Pol Roger and Field 2016/17
The consolidated rules of the Pol Roger Trophy, Field Trophy and Brodie Cup for 2016-17 are available above.
Pol Roger Trophy
Final at Hampton Court
Cambridge beat Queen's Club 4-1
- 2nd Doubles: Duncan Colquhoun & Matt Shaw bt Chris Herbert & Dom Wright 6/3 3/6 6/2
- 2nd Singles: Jamie Giddins bt Harry Eddis 6/1 6/4
- 1st Singles: Ed Kay bt Tom Seymour-Mead 6/2 6/3
- 3rd Singles: Alex Evans bt John Prenn 6/4 6/0
- 1st Doubles: Jules Camp & Ed Pearson vs Richard Owen & Nick James 1/6 6/4 4/6
Semi-finals
Prested Hall lost to Queen's Club 0-5
- 2nd Singles: Mark Nicholl lost to Harry Eddis 4/6 0/6
- 3rd Singles: Colin Sprott lost to Mark Smith 0/6 3/6
- 1st Singles: Steve Taylor lost to Tom Seymour-Mead 6/4 4/6 3/6
- 2nd Doubles: Stuart Levett & Richard Ramjane lost to Martin Higney & Tara Lumley 1/6 3/6
- 1st Doubles: Toby Bawden & Chris Lindsey lost to Chris Herbert & Nick James 2/6 3/6
Cambridge beat Petworth House 5-0 Watch Match
- 2nd Doubles: Matt Shaw & Duncan Colqhoun bt Steve Calder-Smith & Geoffrey Russell 6/2 6/0
- 1st Singles: Ed Kay bt Mark Drysdale 6/0 6/3
- 2nd Singles: Jamie Giddins bt Andrew Page 6/1 6/0
- 3rd Singles: Alex Evans bt Nick Harris 6/5 6/2
- 1st Doubles: Jules Camp & Ed pearson bt Adam Dolman & Bill Chambers 5/6 6/3 6/2
Quarter-finals
Queen's Club beat RTC 3-2
- 2nd Doubles: Chris Herbert & Nick James lost to James Sohl & Phil Dunn 1/6 2/6
- 1st Singles: James Male bt Peter Wright 6/5 6/4
- 2nd Singles: Tom Seymour-Mead lost Nick Hatchett 6/2 2/6 3/6
- 3rd Singles: John Prenn bt Simon Barker 6/2 4/6 6/1
- 1st Doubles: Harry Eddis & Richard Owen bt David & James Watson 6/5 6/1
The first round of the Pol Roger took place at Queen's Club on the 11th of December with the host team and current holders of the trophy playing against the Royal Tennis Court.
Things didn't start well for the home team in the first match as our captain (Chris Herbert) and the mole succumbed to James Sohl and Phil Dunne in short order 1/6 2/6.
From that moment things started to get close. James Male snatched a sizeable victory as he managed to squeeze out Peter Wright 6/5 6/4 through some excellent cut volleying and grille driving and the fixture was tied 1-1.
The third match saw an effective grudge match between Tom Seymour-Mead and Nick Hatchett as they had clashed the year before which had produced a few fireworks. This time around the match was relatively subdued and Nick managed to stick to his game plan of high serves and good volleys despite Tom managing to leap out of the gates and claim the first set. The score ended up as 2/6 6/2 6/3 to Nick.
At 1-2 Queens could not afford to lose another match, and John Prenn strode on court to take on RTC's Simon Barker. John made short order of the first set, but lost the second 4/6. Simon's hoover-like ability to retrieve was starting to make John question his shot selection, but after a short break after the second set and good start John managed to level the rubbers by winning 6/2 4/6 6/1.
