| 10:00 | Richard White | Charles Fuente | Rec half 30/Owe 15 | 6/0, 6/3 | Petworth +1 | ||||||
| 11:00 | Andrew Falk and | Richard Dalzell and | Owe half 15/Rec 15 | 6/8 | Level | ||||||
| Philip Robinson | Anthony Osmond-Evans | ||||||||||
| 11:40 | Richard White and | Jim Ludden and | Love/Owe half 15 | 8/3 | Petworth +1 | ||||||
| Chris Clarke | Chris Gook | ||||||||||
| 12:20 | Chris Swan and | David Mills and | Love/Rec 15 | 5/8 | Level | ||||||
| Alan Chalmers | John Newman | ||||||||||
| 13:00 | Philip Robinson and | Mark Thornton and | Owe half 15/Rec 15 | 4/8 | OTs +1 | ||||||
| David Godfray | and Will Tidy | ||||||||||
| 13:40 | Harvey Rawlings and | Charles Fuente and | Owe half 15/Love | 8/6 | Level | ||||||
| Chris Swan | David Mills | ||||||||||
| 14:20 | David Godfray and | Mark Thornton and | Love/Rec half 15 | 2/8 | OTs +1 | ||||||
| Carolyn Armstrong-Smith | Anthony Osmond-Evans | ||||||||||
| 15:00 | Alan Chalmers and | Jim Ludden and | Love/Owe half 15 | 7/8 | OTs +2 | ||||||
| Chris Clarke | John Newman | ||||||||||
| 15:40 | Andrew Falk and | Richard Dalzell and | Owe half 15/Rec 15 | 6/8 | OTs +3 | ||||||
| Carolyn Armstrong-Smith | Will Tidy | ||||||||||
There was a strong turnout for this annual fixture at the Petworth House Tennis Court in West Sussex, with a match comprising nine rubbers – one singles and eight doubles so that everyone who could was able to play twice.
Charles Fuente struggled in the opening singles, no doubt weighed down by the responsibilities of the day (as match manager for Petworth but playing for the OTs and helping his wife with the lunch!). The Old Firm of Dalzell & Osmond-Evans, however, squared the match with a good 8/6 win only for Jim Ludden & Chris Gook to have us fall behind again. Then David Mills & John Newman, after a sticky start, settled down to play some excellent tennis for a win by 8 games to 5. Mark Thornton & Will Tidy continued the good work, defeating the local Chairman and his partner by 8/4 to put the OTs ahead for the first time. Petworth got back on level terms, coming from behind to beat Charles Fuente & David Mills by 8 games to 6 but then the effects of Jan Fuente’s excellent lunch kicked in and the OTs won the last three rubbers – Jim Ludden & John Newman (a very tight 8/7); Mark Thornton & Anthony O-E (8/2) and finally Richard Dalzell & Will Tidy (8/6). So the OTs took the match by 6 rubbers to 3 – highly satisfactory.
This was probably the best balanced team to have turned out for the OTs, with Fuente playing off 18, Mills & Ludden in the late twenties, Gook & Newman in the mid 30s, Dalzell mid 40s and Thornton & Tidy in the 50s. We all had some good competitive matches and it was altogether an excellent day enhanced by a delicious lunch with fine wines.
A big thank you to Charles and Jan for making it happen.
RAD/13.12.09