Oundle School
Sunday, 21st April 2024
45 players from 9 schools enjoyed a very full day’s Fives on the fast courts at Oundle School. The RFA’s thanks go to the teachers, coaches, family and friends who accompanied the players and to the RFA President and the General Secretary, who supported the organiser, Alex Smith, in his task of running 16 competitions over the course of the day.
In the U18 Singles Jemima Mitchell from Blundell’s, a year young, was the stand-out player of the age group, beating Annie Guo from Alleyn’s in the final, after Annie had enjoyed, but also suffered, a strength-sapping victory over team-mate Emily Erdmeier in her semi-final. Unsurprisingly the Blundell’s pair of Mitchell & Talbot then met the Alleyn’s pair of Erdmeier & Guo in the Doubles final, with Blundell’s winning with reasonable ease. The Plate final was a nerve-racking contest between fellow Eastbourne players Daisy Barrow and Daisy Dunkley, the former winning 12-10. These two then lost the Doubles Plate final to Marlborough 1.
In the 10-strong U16 Singles Eleonora Vallascas from the City of Durham Club, also a year young, won the best game of the whole day, coming back from 2-9 to win 15-9 against a tiring Diva Tiwari in the final. The Plate final was a close all-Academy match of a high quality. The U16 Doubles gave Diva the satisfaction of winning Gold with her Alleyn’s partner Annabel McAllister, while the City of Durham pair won Bronze in the Plate.
A large U14 competition was eventually dominated by players from Alleyn’s and Stamford, with Alleyn’s taking Gold and Bronze in both Singles and Doubles, and with Annabel Brown and Frieda Hebblethwaite the stand-out players in their age-group. In the largest competition, the U13s, Alleyn’s, Berkhamsted and the Edinburgh Academy shared the spoils.
U18 Singles
Group A: 1st A Guo (Alleyn’s); 2nd D Barrow (Eastbourne); 3rd D Dunkley (Eastbourne); 4th C Grader (Marlborough)
Group B: 1st E Erdmeier (Alleyn’s); 2nd N Talbot (Blundell’s); 3rd I Steed (Eastbourne)
Group C: 1st J Mitchell (Blundell’s); 2nd P Fleming (Marlborough); 3rd S Fellows (Eastbourne)
1st round: Steed bt Grader 11-5; Fellows bt Talbot 11-6
Quarter-finals: Mitchell bt Steed 11-1; Fleming bt Barrow 11-7; Erdmeier bt Fellows 11-2; Guo bt Dunkley 11-2
Semi-finals: Mitchell bt Fleming 11-7; Guo bt Erdmeier 12-10
Final: J Mitchell (Blundell’s) bt A Guo (Alleyn’s) 15-4
Plate: D Barrow (Eastbourne) bt D Dunkley (Eastbourne) 12-10
U18 Doubles
Quarter-final: Marlborough 1 bt Eastbourne 2 11-1
Semi-finals: Blundell’s 1 bt Marlborough 1 1-1; Alleyn’s 1 bt Eastbourne 1 11-8
Final: Blundell’s 1 (J Mitchell & N Talbot) bt Alleyn’s 1 (E Erdmeier & A Guo) 15-7
Plate: Marlborough 1 (P Fleming & C Grader) bt Eastbourne 1 (D Barrow & D Dunkley) 11-8
U16 Singles
Group A: 1st A Hurwitz (Edinburgh Academy); 2nd S Wigley (Alleyn’s); 3rd C Lonie (Edinburgh Academy)
Group B: 1st E Vallascas (City of Durham); 2nd A McAllister (Alleyn’s); 3rd I Davidson (Edinburgh Academy)
Group C: 1st D Tiwari (Alleyn’s); 2nd A Robertson (Edinburgh Academy); 3rd E Hodgson (Ciy of Durham)
1st round: Davidson bt Hodgson 11-2
Quarter-finals: Tiwari bt Davidson 11-0; Wigley bt Robertson 11-2; McAllister bt Hurwitz 11-9; Vallascas bt Lonie 11-0
Semi-finals: Tiwari bt Wigley 11-4; Vallascas bt McAllister 11-5
Final: E Vallascas (City of Durham) bt D Tiwari (Alleyn’s) 15-9
Plate: A Hurwitz (Edinburgh Academy) bt I Davidson (Edinburgh Academy) 11-7
