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Play resumed with the score at 2-all, with both pairs having shared the honours on the first day. The best-of-9 set format effectively reduced down to a best-of-5 set match with a winner to be decided by the end of the day. Riviere and Chisholm started play at the receiver’s end, having conceded the last game of the previous day to ensure that outcome. It allowed Chisholm to line up against Lumley’s serve — the configuration that had proved most fruitful for the defending champions on the first day. Chisholm, in particular, was much improved, seeing the ball well and striking it clean. Often, he called Riviere off balls from the penthouse, allowing himself to quickly play into the match. The pair were confident and dynamic, hitting their targets and picking off volleys with ease, while Virgona and Lumley took a while to match their opponents in intensity. Chisholm and Riviere won the first five games, before Virgona continued the cat-and-mouse tactics from the previous day by conceding the final game to have control over the choice of receivers for the sixth set.

Initially, it looked as though their decision had once again paid off, with Virgona taking Chisholm’s serve and pushing through to a four-game lead. Lumley and Virgona were able to dial up the pressure from the hazard end, sending Riviere diving around trying to keep the ball out of the dedans. Errors from Riviere and Chisholm were compounding, and it seemed as though Virgona and Lumley would try to engineer the end of the set to remain at the hazard end. Despite having attacked second gallery all week, Virgona left it alone, which had the added benefit of icing out Chisholm. With two game points for a 5/0 lead, the sense around the building was that the defending champions may look to re-engineer the service match-ups for the sixth time in the match. But Riviere was clearly uninterested in riding that see-saw all the way until a ninth set. When he hit a repeat of the boasted grille from a ball falling flush to the back wall, it was clear he was once again here to play. They cut out their errors, making Virgona and Lumley have to fight hard for every ball. The quality of play was scarcely believable to those watching on as each reste seemed to outdo the one before it. Virgona would hit a behind-the-back volley off the bandeau, only for Riviere to charge the net and spike the ball as though he were playing padel. Virgona would scrape a ball back a few centimetres off the ground, follow up with a perfect read off the battery wall only for Chisholm to thread the ball perfectly into the dedans. Chisholm and Riviere narrowed the deficit to two games, but after plenty of persistence, Lumley was able to thread a few balls into the grille to get them over the line, evening up the scoreline at 3-all.

Virgona and Lumley had finished the sixth set at the hazard end, and so were able to keep Lumley on Riviere’s serve. But Riviere and Chisholm had moved beyond such games. The defending champions had the initiative and were not going to give it up easily. They grabbed an early, three-game lead as the standard of tennis kept getting better. Both Chisholm and Virgona were creeping further up the court, not allowing the ball to be played to their feet and seeing the ball well enough to nab a volley. Every rally was worth a round of appreciative applause from the crowd, as every reste was a microcosm of four of the finest practitioners of the art of doubles play at work. Though the challengers were nearly faultless in their defensive play, they could not find a way to get the ball past the defending champions despite hitting shot after shot that would have been a winner against any other opponents. Though Virgona and Lumley came within two points of evening the score at 4-all, it would be the Americans who walked away with the set with Riviere particularly fired up after every point, screaming in Chisholm’s face once he won the final set point.

The eighth set of the day once again saw Chisholm opt to receive from Lumley — just as in the first set of the day. The set opened with an elongated deuce exchange, taken by the defending champions as each of their opponents made errors on the half-volley. They rode the wave, going on the full out attack as more errors started to seep in to Virgona and Lumley’s play. Riviere was lightning quick, covering everything from the backhand corner to the forehand by the net, most notably a ball on the high tambour where he was quick enough to have three attempts at hitting it as it bounced around the angles. Their position on the scoreboard then allowed them to ease off slightly, seeing off the last roll of the dice from the challengers, who tried to mix things up on their serve or look for increasingly difficult winners as the match slipped away from them. Though Virgona and Lumley were able to bring proceedings back to 3-all, Chisholm’s volleying at the net — including a winner hit from next to the main wall on the second gallery line having opted not to drop back after serving — was instrumental in winning a tight deuce game to surge ahead once again. Chisholm followed up with some tight bobbles in the subsequent game, putting them on the precipice. In the 5/4 game, on their first championship point and playing off chase second gallery, Riviere slid a ball into the last gallery — missing the post by less than an inch — to seal victory. Riviere and Chisholm leapt into a bear hug before screaming at their supporters in the hazard galleries.

Riviere and Chisholm’s victory puts them equal with Robert Fahey and Steve Virgona as the most successful pair in World Doubles Championship history, with six victories each. Chisholm, meanwhile, becomes the most prolific player in the World Doubles Championship, having won the inaugural edition partnered by Julian Snow. It draws the doubles season to a close for 2025/26, with the next Open doubles not until the French Open in late September to early October.

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Match results:

• Robert Fahey & Nick Howell (3) lost to John Lumley & Steve Virgona (2) 1-5

  • Day 1: 4/6 3/6 3/6 0/6

  • Day 2: 6/3 5/6

• Camden Riviere & Tim Chisholm (1) def Ben Taylor-Matthews & Bryn Sayers (4) 5-1

  • Day 1: 6/2 6/2 5/6 6/3

  • Day 2: 6/5 6/1

• Camden Riviere & Tim Chisholm (1) def John Lumley & Steve Virgona (2) 5-3

  • Day 1: 0/6 6/2 6/2 0/6

  • Day 2: 6/0 3/6 6/3 6/4

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John Lumley and Steve Virgona won the toss, opting to receive and put Virgona on Tim Chisholm’s serve. An extended knock-up followed, with Chisholm framing a ball into his face, leaving him dazed as he tried to recover his composure. Chisholm wasn’t his usual self when the match eventually started, dropping back and exposing the galleries and struggling to pick up the speed of Virgona’s faster shots. The new set of balls used for the final didn’t help Chisholm either, with Virgona generating plenty of spin in both directions on the serve and acing Chisholm on multiple occasions. Riviere had to overcompensate, spraying balls high onto the penthouse, and giving Lumley and Virgona easy opportunities to hit winners, especially at the feet of Chisholm. Chisholm and Riviere won just four points in the first set — never reaching a game score of 30. By the time they were 0/5 down, Riviere patted four balls in the net to concede the set and pick receivers for the second, despite Lumley’s attempt to force a hazard chase by hitting a short caterpillar. The whole set was completed in just 13 minutes — the perfect start for the challengers who wore ear-to-ear grins on their faces.

Chisholm faced up against Lumley for the second set. The change worked, with Chisholm’s high serve generating a weak response from Lumley. Chisholm was seeing the ball better too, engaging and beating Virgona in several volley battles. With the balance restored, Riviere eased into the play as well, playing with more control and precision. They took command of the match, holding a slight advantage over their opponents and holding an effective conversion rate on game points. Virgona and Lumley took too long to adapt to the reinvigorated play of their opponents, falling a little flat themselves as they tried to figure out the next solution to the puzzle presented to them. Facing down chase 3 at set point, Virgona also opted to pat the ball away and concede the set.

Lumley took on Riviere’s serve for the third set — the same configuration as the first — as they looked to recreate some of the magic that they had had in the first set. But the defending champions had other ideas. By now, they were both seeing the ball well, keeping the rallies short and finding winners easily. They were ahead in the set early, with Riviere dancing around the second gallery line and picking off double-handed volleys with ease. They built a three-game lead, but Virgona and Lumley were starting to find the right balance of play themselves, getting closer and closer to breaking through as the set wore on even with Chisholm and Riviere picking off targets out of nowhere. Playing chase the line on set point, Virgona played a drop shot, with Riviere charging the net and scooping the ball into the grille, screaming a loud “c’mon” over the net after he hit the shot.

A short break followed, with Lumley continuing to take Riviere’s serve on the resumption. Virgona and Lumley’s defenses were solid, extending out the rallies until they could gain a tactical advantage. Once they did, they were clinical in executing their finishes, often beating Riviere and Chisholm on the floor or into one of the open galleries. The third game of the set was pivotal, with Riviere and Chisholm missing several chances to grab a foothold in the set. Virgona took the game instead, playing a forehand volley into the winning gallery. While trying to force their way through Virgona and Lumley, Riviere and Chisholm once again started to spray balls onto the penthouses. Lumley barely let a ball past him, playing the anchor role well as Virgona went on the attack. Again, Lumley and Virgona were 5/0 up in the set but stuck at the service end, with Chisholm ignoring Virgona’s serves to try and secure the choice of receivers for the start of the next day. The last ball of the day saw the peculiar sight of Riviere standing at hazard 2 in order to fend off any ball hit deep into the hazards — despite him not being the designated receiver.

The match will conclude on Sunday with both sides needing to find an additional three sets in what has effectively become a best-of-5 set contest. The 2-all scoreline after the first day is a repeat of the previous edition in Chicago, which was fought between the same two pairs. On that occasion, Chisholm and Riviere came out stronger on the second day, winning three unanswered sets.

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Match results:

• Robert Fahey & Nick Howell (3) lost to John Lumley & Steve Virgona (2) 1-5

  • Day 1: 4/6 3/6 3/6 0/6

  • Day 2: 6/3 5/6

• Camden Riviere & Tim Chisholm (1) def Ben Taylor-Matthews & Bryn Sayers (4) 5-1

  • Day 1: 6/2 6/2 5/6 6/3

  • Day 2: 6/5 6/1

• Camden Riviere & Tim Chisholm (1) level with John Lumley & Steve Virgona (2) 2-2

  • Day 1: 0/6 6/2 6/2 0/6

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John Lumley and Steve Virgona entered the second day of their match needing just the single set to ensure progression, while Rob Fahey and Nick Howell faced the daunting task of needing to find five sets on the bounce. After Lumley and Virgona won the first game of the day and had two game points for the second, the sense among the crowd was that the proceedings would be rather brief. So when Howell served a railroad nick to win the second game, they roared into life, urging their favoured pair to push on. They duly obliged, with Fahey and Howell playing more positively than on the first day and looking to hit hard at the targets. Fahey was also having success with his high serve, landing a good length and getting them into the rallies quickly. Virgona and Lumley managed to float and slide the ball into the dedans in response: the pace of the respective pair’s final balls couldn’t have been more different. Fahey and Howell earned themselves a slight advantage in the set, much to the enjoyment of the crowd, who registered plenty of applause for every point they won. The best applause came after Fahey struck a cut-volley into the winning gallery — one of four in the set having not hit any on the first day. They maintained their edge throughout, winning the set with a grille off the racket of Howell, and joining together for a high-five.

