Cambridge University Sports Centre
Saturday/Sunday, 4-5 November 2023
STOP PRESS A new Singles champion emerged from an entry of 32 players, with Cambridge’s Marcus Cloke Browne beating Shiloh Wu from Oxford in the final. There were two Plates, one for men, won by Aaditya Deshmukh, who beat fellow Oxford player Alikhan Murat in the final, while Yvonne Tang of Bristol beat Abbie Evans of Oxford in the Women’s Plate. In the Doubles the top seeds met in the final, with Stuart Scott & Isaac Weaver retaining the title for Durham in a high quality final against the Cambridge pair Cloke Browne & Thursfield on their home courts. A strong Oxford squad had more success in the plates, with Abbie Evans pairing up in the Women’s Plate with Bristol’s Yvonne Tang, who did the Plate double. The Men’s Plate was won by a mixed pair of Rob Menhart from Cambridge and his partner Ben Jourdan, who as organiser particularly deserved his trophy. Huge thanks to Ben and his co-organiser and former champion Andrew Boyd, to Marcus for master-minding the live-streaming, to the various commentators and the General Secretary for their work in communications, and to the players for their constructive part in a long but action-packed weekend of Fives.
Scores
Singles
1st round: L Keates (Derby) bt R Karkalou (Oxford) 11-0, 11-1 ; J Stevenson (Durham) bt E Fitchet (Cambridge) 11-0, 11-0 ; M Cloke Browne (Cambridge) bt G Li (Oxford) 11-1, 11-0; T Monro-Davies (Oxford) bt A Evans (Oxford) 11-0, 11-0; E Thursfield (Cambridge) bt H Fearon (Cambridge) 11-4, 11-3 ; V Thakrar (Oxford) bt A Kessel-Holland (Durham) 11-3, 11-1; A Glover (Cambridge) bt S Fras (Cambridge) 11-0, 11-1 ; G Wiseman (Oxford Brookes) bt E Erdenebulgan (Oxford) 11-1, 11-1; C Low (Bristol) bt C Kougioumtzi (Oxford) 11-0, 11-2; R Menhart (Cambridge) bt J Pyman (Cambridge) 11-4, 11-6 ; A Whitham (Oxford) bt A Murat (Oxford) 11-1. 11-1; I Weaver (Durham) bt I Chorley (Cambridge) 11-0, 11-1 ; S Wu (Oxford) bt Y Tang (Bristol) 11-2, 11-5 ; O Heath (Edinburgh) bt L Smith (Cambridge) 11-2, 11-1; S Scott (Durham) bt A Deshmukh (Oxford) 11-1, 11-2; J Sumner (KCL) bt A Memon (Oxford) 11-0, 11-1
2nd round: Keates bt Stevenson 15-4, 15-0; Cloke Browne bt Monro-Davies 15-3, 15-3; Thursfield bt Thakrar 15-2, 15-13; Wiseman bt Glover 15-8, 15-0; Low bt Menhart 15-0, 15-0; Weaver bt Whitham 15-2, 15-3; Wu bt Heath 15-0, 15-10; Sumner bt Scott 15-11, 15-8
Quarter-finals: Cloke Browne bt Keates 15-12, 15-13; Wiseman bt Thursfield 15-3, 15-11; Weaver bt Low 15-11, 15-3; Wu bt Sumner 10-15, 15-2, 15-3
Semi-finals: Cloke Browne bt Wiseman 15-12, 15-2; Wu bt Weaver 15-12, 15-9
Final: M Cloke Browne (Cambridge) bt S Wu (Oxford) 15-6, 15-11
Men’s Plate: A Deshmukh (Oxford) bt A Murat (Oxford) 11-3
Women’s Plate: Y Tang (Bristol) bt A Evans (Oxford) 11-6
Doubles
1st round: S Scott & I Weaver (Durham) bt R Karkalou & A Memon (Oxford) 11-0, 11-0; A Kessel-Holland & J Stevenson (Durham) bt C Abercrombie & E Fitchet (Cambridge) 11-1, 11-3 ; V Thakrar & A Whitham (Oxford) bt A Evans & G Li (Oxford) 11-0, 11-3; T Monro-Davies & S Wu (Oxford) bt S Fras & R Menhart (Cambridge) 11-2, 11-3; A Glover & J Pyman (Cambridge) bt C Low & Y Tang (Bristol) 11-8, 11-8; ; M Cloke Browne & E Thursfield (Cambridge) bt E Erdenebulgan & E Kougioumtzi (Oxford) 11-0, 11-2
Quarter-finals: Scott & Weaver (Durham) bt Kessel-Holland & Stevenson (Durham) 11-2, 11-1 ; Thakrar & Whitham (Oxford) bt A Amine-Piekos (Cirencester) & O Heath (Edinburgh) 11-2, 11-4 ; Monro-Davies & Wu bt Glover & Pyman (Cambridge) 11-0, 11-3 ; M Cloke Browne & E Thursfield (Cambridge) bt A Deshmukh & A Murat (Oxford) 11-6, 11-2
Semi-finals: Scott & Weaver bt Thakrar & Whitham 11-2, 5-11, 11-3; Cloke Browne & Thursfield bt Monro-Davies & Wu 11-1, 11-6
Final: S Scott & I Weaver (Durham) bt M Cloke Browne & E Thursfield (Cambridge) 11-5, 11-8
Men’s Plate: B Jourdan & R Menhart (Edinburgh/Cambridge)
Women’s Plate: A Evans & Y Tang (Oxford/Bristol)
Spirit of the championship
BUSF Singles champion Marcus
Singles silver medallist Shiloh
Women’s Plate winner Yvonne
Men’s Singles Plate winner Aaditya
Two-time Doubles champions Stuart & Isaac
Doubles runners-up Emrys & Marcus
Men’s Doubles Plate winners Ben & Rob
Women’s Doubles Plate winners Yvonne & Abbie
Strong squad from Oxford
Former champion Andrew commentator and co-organiser
Marcus managing the tech
Play live-streamed all day
High quality semis and quarters
The women competing on equal terms