Durham University Fives Courts
Saturday/Sunday, 28th February/1st March 2026
Stop Press Ben Beltrami won his second North of England Open Singles title, successfully defending the Ferens Trophy he first won last year, then went on to win his fifth Doubles title, his third with Ollie Arnold. The newly instituted Alex Wilson Singles Plate was won by Nathan Groombridge-Westacott. Dan Grant was denied a second regional Singles title in the final against Ben, while Penn Chai and Richie Murby teamed up for a first time to win the Silver medal in the Doubles. Home pair of Simon and Camille Beattie won the Doubles Plate.
The RFA’s thanks go to the City of Durham Fives Club for their hosting of the event, to Julian Aquilina for his organisation, and to the players who made the trip to Durham from several distant parts of the country.
Report to follow
Singles
1st round: W Milne bt E Castillo Carbonell 15-5; T McElvaney bt L Mathias 15-3; C Lacewing bt R Guthrie 15-2; F Hammond Giles bt A Noble 15-0; S Scott bt S Zhang 15-4; S Beattie bt N Groombridge-Westacott 15-7; V Fikhter bt E Hudson 15-0; T Vernacchio bt M Morgan 15-9; O Arnold bt Z Winson Yates 15-0; A McCreath bt P Maddison 15-2
2nd round: B Beltramí bt Milne 15-3; McElvaney bt Lacewing 16-14; Hammond Giles bt Scott 15-1; L Keates bt Beattie 15-9; D Grant bt Fikhter 15-8; P Chai bt Vernacchio 15-7; O Arnold bt C Low 15-11; J Aquilina bt McCreath 15-5
Quarter-finals: Beltrami bt McElvaney 11-3, 11-6; Hammond Giles bt Keates 11-3, 11-5; Grant bt Chai 11-6, 8-11, 11-9; Aquilina bt Arnold 11-1, 9-11, 11-7
Semi-finals: Beltrami bt Hammond Giles 11-5, 11-5; Grant bt Aquilina 11-1, 11-8
Final: Beltrami bt Grant 12-10, 11-6
Plate: N Groombridge-Westacott bt S Zhang 11-1, 11-5
Doubles
1st round: V Fikhter & J Minta bt W Milne & A Noble 15-9; L Keates & T Vernacchio bt L Mathias & S Zhang 15-2; J Aquilina & T McElvaney bt C Beattie & S Beattie 15-4; D Grant & F Hammond Giles bt C Clarke & C Davidson 15-4; C Lacewing & S Scott bt E Castillo Carbonell & N Groombridge-Westacott 15-3; C Low & A McCreath bt G Lythgoe & M Morgan 15-2;
Quarter-finals: O Arnold & B Beltrami bt Fikhter & Minta 11-2, 11-2; Aquilina & McElvaney bt Keates & Vernacchio 11-6, 10-12, 11-9; P Chai & R Murby bt Grant & Hammond Giles 11-9, 2-11, 11-2; Low & McCreath bt Lacewing & Scott 15-5, 15-4
Semi-finals: Arnold & Beltrami bt Aquilina & McElvaney xxx, xxx; Chai & Murby bt Low & McCreath 10-12, 11-7, 11-3
Final: Arnold & Beltrami bt Chai & Murby 11-5, 11-3
Plate: Beattie & Beattie bt Lythgoe & Morgan 11-9, 11-7
Ben Beltrami wins the Singles for a second time
Singles finalists Beltrami and Grant
Singles Plate for Nathan G-W
A third Doubles title for Arnold & Beltrami
Doubles Silver for Murby & Chai
The Beatties win the Doubles Plate
The Alex Wilson Plates for Singles and Doubles