The final match came down to Harry Eddis and Richard Owen having to beat the normally formidable pair of the Watsons (father and son). It would be fair to say that the Watsons were never quite allowed to find their stride as the somewhat unconventional home pairing managed to make their game-plan work. Richard was a little out of sorts at the beginning of the match, but managed to find his stride at the net by picking off the loose ones and get back for the backhands whilst Harry covered the dedans effectively and made very few racket errors. Eddis/Owen won 6/5 6/1. Queens beat RTC 3/2
Prested Hall beat Oxford w/o
Seacourt lost to Petworth House 2-3
- 2nd Doubles: Tom Weaver & Spencer Davies bt Charles Fuente & Nick Harris 6/3 6/2
- 1st Singles: Luke Danby bt Charlie Braham 6/3 6/2
- 2nd Singles: Andrew Jameson lost to Adam Dolman 0/6 5/6
- 3rd Singles: Alex Garside lost to Mark Drysdale 1/6 0/6
- 1st Doubles: Paul Weaver & Hugh Latham lost to Andrew Page & Steve Calder-Smith 6/4 3/6 5/6
Cambridge beat MCC 5-0
- 2nd Doubles: Matt Shaw & Ed Pearson bt Alexis Hombrecher & Jolyon Symonds 2/6 6/5 6/2
- 1st Singles: Ed Kay bt William Maltby 6/1 6/2
- 2nd Singles: Jamie Giddins bt Horatio Cary 6/1 6/4
- 3rd Singles: Alex Evans bt Mark Howard 6/4 4/6 6/3
- 1st Doubles: Duncan Colquhoun & Charlie D’Oyly bt Mark Mathias & Neil Roxburgh 2/6 6/1 6/5
POL ROGER RELEGATION
RTC beat Seacourt 3-2
- 2nd Doubles: M Mcmurrugh & C Danby lost to P Dunn & D Blizzard 6/4 2/6 3/6
- 1st Singles: L Danby bt N Hatchett 6/3 6/0
- 2nd Singles: H Latham bt T Freeman 6/4 4/6 6/1
- 3rd Singles: J Whitaker lost to S Barker 5/6 5/6
- 1st Doubles: S Davies & T Weaver lost to J Sohl & D Watson 2/6 4/6
MCC beat Oxford 3-2
- 1st Singles: w/o MCC win
- 2nd Singles: Rob Walker bt Horatio Carey lost to Rob Walker 3/6 6/5 5/6
- 3rd Singles: Neil Roxburgh bt Stewart Licudi 6/1 6/3
- 1st Doubles: Alexis Hombrecher & Peter Jarvis bt Mathew Alden & Adrian Fawcus 6/1 6/0
- 2nd Doubles: w/o Oxford win
Field Trophy
Final at Moreton Morrell
Manchester beat Holyport 3-2
- 1st Singles: Robert Shenkman bt Nick Barker 6/1 6/1
- 2nd Singles: Guy Maxwell bt Penny Lumley 6/1 4/6 6/1
- 3rd Singles: Jimmy Campbell lost to Ed Popplewell 6/3 4/6 4/6
- 2nd Doubles: Henry Stevinson & Mark Seymour-Mead lost to Simon Talbot-Williams & Simon Webster 6/2 4/6 4/6
- 1st Doubles: Alex Duncliffe-Vines & Adam Holloway bt Robert Peel & Nick Jones 6/1 6/2
Last year’s Field Trophy Final was a warm up for this year’s Oscar ceremony. After the match, there was no champagne to distribute to the players and the Field Trophy was nowhere to be seen … however, this year, normal service was resumed, the trophy was presented to the correct team and the Pol Roger flowed!
In the first singles Holyport’s Nick Baker was 15 points adrift of the rapidly improving Robert Shenkman. He contributed to some fine rests but ultimately the gulf was cavernous and he succumbed 1/6, 1/6. Former Ladies World Champion Penny Lumley was tenacious as ever; after losing the first set 1/6, she fought back to take the second 6/4, but youth was on Guy Maxwell’s side whose speed and consistency contributed towards a third set 6/1 win.
The pressure was now on Ed Popplewell to keep Holyport in the tie beyond lunch. At 3/6 and 0/3 down, hopes were on hanging on a thread but he dug in and wore down Jimmy Campbell to take the second set 6/4 and the third set by the same score line.
