This year’s Rye Tennis Club’s quintessential grass court tournament which took place from 2ndth – 5th August, attracted well over 200 keen club players from a variety of clubs all competing in at least one of the eight different categories. Words April Tod
This popular grass court event was first inaugurated in 1922 and has taken place ever since that is bar Covid years which sadly and inevitably a lack of revenue took a toll on the club’s finances. Fortunately, an SOS email sent out to members and past participants asking for contributions and donations towards the club’s upkeep paid dividends and surprisingly received by the club with enabling them to continue financing the eight well-maintained grass courts.
Over those busy four days there was plenty of family reunions, with several mothers and fathers partnering sons and daughters in mixed doubles events notwithstanding the large number of younger players taking part many of whom whose parents and grandparents had previously competed in the tournament.
As always, the standard was high and despite Saturday’s bad weather, which initially played havoc with scheduling, some matches were able to re-start late afternoon, matches, most were postponed until early Sunday morning with an 9.15 start time.
However, that did little to deter those who had tickets for the annual Saturday night barbeque held in the club grounds where a delicious supper was served to well over hundred attending and followed by non-stop live music until quite late.
Bravely I had put my name down for the mixed doubles handicap event and our first match was early Sunday morning … which we won but lost in the second round which was played some fifteen minutes later. Another endearing side of Rye’s tournament is the tradition that winners buy drinks for losers.
This year’s event included teams from Havard and Yale who were due to play in the Prentice & Seabright Cup, an international intercollegiate competition played against teams from Oxford and Cambridge following Rye’s event at the All England Lawn Tennis Club and why competitors from Yale and Harvard seemingly dominated in most finals results:
Gentlemen Singles Open:
Milavsky (Harvard) beat T Dean (Yale) 6-4, 7-6
Ladies Singles Open
S Yafoff (Harvard) beat S Aggarwal (Yale) 6-4, 6-4
Gentlemens Doubles Open 3A
M McAlistair & D Milavsky beat D Milejevic & H Moore 8-6
Gentlemens Doubles Open 3B
H Clifford & R Thompson beat L Pakenham & L Routledge 6-4
Ladies Doubles
M Beugre-Guyot & F Falletti beat C Lynch & M Wacher 6-4, 6-2
Mixed Doubles Open
B Mcelvenny & S Aggarwal (Yale) beat H Moore & C Lynch 8-7
After Saturday’s near washout with so many matches behind schedule, credit has to be given to the two excellent tournament referees, former club president Chris Gorringe who a former CEO for the AELTC, and Jonathan Jempson, who wrote a small book on the tournament’s history aptly called, ‘Rye Tennis Club’.
However, between them they managed to bring the tournament to a successful conclusion with all finals completed by early Monday evening.
From very small beginnings, the tournament now boasts several lucrative partnerships and sponsorship deals, including the local NFU and Shepherd Neame, Britain’s oldest brewer which all helps towards covering running costs and court maintenance during and after the tournament.
The club is still open to new members – further information can be found on the club’s website