Virgona switched to receiving Fahey’s serve for the sixth set, having been receiving from Howell for the fifth. Fahey and Howell still had the initiative, pulling out to a three-game lead and with the prospect of a fairytale starting to enter the back of the minds of the onlookers. Fahey’s ability to find the gallery even despite how high Virgona was playing helped them along that path. For Virgona and Lumley, they needed to regroup and return to the dominating strokeplay they had struck so well the previous day. They were within half a yard of facing down a four-game deficit, but slowly clawed their way back into the contest, with Fahey and Howell unable to convert their game points. The rallies were long, and the games tight, with the set stretching over an hour — the longest of the tournament. Virgona and Lumley wrestled back the initiative, cancelling out the deficit to find themselves level on games.

A few beats later, and the players reached a deciding game, with Lumley and Virgona on serve. Virgona struck a hazard gallery, then Howell opted to leave a ball for a hazard on the floor — despite being 30-15 up and already due a change of ends. Virgona then hit the ball out of court to set up set point to Fahey and Howell. Virgona tickled Fahey’s next railroad as tight as possible to the battery wall, with Fahey unable to get more than a frame on it. Still on set point, Howell put a ball into hazard second. Now at deuce, Fahey couldn’t put away several balls off the back penthouse, with Virgona slipping a winner down the forehand side instead. With match point to Virgona and Lumley, Howell put the next ball into the net to seal his and Fahey’s fate; Virgona and Lumley move on to the final for the third straight edition.

In the other semi-final, Camden Riviere and Tim Chisholm led Bryn Sayer and Ben Taylor-Matthews 3-1 after the first day of play. The defending champions needed two further sets to ensure their progression to the final after having dropped the third set on Wednesday — a fact that hadn’t sat well with them overnight. They came out looking to take points quickly, uninterested in playing out long rallies. But Sayers and Taylor-Matthews had other ideas, being defensively solid and avoiding errors at all costs. They picked off the galleries well — from both ends of the court. They also kept their unforced errors as low as possible while Riviere and Chisholm were more erratic — yet often effective. Neither pair broke more than a game’s advantage throughout the set, culminating in a final, deciding game.

Two unforced errors from Sayers opened the final game, before Taylor-Matthews threaded a ball through the perfect angle to chase a yard that saw both Riviere and Chisholm look at each other assuming the other would take it. Sayers, repeated the same trick — this time hitting the dedans. Sayers’s next shot hit the top of the net tape, sat for a moment before deciding to fall back on his side of the net to groans from the crowd. After the change of ends, the Brits saved both set points to bring it back to deuce. Sayers’s next shot at the winning gallery was long, giving Riviere the chance to lay another chase. Taylor-Matthews’s backhand at the winning gallery was on target, as they marched down to the hazard end with a set point in their pocket, rallying the crowd behind them as they did. Facing down set point, Riviere found himself defending a tight ball off the back penthouse, which he boasted onto the battery wall and into the grille. Taylor-Matthews could only clap his racket in appreciation in response. Riviere took the next two points by peppering the ball at Sayers in the grille, sealing the set and the Brit’s fate in the match.

Riviere and Chisholm were ascendant in the sixth set, while Sayers and Taylor-Matthews’s fight seemed to abandon them. In a flash, they had a big lead in the set, hitting their targets well while Sayers and Taylor-Matthews error count grew. The Brits managed a token game midway through the set, but it was clear to all watching that the Americans weren’t going to let it get away from them. They easily qualified for their eighth career World Doubles Championship final.

The players have a rest day on Friday where they will have an opportunity to refine their plans and tactics for the final, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday in a best-of-9 set format.

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Match results:

• Robert Fahey & Nick Howell (3) lost John Lumley & Steve Virgona (2) 1-5

  • Day 1: 4/6 3/6 3/6 0/6

  • Day 2: 6/3 5/6

• Camden Riviere & Tim Chisholm (1) def Ben Taylor-Matthews & Bryn Sayers (4) 5-1

  • Day 1: 6/2 6/2 5/6 6/3

  • Day 2: 6/5 6/1

Order of play for Saturday:

• 1:30 PM: Camden Riviere & Tim Chisholm (1) vs John Lumley & Steve Virgona (2)

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The World Championship’s return to the UK for the first time in nine years was the third running with the new, slimmed down format, with the draw limited to four pairs. Each edition under the new format has featured the same semi-final matchups, and this was no exception, with John Lumley and Steve Virgona lining up against Nick Howell and Rob Fahey in the opening match. The matches were best of nine sets, with the first four sets playing out on the first day.

The players had an extended warm-up, letting the crowd build in anticipation before the match began, with Fahey serving to Lumley. Fahey and Howell set up with Fahey pushing up to the galleries, reversing their roles from previous editions. Despite his pedigree, Fahey wasn’t able to dominate the play as others are able to in that position, with Virgona and Lumley looking to test Howell’s forehand volley as much as possible. Virgona had plenty of variety on his serve too, sending in left-handed railroads from up at the second gallery line. The set was even as the players felt their way into the match; the tactical battles saw the initiative seesaw between the pairs with the majority of points being won from the hazard end. Fahey and Howell had a 4/3 lead but saw several game points go begging, unable to convert any in order to win a fifth game. Virgona stepped up in intensity, leading the charge as they won four games on the bounce, taking a one set lead in the process.

By now, Lumley was able to fully absorb the play at the back of the service court, no matter how much Fahey and Howell were throwing at him. It gave Virgona the freedom to push up the court to pick which balls he was best placed to intercept, making his presence felt with every touch. Fahey was struggling to find an effective serve, testing out caterpillars and giraffes but couldn’t find a consistent length. The second set quickly slipped away from Fahey and Howell, with Virgona and Lumley hardly making an error in the set. Two of Fahey and Howell’s three games came at a point where the winner of the set was already beyond serious doubt.

Howell switched to take Lumley’s serve in the third set. Virgona was in the middle of a slight fallow patch, erring with the length of his volleys and allowing Howell and Fahey the opportunity to strike. They were just starting to get a foothold back in the match until Virgona and Lumley started really testing Howell’s dedans defence. He had to withstand shot after shot without a let-up as Virgona and Lumley kept everything off the penthouse. When they did break through, Howell tossed his racket over his head, seemingly at a loss as to what more he had to do to win such a rally. Virgona and Lumley held a slight edge in the set, with Howell and Fahey having to fight for every point to stay within touching distance. It was clear they knew how valuable each point was, throwing their heads back in frustration after every error. Their last hopes came in the 5/3 game, where they finally succumbed after seeing six deuces come and go, giving up the set as Fahey struck a volley into the net.

Lumley switched back into Fahey’s serve for the final set of the day. Lumley and Virgona knew they were in the ascendancy, and started to push as hard as they could for the finish line. Lumley opened up his role, no longer needing to simply absorb the pressure and instead able to press for winners as well. Playing alongside a fully dialled-in Virgona, they broke the backs of Howell and Fahey. Only once in the set were Howell and Fahey even able to reach deuce, let alone win a game. Virgona and Lumley finished the day’s play in a strong position, needing to find just one more set on the second day to reach the final.

The evening match saw the incumbent World Champions, Camden Riviere and Tim Chisholm, begin their title defence against Ben Taylor-Matthews and Bryn Sayers. Taylor-Matthews and Sayers opted to receive in order to put Sayers onto Riviere’s serve, a ploy to temper Riviere’s domination of the play from the return. Even so, both players struggled to find the pinpoint precision on their serves required to trouble players of the calibre of Riviere and Chisholm. Chisholm was picking off Taylor-Matthews’s railroad on the volley with ease, while Sayers couldn’t find his mark with the high serve. They found themselves immediately under pressure on the return, with Riviere and Chisholm then able to own the rest of the reste. With their unforced error count barely ticking over, they took the first set with ease.

Despite the result in the first set, Taylor-Matthews kept receiving from Chisholm in the second. Here, Sayers brought out a new tactical innovation: serving left-handed railroads at Riviere despite having a perfectly functional right-handed railroad in his locker. It didn’t immediately prove successful, yet he persisted with it, trying to shake up the pattern of play. Yet it was at the service end where the incumbents were most dominant, with Riviere dancing around the court in sync with Chisholm leaving Taylor-Matthews and Sayers searching to try and find a way of producing points. Again, they only found two games in the set, and a whitewash was seemingly on the cards.

Sayers opted to take Chisholm’s serve for the third set to try and pry an opening, leaving Taylor-Matthews to have to battle through Riviere. Chisholm and Riviere held a 4/2 30-0 lead in the set. But the defending champions started to spray their shots, giving the Brits an opening. Their solid defence against Riviere’s outstanding retrieval allowed them to pick their moment to send a tough ball to Chisholm or into a gallery. They kept fighting until they found themselves in the tournament’s first deciding game. Sayers landed several, tight, second-serve bobbles that had Chisholm spooning the ball back down the middle to set up three set points. Taylor-Matthews then finished the job, playing a thin forehand that found its way into the winning gallery, much to the enjoyment of the Leamington contingent in the crowd that had travelled down the road to see their former to play.

Chisholm and Riviere switched back to the original setup for the final set of the day, with Chisholm taking Taylor-Matthews’s serve. The loss of the set and the feeling of the crowd against him lit a fire in Riviere, rattling off three games in quick succession before the Brits could reestablish their rhythm. Chisholm supported well but Riviere was intent on taking them all on himself, no matter if he was playing at the front or back of the court. They pushed out to a 5/1 lead for their first set point, but Sayers and Taylor-Matthews kept fighting, pulling back another couple games before the Americans could finally finish it off. They ended the day needing to find two more sets to take the match.

Play continues on Thursday, with each match resuming until one pair reaches five sets. A rest day will follow on Friday with the final to take place on the weekend.

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Match results:

• Robert Fahey & Nick Howell (3) trail John Lumley & Steve Virgona (2)

  • Day 1: 4/6 3/6 3/6 0/6

• Camden Riviere & Tim Chisholm (1) lead Ben Taylor-Matthews & Bryn Sayers (4)

  • Day 1: 6/2 6/2 5/6 6/3

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The event willstart on Easter Saturday, running from 27 March through to 3 April, with both singles and doubles champions to be crowned. Claire Fahey is expected to attend to defend her crown on the court she won her very first title back in 2011. Seeking her ninth title in both events, it will be the first time she will contest on a court on which she has previously.

