St Paul’s School, Barnes
Saturday/Monday, 23-25 March 2024
122 players from 19 schools and clubs took part in the various Singles and Doubles competitions at U18, U16 and U14 level over three days of intense play. The RFA would like to thank all those present: the large number of family and friends who came support the players; their coaches and teachers, who do so much to encourage the game in the schools and clubs; the staff of St Paul’s, who so kindly host this annual event; the President and General Secretary of the RFA, who administer the sport; the photographers who record the event; and the organiser, Dave Butler, who is stepping down after five years of running the tournament to hand over to Theo Parker.
In the U18 Singles we have a first time winner, Hammond Giles of St Paul’s, who joins a very select club of those who have won this title two years young, this time at the expense of a school leaver, Vernacchio of Alleyn’s, who has been a fine representative of his school for several years now. Hammond Giles joined up with another player from St Paul’s, Ferro, who is also an under sixteen, to win the Doubles. The Plate competitions for U18 Singles and Doubles were won by players from Scottish schools — Merchiston Castle and Fettes respectively — who we were delighted to see bring large and highly competitive squads to the championships.
In the U16s we also had a year-young winner, Fikhter from the Manchester Y Club, adding to his U14 title from last year, after a long and tough final against James-Duff from Winchester. Having no partner from the Manchester Club, Fikhter teamed up in the U18 Doubles with the Ladies National champion, Beattie, from the City of Durham Club, a first in these championships. In the U16 Doubles James-Duff had the satisfaction of winning Gold with his partner Kennedy, beating the St Paul’s pair in the final. In this age-group again there were close fought Plate and Bowl competitions, variously won by St Paul’s and Alleyn’s.
The busy U14 tournament, run over two days by Dr Jackson, was dominated by players from the Scottish schools, resulting in Singles and Doubles titles for the substantial squad from the Edinburgh Academy, with a double for Henry, but also Silver for Alleyn’s. We look forward to seeing many of these enthusiastic young players back again in future years.
Selected scores
U18 Singles
1st round: F Stewart (Lor) bt J Tempest (Blun) 11-0; X Millar (EdAc) bt M Mehta (StP) 11-1; L Tippin (Ton) bt J Frost (Blun) 12-10; T Williams (StP) bt S Richarz (All) 11-5; T Blythe (All) bt S Yanez (Fet) 11-8; B Hull (Blun) bt O Wilson (Ton) 12-10; L Saunders-Aroma (Ton) bt M Teo (Fet) 11-8; L Milner (All) bt J Humphrey (Fet) 11-5; W Milne (Rug) bt P Tamimi (Fet) 11-2; D Thomas (Ton) bt J Gogol (Blun) 12-10
