World Masters 2024 - Danby O70s/Munoz O80s

RESULTS

MUNOZ - Great Britain beat Australia 2-0

• David Brazier & Robin Barlow bt Duncan Crockett & Tony Poolman 6/0 6/1
• John Ward & Michael Seymour bt Mick Fenelon & Phil Roberts 6/1 6/0

DANBY - Great Britain beat USA 3-0

• Jamie Bebb & John Prenn bt Charles Johnstone & Chris Cline 6/1 6/3
• Philip Shaw-Hamilton & Jonathan Fisher bt Dick Tanfield & Jonathan Pardee 6/0 6/0
• Paul Weaver & Duncan Colquhoun bt Greg Van Schaack & Vernon Cassin 6/3 6/1

DANBY - USA beat Australia 3-0

• Greg Van Schaack & Peter Clement bt Wayne Spring & Ross Troon 6/5 3/6 6/3
• Dick Tanfield & Vern Cassin bt Michael McAuley & Richard Mackinnon 6/0 6/1
• Charles Johnstone & Christopher Cline bt John Faull & Greg Cornish 2/6 6/1 6/3

DANBY - Great Britain beat France 3-0

• Nigel Draffan & Philip Shaw-Hamilton bt Ken Casler & Gabrielle Smart 6/0 6/0
• Jonathan Fisher & Jamie Bebb bt Jacques Pouyot & Bernie Bidouze 6/1 6/2
• Paul Weaver & Jill Newby bt Bruno Corman & Michel Oddo 6/0 6/0

MUNOZ - Great Britain beat Rest of World 2-0

• Robin Barlow & William Wilks bt Saint & James Guest 6/2 6/3
• David Brazier & Richard Dalzell bt Vaughan Williams & Michel Oddo 6/5 6/2

MUNOZ - USA beat Australia 2-1

• Jules Zacher & Peter Pell Sr lost to Tony Poolman & Duncan Crockett 5/6 5/6
• Jonathan Pardee & Dick Tanfield bt Phil Roberts & Mick Fenelon 6/1 3/6 6/4
• Dick Tanfield & Jules Zacher bt Tony Poolman & Mick Fenelon 6/2 in the play-off set

MUNOZ - Great Britain beat USA 2-0

• John Ward & William Wilks bt Jonathan Pardee & Dick Tanfield 5/6 6/5 6/5
• Michael Seymour & Robin Barlow bt Peter Pell Sr & Jules Zacher 6/1 6/0

Great Britain win the Munoz Trophy

MUNOZ - Australia beat Rest of World 2-1

• Tony Poolman & Duncan Crockett bt James Guest & Michel Oddo 6/4 6/4
• Phil Roberts & Mick Fenelon lost to Vaughan Williams & Harry Saint 2/6 1/6
• Mick Fenelon & Tony Poolman bt Vaughan Williams & Michel Oddo 6/5

DANBY - Great Britain beat Australia 3-0

• John Prenn & Alan Oliver bt Wayne Spring & Michael McAuley 6/2 6/2
• Nigel Draffan & Philip Shaw-Hamilton bt Richard Mackinnon & Ross Troon 6/2 6/1
• Paul Weaver & Duncan Colquhoun bt John Faull & Greg Cornish 6/1 6/0

Great Britain retain the Danby Trophy

DANBY - USA beat France 3-0

• Charles Johnstone & Christopher Cline bt Ken Casler & Gabrielle Smart 6/0 6/0
• Dick Tanfield & Jonathan Pardee bt Jacques Pouyot & Bernie Bidouze 6/0 6/5
• Greg Van Schaack & Vern Cassin bt Bruno Corman & Michel Oddo 6/0 6/0

USA are Danby runners-up

MUNOZ - USA beat Rest of World

• Dick Tanfield & Peter Pell Sr bt James Guest & Michel Oddo 6/0 6/1
• Jonathan Pardee & Jules Zacher lost to Vaughan Williams & Harry Saint 6/4 1/6 1/6
• Dick Tanfield & Jonathan Pardee bt Michel Oddo & Vaughan Williams 6/0

DANBY - Australia beat France 3-0

• Wayne Spring & Michael McAuley beat Ken Casler & Gabrielle Smart 6/0 6/0
• Richard Mackinnon & Ross Troon beat Jacques Pouyot & Bernie Bidouze 6/1 6/0
• John Faull & Greg Cornish bt Bruno Corman & Michel Oddo 6/0 6/1

Danby Trophy

1^st Great Bitain

2^nd USA

3^rd Australia

4^th France

Munoz Trophy

1^st Great Britain

2^nd USA

3^rd Australia

4^th ROW

SCHEDULE

8th May: Dinner at Hatfield House -

6:30pm Pol Roger (175) Reception, Knot Garden, Old Palace, Hatfield House

7:30pm Gala Dinner, Old Palace, Hatfield House

10:30pm Carriages

DRESS CODE is lounge suit.