The second doubles was another tense three set affair. Manchester’s 17 old Henry Stevinson and Mark Seymour Mead took the first set 6/2 with confident and decisive tennis but the experienced and wily Simon Talbot-Williams and Simon Webster improved as the match wore on and squeezed through to a third set 6/4 win.
So unusually for a Field Final the match stood at 2/2. Talented Rackets player Alex Duncliffe-Vines was in irrepressible and at times outrageous form and in partnership with sound volleyer Adam Holloway proved too strong for Robert Peel and Nick Jones, triumphing 6/1, 6/2 to deservedly clinch the Field Trophy for the young and exciting Manchester outfit that should prosper next season in the Pol Roger top division.
Tom Granville and Moreton Morrell were thanked for their hosting of an excellent day of Tennis and camaraderie and players and visitors were most grateful to Pol Roger for their most generous sponsorship of an important day in the real tennis calendar.
Robert Shenkman collects the prestigious Field Trophy from Andrew Hamilton
Semi-finals
Holyport beat Leamington 4-1
- 1st Singles: Nick Baker bt Chris French 6/5 6/2
- 1st Doubles: Robert Peel & Nick Jones lost to Freddie Dixon & Chris Kroeger 4/6 6/3 6/5
- 2nd Singles: Ed Popplewell bt Rob Allsop 6/1 6/3
- 3rd Singles: Penny Lumley bt Steve Brewerton 6/1 6/4
- 2nd Doubles: Simon Talbot-Williams & Simon Webster bt Rob Stewart & Guy Stanton 0/6 6/4 6/0
Moreton Morrell lost to Manchester 2-3
- 2nd Doubles: A. Hamilton & S. Hobson bt A. Holloway & G. Loup 6/4 3/6 6/3
- 1st Singles: T.Bomford lost to R. Shenkman 0/6 4/6
- 2nd Singles: L. Pettiford lost to A. Duncliffe-Vines 5/6 5/6
- 3rd Singles: H. Piney lost to G. Maxwell 4/6 3/6
- 1st Doubles: M. Roger & R. Wills bt S. Shenkman & A. MacDonald 6/4 6/4
Quarter-finals
Holyport beat Hatfield House 4-1
- 1st Doubles: Nick Jones & Robert Peel bt Nick Lloyd & George Foxall 6/4 6/3
- 1st Singles: Nick Baker bt Simon Heck – 6/5 6/2
- 2nd Singles: Ed Popplewell lost to Chris Aley – 3/6 0/6
- 3rd Singles: Penny Lumley bt Mark Devonald-Smith 6/1 6/2
- 2nd Doubles: Simon Talbot-Williams & Fred Satow bt Nick Brodie & Martin Richards 6/4 1/6 6/5
Moreton Morrell beat Middlesex 4-1
- 1st Singles: Tom Bomford bt Irini Dubish 6/1 6/0
- 2nd Singles: Lloyd Pettiford lost to Simon McLoughlin 4/6 3/6
- 3rd Singles: Vaughan Hamilton bt Alex Mullan 6/2 6/3
- 1st Doubles: Philip Shaw Hamilton & Simon Hobson bt Steven Chapman & Josh Kashdan 6/0 6/3
- 2nd Doubles: Rich Wills & Martin Rogers bt George Lewis & Kunal Dusad 6/4 6/5
Manchester beat Jesmond Dene 5-0
- 1st Singles: Robert Shenkman bt Charlie Harries-Jones 6/0 6/0
- 2nd Singles: Simon Shenkman bt Alex Dyter 6/1 6/0
- 3rd Singles: Guy Maxwell bt Charlie Harris 6/0 6/0
- 1st Doubles: Alex Duncliffe-Vines & George Loup bt Ronald Paterson & Richard MacAlister 6/2 6/5
- 2nd Doubles: Adam Holloway & Mark Seymour-Mead bt John Duns & Alan Douglas 6/3 6/1