U16 Doubles
Semi-finals: Alleyn’s 1 bt Edinburgh Academy 2 11-2; Edinburgh Academy 1 bt City of Durham 12-10
Final: Alleyn’s 1 (A McAllister & D Tiwari) bt Edinburgh Academy 1 (A Hurwitz & I Davidson) 15-9
Plate: City of Durham (E Hodgson & E Vallascas) bt Edinburgh Academy 2 (C Lonie & A Robertson) 11-5
U14 Singles
Group A: 1st F Hebblethwaite (Alleyn’s); 2nd M McQuin (Edinburgh Academy); 3rd A Henwood (Eastbourne)
Group B: 1st S Dobson (Stamford); 2nd I de Soyza (Alleyn’s); 3rd S McFarlane (Eastbourne)
Group C: 1st A Brown (Alleyn’s); 2nd E Helm (Eastbourne); 3rd B Wienand (Stamford)
Group D: 1st I Derry (Edinburgh Academy); 2nd A Lewis (Eastbourne); 3rd K Eley (Alleyn’s)
1st round: Helm bt de Soyza 12-11; McFarlane bt McQuin 12-11; Lewis bt Wienand 12-11; Eley bt Henwood 11-9
Quarter-finals: Dobson bt Helm 11-1; Hebblethwaite bt McFarlane 11-1; Derry bt Lewis 11-5; Brown bt Eley 11-1
Semi-finals: Dobson bt Hebblethwaite 11-9; Brown bt Derry 11-3
Final: A Brown (Alleyn’s) bt S Dobson (Stamford) 15-3
Plate: K Eley (Alleyn’s) bt E Helm (Eastbourne) 11-1
U14 Doubles
Quarter-finals: Edinburgh Academy 1 bt Eastbourne 2 11-2; Alleyn’s 2 bt Eastbourne 1 1-0
Semi-finals: Stamford bt Edinburgh Academy 1 11-3; Alleyn’s 1 bt Alleyn’s 2 11-0
Final: Alleyn’s 1 (A Brown & F Hebblethwaite) bt Stamford (S Dobson & B Wienand) 15-2
Plate: Alleyn’s 2 (I de Soyza & K Eley) bt Edinburgh Academy 1 (I Derry & M McQuin) 11-6
U13 Singles
Group A: 1st R Whitby (Berkhamsted); 2nd S Antonova (Alleyn’s); C Smith (Edinburgh Academy); 4th E Dossa (Alleyn’s)
Group B: 1st I Conde (Berkhamsted); 2nd I Lewis (Alleyn’s); 3rd Z Armstrong (Edinburgh Academy); 4th E Butler (Alleyn’s)
Group C: 1st F Dornan (Alleyn’s); 2nd S Vallascas (City of Durham); 3rd D Fox (Edinburgh Academy)
Group D: 1st A Ratto (Alleyn’s); 2nd S McWilliam (Edinburgh Academy); 3rd E Morris (Stamford)
1st round: McWilliam bt Armstrong 11-8; Dornan bt Butler; Vallascas bt Morris 11-3; Lewis bt Smith 11-5; Conde bt Dossa 11-0; Fox bt Antonova 12-11
Quarter-finals: Whitby bt McWilliam 11-6; Dornan bt Vallascas 11-9; Ratto bt Lewis 11-1; Conde bt Fox 11-0
Semi-finals: Whitby bt Dornan 11-1; Ratto bt Conde 11-5
Final: A Ratto (Alleyn’s) bt R Whitby (Berkhamsted) 11-4
Plate: I Lewis (Alleyn’s) bt Z Armstrong (Edinburgh Academy) 11-3
U13 Doubles
Quarter-finals: Edinburgh Academy 2 bt Alleyn’s 2 11-3; Edinburgh Academy 1 bt Stamford/Durham 11-3; Berkhamsted bt Alleyn’s 3 11-3
Semi-finals: Alleyn’s 1 bt Edinburgh Academy 2 11-2; Berkhamsted bt Edinburgh Academy 1 11-5
Final: Berkhamsted (I Conde & R Whitby) bt Alleyn’s 1 (F Dornan & A Ratto) 15-7
Plate: Edinburgh Academy 1 (Armstrong & S McWilliam) bt Edinburgh Academy 2 (D Fox & C Smith) 11-5
16 separate competitions in one day, a feat of organisation!
Blundell’s do the golden double in the U18s …
… while it’s double Silver for Alleyn’s seniors
Success for the City of Durham …
…. in the U16 Singles and in the Doubles Plate
U16 Doubles title and the Hall-Wilton trophy for Alleyn’s
Stamford and Alleyn’s clash in the U14 Singles …
… and U14 Doubles, with Alleyn’s taking both
Alleyn’s take the U13 Singles title …
… but Berkhamsted win the Doubles
The Edinburgh Academy squad love their Fives …
… and win medals to prove it
Congratulations to all involved
From one Alleyn Old Boy to ……
… a double medal winner from SE22
Lovely courts , much appreciated …
… a delight to play on, singles …
… or doubles