The Old Palace is the magnificent building immediately in front of you as you walk through the gate lodge at the top of Fore Street in Old Hatfield, where the court is on your left. Parking is straight off the main roundabout turn left up Church lane, you will see a big sign for Hatfield House visitor car park on your right. Park in the visitor car park and then walk round to the left following the signs to the Hatfield House Shops.

Match Report - Danby Trophy Report (May 10, 2024)

The Danby team comprises six players to form three pairs, and, as the home team, there is an advantage to draw on the best players from all around the country, have them available at short notice, and to be able to practice on the match court.

1

The players were asked to attend a number of valuable practices – we initially had a squad of eight, but then needed ten: John Prenn (20.1 Queen’s), Paul Weaver (23.6 Seacourt), Ducan Colquhoun (24.9 formerly Cambridge), Philip Shaw-Hamilton (25.3 Moreton Morrell), Mick Dean (28.7 Radley), Alan Oliver (32.4 Oxford), Nigel Draffan (32.7 Petworth), Jonathan Fisher (34.2 Hatfield), Jamie Bebb (34.5 Manchester) and Jill Newby (39.4 Holyport).

Regrettably, Mick had to pull out due to a number of health issues. Duncan had been very ill and wasn’t sure how long it needed to get to acceptable competitive fitness. Jonathan has had and, disappointingly for him, continues to have ligament/tendon issues. Alan could only play on the last day. But choosing the team to suit the opposition proved easier than I had at first thought.

First day against the USA: 1^st pair John and Jamie opened the proceedings with a comfortable 6/1, 6/3 win over Charlie Johnstone and Chris Cline. 2^nd pair Paul and Duncan beat Greg Van Schaack and Vern Cassin 6/3, 6/1, and 3^rd pair Jonathan and Philip beat Dick Tanfield and Jonathan Pardee 6/0, 6/0 (It should be mentioned here that Dick Tanfield is 84 yrs young and had played in three national titles in the USA in February this year – 70s Singles, 70s Doubles and 60s Doubles – winning two of them in 4hrs continuous play.)

Second day against France: it’s great that France is participating again despite lacking the depth of players that other countries enjoy, but enjoy it they did with wonderful vocal support in the deadan – particularly from Lea Van der Zwalmen, fresh off court from Queens with her World Rackets singles title. 1^st pair Nigel and Philip beat Ken Casler and Gabrielle Smart 6/0, 6/0. 2^nd pair Paul and Jill beat Bruno Corman and Michel Oddo 6/0, 6/0. And 3^rd pair Jamie and Jonathan beat Jacques Pouyot and Bernie Bidouze 6/1, 6/2.

Third and final day against the Australians. I would normally have said that Australia were the ones to beat, and so they are, but they had lost to the USA 3/0 on day 2….and we had beaten the USA 3/0…so hopes were raised! I put our strongest team together:

1^st pair John and Alan beat Wayne Spring and Mike McAulay 6/2, 6/2. 2^nd pair Paul and Duncan beat John Faull and Greg Cornish 6/1, 6/0 and

3^rd pair Nigel and Philip beat Richard Mackinnon and Ross Troon 6/2, 6/1 (I will also mention here that the Aussies suffered three severe set-backs: their Captain, Philip Barker, fell in his hotel, broke three ribs on the opening day of the matches. Wayne Spring had been bitten by a mosquito in Peru and had picked up the very debilitating Genge fever. And John Faull had to be rushed to hospital after visibly becoming ill after an earlier match.)

GB win the Danby Trophy, beating all opposition 3/0 without dropping a set!

And, as Paul has said before, it’s a team effort – there’s no I in team! And finally – there was a generous Pol Roger sponsored champagne reception in the sunken garden of the Old Palace (where Elizabeth 1^st grew up before she became Queen) with the stunning ‘new’ Hatfield House in glorious evening sunshine behind. And then the gala dinner for all age groups in the fabulous great hall of the Old Palace with the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire in attendance. Wonderful!

Report by Philip Shaw-Hamilton