St Paul’s School, Barnes
Saturday/Sunday, 2-3 November 2024
STOP PRESS The weekend began for organiser Joe Sumner with a major rewrite of the Singles draw after the regrettably late withdrawal of players. Seeding had been done according to the RFA Rankings but surprises were on the cards from the beginning, and so it turned out, as unseeded National U18 champion Freddie Hammond Giles eliminated injury-affected defending champion Isaac Weaver in the quarter-finals, then familiar foe JP Cheng in the semis and eventually British Universities champion Marcus Cloke Browne in the final. In various parts of the draw there were other tough and unpredictable battles, most notably in the second round, with Julian Hanton defeating Stuart Scott in three eventful games and Theo Vernacchio and Joe Sumner wearing each other out in another three-gamer. Freddie, though, never looked seriously troubled in his progress to the title, the youngest by far in the history of the event since its inception in 1985 and, most remarkably, the first schoolboy to lift the cup.
The Singles Plate was fought out in increasingly hot and demanding conditions for players, from whom a relatively fresh Taylor McGuire and a decidedly tired Emrys Thursfield emerged to play out a final. Taylor, the Schools U18 champion in 2019, who has returned to an increasingly committed role in Fives in London after some years of Fives-free tertiary studies, was delighted to return to winning ways with a straightforward win in the final game of the Plate.
The Doubles draw also underwent some changes in personnel. There were several tough and lengthy contests but in the end the defending champions, Cameron Low and Archie McCreath, had an easier passage to the final than the young pairing of JP Cheng and Freddie Hammond Giles. After two three-gamers in the quarter- and semi-finals JP and Freddie were visibly tiring by the time the final was played out against the experienced and relatively fresh Cameron and Archie. The young pair did, however, manage some serious resistance in the second game despite JP suffering badly from cramp.
The Plate also was not without its excitement and suspense, as the final game of the round robin proved to be the decider. With accumulated points equal Teddy Monro-Davies and Louis Odgers won their contest against Alex Goodwin and Yarin Negyal 16-15 — some years in age difference but little in ability on the day.
Joe Sumner did a superb job in coping with all that was thrown at him during the day, including a collision with the side wall that briefly incapacitated Julian Hanton. We are fortunate to have Joe again next year and thank him most warmly for the vital role he plays in running this most important of competitions for young players around the schools, universities and clubs.
Singles
1st round: W Hanley bt L McKnight 15-0; J Cheng bt Walton 15-3; S Ion bt M Ord 15-4
2nd round: I Weaver bt Hanley 15-0, 15-0; F Hammond Giles bt T McGuire 15-0, 15-2; J Milburn bt Y Negyal 16-14, 15-9; Cheng bt E Thursfield 15-13, 15-6; M Cloke Browne bt Alex Goodwin 15-0, 15-5; J Hanton bt S Scott 15-10, 5-15, 15-12; T Vernacchio bt J Sumner 15-7, 7-15, 15-13; Ion bt A Whitham 15-15-4, 15-2
Quarter-finals: Hammond Giles bt Weaver 15-3, 15-1; Cheng bt Milburn 15-10, 15-7; Cloke Browne bt Hanton 15-3, 15-6; Ion bt Vernacchio 15-4, 15-2
Semi-finals: Hammond Giles bt Cheng 15-1, 15-2; Cloke Browne bt Ion 15-1, 15-2
Final: Hammond Giles bt Cloke Browne 15-4, 15-4
Plate: McGuire bt Thursfield 15-3
Doubles
1st round: J Milburn & T Vernacchio bt N Jerome & S Kendrick 15-9, 15-5; P Harrison & I Weaver bt A Piekos & S Richarz 15-0, 15-1; J Hanton & A Hutchinson bt L McKnight & M Ord 15-1, 15-1; J Cheng & F Hammond Giles bt Alex Goodwin & Y Negyal 15-6, 15-2
Quarter-finals: C Low & A McCreath bt Milburn & Vernacchio 15-4, 15-8; Harrison & Weaver bt T Monro-Davies & L Odgers 15-6, 15-5; J Sumner & E Thursfield bt Hanton & Hutchinson 15-10, 15-11; Cheng & Hammond Giles bt M Cloke Browne & S Scott 15-13, 6-15, 15-7
Semi-finals: Low & McCreath bt Harrison & Weaver 15-4, 15-3; Cheng & Hammond Giles bt Sumner & Thursfield 11-15, 15-8, 15-10
Final: Low & McCreath bt Cheng & Hammond Giles 15-3, 15-8
Plate: 1st Monro-Davies & Odgers 46 pts; 2nd Goodwin & Negyal 45 pts; 3rd McKnight & Ord 16 pts; 4th Piekos & Richarz 16pts
Organiser Joe presents history-making Singles Cup to Freddie
Marcus ever gracious — a quality Singles final
Taylor back to winning ways
Taylor and Emrys battle for the Singles Plate
Doubles finalists Cameron, Archie, Freddie and JP
Teddy and Louis take the Doubles Plate for Oxford Past and Present
The Doubles Plate ends 16-15!