The annual Courtney Salver fixture once again brought Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club across the Irish Sea for a weekend of fiercely contested tennis and a full London programme that included a visit to the Tower of London and a memorable dinner at Queen’s Club.
IPSOBLTA: Harry Randle, Jamie Crowfoot, Ross Martin, Ben Rogers, Stu Shannon, Oli Nunn
Fitzwilliam LTC: Cal Craven, Sean Collins, Rob Dudley, Morgan Dunne, Sean O’Callaghan, Simon Carr
The tennis itself took place at Raynes Park Community Tennis Centre under the now familiar format of three pairs playing three rounds of doubles. The iPubs started strongly and surged into a 2-1 lead after the opening round, raising hopes that the trophy might remain on English soil. Sadly, it proved a false dawn. Fitzwilliam soon settled into their stride and proceeded to win five of the remaining six rubbers to secure a 6-3 victory, restoring what they no doubt consider the natural order of things. Credit must go to the Fitzwilliam first pair, featuring former Irish Open Champion Sean Collins and former ATP world No.500 Simon Carr, whose consistency and experience proved decisive as they recorded a flawless three wins from three matches. Apparently, professional tennis experience remains a useful qualification at this level.
If the tennis belonged to Fitzwilliam, the wider weekend belonged to both teams. Everyone threw themselves wholeheartedly into the social programme (with one notable exception – more on that shortly), ensuring the fixture once again lived up to its reputation as one of the highlights of the calendar. The visit to the Tower of London and attendance at the Ceremony of the Keys provided a memorable and distinctly British backdrop to the weekend’s festivities. As ever, The Yeoman Bar provided the natural focal point for the evening’s activities, with Guinness consumption reaching levels consistent with previous encounters. The theme continued into the following day at Queen’s Club, where lunch, rugby and dinner provided a fitting conclusion to the weekend. It would be remiss of me not to mention the rare Irish double; where they completed a victory on the rugby field as well as the tennis court. One unfortunate absentee from the Tower of London visit was Stu Shannon, who battled heroically through the tennis despite illness before being forced into an early withdrawal from the evening’s activities. Having recovered sufficiently by the following night, he was duly required to perform a solo a cappella rendition of Sweet Caroline at the Queen’s dinner – a moment that will likely endure in Courtney Salver folklore for years to come.
As ever, the true success of the weekend lay not in the scoreline but in the strength of the friendships that continue to define this long-standing fixture. Late nights, questionable decisions and Guinness consumption ensured that the stories will last considerably longer than the memory of match scores. The Courtney Salver continues to prove it is good company, hospitality and shared misadventure that keep both teams returning year after year. A fixture played since 1962 now stands finely balanced, with the iPubs leading 32-30 after more than sixty years of tennis! Here’s to another unforgettable clash next year and the return of the English double to its rightful home!
Ben Rogers - Captain