tennis Fixture

Neptune British Open Singles and Doubles Championships 2016

Results

• C Riviere (1) beat C Chapman (7) 6/1 6/3 6/1 Watch match

Cam Riviere started strongly and established an early 4-0 lead, although Chris Chapman was playing much better than the scoreline suggested. The support from Hampton Court erupted when Chapman served out the fifth game, and put himself on the scoreboard. However, Riviere continued to recover awkward shots from the corners and hit his targets; winning the first set 6/1.

The second set was closer. Riviere drove on the lead 2-0, but then Chapman played a superb game to close to 1-2, serving tight to the back wall. Once again Riviere rattled off two more games, then one to Chapman, to leave the score at 4-2 and everything to play for. The players shared the next couple of game to 5-3, but it was once again Riviere with the answers, taking the set 6/3 and a critical two-set lead.

The third set saw Riviere master the Chapman serve and once again start to make in-roads towards the title. As Chapman moved less freely, the match edged nearer to its conclusion, eventually poised at 5-0. Riviere held match point but Chapman volleyed to depth off the tambour to save the point and then take the game - 1-5. However, it was a mere respite, and Riviere soon closed out the set 6/1, and the match by three sets to love.

T&RA Chairman, David Watson, introduced Robert Warner from Neptune Investment Management to present the prizes. He praised the usual highly professional performance from marker Andrew Lyons; and gave huge congratulations to Tournament Director, Alistair Lumsden on another fine event. This was an incredible championship by Chris Chapman, who had beaten former World Champion, Rob Fahey, and holder Steve Virgona on the way to the final. Camden Riviere recaptured the title he won in 2014, playing remarkable shots at will, the mark of a true champion.

Singles

Semi-finals

• C Chapman (7) bt S Virgona (3) 6/1 6/2 2/0 ret Watch match
• C Riviere (1) bt B Sayers (4) 6/0 6/2 6/1 Watch match

After the prolonged matches of the last two days, both semi-finals were straightforward affairs. Perhaps the shock of the day to many was Chris Chapman's unravelling of defending champion, Steve Virgona. The first two sets were bagged for the loss of only three games, with Chapman playing an exquisite blend of Tennis which had eased him past Rob Fahey in the last round. At 0-2 in the third set, Virgona was unable to continue, with Chapman into his first British Open Final. The second semi-final saw Cam Riviere breeze past 2012 champion, Bryn Sayers. Riviere hit his targets with unerring accuracy and recovered virtually everything that Sayers threw at him. Sayers picked up his game, but Riviere stepped up a gear; his intensity highlighted by his irritation at a rare unforced error. A straight sets win was the inevitable outcome, with a determined Riviere into the final.

Quarter-finals

• S Virgona (3) bt K Booth (8) 6/2 6/2 6/3 Watch match
• C Chapman (7) bt R Fahey (2) 6/3 2/6 6/5 6/4 Watch match
• B Sayers (4) bt B Taylor-Matthews (6) 6/5 6/5 3/6 6/5 Watch match
• C Riviere (1) bt T Chisholm (5) 6/4 4/6 5/6 6/0 4/2 ret Watch match

Quarter-finals saw all eight seeds pitted against each other. Reigning champion, Steve Virgona was always on the front foot again the world’s top amateur, Kieran Booth. The more Booth dug in, the more Virgona showed his power and class. A great match between the two Australian rivals, but there was only ever going to be one winner. The second match saw another all-Australian battle, between former world champion, Rob Fahey and the battling Chris Chapman. The first set was tight, but Chapman edged ahead at the right moment. Fahey stormed back in the second to level the match. The pivotal third was the longest set of the match, which both players having their chances, but it was Chapman who stole the vital eleventh. Maintaining the momentum, Chapman left himself within a whisker of the semi-final, which he took at the second time of asking.

An all British third quarter-final, saw Bryn Sayers take on long term rival Ben Taylor-Matthew. The top British players have often met and the matches have always been close. The first two sets both reached 5 games all but it was Sayers on both occasions who edged the set. The third set saw Taylor-Matthews open up an advantage, which was sufficient to capture the set and pull himself into the match. Sayers held the advantage in the fourth, but back came Taylor-Matthews to 5-all. But it was to be Sayers day, to the delight of his home support.

The last quarter-final was an all-American affair, with all the excitement of the recent US election, although absolutely none of the vitriol. The match saw the World Doubles Champions on opposing sides of the net. Cam Riviere and Tim Chisholm produced the match of the tournament to date. Both the first two sets were close, with both players playing a mixture of incredible power and heavy cut, with astonishing recovery shots out of the corners. Riviere managed to inch away in the first, but Chisholm battled back to level at one game-all. At 4-all in the third, an enforced break prolonged the match. Both players started refreshed, although Chisholm was moving the stiffer. Riviere closed to within a game but a rejuvenated Chisholm played exquisite Tennis to snatch the set 6/5 taking the vital lead. The fourth set looked one-way traffic, as Riviere levelled but that belied the quality of the exchanges. Chisholm retained the service into the fifth, with the match reaching 2-all as midnight approached. Riviere won the next two games and then a stretching Chisholm was forced to retire at 2-4 in the fifth. A truly remarkable exchange, played in the best gladiatorial spirit; a shame one player had to lose.