It will be the fourth time that the Royal Melbourne Tennis Club will host the event, having held the inaugural edition in 1985, which was won by Australian Judith Clarke against Lesley Ronaldson. Melbourne will have hosted the event more times than any other club, with Newport having held three editions.

Additionally, for the second time in four years the women’s Australian Open will move from its usual January timeslot, to follow on from 7 to 10 April at the Sydney Real Tennis Club, which will be celebrating its second year of opening. It will be Sydney’s first time hosting the event.

In addition to the elite events, the Australian Real Tennis Association will put on a plethora of ancillary events, including handicap women’s and mixed doubles, women’s clinics and graded women’s singles and doubles and a main draw plate competition to encourage as full of an attendance as possible.

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Before then, the next opportunity to see the top women in action will be at the Bathurst Cup in Paris in May, with a team from Great Britain taking on a team from the Rest of the World.

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The dedans and glass areas at Prested were packed out to see their two home favourites battle out the first semi-final. Home court pro and first seed, Vaughan Hamilton, was challenged by third seed and local prodigy Claire Fahey. Fahey took a while to adapt, having trouble reading the penthouse on the return of serve and mishitting plenty, allowing Hamilton to establish an early lead. The local pro was solid, hardly missing a ball and playing with a firm determination to win. His one-two on the railroad followed by a ball at the tambour paid dividends, dominating that end of the court as Fahey was never given room to play her usual line-and-length tennis. Fahey’s response was to stick to serving caterpillar serves, which, across the first set, were relatively loose giving Hamilton ample opportunity to place wherever he desired. In the second set, Fahey’s serves tightened up, forcing Hamilton to boast his way out of trouble. But Fahey couldn’t capitalise on the follow-up, with Hamilton fighting his way back into the rally and quickly turning the tables. He wrapped up the match in quick time, with Fahey only managing to win one game across the two sets.

The second semi-final, unusally, saw two unseeded players, Ned Batstone and Zak Eadle, battle out for a place in the final. Neither had made it past the quarter-final stage so both had plenty to play for. The first set was tight, with neither player pushing out to more than a game’s lead. The rallies were long and high quality, neither giving an inch. Once again, the service end was key, with both players winning a higher-than-normal percentage of shots from that end. The set went to a deciding game. Eadle, with the serve, got two balls to stick on the glass back wall, then Batstone sent one high on the penthouse to give Eadle three set points. Changing ends, Batstone saved two with back-to-back grilles, but Eadle sealed things off with a main-wall dedans.

Eadle took command in the second set, completing a run of five straight games at 3/0. His bobble serve remaining tight and preventing Batstone from getting a foothold in the rally. But then Eadle’s shots became more nervous, and he found himself stuck in neutral as he tried to rev to the finish line. Batstone battled back hard, never giving in as he took an increasingly deflated Eadle to 4-all. Then Eadle struck two back-to-back grilles of his own, giving him a new spurt of confidence that was enough to carry him through to secure his place in the final.

After a short break filled in by an exhibition match, Hamilton and Eadle returned to the court for the final. Eadle took command early as one of few players in the draw to fully get a handle on the service penthouse, ripping cut-volleys and gaining the upper hand early in the rally. The balls often refused to grip and cut, leading to plenty of rallies where both players were able to extend the play with scrambling dives and last minute reaching shots. Hitting targets was key as it was proving difficult to win rallies on the floor. Eadle had a small lead, but Hamilton battled back to 4-all, the highlight being a rare, floor-boasted dedans. After Eadle switched to his railroad, he was again enjoying the faster ball that Hamilton was sending him in response, able to parry it in the direction of the grille. He took the set with a scrambling, desparate rally ending in a flush back wall despite Hamilton being constantly on the press.

The pattern of Hamilton feeding balls into Eadle’s forehand continued into the second set, setting up shot after shot at the grille and tambour. But the toll of the tournament was starting to be shown on Eadle, developing cramp in his right leg and limping between points. Even so, he kept fighting to stay in the match, maintaining touching distance of Hamilton throughout. But Hamilton kept pushing and pushing, working Eadle from side to side as much as possible. Though Eadle ran him close, Hamilton kept marginally ahead, sending the final into a deciding set.

Both players were putting their bodies on the line in the third set, diving around trying to keep the ball in play as they dove around the court at full stretch trying to keep the ball in play. It was clear that it putting silverware on the line made it no ordinary match from either player as they were desparate to win each and every point. But Eadle’s problems with his right leg continued, and Hamilton, sensing blood, turned up the pressure. The crowd knew it too, getting louder and louder for every grille Hamilton hit. By the end, Eadle could barely put weight on his leg betwen points. Hamilton won the final set without dropping a game; Eadle was only able to blast nine points in the set — all from the hazard end.

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Hamilton’s victory marks the second in a row for Prested pros at the tournament’s new home venue, and solidifies his place as one of the rising stars of the sport. He and Eadle will be able to resume their battle in less than a month, as they have drawn each other in the first round of the Moore Family Office Spring Challenge at the Oratory in May.

Match results:

• 10:00 AM: Vaughan Hamilton (1) def Claire Fahey (3) 6/1 6/0

• 11:30 AM: Ned Batstone lost to Zak Eadle 5/6 4/6

• 3:00 PM: Vaughan Hamilton (1) def Zak Eadle 4/6 6/4 6/0

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The quarter-finals began with the home club favourite and first seed Vaughan Hamilton playing the upset winner from the first round, Adam Player. Player got off to a sluggish start, with the first few games failing to see a rally more than three shots and the first chase not being laid until deep in the second set. Player found it difficult to read the tambour, with Hamilton sliding balls past again and again underneath the grille. In contrast, Hamilton showed off his home court knowledge, reading the court well and predicting the various angles and bounces. He mixed up hyper-aggressive attacking balls with others of deft touch, with his best shots bouncing twice or more before reaching the back wall. It was flashy and entertaining, but brought enough unforced errors midway through the second set to keep Player interested. But Hamilton improved more and more as the match progressed, throwing more variety of shots into his repertoire, and hitting several aces with his high serve. Hamilton raced to the finish line to secure a comfortable straight-sets victory, progressing to the semi-finals for the first time in his career.

Another home crowd favourite, Claire Fahey played the second quarter-final against the amateur Benedict Yorston. Yorston’s approach was to try and pick off the galleries whenever offered, then cause enough chaos with his serve to tie Fahey up against the glass back wall. But Fahey’s control was superior and her shots were clean. She never gave Yorston the long, scrappy rallies that he relishes. She was able to find winners or hit short chases, nullifying the strengths of Yorston’s game. Fahey won the first set comfortably, conceding just ten points in the process.

Yorston started reading the court better into the second set, able to extend the rallies further and demonstrate his receiving prowess. Fahey’s game faltered, missing a number of cut-volleys and letting Yorston take command. He won the first two games of the set, serving well and getting the loose ball he wanted in response. Yorston led, 2/0, and then 4/2, but Fahey was able to bring it back each time, helped by her clutch dedans strikes. Yorston persisted, refusing to give Fahey a way out of the rally, winning the set on his third set point as Fahey fought desparately to stay alive.

Fahey often found herself stuck at the hazard end, her unwillingness to target the galleries trapping her in an unwinnable backhand exchange with the threat of the tambour or the glass back wall looming. In the third set, she conceded that short chases were no longer an option, acquiescing instead to taking hazard chases or galleries. Early in the set, Fahey struck three back-to-back grilles that lifted both her and the crowd’s spirits. It spurned her on to the finish line, holding off Yorston’s fightback to secure her place in the semi-finals to play Hamilton.

The bottom half of the draw saw a quarter-final between the two amateurs, Ned Batstone and the fourth seed, Will Flynn. Flynn set the tone from the first reste, slamming a ball into the dedans. Batstone had to swiftly muster a defence, which he turned into a rather effective counterattack. Controlling the service end was key, with Batstone struggling to read Flynn’s tight serves in order to execute his cut-volley. Meanwhile, from the hazard end, Flynn was prone to hitting the penthouse hard or the high part of the net with his aggressive play. In the end, Flynn’s low drives and deep cut-volleys generated enough chases for him to control the service end, leading from start to finish in the first set.

Batstone found some resistance at the start of the second set, winning the first two, long deuce games. However, Flynn’s ability to work Batstone around the court was dominant, patiently putting shots into difficult areas until an opportunity presented itself to hit a winner, often into the winning gallery. He fought back to equality, but then Batstone pushed ahead once more, keeping his serving tight and neutering Flynn’s big volley returns. Batstone’s targeting of the grille corner was relentless as he pushed through a tight 3-all game before running away with the set.

Into the final set, Flynn needed to make things happen, so he started targeting the opening relentlessly. Batstone, though, wouldn’t give an inch as the two continued to battle out game after game, point after point. The 2-all game alone saw six deuces, eventually won by Flynn. Batstone finally broke away after winning the 3-all game, his managing to keep his error count lower than Flynn’s. It took four attempts to win a match point, but Batstone was able to hold his nerve, progressing through to the semi-finals for the first time.

The last of the quarter-finals saw Bristol’s Zak Eadle play the second seed, Darren Long, from Moreton Morrell. Eadle had the advantage at the start of the match, moving around the court well and generally maintaining control of the play. After Eadle took the first three games, Long fired back, finding a better length on his shots and sending Eadle scrambling into the corners. Long took four straight games and looked to be charging ahead to win the set. Eadle had a chase off call go against him, but used it to fire up for the back half of the set. His shots had a new vigour, pressing on through the next few games. The 5/4 game was tense and nervy, with both players making tactical errors in their shot selection as they exchanged deuces. Eventually, Eadle got the job done, courtesy of a lucky ball on the net tape.

The second set was still tight, with neither player able to fully stamp their dominance on it. Excellent retrieval and hard-hitting strokemaking were punctuated by a tendancy overhit and give their opponent an easy ball off the back wall or penthouse. Both players took on the dedans and the grille on a regular occasion, even if other tactical options were available. Eadle’s execution of said shots was better, pushing out a 4/2 lead before Long slowly started to creep back into content. But after Long put a ball into last gallery to lose a better than 6 chase in the 4-all game, Eadle knew that victory was within his grasp. He pushed through the last game, winning through to his first career semi-final at the event.

