The IRTPA Championships

Picture and Reports Now Here

This really was the 'tournament with a difference'

Rob Fahey put together a small team of his fellow professionals to go about raising money for the event by way of patronage.  They had a concept which worked perfectly.  You the professional go and find patronage and you will earn a finder's fee.  Some of the professionals earned more from this than they did in prize money!  One of the patrons was Matchbet who enabled betting on-line for the first time in Real Tennis.  Always interesting when Mr Fahey is playing but you did not have to just back the winner!

The Burroughs Club was a perfect venue for the tournament as there was absolute flexibility in what and how the event could be built.  Quite apart from it being a great court.  Well the winners would agree with that but perhaps the others might not!

A marquee was erected above the service end of the court looking down onto the court itself where drinks and canapés were served to the VIP's following the three finals which was hosted by Peter Luck-Hille and a marquee was also put at ground level for the chefs to prepare food for one patron and his guests - seared red tuna and Parmentier Potato, minature Dim Sum baskets filled with steamed chicken and chive Jiaozi dumplings, whole seared scallops, oysters served on crushed ice with shots of chilled Guinness, Peking duck stir fried, fillet of beef and lobster tail brochettes.  The catering was provided by Red Herring and their service and food was just immaculate; plus Champagne provided by Pol Roger and wines provided by Laithwaites.  These guests were seated on sofas, on a platform in the area behind the Dedans with a great view of the court and play through the glass.

The event was attended by the IRTPA's Patron HRH The Earl of Wessex who presented the trophies and prizes following the event.  The side galleries, upper galleries and any other space which could be found was full of spectators.

 
On top of all of this, the tennis was quite spectacular!

The event started with the final of The Taylor Cup between Seacourt's Tom Weaver and Manchester's Craig Greenhalgh.  The first set was won relatively easily by Tom Weaver who also went ahead in the second set, but there was slight 'anxiety' in that the time 'allocated' to the match was also near to over running.  Craig Greenhalgh then started to play really good tennis and managed to secure the second set 6/5.  After this nail biting set, there was no stopping him and he just played better and better, securing the final set and his first title.  The score for the match was 3/6 6/5 6/4

 

 

The Satellite Tournament which was established two years ago is really a great event to follow.  The tennis throughout is close and competitive and is for the players who do not automatically qualify for the Championship draw.  The 8 quarter finalists go into the main draw, but it is a tournament in its own right and is played out to its conclusion.  The finalists were The Burroughs Club's Head Professional Rod McNaughtan and Seacourt's Head Professional Dan Jones.

Who was going to win this one?  The general consensus was Rod.  Wrong!  Dan who has not played competitive tennis for over a year and was only just back on the circuit showed true grit and determination to pull off this win.  However, please remember that the schedule was already running late and this Final truly exasperated that!  The score was 4/6 6/2 6/5.  It was a super final and the last game of the match a bit exciting!  Dan was 30-love up, two chases had been laid by Rod, they changed ends and Rod won the first chase.  The second chase was won by Dan after an extraordinarily long reste, for him to be within one point of the match.  Rod served a railroad, which sat up to that perfect height and Dan forced it - game set and match.

 

Onto the Championships themselves, now some 45 minutes after the scheduled time - the Patron and his guests receiving food and drink by this time were more than well watered and fed!

Rob Fahey had a surprisingly easy ride to the final - there was a big question on whether Camden Riviere might win in the semi finals following his five set match the previous week against Rob in the British Open but if that thought had ever passed through Camden's mind or the spectators, it was quickly squashed by Rob winning in 3 sets 6/3 6/4 6/3.

Ruaraidh Gunn was Rob's opponent.  Ruaraidh was determined to be that person and in the semi-finals dispatched his long time adversary Steve Virgona 2/6 6/4 6/5 3/0.  In the European Open back in September Ruaraidh had played a long and I mean long, 5 setter against Nick Wood in the semi-finals and in the final against Rob took the first set and felt that maybe, just maybe if those blisters and cramp hadn't intervened that final might have been closer.  For the IRTPA Championships though there was just no doubt in Rob's mind that this was going to be quick, ruthless and utterly surgical.  Rob had trouble with a calf muscle which was heavily strapped - some of us thought it might have been varicose vein problems - whatever the problem was, it did not hinder;  Rob just gave an exhibition of quite extraordinary tennis and won 6/1 6/3 6/3.

 
The IRTPA would like to thank all of the Patrons, Peter Luck-Hille, Middlesex University, The Burroughs Club Committee, The Burroughs Club members, The Professionals at the Club, Rod McNaughtan and Ged Eden who worked unstintingly ensuring that all ran smoothly and as it had been planned and for all those who just so willingly helped to make this such a good event.