Christ’s Hospital, Horsham
Saturday, 8th February 2025
Michael Lacewing and Ed Hatton report: Following the absence in recent years of historical attendees Whitgift, St Dunstan’s and St Olave’s to the South East Regional Schools championships, last year’s participating schools – Tonbridge, Christ’s Hospital and Eastbourne – opened the competition to Alleyn’s School as well. It was just as well, as in the end Eastbourne were unable to attend. The quality of fives was truly excellent in the later rounds, grit and determination at all levels were on display from the start, and a notable camaraderie marked the whole occasion.
In the Open Singles the first seed, and last year’s champion, Charlie Lacewing (CH) was able to proceed to the final relatively smoothly, meeting friend and rival Lucas Saunders-Aroma in the semis. With the addition of Alleyn’s, last year’s runner-up Oliver Woolf (Tonbridge) faced a greater challenge in Alleyn’s Yarin Negyal, seeded 2nd this year. An almighty battle displaying great power and persistence ensued, which ended with a win for Negyal to match up against Lacewing in the final. It was the first time these two friends had met competitively. From the start, the display of precision and rally-building was exceptional. Lacewing had the best of the first game, winning 11-3, but Negyal came back very strongly in the second, consistently remaining a point or two ahead until 10-9. The last four points were nailbiting, pushing both players to their limits. With just slightly greater precision in his length, Lacewing finally won 12-11.
The Plate matches were no less fiercely contested, with notable battles between Ed Scott of Tonbridge and two CH players in succession – first Tallak Hudson, and then Kyle Lewis. Lewis managed to beat Scott to win through to the final, where he faced S Khurana from Alleyn’s, who had faced his own challenging semi against CH’s Anthony Dowling. With a greater display of precision and shot selection, Khurana came through to win the Plate 11-0, 11-3.
In the Open Doubles, various injuries and missing students led to some quick reshuffling of teams, with 7 pairs playing in the end, including one that mixed Tonbridge and CH. Yarin Negyal & Milo Arie (Alleyn’s) were the favourites to win, but had to earn their place in a fierce and highly competitive semi against Tonbridge’s Lucas Saunders-Aroma & Oliver Carroll. Charlie Lacewing & Anthony Dowling (CH) managed to beat Tonbridge’s first pair of Oliver Woolf & Oliver Wilson in their semi, and so the stage was set for Alleyn’s to secure revenge on CH for the result of the singles. And so it proved, with Negyal & Arie proving the more consistent pair to win 11-7, 11-2.
The Open Plate took the form of a round robin with three pairs. Every game was hard-fought and close, and the final scores were 22, 20 and 17. The winners were Oscar Zhou & Kyle Lewis from CH.
In the U16 Singles there were some competitive first round matches but ultimately Thomas of Tonbridge made confident and largely untroubled progress into and through an all-Tonbridge final to become champion. Players from CH and Tonbridge fought well in the Singles Plate but in an all-Alleyn’s final Green emerged the winner. The U16 Doubles was more closely contested and ended with a high quality Alleyn’s/Tonbridge final. Scores and rallies went back and forth, but Tonbridge’s Gustard & Haigh emerged as comprehensive winners in the 3rd game of the final. Their fellow Tonbridgians Chiavirini & Seddon won the Doubles Plate.
Open Singles
1st round: C Lacewing (CH) bt J Ho (All) 11-0; M Arie (All) bt E Scott (Ton) 11-0; L Saunders-Aroma (Ton) bt T Hudson (CH) 11-0; O Carroll (Ton) bt A Dowling (CH) 11-3; O Woolf (Ton) bt S Khurana (All) 11-0; A Shaw (All) bt K Lewis (CH) 11-1
Quarter-finals: Lacewing bt O Wilson (Ton) 11-1; Saunders-Aroma bt Arie 11-9; Y Negyal (All) bt Carroll 11-2; Woolf bt Shaw 11-0
Semi-finals: Lacewing bt Saunders-Aroma 15-1; Negyal bt Woolf 15-7
Final: C Lacewing (CH) bt Y Negyal (All) 11-3, 12-11
Plate: S Khurana (All) bt K Lewis (CH) 11-0, 11-3
Open Doubles
Quarter-finals: Carroll & Saunders-Aroma (Ton) bt Lewis & Zhou (CH) 15-3; Wilson & Woolf (Ton) bt Ho & Khurana (All) 15-6; Dowling & Lacewing (CH) bt Hudson & Scott (CH/Ton) 11-3
Semi-finals: Arie & Negyal (All) bt Carroll & Saunders-Aroma (Ton) 15-6; Dowling & Lacewing (CH) bt Wilson & Woolf (Ton) 15-6
Final: Arie & Negyal (All) bt Dowling & Lacewing (CH) 11-7, 11-2
Plate: K Lewis & O Zhou (CH)
U16 Singles
1st round: H Severino (All) bt G Chiavirini (Ton) 11-5; J Seddon (Ton) bt L Pun (CH) 11-2; M Gustard (Ton) bt T Green (All) 11-6; O Zhou (CH) bt T-R Foo (All) 11-8; H Thomas (Ton) bt F McAllister (All) 11-7; G Shilton (All) bt T Hudson (CH) 11-8; H Haigh (Ton) bt Q Lord (CH) 11-4
Quarter-finals: Severino bt Seddon 11-2; Gustard bt Zhou 11-4; Thomas bt Shilton 11-7; Haigh bt Dodds (Ton) 11-4
Semi-finals: Gustard bt Severino 16-14; Thomas bt Haigh 15-3
Final: Thomas (Ton) bt Gustard (Ton) 11-3, 11-1
Plate: Green (All) bt McAllister (All) 11-8
U16 Doubles
Quarter-finals: Hudson & Lord (CH) bt Foo & McAllister (All) 11-4; Green & Severino (All) bt Chiavirini & Seddon (Ton) 11-6
Semi-finals: Gustard & Haigh (Ton) bt Hudson & Lord (CH) 11-4; Green & Severino (All) bt Dodds & Thomas (Ton) 11-6
Final: Gustard & Haigh (Ton) bt Green & Severino (All) 11-4, 2-11, 11-1
Plate: Chiavirini & Seddon (Ton) bt Foo & McAllister (All) 11-6, 9-11, 11-3
Singles finalists and organisers
Open Singles runner-up and Doubles Champion
Open Plate Singles winner
Open medallists
Mixed medallists and others
Doubles action Alleyn’s v Christ’s Hospital