Results from the National Schools Championships

News

St. Paul’s School, 3-6 April 2018

The organiser, Peter King, reports:

The eccentricities of dates (Easter and school terms/holidays) seem to have affected the size (but not the quality) of this year’s entry, and just 100 competitors from 14 schools in all were included in the draws. There was, however, a very high standard of play, with some memorable fives at all levels, and the majority of schools were represented in finals at some level. Happily the friendships and sportsmanship which characterise Fives tournaments were as much in evidence as ever; a clear example was set in the closing stages of a tough U14 doubles final when players from both pairs were seen to call a marginal “not up” against themselves.

The Open singles tournament allowed two players from each initial group into the main draw, with a further opportunity for those losing the first match there to progress in the Plate. This meant that play in both tournaments was of the highest standard, but Tom Kidner stood out, making the defence of his title look remarkably easy by the expedient of taking the ball early and hitting punishing length and width. No game in the singles went to three games, although Isaac Hudis (SPS) pushed third seed Addie Chai of Blundell’s all the way to 11-9 12-10. And Addie’s partner James Maclaurin, playing against Alex Cochrane from Alleyn’s, took the plate after a monumental three-game final, having previously also had two 16-14 wins against Paulines Hudis and Davies. In the doubles Winchester I came through as champions, defeating Whitgift fairly comfortably, leaving Cameron Low second-best to Kidner for the second time in the day, after an impressive week’s fives..

The Colts’ singles event was remarkable for being won, and fairly comfortably too, by Gwydion Wiseman from Alleyn’s. Not unexpected, as he had won in the West of England, but special because he is still an Under 14 player, and this was a first. Gwydion stood out as an accomplished player with a strong all-round game. Had he not been there, the competition would have been very tight, as all the other quarter- and semi-finals went to three games: Thomas Peel from Edinburgh Academy and Paulines Teddy Monro-Davies and Louis Odgers all edged out the Wykehamists in the quarters, and then Louis outlasted his doubles partner to qualify for the final. The plate finals both went to three, with Daniel Troup from the Academy finishing stronger against Ben Burgess of Tonbridge. In the doubles Winchester I met St Paul’s I in the final, and the result went the way of the Paulines, who had also just had the edge in the singles.

The U14 tournament arrives on the third day and proved extremely enjoyable for all who took part. It was really “no contest” with Wiseman, defeated finalist last year, full of confidence and possessing all the skills needed. Much credit goes to those who pushed him hard and will be working hard to catch up in the years to come, most notably Massimo Campanale from Tonbridge. It was great to welcome players from the newly formed City of Durham club, and most encouraging for them that Oscar McIntyre went away with victory in both singles and doubles plates, playing with Simon Beattie in the latter. The main doubles final was a splendid contest, with Tonbridge just a little stronger than the Alleyn’s pair.

Many thanks to all involved in organisation and support, especially Ian Jackson, who again shouldered the burden of managing the U14 events, to parents, fan clubs, and some extremely devoted staff without whom the school players would not be developing such an obvious love of the game and skilful enjoyment. Next year the tournament will begin on April 1st (no fooling!).

Scores

Open Singles

Pool A: 1st T.Kidner (Winchester); 2nd J.Maclaurin (Blundell’s); 3rd M.Scoczylas (St Paul’s); 4th H.Turner (Alleyn’s)
Pool B: 1st A.Cochrane (Alleyn’s); 2nd J.Davies (St Paul’s); 3rd S.Kendrick (Whitgift); 4th L.Choo-Choy (Tonbridge)
Pool C: 1st S.Garella (Merchant Taylors’); 2nd W.Hanley (Tonbridge); 3rd A.Lundie (Edinburgh Academy); 4th A.Ramakrishnan (St Paul’s)
Pool D: 1st J.Sumner (Bedford Modern); 2nd I.Hudis (St Paul’s); 3rd B.Ames (Blundell’s); 4th M.Gill (Alleyn’s)
Pool E: 1st A.Chai (Blundell’s); 2nd N.Jerome (Whitgift); 3rd K.Parsapour (St Paul’s); 4th R.Hodgson (Edinburgh Academy)
Pool F: 1st H.Jackson (St Paul’s); 2nd E.Townsend (Merchant Taylors’); 3rd Z.Sholapurkar (Alleyn’s)
Pool G: 1st T.McGuire (Sedbergh); 2nd K.Mackison (Winchester); 3rd N.Heymann (St Paul’s); 4th P.Lam (Whitgift)
Pool H: 1st C.Low (Whitgift); 2nd T.Liu (St Paul’s); 3rd L.Hoyne (Edinburgh Academy); 4th W.Hirth (Alleyn’s)

