OC Club Champs. 2024 - THE RESULTS!

Dear all,

Returning to your inboxes for one last time: the results, and some MASSIVE thank yous!

The sun shone, the BBQ smoked, the glasses chinked, the band played, and we were treated to tennis of a standard fitting for the finale of a wonderful two weeks of the Club Champs.

The winners!

It was Jess Moody last year. It’s Virunee Viravong this year. OC has another treble winner! Organising the social side of the tournament for two weeks (and the festival of tennis that was Finals Day) was not enough for Virunee, who swept to three titles in a day for the loss of just nine (yes, nine!) games. That forehand was something else.

Something else, too, was Tom Fenton ’s performance in claiming his own double, partnering Virunee to the Mixed Doubles title after ending the hopes of no.3 seed Matt Whitehead in a Men’s Singles final of gruelling rallies and deft shotplay.

Matt did, however, get his hands on a trophy, partnering housemate Jo Weiland to win the Men’s Doubles; playing not just the final but the conclusion of an epic semi-final on Finals Day!

In the vets, coach Hamid Irshad claimed his customary collection of trophies, taking home the MD50+ alongside Adam Burgis , and XD50+ alongside partner-in-life and on-the-court Alyson Fo x. Torn ligaments were not enough to prevent Alyson battling for a set in the WS50+ final of great alliteration, before ultimately succumbing to first-time winner Nicola Cox. There was a first-time winner in the MS50+ too in just-turned-50 Laurent Balerdi , while Judy Hammond and Silvia Schubert took the WD50+.

The match of the day, for us, was the u-16 Boy’s Singles final, won by Elliot Ofori-Sunner in a thrilling champ tiebreak after two tight sets, 6-4, 5-7, 10-6. Running them close was the u-18 Boy’s Singles final as Matteo Cranchi won his second u-18 singles title in a row, defeating Matt Beales in 3 sets – before then partnering Matt’s brother Charlie in the Men’s Doubles final. Divided loyalties.

Huge congrats, too, to Livia Odgers , who took home the u-16 Girl’s Singles title in an accomplished performance.

The thank yous!

Where to start! As the saying goes, it takes a village. We are hugely grateful to everyone who put up their hand to help – in advance and in the moment – to everyone who entered for the grit, incredible tennis and brilliant sportsmanship throughout, and all those who came down to support and create such a superb atmosphere enjoyed by all.

On Finals Day particular thanks go to the inimitable Manjit Roseghini , who ran the catering show on Final’s Day (again!) with our very own ‘Two Guys’, Simon Tricker and Paolo Roseghini on the BBQ. To Johnny Sedcole and his ‘Jeff Collective’ who got us all up and dancing the night away. To Hilary Woof, Charmaine Chin, Lorna Tidmarsh and Charlotte Ireson for their baking skillz. And to Sonia Whitehead, Liz Emerson, Jo Cheung and Ivan Savage for their help behind the bar. Legends one and all.

Shout outs, too, to all those who helped out throughout the two weeks, behind the bar, cooking up a storm and scribbling up scores: Rosie Campbell and Pete Allen, Liz Emerson, Gill Kirwan, Rob Green, Nick Stott, Anna Leslie & Women’s Team 5, Mahvash Tavassoli, Emma Michell and Jess Moody, Sarah Walsh and Phil Harper, Bob Henderson and Caroline Beck, and Men’s Team 1. Thank you sooo much!

And from our Chair, Nigel: “perhaps you could put something at the end, rather wryly, on the lines of Nigel insisted that we record his thanks on behalf of the Club to the tournament committee that made this all happen.” Ahem. Well there it is. The pleasure was ours.

And so we leave you for now with some of Virunee’s finest collaging, followed by the full results. Until next year!

Alex, Alyson, Hamid, James & Virunee

PS. If the two weeks has whet your appetite, do come support and follow OC’s teams in action this Summer in the Surrey Leagues on Instagram All results here: https://competitions.lta.org.uk/league/8780bace-80a6-47f6-9afe-892b252b9aa8/club/98.