The Cattermull Cup 

 

The Cattermull Cup is a Real Tennis Doubles Handicap for Schools' Alumni. Charterhouse entered two pairs for the 2019 Cattermull Cup played at Middlesex University Real Tennis Club between 18th - 20th January.

Sadly Severio Campioni (R91) and Dick Cowling (R87) had already suffered elimination from the ‘Group of Death’ before James Hamblin (g97) and Tim Drayson (V94) began their campaign for the second successive year.

After agonisingly losing out in the opening group match on a sudden death point, Hamblin began to cut to a severe length off both flanks while Drayson covered the galleries with some fine volleys into the tambour. Mimicking the style (if not quite the ability) of the Carthusian Henry Leaf Cup winners led to three consecutive victories and qualification from the group.

The quarter-final involved an enormous 40 point handicap difference against Westminster with various areas of the court banned from play for the Charterhouse pair! Despite the restrictions and encouraged from the dedans by Brian Sharp (R54), Charterhouse managed to restrain their more typically flamboyant style to ease through 6-2.

The semi-final also involved a substantial handicap, but this time against a stronger and unorthodox Radley pair who were the eventual tournament winners. With too many points to claw back each game and some fortuitous chases, Radley pulled away after a tight start.

Training for 2020 has already begun.

Match Between OCs and Queens
On Friday 8th March 2019 there was an inaugural Real Tennis Match between the Old Carthusians and the Queens Club.

We were lucky enough to attract six pairs to represent the School.  The match started at 5.30 pm and finished after 9.00 pm having been played on both courts at Queens.  There was some very exciting Tennis throughout the evening culminating in the final match between James Acheson-Gray (V89) and Adam Dolman (V99) who won 6-5 in the third set.  The crowd were on tenterhooks in anticipation of victory which enabled the OCs to win the match 4-2.

The Tennis was followed by an excellent and most convivial supper and we shall be returning next year for a repeat match.