1st Round: Kidner beat Liu 11-0, 11-1; Mackison beat Cochrane 11-4, 12-10; Townsend beat Garella 11-7, 11-6; Sumner beat Jerome 11-0, 11-1; Chai beat Hudis 12-10, 11-9; Jackson beat Hanley 11-1, 11-0; McGuire beat Davies 11-6, 11-9; Low beat Maclaurin 11-1, 11-1
Quarter-finals: Kidner beat Mackison 11-4, 11-1; Sumner beat Townsend 11-0, 11-1; Chai beat Jackson 11-4, 11-4; Low beat McGuire 11-0, 11-2
Semi-finals: Kidner beat Sumner 11-5, 11-0; Low beat Chai 11-2, 11-3
Final: Kidner beat Low 11-0, 11-3
First plate: Maclaurin (Blundell’s)
Second plate: Hirth (Alleyn’s)

Open Doubles

1st round: Tonbridge beat St Paul’s IV 11-6, 11-5; St Paul’s II beat Bedford Modern I 8-11, 11-9, 12-11; Alleyn’s  I beat Whitgift II 9-11, 11-3, 11-8; Whitgift I beat Bedford Modern II 11-1, 11-4; Merchant Taylors’ beat St Paul’s III 11-2, 11-5; Blundell’s I beat Alleyn’s II 11-2, 11-1; St Paul’s I  beat Edinburgh Academy I 11-2, 11-2
Quarter-finals: Winchester I beat Tonbridge 11-0, 11-2; St Paul’s II beat Alleyn’s I 11-2, 11-5; Whitgift II beat Merchant Taylors’ 11-6, 8-11, 11-3; St Paul’s I beat Blundell’s I 9-11, 11-4, 11-4
Semi-finals: Winchester I beat St Paul’s II  11-3, 11-1; Whitgift I beat St Paul’s I 11-6, 11-7
Final: Winchester I (Kidner/Mackison) beat Whitgift I (Kendrick/Low) 11-0, 11-3
Plate: Bedford Modern I (O. Colbert & J.Sumner)

Colts Singles

Pool A: 1st G.Wiseman (Alleyn’s); 2nd M.Mulvey (Merchiston Castle); 3rd G.Goulding (St Paul’s); 4th C.Clark (Edinburgh Academy)
Pool B: 1st J.Graham (Merchant Taylors’); 2nd O.Bruce (Winchester); 3rd C.Jobson (St Paul’s)
Pool C: 1st X.Christopher (Rugby); 2nd W.Bucknell (Blundell’s); 3rd P.Puvanendiran (Alleyn’s)
Pool D: 1st T.Peel (Edinburgh Academy); 2nd B.Burgess (Tonbridge); 3rd S.Sharma (St Paul’s); 4th T.Brimacombe (Alleyn’s)
Pool E: 1st  S.Fraser (Winchester); 2nd M.Layton (Merchiston Castle); 3rd D.Arjun (St Paul’s); 4th A.Grubb (Blundell’s)
Pool F: 1st T.Monro-Davies (St Paul’s); 2nd B.Ames (Blundell’s); 3rd B.Ergezer (Alleyn’s)
Pool G: 1st H.Gujadhur (Winchester); 2nd D.Jourdan (Edinburgh Academy); 3rd A.Choi (St Paul’s); 4th I.Taylor-Schindler (Alleyn’s)
Pool H: 1st B.Ashfar (Merchiston Castle); 2nd N.Stanger (St Paul’s); 3rd E.Neumann (Alleyn’s)
Pool I: 1st L.Odgers (St Paul’s); 2nd C.Crooke (Tonbridge)
Pool J: 1st D.Percival (Winchester); 2nd D.Troup (Edinburgh Academy); 3rd G.Ward-Jackson (St Paul’s); 4th H.Rackham (Blundell’s)

1st Round: Graham beat Christopher 11-0, 11-0; Odgers beat Afshar 11-8, 11-5
Quarter-finals: Wiseman beat Graham 11-4, 11-1; Peel beat Fraser 8-11, 12-11, 11-4; Monro-Davies beat Gujadhur 11-1, 9-11, 11-8; Odgers beat Percival 9-11, 11-5, 11-7
Semi-finals: Wiseman beat Peel 11-0, 11-3; Odgers beat Monro-Davies 9-11, 11-3, 11-8
Final: Wiseman beat Odgers 11-0, 11-8
First plate: Troup (Edinburgh Academy)
Second plate: Arjun (St Paul’s)