2nd round: F Hammond Giles (StP) bt Stewart 15-0; W Gale (Merc) bt C Beattie (CoDurham) 15-3; A Cloke Browne (Win) bt Millar 15-3; C Lacewing (CHosp) bt Tippin 15-2; JP Cheng (Win) bt F Edelman (Ton) 15-0; A Springford (EdAc) bt C Tomlinson-Hodge (Blun) 15-4; O Gordon (Merc) bt A Noble (Rug) 15-6; J Milburn (Fet) bt Williams 15-1; J Chan (Win) bt Blythe 15-1; O Woolf (Ton) bt O Griffin (Sed) 15-2; E Lim (StP) bt Hull 16-14; Y Negyal (All) bt Saunders-Aroma 15-3; R Brown (EdAc) bt Milner 15-9; A Goodwin (All) bt Milne 15-4; R Zhou (Win) bt A Rackham (Blun) 16-15; T Vernacchio (All) bt Thomas 15-5
3rd round: Hammond Giles bt Gale 15-2; Cloke Browne bt Lacewing 15-5; Cheng bt Springford 15-1; Milburn bt Gordon 15-3; Chan bt Woolf 15-7; Negyal bt Lim 15-2; Goodwin bt Brown 15-9; Vernacchio bt Zhou 15-11
Quarter-finals: Hammond Giles bt Cloke Browne 11-0, 11-0; Cheng bt Milburn 2-11, 11-4, 11-2; Chan bt Negyal 11-1, 11-5; Vernacchio bt Goodwin 11-2, 8-11, 11-9
Semi-finals: Hammond Giles bt Cheng 11-1, 11-4; Vernacchio bt Chan 11-9, 11-9
Final: F Hammond Giles (St Paul’s) bt T Vernacchio (Alleyn’s) 11-2, 11-0
U18 Singles Plate
Quarter-finals: Gale bt Zhou 11-9; Milner bt Brown 11-9; Gordon bt Noble 11-9; Woolf bt Beattie 11-2
Semi-finals: Gale bt Milner 11-8; Gordon bt Woolf 11-1
Final: O Gordon (Merchiston) bt W Gale (Merchiston) 15-5
U18 Doubles
1st round: Alleyn’s 3 bt Fettes 2 15-13; Winchester 2 bt Sedbergh/Stamford 15-0; Tonbridge bt St Paul’s 4 15-9; EdAcad 1 bt UCS 15-0; St Paul’s 3 bt Blundell’s 2 15-6; Rugby bt Sherborne 15-9; Tonbridge 1 bt Caledonian Club 15-8; St Paul’s 2 bt Tonbridge 3 15-3
2nd round: St Paul’s 1 bt Alleyn’s 3 15-0; Winchester 2 bt Merchiston 1 15-6; Alleyn’s 2 bt Fettes 1 16-15; Alleyn’s 1 bt Tonbridge 2 15-2; EdAcad 1 bt St Paul’s 3 15-2; Blundell’s 1 bt Rugby 15-7; Durham/Manchester bt Tonbridge 1 15-3; Winchester 1 bt St Paul’s 2 15-1
Quarter-finals: St Paul’s 1 bt Winchester 2 11-5, 3-11, 11-4; Alleyn’s 1 bt Alleyn’s 2 11-7, 11-9; EdAcad 1 bt Blundell’s 1 11-7, 2-11, 11-6; Winchester 1 bt Durham/Manchester 11-7, 11-0
Semi-finals: St Paul’s 1 bt Alleyn’s 1 11-2, 11-2; Winchester 1 bt EdAcad 1 11-3, 11-7
Final: St Paul’s 1 (J Ferro & F Hammond Giles) bt Winchester 1 (J Chan & JP Cheng) 11-3, 11-6
U18 Plate
Semi-finals: Fettes 1 bt CaledClub 11-2; Merchiston 1 bt Fettes 2 11-2
Final: Fettes 1 (J Humphrey & J Milburn) bt Merchiston 1 (W Gale & O Gordon) 11-8, 9-11, 11-3
Bowl: X Millar & M Russell (EdAc) bt F James & J Toner (EdAc) 11-4
U16 Singles
1st round: O Zbikowski (EdAc) bt J Goodwin (All) 11-8; S Stevenson (Ton) bt F Aird (Fet) 11-8; G Shilton (All) bt J Duff (EdAc) 11-9; T-R Foo (All) bt M Russell (EdAc) 11-6; F James (EdAc) bt D Curry (StP) 11-6; T Fergusson (Win) bt E Efthimiou (StP) 12-10; A Pennington (StP) bt B Weir (Fet) 11-3; N Cortas (StP) bt S Khurana (All) 11-3; P Monro-Davies (StP) bt H Severino (All) 11-5