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The tournament concludes on Sunday with both semi-finals and the final to be played, separated by a doubles exhibition match.

Match results:

• 10:30 AM: Vaughan Hamilton (1) def Adam Player 6/2 6/1

• 12:00 PM: Benedict Yorston lost to Claire Fahey (3) 1/6 6/4 2/6

• 1:30 PM: Will Flynn (4) lost to Ned Batstone 6/3 3/6 3/6

• 3:00 PM: Zak Eadle def Darren Long (2) 6/4 6/4

Order of play for Sunday (all times BST):

• 10:00 AM: Vaughan Hamilton (1) vs Claire Fahey (3)

• 11:30 AM: Ned Batstone vs Zak Eadle

• 1:15 PM: Robert Shenkman & Sarah Vigrass vs Zack Smart & Archie Sprott (Exhibition)

• 3:00 PM: TBC vs TBC (Final)

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The tournament began with the match between Petworth’s Louis Gordon and Wellington’s Adam Player. The first couple of games were drawn out, with each player struggling to read the difficult main wall. Gordon tried to force the issue, winding up his shots at the postage-box Prested dedans. But Player was able to hold firm and parry away anything on target, whilst holding on long enough in the rally to be the beneficiary of Gordon’s unforced error. Even though Gordon did find his hitting zones more and more frequently, Player kept the set alive, finding plenty of joy with shots tight to the backhand wall or slammed at the main wall. The set ran to a deciding game, with Player bringing up the first set point with another main wall dedans. He then won the set on the change of ends, defending a worse than 3 chase as Gordon’s shot trickled over the top of the net cord.

Gordon battled through the second set, with his past shoulder and ankle injuries threating to flare up again. Player never had to do anything fancy to stay toe-to-toe with Gordon, barring one particularly impressive rally where Player, up in the hazards, defended multiple shots with last-minute digs around his ankles. Again, the set was even throughout, with Player pulling ahead late. Gordon barely kept the set alive through the first two set points, though fell at the third, with Player securing a place in the quarter-finals to play first seed Vaughan Hamilton.

The second match was between one of three amateurs in the draw, Benedict Yorston, and the professional from the Royal Tennis Court, Jack Josephs. Yorston was able to keep a stranglehold on the service end through the first set, serving short and dead to cut off Josephs’s angle on the galleries. He was then able to pepper the tambour, slowly wearing Josephs down until Yorston finally found an angle to beat him. Even when Yorston did find himself at the hazard end, a gallery was never too far away, winning the first set comfortably, dropping just two games.

Josephs looked to be on the front foot more at the start of the second set, refusing to let Yorston get involved in the long rallies he prefers. His retrieving also improved markedly, taking the first three games of the set while Yorston’s shot accuracy dropped off. Yorston was unphased, backing his retrieving skills to fight back into the set. His reactions off the tambour were particularly impressive, using it to pull back five of the next six games. Josephs had to battle to force a deciding game, with Yorston pulling back two of three game points. He then went up two match points, but lost a short chase on one and hit the second into the net. Two chases later — despite Yorston’s protestations — Yorston found himself at the receiving end again. He beat the first second gallery chase by sliding a ball into the last gallery, then won the match on a better than 2 chase, putting both shots deep into Josephs’s forehand corner. Yorston progresses to play the local alumni, Claire Fahey, in the quarter-finals.

In the bottom half of the draw, the Oratory’s Henry Henman took on the second of the amateurs, Ned Batstone. Henman’s opening salvo was to launch a series of hyper-aggressive volley returns, catching Batstone off guard in the first few games. However, he could not persist with it, with Batstone wrestling the initiative before long. Batstone’s own wild forcing became the story of the second half of the set. At first, it had Henman diving for cover, pulling Batstone into the lead in the set. But it too faltered, giving Henman the opening once again. He won the set from deuce in the tenth game, after Batstone had points to force a deciding game.

The match continued to see-saw into the second set, with Henman’s attack once again overextending. Batstone was a model of calm and consistency, defending well and counterattacking where possible. His serving variety never let Henman settle, and his confidence was growing, taking on more and more shots as the set snowballed in his favour. He levelled the match, dropping a single game in the set.

Henman missed his chance to wrestle back control at the start of the third set, as the first game saw a long deuce exchange, while the second Batstone won easily. Henman finally sacrificed a bit of pace off his shots in favour of control. By stopping the bleeding of the easy points, Henman was once again ascendant. He won the next four games before conceding one with a series of unforced errors. He quickly recalibrated, pressing on to be up match point in the 5/4 game, but couldn’t beat a better than 2 chase. Instead, Batstone’s superior gallery hitting forced the match into a one-game shootout. Henman opened with three poor serves, quickly conceding a point and two short chases. Unable to attack either, Batstone had three match points. He won the first, hitting the grille ledge with Henman unable to send a diving return over the net. Batstone moves on to play Will Flynn in the next round.

The last match of the day was between Bristol’s Zak Eadle and Petworth’s Thomas Durack. Eadle was dominant from the start, hitting the ball with a pace that Durack couldn’t match, and getting it to jag and cut all over the place. He won the first set easily, dropping just the penultimate game, and quickly found himself ahead in the second. He took his foot off the accelerator, letting Durack battle back into contention. With the set evenly poised at 4-all, Eadle had to return to his basics to go up by two set points. A brace of grilles from Durack sent the set into a deciding game instead. Eadle spent the final game peppering the ball at the dedans, drawing the volley errors from Durack, which was enough to earn him the win.

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Play continues on Saturday with the four quarter-finals matches, which each see one of the top four seeds enter the draw for the first time. Matches will conclude on Sunday with both the semi-finals and final.

Match results:

• 12:00 PM: Louis Gordon lost to Adam Player 5/6 4/6

• 1:30 PM: Benedict Yorston def Jack Josephs 6/2 6/5

• 3:00 PM: Henry Henman lost to Ned Batstone 6/4 1/6 5/6

• 4:30 PM: Zak Eadle def Thomas Durack 6/1 6/5

Order of play for Saturday (all times BST):

• 10:30 AM: Vaughan Hamilton (1) vs Adam Player

• 12:00 PM: Benedict Yorston vs Claire Fahey (3)

• 1:30 PM: Will Flynn (4) vs Ned Batstone

• 3:00 PM: Zak Eadle vs Darren Long (2)

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Don’t forget to send in your stories or match reports to get featured on Real Tennis News. In particular, we are looking for photographers and correspondents for any major event around the world. Get in touch at ben.geytenbeek@gmail.com.

TICKET NOTICE: Limited number of World Doubles Championships at Moreton Morrell from 22-26 April still available. Get your tickets via this link.

Tournament results and reports:

• 28 Feb-1 Mar: US Over 40’s: Todd Meringoff def Philip Stockton 6/0 6/5 (Singles); Nicholas Warner & Jeremy Wintersteen def Eliot Van Buskirk & Tom Van Buskirk 6/3 6/2 (Doubles)

• 28 Feb-1 Mar: US Over 60’s: Bill Barker def Kenny Soffer 6/2 6/4 (Singles); Bill Barker & Steve Hufford def Kenny Soffer & Anders Cohen (Doubles)

• 28 Feb-1 Mar: US Over 70’s: Marty Hublitz def Christopher Gould 6/2 5/6 6/5 (Singles); Christopher Gould & Marty Hublitz def Peter Vogt & Dick Tanfield 2/6 6/4 6/3 (Doubles)

• 6-8 Mar: US Ladies Open: Claire Fahey def Saskia Bollerman 6/1 6/0 (Singles); Claire Fahey & Tara Lumley def Frederika Adam & Katherine Carney 6/0 6/0 (Doubles)

• 6-8 Mar: Australian Amateur Doubles: Kieran Booth & Ben Hudson def Oliver Pridmore & Paul Rosedale 6/5 6/5 6/2

• 7-8 Mar: British Over 70’s Amateur: John Prenn def Philip Shaw-Hamilton 8/4 (Singles); John Prenn & Richard Moore def Philip Shaw-Hamilton & Jonathan Fisher 8/3 (Doubles)

• 7 Mar: Brodie Cup: Oratory def Holyport 3-2

• 8 Mar: Pol Roger Trophy: Queen’s def Leamington 3-2

• 8 Mar: Field Trophy: Holyport def Jesmond Dene 4-1

• 6-9 Mar: Percy Finch Trophy: Melbourne def Hobart 5-4

• 6-9 Mar: Percy Finch 2: Hobart def Melbourne 7-2

• 12-15 Mar: Inter-University Cup: Oxford Brookes def Cambridge 2-1

• 13-15 Mar: Racquette d’Or: Jean-Baptiste Rossi def Clement Depreeuw 1/6 6/5 6/5 6/2

• 14-15 Mar: Category C: Simon Constantine def Mark Crowley 6/4 6/0 (20-24’s); Patrick Sutton def Michael Henman 4/6 6/4 6/3 (25-29’s)

• 14-15 Mar: Category D: Patrick Lawrence def Chris Lintott 6/4 6/4 (30-34’s); Alexander Jeffreys def George Fowler 6/2 4/6 6/0 (35-39’s)

• 14-15 Mar: Category F: Trevor Hammond def Alex Swanton 8/4 (50-54’s); Jack Morgan def Daniel Morgan 8/7 (55-59’s)

• 14-15 Mar: Category G: Nick Leadbeater-Hart def Nick Turk 8/4 (60-64’s); Daniel-Konrad Cooper def Alex Hilton 8/3 (65-69’s)

• 14-15 Mar: Category H: Rich Hart def Starky Tindall 6/5 2/6 6/5

• 21-22 Mar: Australian Amateur U26’s: Ben Dickinson def Rhys Williams 4/6 6/4 6/4 (Singles); Ben Dickinosn & Xavier Wilson def Emma Clyde & Jimmy O’Sullivan 6/2 2/6 6/1 (Doubles)

• 18-27 Mar: US Open: Camden Riviere def John Lumley 6/1 6/4 6/4 (Singles); Steve Virgona & John Lumley def Camden Riviere & Tim Chisholm 5/6 6/5 6/5 6/1 (Doubles)

• 27-29 Mar: French Junior Open: Philippe Antoine Travis def Paul Jardin 8/1 (U15’s); Jonah Serotta def Philippe Antoine Travis 10/4 (U17’s); Jonah Serotta def Philippe Antoine Travis 6/3 6/4 (U19’s)

