Tonbridge School
Saturday, 3rd February 2024
Ian Jackson reports: There was a smaller entry than usual for this tournament held at Tonbridge. It was good to welcome Christ’s Hospital and Eastbourne, but the tournament missed entries from Whitgift, St. Dunstan’s and St. Olave’s. However, this certainly did not detract from the quality of the Fives and nor from the camaraderie shown by all the players, which was second to none.
The top two seeds in the Senior Singles had met for the two previous years in the final of the under sixteen competition and so it was no surprise that once again they reached the final reasonably easily. There were some great rallies with Oliver Woolf from Tonbridge hitting the ball at a ferocious pace, but Charlie Lacewing from Christ’s Hospital got everything back and so often Woolf just tried that little too hard to find the right length and hit the bar. It was certainly much closer than the 11-0, 11-3 scoreline may suggest.
The seven first-match losers contested a very competitive Plate, which was won by Luke Tippin from Tonbridge. The four second round losers contested a Bowl. which was won by the consistent Felix Edelman from Tonbridge.
It was disappointing to have no other schools contesting the under sixteens this year. In the singles the top four Tonbridge U16 players competed, and it was won comfortably by Oliver Carroll.
Tonbridge School provided a super lunch, and it was lovely to watch the players from all schools mixing and enjoying sharing experiences so much that the organiser had to chivvy them out to start the doubles an hour after they had first sat down.
The final of the Senior Doubles looked to be the class match of the day and it did not disappoint. Tonbridge, represented by Oliver Woolf & Lucas Saunders-Aroma, were aiming to take Charlie Lacewing out of the game and focus all their shots on his left-handed partner, Oscar van Huet Lindemann, while Christ’s Hospital had exactly the opposite plan. In the end Tonbridge played a tight enough length and line and, despite defending well for long periods, in the end it was Christ’s Hospital who made more mistakes and Tonbridge came through 11-6, 11-6.
The organiser though was even more delighted by the spirit of the Senior Plate Doubles where the four first round losers had a fantastically competitive and sporting tournament with Dexter Bell & Archie Stephens of Eastbourne winning the key game 16-14 to take the title. The two semi-final losers insisted on a third-place play-off where Dominic Thomas & Felix Edelman from Tonbridge just saw off the Christ’s Hospital second pair.
The organiser had got eight Tonbridge pairs to contest the U16 Doubles. It was not surprising that the pair who had earlier contested the singles final were a little too strong for the opposition but not before the second pair had taken the first game of the final. However, Oliver Carroll & Devan Radia were worthy winners and the promising U14 pair of Dexter Hastie & Barnes Regan won the plate.
Selected scores
U18 Singles
Semi-finals: C Lacewing (CH) bt L Saunders-Aroma (Tonbridge) 15-0; O Woolf (Tonbridge ) bt O Van Huet Lindemann (CH) 15-3
Final: Lacewing bt Woolf 11-0, 11-3
Plate: L Tippin (Tonbridge) bt K Lewis (CH) 15-5
U18 Doubles
Semi-finals: Tonbridge 1 bt Christ’s Hospital 2 11-3, 11-1; Christ’s Hospital 1 bt Tonbridge 2 11-1, 11-2
Final: Tonbridge 1 (Saunders-Aroma & Woolf) bt Christ’s Hospital 1 (Lacewing & Van Huet Lindemann) 11-6, 11-6
Plate: Eastbourne 1 (D Bell & A Stephens)
U16 Singles
Semi-finals: O Carroll (Tonbridge) bt M Gustard (Tonbridge) 15-3; D Radia (Tonbridge) bt H Haigh (Tonbridge) 15-
Final: Carroll bt Radia 11-2, 11-3
U16 Doubles
Semi-finals: Tonbridge 1 (O Carroll & D Radia) bt Tonbridge 4 (Tomazos & Flint) 11-3, 11-1; Tonbridge 2 (H Haigh & M Gustard) bt Tonbridge 3 (Seddon & Chaivarini) 11-7, 9-11, 11-3
Final: Tonbridge 1 (Carroll & Radia) bt Tonbridge 2 (Haigh & Gustard) 8-11, 11-3, 11-0
Plate: Tonbridge 6 (D Hastie & B Regan)
The U18 Singles champion
The U18 Doubles champions
The U16 Singles champion
The U16 Doubles champions