2nd round: A James-Duff (Win) bt Zbikowski 15-1; F Coleman (Win) bt L Shields (All) 15-13; H Jones (Stam) bt X Arotxa-Lakha (EdAc) 15-6; J Toner (EdAc) bt Stevenson 15-2; E Hunter (Stam) bt Shilton 15-11; L McCreath (Fet) bt C Sharpe (Stam) 16-14; S McMurran (Bedf) bt J Lawrie (EdAc) 15-7; J Ferro (STP) bt Foo 15-1; J Kennedy (Win) bt James 15-4; P Mannion-Miles (Win) bt O Carroll (Ton) 16-15; T Ritchie (StP) bt L Fraser (Fettes) 15-3; M Arie (All) bt Fergusson 15-1; G Harrison (StokeN) bt Pennington 15-9; Cortas bt T Jarrold (EdAc) 15-8; T Munaretto Day (Win) bt A Shaw (All) 15-4; V Fikhter (ManchY) bt Monro-Davies 15-3
3rd round: James-Duff bt Coleman 15-1; Toner bt Jones 16-14; Hunter bt McCreath 15-9; Ferro bt McMurran 15-1; Kennedy bt Mannion-Miles 15-10; Arie bt Ritchie 15-13; Cortas bt Harrison 15-3; Fikhter bt Munaretto Day 15-5
Quarter-finals: James-Duff bt Toner 11-4, 11-3; Ferro bt Hunter 11-1, 11-1; Arie bt Kennedy 9-11, 11-9, 11-2; Fikhter bt Cortas 11-8, 11-1
Semi-finals: James-Duff bt Ferro 11-9, 11-3; Fikhter bt Arie 11-4, 11-6
Final: V Fikhter (Manchester Y) bt A James-Duff (Winchester) 8-11, 11-4, 11-1
U16 Plate
Semi-finals: Jones bt Jarrold 11-8; Ritchie bt Mannion-Miles 11-3
Final: T Ritchie (St Paul’s) bt H Jones (Stamford) 15-2
Bowl: A Shaw (Alleyn’s) bt M Russell (Edinburgh Academy) 11-8
U16 Doubles
1st round: St Paul’s 3 bt Edinburgh Academy 4 15-5; Alleyn’s 3 bt Fetttes 2 15-2; Winchester 3 bt Alleyn’s 4 15-1
2nd round: Winchester 1 bt St Paul’s 3 15-2; Tonbridge 1 bt St Paul’s 4 15-4; Alleyn’s 1 bt Edinburgh Academy 3 15-2; Stamford bt St Paul’s 2 15-11; St Paul’s 1 bt Alleyn’s 3 15-0; Edinburgh Academy 2 bt Alleyn’s 2 15-5; Winchester 2 bt Fettes 15-10; Edinburgh Academy 1 bt Winchester 3 15-4
Quarter-finals: Winchester 1 bt Tonbridge 1 11-0, 11-5; Alleyn’s 1 bt Stamford 11-6, 11-8; St Paul’s 1 bt Edinburgh Academy 2 11-9, 7-11, 11-4; Winchester 2 bt Edinburgh Academy 1 11-8, 11-5
Semi-finals: Winchester 1 bt Alleyn’s 1 11-2, 11-2; St Paul’s 1 bt Winchester 2 11-4, 5-11, 11-3
Final: Winchester 1 (A James-Duff & J Kennedy) bt St Paul’s 1 (E Efthimiou & T Ritchie) 11-8, 11-4
Plate
Semi-finals: Fettes 1 bt Edinburgh Academy 4 11-5; St Paul’s 3 bt Edinburgh Academy 3 11-5
Final: St Paul’s 3 (N Cortas & D Curry) bt Fettes 1 (L Fraser & L McCreath) 15-8
U14 Singles
Group A: 1st W Henry (EdAc); 2nd L Carnegie (Win); 3rd M New (StP)
Group B: 1st S Negyal (All); 2nd M Mitchell (EdAc); 3rd A Ponte (StP)
Group C: 1st F Murray (EdAc); 2nd M Bogan (Stam); 3rd V Kurup (StP)
Group D: 1st R Puri (StP); 2nd A O’Bryne (All); M Hunter (Stam)
Group E: 1st F McAllister (All); 2nd F Brown (EdAc); 3rd J Hammond Giles (StP)
