Prested Hall Real Tennis Club: National League 2010 - Division 9 Winners

National League Division 9 finalists Prested 5 (from left to right) Chris Vigrass, Mike Norgrove and Jon Conway

MURTC’s Head Pro Ged Eden presents Prested 5 with their winners trophies

Report published in The Tribune

PRESTED ENJOYS MIXED FORTUNES

World champion holds court at Prested

Prested Hall members and guests turned out in force to support the third in the series of Real Ten tournaments hosted by Rob Fahey, the sport’s foremost exponent, who recently won his 10th Men's World Championship. The event was also followed online.

Fahey describes the series as “a modern take on an ancient sport”, designed to appeal to newcomers as well as existing players. 5 professionals play “punchy” single set matches off handicap in round robin format, “battling it out” to win cash and prizes for themselves, and the sweepstake prize for their backers, thereby “returning the sport to its gambling origins”.

By special invitation, Prested’s Claire Vigrass, aged 18 and an amateur, contested the event against the Club’s present and former Head Pros, Matt Potter and Matty Ronaldson, Prested’s part-time Pro Ricardo Smith, and Smith’s doubles partner and world-ranked men's No. 5 Bryn Sayers. Smith, who trained at Prested, employed his home-court knowledge to good effect, and ran out the eventual winner.

Great Britain call for Vigrass

Claire’s latest achievement is to have been selected to represent Great Britain in the Van Alen Cup, a series of matches held every 2 years between amateur players aged under 26 from GB and the US. Claire, the first woman ever to compete in the Cup, joins GB’s team of Jamie Douglas (Cambridge University, captain), Will Fortune (Oxford University), and Conor Medlow (Seacourt), as no. 4.

With the US hosting this year’s Cup, the GB team start their tour in Washington on 2nd July, followed by matches, each comprising 2 doubles and 4 singles, at the Philadelphia, Lakewood, and New York clubs, and finish at Tuxedo Park from 9th to 11th July.

National League winners

In the Division 9 final, which lasted just under 5 hours, Prested 5 overcame Middlesex University (“MURTC”) 4’s home court advantage to take the title by 2 matches to 1. Jon Conway got off to a slow start against MURTC’s James Barlow, losing the first set 6-2, and, as Conway himself admits, “giving the net a lot of stick”, but then pulled back to win the next 2 sets 6-3 6-3. Mike Norgrove similarly went 4-2 down to MURTC’s James La Terriere, but came back to win the first set 6-4. Norgrove lost the second 4-6, but then romped home from 2-all in the third to win 6-2. Club Committee Chairman Chris Vigrass failed to find his usual form, however, and was beaten 6-3 6-3 by Mark Heffernan. Prested 5’s victory went some way to compensate for Prested 2, 3 and 4’s losing their respective Division 5, 7 and 8 preliminary finals away to Oratory 2, Oxford 5 and Canford 4.

Doubles Day

This season’s final social fixture on Saturday, 26th June, sees Ladies Real Tennis Association members join Prested Ladies in an “Highest with Lowest” Handicap Doubles tournament. Claire will then pair up with this year’s British Ladies Open Doubles finalist Aldona Greenwood, to take on Penny Lumley and Claire’s usual doubles partner, US no.1 Frederika Adam. Claire is now ranked women’s World No. 3, with a lowest-ever recorded women’s handicap of 7.9; Lumley has held 6 Ladies World Singles, and 7 Ladies World Doubles, titles; a clash of the titanesses is therefore eagerly anticipated!

Local schools’ and colleges’ sports teachers and representatives have been invited to come and watch this doubles match, whilst enjoying afternoon tea. Those interested should please contact Matt on 01376 570220 or prestedproshop@aol.com for details.