Colts Doubles

1st Round: Winchester I beat St Paul’s III 11-0, 11-4; Tonbridge beat Alleyn’s II 11-5, 11-2; Merchiston Castle beat Blundell’s II 11-2, 11-2; Edinburgh Academy I beat St Paul’s II 11-1, 11-0; St Paul’s IV beat Alleyn’s I 11-7, 11-6; Blundell’s I beat Winchester II 11-2, 9-11, 11-3
Quarter-finals: Winchester I beat Tonbridge 11-2, 11-2; Edinburgh Academy I beat Merchiston Castle I 11-0, 11-2; Blundell’s I beat St Paul’s IV 11-4, 11-2; St Paul’s I beat Edinburgh Academy II 11-1, 11-7
Semi-finals: Winchester I beat Edinburgh Academy I 11-9, 11-6; St Paul’s I beat Blundell’s I 11-7, 11-3
Final: St Paul’s I (Monro-Davies/Odgers) beat Winchester I (Gujadhur/Percival) 11-6, 11-5
Plate: Winchester II (O.Bruce & S.Fraser)

Under 14 Singles

Pool A: 1st G.Wiseman (Alleyn’s); 2nd G.Stonor (Tonbridge); 3rd B.Horsell (St Paul’s); 4th A.Kiggell (Marlborough)
Pool B: 1st J.Freeman (Tonbridge); 2nd S.Beattie (City of Durham); 3rd W.Tanner (Alleyn’s); 4th H.Turner (St Paul’s)
Pool C: 1st B.Roberts (St Paul’s); 2nd P.Harrison (Alleyn’s); 3rd M.Mayor (Blundell’s); 4th M.Matthews (Merchant Taylors’)
Pool D: 1st M.Cloke-Brown (Winchester); 2nd A.Garella (Merchant Taylors’); 3rd B.Harrison (St Paul’s); 4th J.Harrison (Tonbridge)
Pool E: 1st S.Scott (Alleyn’s); 2nd A.Tillotson (Merchant Taylors’); 3rd O.McIntyre (City of Durham); 4th R.Ramanan (St Paul’s)
Pool F: 1st A.Huang (Tonbridge); 2nd A.Whitham (St Paul’s); 3rd E.Swarbrick (Blundell’s); 4th R.Stratton (Marlborough)
Pool G: 1st J.Kirwan (Alleyn’s); 2nd A. Sheikh (Merchant Taylors’); 3rd J.Bartlett (Blundell’s); 4th J Lim-Faghihi (St Paul’s)
Pool H: 1st M.Campanale (Tonbridge); 2nd H.Shaw (Alleyn’s); 3rd F.Clayton (Blundell’s); 4th A.Adams (St Paul’s)

1st Round: Wiseman beat Shaw 11-2; Freeman beat Sheikh 11-7; Roberts beat Whitham 11-7; Cloke-Brown beat Tillotson 11-3; Garella beat Scott 12-11; Huang beat P.Harrison 11-5; Kirwan beat Beattie 12-11; Campanale beat Stonor 11-2
Quarter-finals: Wiseman beat Freeman 15-2; Cloke-Brown beat Roberts 16-14; Huang beat Garella 15-12; Campanale beat Kirwan 15-9
Semi-finals: Wiseman beat Cloke-Brown 15-2; Campanale beat Huang 15-10
Final: Wiseman beat Campanale 11-4, 11-0
First plate: McIntyre (City of Durham)
Second plate: Matthews (Merchant Taylors’)

Under 14 Doubles

Pool A: 1st St Paul’s I; 2nd Merchant Taylors’ II; 3rd Tonbridge II; 4th Blundell’s II
Pool B: 1st Alleyn’s I; 2nd St Paul’s IV; 3rd Marlborough
Pool C: 1st Tonbridge I; 2nd Alleyn’s II; 3rd St Paul’s III
Pool D: 1st Merchant Taylors’ I; 2nd Blundell’s I; 3rd City of Durham; 4th St Paul’s II

1st round: St Paul’s I beat St Paul’s IV 15-6; Alleyn’s I beat Merchant Taylors’ II 15-9; Tonbridge I beat Blundell’s I 15-2; Merchant Taylors’ I beat Alleyn’s II 15-12
Semi-finals: Alleyn’s I beat St Paul’s I 15-5; Tonbridge I beat Merchant Taylors’ I 15-2
Final: Tonbridge I (Campanale/Freeman) beat Alleyn’s I (Kirwan/Scott) 11-6, 11-7
Plate: City of Durham (Beattie/McIntyre)

Two-time Winner of the Jesters Cup for Open Singles

Two-time Winner of the Jesters Cup for Open Singles

Open Doubles Champions from Winchester

Open Doubles Champions from Winchester

Double Singles champion from Alleyn's

Double Singles champion from Alleyn’s

Colts Doubles champions from St. Paul's

Colts Doubles champions from St. Paul’s

U14 Doubles champions from Tonbridge

U14 Doubles champions from Tonbridge