Group F: 1st W Stephens (Blun); 2nd J Taylor (EdAc); 3rd H Franks (Win)
Group G: 1st J Robertson (Mer); 2nd E Iacuzzi (All)
Group H: 1st L Clark (EdAc); 2nd A Jamieson (Mer); 3rd D Kalia (StP)
Group I: 1st R Kohashi-Khan; 2nd E Rockall (Ton); 3rd S Iyer (StP)
Group J: 1st B Mahoney-Muir; 2nd A Rankin (Mer); 3rd K Salk (StP)
Group K: 1st T Zhang (Win); 2nd F Derry (EdAc); 3rd O Khanapurkar (StP)
Group L: 1st J Dunn (Mer) ; 2nd T Green (All); 3rd I Song (StP)
Group M: 1st W Gordon (Mer); 2nd H Fletcher (Marl); 3rd M Zhang (Win)
Group N: 1st A Bhalodia (StP); 2nd J Adams (Ton); 3rd H Foley (Mer)
1st round: Henry bt Negyal 15-0; Puri bt Murray 15-4; McAllister bt Rankin 15-4; Robertson bt Stephens 15-10; Kohashi-Khan bt Clark 15-4; Jamieson bt Mahoney-Muir 15-13; Dunn bt Zhang 15-6; Gordon bt Bhalodia 15-2
Quarter-finals: Henry bt Puri 15-3; Robertson bt McAllister 15-10; Kohashi-Khan bt Jamieson 15-3; Gordon bt Dunn 15-10
Semi-finals: Henry bt Robertson 15-2; Kohashi-Khan bt Gordon 15-7
Final: W Henry (Edinburgh Academy) bt R Kohashi-Khan (Alleyn’s) 11-2, 11-3
1st Plate: J Taylor (Edinburgh Academy) bt H Foley (Merchiston) 15-2
2nd Plate: H Franks (Winchester) bt J Hammond Giles (St Paul’s) 11-5
U14 Doubles
1st round: St Paul’s 5 bt Stamford 3 15-7; St Paul’s 2 bt Stamford 2 15-7; Edinburgh Academy 4 bt St Paul’s 3 15-4; Alleyn’s 3 bt St Paul’s 1 15-12; Winchester 2 bt St Paul’s 4 15-1
2nd round: Edinburgh Academy 1 bt St Paul’s 5 15-1; Alleyn’s 2 bt Tonbridge 1 15-5; Winchester 1 bt Edinburgh Academy 3 15-11; Merchiston 2 bt St Paul’s 2 15-0; Merchiston 1 bt Edinburgh Academy 4 15-8; Edinburgh Academy 2 bt Alleyn’s 3 15-4; Merchiston 3 bt Stamford 1 15-4; Alleyn’s 1 bt Winchester 2 15-1
Quarter-finals: Edinburgh Academy 1 bt Alleyn’s 2 15-2; Merchiston 2 bt Winchester 1 15-11; Merchiston 1 bt Edinburgh Academy 2 15-6; Alleyn’s 1 bt Merchiston 3 15-7
Semi-finals: Edinburgh Academy 1 bt Merchiston 2 11-3, 11-4; Alleyn’s 1 bt Merchiston 1 9-11, 11-2, 11-6
Final: Edinburgh Academy 1 (W Henry & F Murray) bt Alleyn’s 1 (R Kohashi-Khan & F McAllister) 11-5, 5-11, 11-8
1st Plate: Edinburgh Academy 3 (F Brown & B Mahoney-Muir) bt Edinburgh Academy 4 15-4
2nd Plate: Alleyn’s 3 (E Iacuzzi & A O’Bryne) bt St Paul’s 1 15-9
Bowl: Merchiston 3 (A Jamieson & A Rankin) bt Winchester 1 15-4
The U18 champion from St Paul’s
Trophy presentation for the U18 Singles
The U18 Singles finalists from St Paul’s and Alleyn’s
The U18 Doubles champions from St Paul’s
The U18 Doubles Plate winners from Fettes
The U16 Singles champion in action
U16 Singles finalists from the Manchester Y Club and Winchester College
U16 Doubles medallists from Winchester and St Paul’s
U14 Singles medallists from the Academy and Alleyn’s
U14 Doubles medallists from the Academy and Alleyn’s
Action from an U18 Doubles