• 28-29 Mar: Category E: Mark Harris def Nick Geere 6/4 6/4 (40-44’s); Gus Anthony def Ian Machin 6/5 6/1 (45-49’s)

• 29 Mar-2 April: Cockram Trophy: Team USA win 3-0

• 29 Mar-2 April: Bostwick Cup: Team Australia win 3-0

• 29 Mar-2 April: Danby Trophy: Team Australia win 3-0

• 29 Mar-2 April: Munoz Trophy: Team GB win 3-0

Real tennis in the popular press:

• Brodie Cup triumph for Old Oratonians — via Windsor and Eton Express

• Two new legends honoured at Geelong Sports Museum — via Kardinia Park Trust

• Limited edition prints of John Monks’ painting The Royal Tennis Court for sale — via Tennis and Rackets Association

• Claire Fahey on her Rackets journey and prepping for the Ladies World Challenge — via Tennis and Rackets Association

Unofficial Real Tennis World Rankings:

• Biggest rise (top 100): Tim Chisholm (+83) — US Open Qualifying

• Biggest fall (top 100): James Stout (-30) — Fall off of USCTA Super League (now a doubles-only event)

Unofficial Real Tennis World Championships:

• Level:

  • 18 Mar: Camden Riviere def Darren Long (US Open)

  • 21 Mar: Camden Riviere def Robert Shenkman (US Open)

  • 23 Mar: Camden Riviere def Nick Howell (US Open)

  • 25 Mar: Camden Riviere def John Lumley (US Open)

• Handicap:

  • 8 Mar: Bertie Vallat lost to Robert Shenkman (Pol Roger Trophy) Vallat retained the title after receiving a Null handicap result

  • 19 Mar: Bertie Vallat lost to Bryn Sayers (US Open) Vallat retained the title after receiving a Null handicap result

2027 IRTPA World Race (after 9/14 events — approx 52,000 points remain1)

1. John Lumley (62,822 points)

2. Nick Howell (39,832 points) (+1)

3. Robert Fahey (37,500 points) (-1)

4. Ben Taylor-Matthews (33,013 points)

Real tennis online media:

• realtennisflair — via Instagram

Real Tennis Fantasy League (after 7/10 events)

1. CryMeARiviere (747 points, played boost)

2. Men Taylor-Batthews (679 points, played boost)

3. Novak (669 points, played boost)

4. Cone (649 points, played boost)

5. Ben G (610 points, played boost)

Upcoming major events:

• 10-12 April: Category A Open. Prested.

• 22-26 April: World Doubles Championships. Moreton Morrell. Details & tickets via this link.

• 30 April-15 May: Moore Family Office £20k Challenge. Oratory. Details & tickest via this link.

• 23-31 May: Bathust Cup. Paris.

• 5-14 June: US Professional Singles playing for the Schochet Cup. Newport. Enter here.

Upcoming tournaments and entry forms:

• 3-11 April: World Masters Individual. Melbourne. More information via this link.

• 9-12 April: Cherry Blossom. Washington. ENTRIES CLOSED.

• 10-12 April: Cattermull Cup (Handicap Alumuni Doubles). Middlesex. ENTRIES CLOSED.

• 10-12 April: Sir Andrew Noble Trophy. Jesmond Dene. ENTRIES CLOSED.

• 10-12 April: Category A Open. Prested. ENTRIES CLOSED.

• 10-12 April: NSW Amateur Singles & Doubles. Sydney. Contact pros@sydneyrealtennis.com.au.

• 17-19 April: British Ladies Handicap. Leamington/Moreton Morrell. ENTRIES CLOSED

• 1-3 May: Over 40’s Open Singles. Seacourt. Enter here.

• 1-3 May: US Women’s National Amateur. Newport. Enter here.

• 8-10 May: US Amateur. Tuxedo. Enter here.

• 9-10 May: Jesmond Dene Cup. Jesmond Dene.

• 26 April: U16 Handicap Doubles. Bristol. Enter here.

• 15-17 May: British Amateur Doubles. Queen’s. Enter here.

• 16-17 May: Oratory 20-29 Open Singles. Oratory. Enter here.

• 16-17 May: Leamington 20-29 Open Singles. Leamington. Enter here.

• 16-17 May: Prested Hall of Fame Handicap Doubles. Prested. Enter here.

• 16 May: Cambridge Handicap Mixed Doubles. Cambridge. Enter here.

• 16-18 May: Fortune Decanter (Handicap Mixed Doubles). Petworth. Enter here.

Save the date:

• 22 May 2026: Manchester Tennis and Racquet Club Sesquicentennary, Manchester. More information via this link.

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The doubles final was a repeat of both the 2024 and 2025 US Open finals, as well as the 2023 and 2024 World Doubles Championships. The defending champions and World Champions, Tim Chisholm and Camden Riviere, were seeking their 15th US Open doubles title. Their opponents, John Lumley and Steve Virgona, pushed them to five sets in Philadelphia in 2024 and to four in Washington in 2025.

With Lumley opting to receive from Chisholm, the challengers got off to a quick start, winning the first two games of the match. But Chisholm was much quicker to get warmed into the game than he had been in the semi-finals. He and Riviere took a rather direct approach at the dedans. They took the next four games before Virgona and Lumley started a short fightback. Holding the service end was key, with few hazard chases conceded making the galleries a prized commodity. The set ran to a deciding game, with Chisholm and Riviere at the service end. Chisholm was edging further and further up the court with his volleys setting up the points and Riviere finishing them high onto the curved Chicago tambour. They won the deciding game to love to set up their one set lead.

The second set began like the first, with Virgona and Lumley taking an early lead while trying to leverage the support of the home crowd to Virgona’s favour. All four players were strong enough in their retrieval and court coverage, so the only way to break through was a rare error or to use the features of the court, with the high tambour and straight dedans being popular options. Virgona was particularly keen to take galleries, ensuring he and Lumley could make the most of the service end. The challengers had plenty of chances for a 4/1 lead, but Riviere was hitting his winners harder and harder, getting the ball to cut ferociously. The World Champions fought back to a 4/3 lead. The next two games were shared, with Riviere and Chisholm on the cusp of a two set lead at 5/4. Virgona and Lumley picked on Chisholm’s backhand volley, beating him for pace as he tried to defend the grille corner. They sent the set to a deciding game for the second time in the match. Virgona was determined to see it through, his left-handed side walls getting Chisholm to backpedal and play a loose ball down the middle. He then took command, patrolling up and down the gallery wall while Lumley played in support. They won the set after the change of ends as Riviere tried to volley a lob out of the dedans, but sent it out of court instead.

With the match now level, they once again had the choice of receivers, opting to keep Virgona serving to Chisholm. Buoyed with confidence and bristling with energy, Virgona and Lumley pressed on. They were successfully able to ice out Riviere, especially at the receiving end, with the South Carolinan being forced into playing defensive volleys as opposed to his preferred scrambling floor game. Virgona's big forehands continued to be a menace, proving the key component in their control of the play. Virgona and Lumley stretched the set out to a three game lead, which would have turned into a four game lead had Lumley not set Riviere up with an overhit pique serve on a half yard chase. Instead, Chisholm and Riviere brought the set back to 3-all again. The set continued to follow the same script, with a nailbiting finish as Virgona and Lumley went up 5/4 following a not-up call that Riviere wasn’t too impressed by. Still, his fast feet and a low backhand dig gave him a winning gallery that helped bring the set to a deciding game for the third time. This time, Virgona and Lumley won all four points, with each ending with a ball in the net of Riviere’s racket. The first was an unforced error, but the remaining three came after Lumley and Virgona battered the tambour, breaking down Riviere’s defence bit by bit.

Into the fourth set, Chisholm elected to take Lumley’s serve. For the fourth time in the match, Virgona and Lumley found themselves with an early lead in the set. This time, they were able to make it stick, despite Riviere zooming around the court trying to keep the ball in play. Virgona kept taking galleries at every opportunity and Chisholm seemed happy to cede it to him, even if it did mean subjecting Riviere to having to deal once again with the barrage of balls onto the tambour. The World Champions were no longer able to convert points into games, with Lumley slotting three straight dedans to secure victory.

The result marks the first defeat for Chisholm and Riviere at the US Open doubles since 2011, having defended it continuously since 2013. It also marks their first loss in all competitions since the World Doubles Championship in 2013. Virgona was the previous victor on both occasions, both times partnered by Rob Fahey. The win also secures Lumley his first career grand slam in doubles, with his first career US Open doubles win coming alongside 4 French Opens, 3 British Opens and 2 Australian Opens. It is also Riviere’s second loss in an Open final of the year to date, having lost the Australian Open final alongside Chris Chapman to Virgona and Nick Howell, the first time he has lost two Opens in a year since 2010.

The win could not have come at a better time for Lumley and Virgona, who are set to challenge Riviere and Chisholm for the World Championship title in a little over a month at Moreton Morrell. Before then, all four players will be in action at the USCTA National League Super Event at the Racquet Club of New York, alongside two of the other contenders, Nick Howell and Ben Taylor-Matthews.

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Match results:

• 5:15 PM: Camden Riviere & Tim Chisholm (1) lost to Steve Virgona & John Lumley (2) 6/5 5/6 5/6 1/6

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The Racquet Club was treated to yet another chapter in the ongoing saga between the undisputed two best players in the world. Unusually for him, Camden Riviere did not step on court as the reigning champion — a small blemish in an otherwise flawless Open record in 13 years. Instead, that moniker fell to his opponent, John Lumley, who had won the title 13 months prior at the Westwood Country Club. Their only meeting in the intervening period had been the World Championship Challenge in Newport in September, which Riviere had won 7 sets to 1.

Riviere looked to stamp his authority on the match early, coming out all guns blazing. His feet were quick and his shots powerful. Lumley immediately sought to slow the game down, being more deliberate in his play. He tried to keep the rallies short but that was easier said than done against the greatest retriever the game has seen. Riviere staked out a high position on the court, dancing around to pick off volleys and backing his speed to chase down anything placed deep into the corners. Lumley could not find a way through, seemingly only able to find points with targets if he did manage to catch Riviere out of position. Although Lumley pushed Riviere through the first three games of the first set, Riviere’s lead quickly snowballed until he won the first set.

