2001 London Tournament

Howard Wiseman reports:

The London Tournament took place at Highgate again this year under the management of the Rugby & Eton Fives Coaching Agency. This was possibly the largest London Tournament that there has ever been, with over one hundred and twenty players taking part.

The Main tournament and the Festival were equally attended, and almost every pair of players was in action on both the Saturday and the Sunday. There was a wider range of club representation than we have seen in any other tournament in recent years. Twenty players together with their supporters had travelled from Switzerland in order to represent the Zuoz Old Boys, as well as the Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz. It was also particularly pleasing to see a healthy representation from Lancing College Seniors and U14's who had obtained special permission to miss Saturday school and to make the Journey from Brighton by themselves.

The Tournament Dinner was held in Highgate Village on the Saturday evening. Over half of the Tournament entry attended the meal. Our Swiss friends were in full attendance. Since they have shown us such wonderful companionship and hospitality during events held in Zurich, Geneva and at Zuoz, it was terrific to see so many people entering into the spirit of the weekend beyond the Fives court here in London too!

The line up for the Main tournament was of a very high standard with almost all of the top players in the country making the effort to be there. This event was won convincingly by Matthew Wiseman and James Toop (Olavians) who dropped only one game in the whole tournament.

The Festival event was for the "less ambitious" half of the draw. This was won by Luke Stradwick and Ben Sinclair (St.Olave's). It was particularly pleasing to see the Festival "B" Tournament fall to a pair of Rugby Fives players - perhaps the first tournament win by two rugby fives players in an Eton Tournament.

Results

Semi-finals

M Wiseman & J Toop (Old Olavians) beat E Wass & R Pyman (Old Cholmeleian/Harrovian) 3-0

R Tyler & E Taylor (Old Edwardian/Salopian) beat D Mew & H Wiseman (Olavians) 3-1

Final

M Wiseman & J Toop beat R Tyler & E Taylor 3-1 (13-15, 12-3, 12-7, 12-6)

B Plate

S Greenwood and C Cooley (Olavians) beat M Barter and W Powell (Olavians)

Festival Final

B Sinclair and L Stradwick (St Olave's) beat N Gill and J Burke (Citizens)

B Plate

D Mason-Malik and S Korris (Stoke Newington/St Dunstan's) beat S Fedorec and A Kalra (St Olave's)