Second Round

• K Booth (8) bt L Danby 6/3 6/2 6/3 Watch match
• S Virgona (3) bt M Sarlangue 6/4 6/1 6/0 Watch match
• R Fahey (2) bt J Lumley 6/5 6/0 6/2 Watch match
• C Riviere (1) bt E Kay 6/4 6/0 6/2 Watch match
• T Chisholm (5) bt J Stout 6/3 6/5 6/0 Watch match
• C Chapman (7) bt R Smith 6/5 6/2 6/4 Watch match
• B Taylor-Matthews (6) bt N Howell 6/4 6/4 6/2 Watch match
• B Sayers (4) bt C Braham 6/2 6/0 6/1 Watch match

Wednesday 16th : Five matches concluded the round of 16, each won in straight sets. However, by no means straightforward. Kieran Booth stamped his authority to despatch the lively Luke Danby. Matthew Sarlangue started well against defending champion, Steve Virgona, but couldn't maintain the tempo in the next two sets as Virgona found his range. The fast improving John Lumley tested Rob Fahey in the first set, but a master class thereafter restored the world order - but a great tournament for Lumley. A similar story as Ed Kay battled well in the first set, but was then on the receiving end of Camden Riviere's athleticism and precision. Some compensation for Kay as he was awarded the Baerlein Trophy afterr the match for the best performance by an Amateur in 2015/16. The final match saw the evergreen Tim Chisholm, ease past Jamie Stout, after two tight sets, with Stout within two points of taking the second. The end result is the top eight seeds all reaching Thursday's quarter-finals.

Tuesday 15th: The opening match proved to be the closest battle of the day, with Matthieu Sarlangue edging out Darren Long in five sets. The match moved between the two players, first Long, then Sarlangue, Long levelled at 2-all, but the valiant Frenchman won the vital fifth by the inevitable 6/5. Chris Chapmen then powered past Ricardo Smith in three, although things might have been different had Smith taken the decisive game in the first. Ben Taylor-Matthews then beat Nicky Howell, avenging his defeat in Paris. Experience then beat rising talent as local professional, Bryn Sayers, despatched Charlie Braham, although the latter held his own. But then John Lumley showed that youth can beat experience, beating Mike Gooding in three. The final match saw Rackets supremo, Jamie Stout, beat RTC's Peter Wright in four, although Wright posted his intent by levelling at one-all, but Stout was ultimately too strong. Day three - just over twelve hours high class Tennis.

First Round

• J Stout bt P Wright 6/2 4/6 6/2 6/3 Watch match
• M Sarlangue bt D Long 2/6 6/3 6/5 5/6 6/4 Watch match
• J Lumley bt M Gooding 6/2 6/1 6/0 Watch match
• C Braham bt J Dawes 6/4 6/4 6/1 Watch match
• E Kay bt T Durack 6/2 6/0 3/6 6/1 Watch match
• R Smith bt A Fowler 6/2 6/2 6/1 Watch match
• N Howell bt T Seymour-Mead 6/3 6/3 6/0 Watch match
• L Danby bt L Gordon 6/5 4/6 6/4 4/6 6/5 Watch match

Sunday 13th: Two straightforward wins for the young amateurs, Charlie Braham and Ed Kay, over more experienced professionals; although both Jon Dawes and Tom Durack made them work for their respective results. Ricardo Smith then overcame local professional Andrew Fowler, whilst visitor Nick Howell (Newport) beat Tom Seymour-Mead in straight sets. The last match of the day saw the experienced Luke Danby defy the hard hitting Louis Gordon in five set thriller, both men taking 26 games apiece. But it was Danby who won the vital fifth, 6/5.

Doubles

• T Chisholm & C Riviere (1) beat B Sayers & R Smith (4) 5/6 6/2 6/4 6/4 Watch match

The Doubles Final certainly saved the best till last. The packed Dedans and Galleries witnessed a pulsating match of the highest quality as Bryn Sayers & Ricardo Smith took the match to World Champions, Tim Chisholm and Camden Riviere. The top seeds quickly settled into their rhythm to establish a 2-0 lead; but the Sayers/Smith partnership struck back and established their own two game lead, 4-2. Chisholm/Riviere fought back to level 4-all, then the pairs shared games to the inevitable 5-all. Sayers/Smith reached set point first and took the set at the first time of asking, 6/5.

The second set started equally promisingly, with games shared until 2-1 Sayers/Smith. However, now Chisholm/Riviere hit their top form and despite the incredible retrievals, reeled off game after game, five in all, taking the set 6/2. The match was level and both pairs knew they had a real opportunity at the title.

More of the same in the third set as the pairs shared the first four games, although the fourth seeds always had their noses ahead. Now it was the turn of Sayers/Smith to break away to 4-2. However, this inspired their opponents to rekindle the magic of true world champions, slowly closing the gap and then the set, 6/4. Now was their opportunity as they were at last ahead.

The fourth set saw their ambitions thwarted as Sayers/Smith took an early 2-0 lead. Back came Chisholm/Riviere to level, then 3-2 Sayers/Smith. As the spectators grew ever more animated, now Chisholm/Riviere opened up a convincing 5-3 lead. Back came the British pair to 4-5, and deuce in the next game. A sporting call yielded championship point and it wasn’t wasted, 6/4.

The match was played in true sporting fashion, with a mixture of power, heavy cut and unbelievable retrieving. This was a true inspiration for ma