Lumley found some attacking vigour for the second set. His play was anchored on his tight railroads, restricting Riviere’s volley return of serve and allowing him to play into the rally. He backed up with his tight forcing, drawing enough errors on Riviere’s defensive volley to start to convert points into games. Lumley battled his way to 3-all in the second set, before Riviere pushed ahead for the next two games. Lumley looked like he might force the set into a decider after winning the 5/3 game easily, and forcing well in the 5/4 game, but Riviere held firm to take the set instead.

Despite the growing deficit, Lumley kept battling, taking the lead early in the third set. He was dictating more and more of the rallies, sending Riviere scampering around the court to chase balls down. He almost had a 4/2 lead, but Riviere struck several backhands into the winning gallery to even the scoreline off instead. Lumley continued to try and push ahead, but narrowly missed the execution on several of the key points, allowing Riviere to regain the lead. Riviere took the last three games of the match, celebrating with a muted fist-pump as he regained his crown.

Riviere had gracious words to Lumley at the presentations. “You have become such an amazing sportsman in so many ways both on and off the court, so I’m proud of you as a friend, as a fellow competitor. You’re just a good guy. You work hard. You do everything right and you’re a true showcase for what we want professionals to be. I know it didn’t go your way tonight but I’m looking forward to the many, many more finals here as we go forward.”

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Riviere’s win marks his 14th US Open title and 35th overall Open title. Already the most successful player in the tournament’s history, it puts him one win behind Robert Fahey’s 15 Australian Opens as the most successful player at a single national Open.

The tournament concludes with the doubles final on Thursday, with both Riviere and Lumley in action again with their partners, Tim Chisholm and Steve Virgona respectively.

Match results:

• 5:30 PM: Camden Riviere (1) def John Lumley (2) 6/1 6/4 6/4

Order of play for Thursday (all times CDT):

• 5:30 PM: Camden Riviere & Tim Chisholm (1) vs John Lumley & Steve Virgona (2)

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The day began with the news that the calf injury that Nick Howell sustained in his singles semi-final against Camden Riviere would also rule him and his partner, Josh Dodgson, out of the doubles semi-final. As a result, their opponents, second seeds John Lumley and Steve Virgona, received a bye through to the doubles final. It would also mean that Lumley would get an extra day of rest before his singles final, while home court pro Virgona would receive a three-day break between matches.

The remaining semi-final was brought forward to an earlier start as a result. The match was a direct preview of the upcoming World Doubles Championship semi-final, with first seeds and defending champions of both events, Tim Chisholm and Camden Riviere playing the fourth seeds in both events, and Ben Taylor-Matthews and Bryn Sayers. Sayers and Taylor-Matthews were switching at the hazard end to put Sayers predominantly on the backhand side, taking full advantage of the two-handed whip from Sayers to target the galleries. For much of the first set, the World Champions played with Chisholm at the back, even though he often floated up the court to defend the main wall force. Taylor-Matthews and Sayers were defensively solid, not letting the World Champions get away with their usual shenanigans. They held onto a narrow lead throughout the first set, picking on Chisholm’s slow movement to pick up points into the corners. It marked the second time that the British pair had won a set from the Americans, having also done so on the same court at the 2024 World Doubles Championship.

Taylor-Matthews and Sayers continued to ice out Riviere in the second set, picking on Chisholm as much as possible. It paid dividends, as Chisholm was making plenty of unforced errors. Riviere wasn’t able to use the balls coming his direction to counterattack, instead spraying the penthouse and setting Taylor-Matthews up with another shot at Chisholm. He tried but was not quick enough, to cover the balls Chisholm was letting pass. Taylor-Matthews hardly missed a ball in the whole set, especially in defence of the dedans, with Sayers playing a supporting role without ego, constantly generating difficult angles for the left-handed Riviere. Even so, Chisholm still played the back through most of the set, despite the deficit growing. Taylor-Matthews and Sayers had several points for a 5/2 lead — including one defending a chase worse than 2 — but couldn’t convert any, as it appeared a few nerves were starting to seep in. Instead, Riviere and Chisholm, having been granted their reprieve, found a new intensity. After battling back to 4-all, it seemed as though the World Champions were going to push ahead with game point and a chase 3 to defend. But Sayers struck a couple of key forces to keep their hopes alive, perfectly threading the needle through the defenders. The set went to a deciding game, with Sayers serving to Riviere. Riviere turned on two tight serves to hit two chases. Changing ends, Riviere spooned the first into the winning gallery, then let the second go. After jamming Taylor-Matthews against the wall, Riviere secured the set with a rally pestering the Brits underneath the grille.

Into the third set, and the World Champions were really winding up. Chisholm’s error count had dropped off, while Riviere’s movement was back to its full flow. They once again had the initiative, pressing forward in the rallies and putting their opponents right on the back foot. To their credit, Sayers and Taylor-Matthews never fell away, weathering the storm sent at them by the World Champions. If they survived long enough in the point, eventually Chisholm or Riviere would err, giving them a narrow opening to try and hit a winner in response. They stayed within a game or two throughout the third set, saving set points in the 5/3 and 5/4 games, sending the set into another deciding game. The Brits were lucky to get away with a couple of loose return-of-serves, picking up two chases early to recover the service end. But Riviere’s return was too strong, winning both to set up a 2-1 overall lead.

Finally, in the fourth set, Riviere and Chisholm truly got on top, once again returning to their usual, relaxed and jovial play style. Sayers and Taylor-Matthews’s resistance finally broke, as the World Champions ran away with the set. They dropped just the one game, continuing their unbroken run of US Open doubles finals appearances.

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Riviere will return to the court on Wednesday evening for the singles final, to play defending champion John Lumley. The event concludes with the doubles final on Thursday evening.

Match results:

• 5:00 PM: Nick Howell & Josh Dodgson (3) lost to John Lumley & Steve Virgona (2) w/o

• 6:30 PM: Camden Riviere & Tim Chisholm (1) def Ben Taylor-Matthews & Bryn Sayers (4) 3/6 6/5 6/5 6/1

Order of play for Wednesday (all times CDT):

• 5:30 PM: Camden Riviere (1) vs John Lumley (2)

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The first semi-final was between Nick Howell and Camden Riviere. It was their first meeting in a ranking event since the 2024 British Open final, which had been the first time Howell won a set from Riviere. As he had done in that match, Howell took the game to Riviere from the first ball, getting a good result from his cut-volley into Riviere’s left-handed backhand corner. However, after winning the first two games, Howell’s left leg pulled up lame after extending it out to change directions. He battled on for five more minutes but it was increasingly obvious that he was unable to move, wincing after every shot. By the sixth game, Howell called it quits, handing Riviere a direct passage to the final.

The second semi-final was between defending champion John Lumley and Bryn Sayers, who was playing in his first US Open semi-final since 2013. Both players opted for slow serves with plenty of backspin: underarm twists served from high in the court or giraffes and chandelles. The result was primarily a floor game, with each trying to outmanoeuvre the other, working the ball side to side. For Sayers, it was all about survival, keeping the rally going one more ball, whereas for Lumley, he always seemed to be able to find a way out of the rally when he needed it, hitting a target or a gallery, or driving a ball low onto the back wall for it to cut down. After Sayers won the first game, Lumley took the next five, putting the first set out of reach for his opponent. Sayers took another token game, but Lumley quickly had a 1-0 lead.

In the second set, Lumley was a bit more expansive in his play, looking to finish points earlier if at all possible. His approach paid off, winning the first four games easily and looking as though he was going to storm away with the set. Needing to shake things up, Sayers switched to a power game of his own five games into the set. It caught Lumley a little off guard, as Sayers slid ball after ball into the dedans. Once he did start mustering a defense, he found himself behind in the rally after the third stroke, needing to fight his way back into contention, as opposed to leading from the front. Sayers quickly stole two games, with the 2/4 game playing out a long deuce exchange, eventually won by Sayers. However, during the game, Lumley rediscovered his attacking spirit, using it to push his way to the finish line of the second set. By the third, Lumley was ascendant. He was mixing up the pace of the ball well, winning both the floor rallies and the target game. Sayers put together a couple of games of resistance, but it was to no avail, with Lumley setting up his place in the singles final.

Play continues on Tuesday evening with the doubles semi-finals — should Howell be fit, he and Josh Dodgson will play Lumley and Steve Virgona, followed by Riviere and Tim Chisholm playing Sayers and Ben Taylor-Matthews. The singles final will follow on Wednesday evening.

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Match results:

• 5:00 PM: Camden Riviere (1) def Nick Howell (3) 3/2 ret.

• 6:30 PM: Bryn Sayers (8) lost to John Lumley (2) 2/6 3/6 2/6

Order of play for Tuesday (all times CDT):

• 5:00 PM: Steve Virgona & John Lumley (2) vs Nick Howell & Josh Dodgson (3)

• 6:30 PM: Camden Riviere & Tim Chisholm (1) vs Ben Taylor-Matthews & Bryn Sayers (4)

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The first of the doubles quarter-finals saw the entry into the tournament of the defending champions, Camden Riviere and Tim Chisholm. Their opponents were the young, dynamic duo of Henry Henman and Max Trueman. Henman and Trueman knew they had nothing to lose, so went out looking to play their shots, knowing that they weren’t going to win by out-rallying the World Champions. Riviere and Chisholm set up with Chisholm at the back, freeing Riviere to dance across the front and kill any balls that were overhit at the dedans. For the most part, Chisholm was able to withstand the barrage that Henman and Trueman were sending his way, pressing out to a 4/1 lead. Henman then hit a hot streak, breaking through both Riviere’s and Chisholm’s volleys, beating them both for pace. Trueman played the anchor role as the young pair piled on the next four games for a 5/4 lead. With the set slipping away, Riviere dropped to the back of the court to salvage the situation. Henman and Trueman came within two points of the set but couldn’t find the final finish they needed, with Riviere and Chisholm narrowly escaping with the set in the deciding game.

The second set was no less competitive, even if Riviere and Chisholm did relax somewhat, given they had established their buffer. Riviere was back up to his shenanigans at the front of the net, most notably striking a volleyed floor-boast winning gallery. However, after Henman and Trueman extended out a 3/1 lead, Riviere was forced to drop back again to recover the situation, with Henman and Trueman continuing their rapid-fire approach. The change-up brought the World Champions back into the ascendancy, finally freeing them up to play the way they want to play. They won the remaining games in the set without reply. In the third set, Henman and Trueman’s resistance faded, with the mountain now too big to climb. Riviere and Chisholm won the day, but Henman and Trueman walked away with plenty of positives for the future.

