in the semi-final, who struggled to find a way past the outrageous net-play and cunning tactics of Amy Sergeant and Phil Harper in the quarter final in a terse, tense encounter on court 6. James and Jess were 5-3 up in the second but one set down and looking a little nervy. In an unsatisfactory conclusion Phil and Amy had to scratch and James and Jess will be more than a little relieved at their default progression to the semi.

You can see all results on the tournament website: https://competitions.lta.org.uk/tournament/cfb2001a-4ea2-4710-8b51-3ccfd9abdf01/Matches.

Scheduling

A reminder that if you are unable to play a match on the scheduled date, and you have not previously notified us, you run the risk of forfeiting the match if the schedule does not allow for an alternative date for the match to be played. Contact Alex if any queries on 07554 007870 or alexheathtennis@gmail.com.

All players should report to the referee's desk in the clubhouse 10 minutes before they are due to play. You will be assigned a court on the day, when you report in.

Look forward to seeing you!
Alex, Alyson, Hamid, James & Virunee

Friday 20th June: Order of Play

11.30am

WS50+SF1: Aruna Iyengar vs Nicola Cox

2.30pm

WD50+SF2: Alyson Fox and Aruna Iyengar [2] vs Judy Hammond and Silvia Schubert

4.30pm

XDQF4: Emma Michell and Hamid Irshad vs Charlie Casey and Alice Allan [8]

6.15pm

MSSF1: Matt Whitehead [3] vs Lewis Henderson [8]

XDSF1: Tom Fenton and Virunee Viravong [1] vs Emma Michell and Hamid Irshad OR Charlie Casey and Alice Allan [8]

XDSF2: Joe Tyndall and Hannah Pulford [3] vs James Gubb and Jess Moody (2)