Alleyn’s School, Dulwich
Sunday, 2nd March 2025
Savanna Leboff reports: On a day filled with fives and fun and sunshine, nine pairs, roughly balanced in ability in this mixed doubles equaliser tournament, played in the group stages.
Aroop Bhattacharya & Kirsten Bell/Helena Tunks (a mid-group handover due to injury) and Adam Hutchinson & Lizzie Ware convincingly won their respective groups. Second place in both groups was hotly contested, with Abhishek Bhattacharya & Sophia Breese and Joe Garratt & Sophie Lundie narrowly reaching the semi-finals on points difference.
In the semi-finals, the group stage winners maintained their good form and made it to the final in straight games. The final was a thriller, with Aroop & Helena winning the first game 11-9, but they ultimately lost the subsequent two games against Adam Hutchinson & Lizzie Ware to 6.
The Plate had a round robin format, with the cumulative points determining the winner. Sarthak Garella & Cat Bar beat Ed Carr & Eimear McKnight by 1 point, earning them the glory (if not the physical manifestation) of the Plate.
Scores
Group A: 1st Ar.Bhattacharya & K.Bell; 2nd Ab.Bhattacharya & Sophia Breese; 3rd W.Hanley & S.Leboff; 4th I.Ackland & E.McKnight.
Group B: 1st A.Hutchinson & L.Ware; 2nd B.Baral & H.Tunks; 3rd J.Garratt & S.Lundie; 4th E.Carr & E. van Els; 5th C.Bar & S.Garella.
Semi-finals: Bhattacharya & Bell/Tunks bt Garratt & Lundie 11-5, 11-7; Hutchinson & Ware bt Bhattacharya & Sophia Breese 11-5, 11-5.
Final: Adam Hutchinson & Lizzie Ware bt Aroop Bhattacharya & Helena Tunks 9-11, 11-6, 11-6.
Plate: 1st Catherine Bar & Sarthak Garella; 2nd Ed Carr & Eimear McKnight; 3rd Will Hanley & Savanna Leboff.
Sunny Alleyn’s
The organisers
Medal winners
Final line-up
One semi-final
Other semi-finalists