The second seeds, Steve Virgona and John Lumley, were up next against the New Yorkers Barney Tanfield and Freddie Bristowe. It was fairly easy going for Virgona and Lumley, not having to get out of second gear through much of the match. Tanfield and Bristowe couldn’t find a reliable way of breaking through, as between them, Virgona and Lumley largely had everything covered. The New Yorkers were somewhat off the pace, and by the end of the match all four players were going through the motions, with the result seeming inevitable. Virgona and Lumley won the match in just over an hour of play, dropping only two games.

In the bottom half of the draw, the fourth seeds for both the tournament and the upcoming World Doubles Championships, Ben Taylor-Matthews and Bryn Sayers, played their first match against Vaughan Hamilton and John Woods-Casey, who had beaten Lewis Williams and Nino Merola in their first round. Despite their pedigree as a doubles pair in recent events, Hamilton and Woods-Casey found it difficult to overcome the brick wall that was Taylor-Matthews and Sayers. So often, they played one or two hyper-attacking shots early in the rally, only for the fourth seeds to push the ball back into play. Hamilton and Woods-Casey would then try harder and harder to finish the point, which would inevitably result in overextending, putting a ball into the net or onto the penthouse for Taylor-Matthews and Sayers to finish off. Taylor-Matthews and Sayers never needed to hit anything spectacular of their own, instead knowing their rock-solid defense would be enough to win the match.

The final match featured the only top seeded pair not playing in the World Doubles Championships, as Nick Howell partnered with Josh Dodgson rather than his long-term partner Rob Fahey. Their opponents were Robert Shenkman and Leon Smart, finalists from the French Open earlier in the season. Each player on court had a very defined role. Shenkman swept up everything at the back, letting Smart push up to the galleries. Howell relished his role as an enforcer, while Dodgson was the chaos agent. Overall, everything balanced out through the first set, despite the differing styles and tactics on offer. Shenkman and Smart edged ahead late in the set, owing to a couple of errors from Dodgson, winning two games back-to-back from 4-all to take the first set.

Shenkman and Smart were in control to start the second set. Smart was shuffling all the way across the court to start defending the main wall as well as the galleries, playing his volleys with plenty of control and touch to generate winners. Howell tried to wrestle back control, calling Dodgson off balls and winding up his own force. Even though it meant somewhat forgoing Dodgson’s strengths, the plan worked, battling back from 2/4 to win the set 6/4. Dodgson came back into the match more by the third set, while Shenkman and Smart retreated, no longer playing with the chest-out confidence they had earlier in the match. Dodgson and Howell took six straight games to win the third set. In the fourth, more and more errors entered Shenkman and Smart’s game, as their resistance had well and truly faded, with Dodgson and Howell moving into the semi-finals.

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Play continues on Monday evening with the two singles semi-finals, while the doubles competition resumes on Tuesday evening with two further semi-finals. The World Doubles Championship will take place in Moreton Morrell in April, with a limited number of tickets still available.

Match results:

• 10:30 AM: Camden Riviere & Tim Chisholm (1) def Henry Henman & Max Trueman 6/5 6/3 6/2

• 12:00 PM: Barney Tanfield & Freddie Bristowe lost to Steve Virgona & John Lumley (2) 1/6 0/6 1/6

• 2:00 PM: Vaughan Hamilton & John Woods-Casey lost to Ben Taylor-Matthews & Bryn Sayers (4) 1/6 1/6 2/6

• 3:30 PM: Nick Howell & Josh Dodgson (3) def Robert Shenkman & Leon Smart (5) 4/6 6/4 6/2 6/3

Order of play for Monday (all times CDT):

• 5:00 PM: Camden Riviere (1) vs Nick Howell (3)

• 6:30 PM: Bryn Sayers (8) vs John Lumley (2)

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The first singles quarter-final was between World Champion Camden Riviere and British Amateur Champion Robert Shenkman. Remarkably, it was just the second match played between the two top 10 players — the first being in the 2024 US Pro Singles at Newport. Despite the improvements that Shenkman had made to his game in recent months, his attacking weapons were still not mature enough to seriously trouble Riviere, who moved effortlessly around the court to cut everything off. From the service end, Riviere was getting plenty of joy out of his spinless, dead, high serve, making Shenkman have to bring his own energy to the ball. At the hazard end, Riviere was rolling in dedans, playing with plenty of disguise to prevent Shenkman getting into position to anticipate the shot. From both ends, Shenkman was desperately trying to stay alive in the rallies, unable to find counterplay. Riviere cruised to victory, dropping just two games along the way.

Riviere’s semi-final opponent would be one of Steve Virgona and Nick Howell, who played off in a rematch of the French Open final from earlier in the season. Howell had the better head-to-head record over recent matches, but Virgona was playing on his home court and had won their most recent encounter. The battle was intense, with lots of focus on the serving accuracy of each player. Howell opted for railroads, which at first weren’t tight enough, allowing Virgona to step inside and slap balls to the dedans. But they improved over time, with Howell finding his line and length and restricting Virgona more. Virgona was varying his serve up, opting for drags and demi-piques to try and restrict Howell’s forcing in return. Virgona took three of the first four games, making good use of the dedans in the process. But Howell warmed into the match, generally controlling the play well despite Virgona’s extravagant shot-making. A few minor errors seeped into Virgona’s game, allowing Howell to take the final five games and the first set.

The first phase of the second set was the tightest of the match, evenly exchanging games to reach 3-all. However, Howell broke away at the end, having plenty of success sliding balls deep into Virgona’s left-handed backhand corner. Virgona still struggled to find a serve to restrict Howell, as he slotted several dedans on the way to taking the set. Into the third, Howell had Virgona pinned to the hazard end. Howell had all of the initiative, putting ball after ball under the grille and asking Virgona to pull off some miracle get every time to scoop the ball back into play. Though he did more often than not, Howell’s patience was paying off, as the error or unplayable ball would come eventually. Virgona’s only two games in the final set came after he was already 0/5 down, with Howell reaching the semi-final for just the second time in his career having reachied the final of the 2020 edition.

In the bottom half of the draw, the third quarter-final saw Ben Taylor-Matthews play Bryn Sayers. Both players were happy to see the match quickly descend into a series of long backhand exchanges. The galleries were given a heavy workout, while the targets were largely ignored. It was positional and cautious, with neither player extending any significant lead in the set. Taylor-Matthews only started attacking the dedans when facing down three set points in the 4/5 game but it proved too little, too late to save the set.

The second set came purely down to shot execution. Taylor-Matthews kept searching for the narrow Chicago galleries, but sprayed the ball high and low instead. As a result, he got stuck at the hazard end for lengthy periods of time, while Sayers was able to pick off grilles and galleries with impressive regularity. Sayers built a 5/0 lead before Taylor-Matthews threw off the shackles once again and started playing his shots with more freedom. The extra positivity relieved his shooting woes, battling all the way back to 4/5 before Sayers could close out the set.

Such was the paucity of Taylor-Matthews target hitting through the match, that when he struck a grille early in the third set, he through his arms in the air in exasperated celebration. Even so, he battled back hard, tidying up the rest of his strokes and once again ran toe-to-toe with the steady and methodical Sayers. He pushed all the way to a deciding game. The game saw three points heavily feature the opening ledges — including to bring up Sayers’s first match point with a ball that struck the winning gallery ledge causing Taylor-Matthews to flick his racket into the net in disgust. A drive at the dedans and a cut-volley into the corner later, and Sayers had qualified for his first US Open semi-final since 2013.

The last quarter-final saw Lewis Williams take on defending champion John Lumley. For Williams, it was his first appearance in the quarter-final stage of the US Open. Lumley was lightning quick about the court, easily cutting off anything Williams could throw into the corners. Williams’s best theory of the case was to draw Lumley out of position then attack the dedans on the backhand side, but that was easier said than done. The points went by quickly, with Lumley exhibiting his all-around strengths and very few weaknesses. Even though Williams held his own as well as could be expected, he was largely outclassed by Lumley, who won the match while dropping only two games.

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Play continues on Sunday with the four doubles quarter-finals, with the singles draw resuming on Monday evening for the two semi-finals.

Match results:

• 10:00 AM: Camden Riviere (1) def Robert Shenkman (7) 6/1 6/1 6/0

• 11:30 AM: Steve Virgona (5) lost to Nick Howell (3) 3/6 4/6 2/6

• 1:30 PM: Ben Taylor-Matthews (4) lost to Bryn Sayers (8) 4/6 4/6 5/6

• 3:00 PM: Lewis Williams lost to John Lumley (2) 1/6 1/6 0/6

Order of play for Sunday (all times CDT):

• 10:30 AM: Camden Riviere & Tim Chisholm (1) vs Henry Henman & Max Trueman

• 12:00 PM: Barney Tanfield & Freddie Bristowe vs Steve Virgona & John Lumley (2)

• 2:00 PM: Vaughan Hamilton & John Woods-Casey vs Ben Taylor-Matthews & Bryn Sayers (4)

• 3:30 PM: Nick Howell & Josh Dodgson (3) vs Robert Shenkman & Leon Smart (5)

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The main draw doubles began with the fifth seeds Robert Shenkman and Leon Smart playing against Pete Dickinson and Ned Batstone. Shenkman was a defensive powerhouse at the back of the court, happily absorbing anything that Batstone and Dickinson were throwing at him and letting Smart dance around the front to intercept anything he felt like. Dickinson and Batstone chucked everything they could at him but they could not break through at all. Shenkman and Smart were patient, working their way into the point until they could find a breakthrough. Dickinson and Batstone had their best run at the start of the second set, trying to blast through Shenkman’s defence, but Shenkman knew he just had to dig in for a short period before resuming normal service. His solid play gave Smart the freedom to attack from the front of the court, slamming the ball for several winning galleries. They won the match easily, as Batstone and Dickinson couldn’t string enough games together to mount any serious challenge.

The second match saw former semi-finalists Barney Tanfield and Freddie Bristowe joining forces again to play Bertie Vallat and Darren Long. Neither pair set up with a constant formation, playing mostly server-up but also adapting to the game situation. The raw power of Tanfield coupled with the extreme strokeplay of Bristowe meant they were the predominant aggressors for most of the first set. Vallat and Long had to weather the storm, waiting for a mistake like a ball onto the penthouse or into the hazards. Unfortunately for them, the errors were rare, with Tanfield and Bristowe leading throughout the first set.

Long and Vallat tried to flip the script for the second set, becoming the aggressors themselves, forcing for the dedans at any opportunity. They pulled out a 3/0 lead to start the set. Some tighter serving from Bristowe and Tanfield put a stop to their march, causing their play to become more erratic as they were no longer getting the balls in open space they needed to force. The Americans won six of the next seven games to go to a two-set lead. The third set played out very similarly to the second, with Vallat and Long on the offensive again which was good for an early lead, but were unable to sustain the required intensity. Bristowe and Tanfield marched back once more to wrap up a straight-sets victory.

The third match was between the sixth seeds Nino Merola and Lewis Williams and the unseeded but dangerous Vaughan Hamilton and John Woods-Casey, with Hamilton playing his first doubles tournament since winning his first British Open with John Lumley. Woods-Casey and Hamilton’s hazard end play was particularly impressive, having everything covered with their explosive forehand volleys, using it to build a lead despite not seeing much of the service end. There was also an intriguing tactical battle between Woods-Casey and Merola for positioning when up in the galleries. Even though the second half of the first set was more even, by the end Merola deliberately conceded the point when set point down to have pick of receivers for the second set.

Hamilton was the epitome of chaos in the second set, on multiple occasions ending up at the net on the main wall side leaving both his partner and his opponents confused as to where to safely hit the ball. Still, Woods-Casey and Hamilton had a fallow patch, while Merola was a menace in the galleries, pushing incredibly high and relying on Williams to play the anchor role. Woods-Casey and Hamilton were fortunate that the set didn’t completely slip away from them. Merola and Williams had set point in the 5/3 game, but Woods-Casey and Hamilton pulled back to a deciding game. Hamilton and Woods-Casey started the deciding game by laying two chases, but Williams mounted an excellent defence of the hazard galleries on the first one, then Merola slotted the ball between both opponents on the second, causing them to collide their rackets in an attempt to defend. Hamilton then put the next two in the net to lose the set. Hamilton slammed his racket into the ground in frustration.

An extended break before the third set, with Hamilton and Woods-Casey practicing hitting grilles both with and without their rackets. They came back out for the third set on fire, winning it without dropping a game with their confidence growing. They were steady throughout and didn’t give away an errors or loose shots. Williams and Merola ran out of attacking options. Woods-Casey and Hamilton hardly missed a ball across the fourth set as well, moving completely in sync as they ensured their progression on to the quarter-finals.

The last of the first round doubles was between the youthful duo of Henry Henman and Max Trueman and the noted footballers Zak Eadle and Jack Josephs. Henman and Trueman spent most of the first set at the hazard end, but it didn’t matter, as Henman quickly established himself as the most dominant player on court. His movement was dynamic and his control exceptional, with Trueman just having to play a solid anchor role. Brimming with confidence, they stood in contrast to Eadle and Josephs who were struggling to find any coherence to their play. When backed into a corner, Eadle’s only option was forcing, often at the body. Though tempers were flared, the match result was assured from the early stages, with Henman and Trueman dropping just four games in the match.

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Play continues on Saturday with the four singles quarter-finals, with the four doubles-quarter-finals taking place on Sunday.

Match results

• 12:00 PM: Pete Dickinson & Ned Batstone lost to Robert Shenkman & Leon Smart (5) 1/6 2/6 2/6

• 1:30 PM: Barney Tanfield & Freddie Bristowe def Bertie Vallat & Darren Long 6/3 6/4 6/4

• 4:00 PM: Nino Merola & Lewis Williams (6) lost to Vaughan Hamilton & John Woods-Casey 3/6 6/5 0/6 1/6

• 5:30 PM: Henry Henman & Max Trueman def Jack Josephs & Zak Eadle 6/0 6/2 6/2

Order of play for Saturday (all times CDT):

• 10:00 AM: Camden Riviere (1) vs Robert Shenkman (7)

• 11:30 AM: Steve Virgona (5) vs Nick Howell (3)

• 1:30 PM: Ben Taylor-Matthews (4) vs Bryn Sayers (8)

• 3:00 PM: Lewis Williams vs John Lumley (2)

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Play resumed with the defending champion, John Lumley, kicking off his title defence with his first round match against Josh Dodgson. Dodgson was not too fussed about Lumley’s status, using his quick reaction and excellent touch to take time away from his usually incredibly quick opponent. Lumley was slow to adapt to the unusual pace of play,unable to turn the screws with his retrieving as he normally would expect to. Dodgson led through the first eight games of the first set, before Lumley started to settle. Ever the sportsman, Lumley corrected a scoring error in his favour turning down a set point and seeing the first set go to a deciding game instead. A few moments later, Dodgson walked away with a one set lead, thick-boasting a ball into the bottom of the backhand corner of the dedans.

Lumley stepped up the intensity from the start of the second set and Dodgson could not keep up. Dodgson tweaked his shoulder early in the set while trying to whip a forehand return on a ball that was cutting deep into the corner, immediately recoiling in pain. From then on, he was slightly more conservative in his play, while Lumley was in his element, scampering around the court and easily hunting everything down. As the match wore on, Dodgson fell away, winning just two further games over the next three sets, with Lumley fully firing by the end, securing his place in the quarter-finals.

The second match of the day had a student vs teacher vibe, with amateur Bertie Vallat challenging professional Bryn Sayers with both playing most of their tennis at Queen’s. The rallies were long and coy, with neither player willing to launch into a big force or a heavily-cut winner. Instead, they would play it out until eventually one player erred, either with a racket error or a ball onto the penthouse. The problem for Vallat was that the approach relied on him being able to consistently out-rally Sayers, which despite his raw talent is a skill he has not yet mastered. Sayers was steady, not fussed if he lost any of the micro-battles as he knew he had the skill and patience to be ahead overall.

Sayers won the first set easily, but the second proved a little more tricky. Sayers fell a little flat, with a few unforced errors seeping in, while Vallat kept battling away. The first stages of the second set were fairly even, with long deuce battles all the way to 4-all. But as he has done many times before, Sayers lifted for the last two games, looking to become a bit more expansive in his play. It paid off, with Vallat slamming the wall in frustration after he lost the set. Sayers carried the initiative into the third set, while Vallat finally fell away. Sayers won the final set easily, dropping just the single game as he secured his place in the quarter-finals.

His opponent would be either Ben Taylor-Matthews orFreddie Bristowe, who took to the court for the next match. Bristowe wasn’t going to leave any questions unasked, always looking for some kind of inroad into Taylor-Matthews’s game. Taylor-Matthews dug in to weather the initial storm, backing his ability to take the game deep if necessary. The first set was tight with Bristowe always staying within touching distance. Even at 3/5 down, Bristowe set two very short chases and looked like he would push the set to the wire. But Taylor-Matthews smacked two dedans in response, shutting Bristowe out of the set.

Those two shots awoke a spirit in Taylor-Matthews, switching into a more attacking mindset for the second set. Bristowe found himself on the back foot from the first ball in every rally. He had to scramble to stay alive, but had a knack of pulling out some unbeliveable winner from nowhere, throwing the real tennis textbook out the window in doing so. Even so, there were enough errors from Freddie and winners from Taylor-Matthews that the Westwood professional stayed a neck ahead through the second set. By the third set, Bristowe’s ability to hit his way out of trouble waned slightly, with Taylor-Matthews safely ensuring his progression.

The last match of the day was the swansong of Leon Smart as a real tennis professional, playing in his last ranking tournament before he hangs up his rackets and leaves the game for greener pastures in Michigan. Smart persisted with his regular high serve, encouraging Williams to try to blast the ball out of trouble with pace against the back wall. The resultant rallies were set up to be down the middle of the court, with both players smacking volleys at each other. When they did let it go to the back wall, there was plenty of cut on the ball with both players having to play the ball very close to the ground, making life difficult for the marker to call the ball up. With both players stylistically similar to each other, the first two sets were even most of the way through, with Williams coming up trumps both times.

Smart broke out the biggest lead in any set of the match at the start of the third, extending out a three game lead. Williams then started copying Smart’s serving tactics, tossing up spinless high serves and relying on the angle of the penthouse to cause the tightness to the back wall. He brought three games back, but Smart held out to have three set points in the 5/3 game and one in the 5/4 game. Williams saved all with some very tight bobble serves, sending the set to a decider instead. A lucky bounce off the penthouse helped Williams lay two short chases. Smart won one and lost one, before a controversial not-up call meant Williams had to go down the hazard end to beat a chase 2 rather than a hazard on match point. It didn’t matter as he slid it down the main wall to draw the racket error from Smart, bringing a close to the latter’s singles career with a straight-sets loss.

Smart is still active in the doubles alongside Robert Shenkman, and is also expected to play in the doubles-only US Super League event in New York later in the month.

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Play continues on Friday with the four first round doubles matches. The singles quarter-finals will then follow on Saturday.

Match results:

• 12:00 PM: Josh Dodgson lost to John Lumley (2) 6/5 0/6 1/6 1/6

• 1:30 PM: Bertie Vallat lost to Bryn Sayers (8) 2/6 4/6 1/6

• 4:00 PM: Ben Taylor-Matthews (4) def Freddie Bristowe 6/3 6/4 6/3

• 5:30 PM: Leon Smart (6) lost to Lewis Williams 4/6 3/6 5/6

Order of play for Friday (all times CDT):

• 12:00 PM: Pete Dickinson & Ned Batstone vs Robert Shenkman & Leon Smart (5)

• 1:30 PM: Barney Tanfield & Freddie Bristowe vs Bertie Vallat & Darren Long

• 4:00 PM: Nino Merola & Lewis Williams (6) vs Vaughan Hamilton & John Woods-Casey

• 5:30 PM: Henry Henman & Max Trueman vs Jack Josephs & Zak Eadle

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Camden Riviere’s campaign to recover his US Open title began in the first match of the main draw, where he faced off against Moreton Morrell’s Darren Long. Even though Long won the first game of the match with a series of main wall dedans, Riviere quickly established the now-familiar rhythm of his matches, exhibiting his extreme control and variations in pace and spin. His target hitting was exceptional, rarely missing any shot he took on, and was able to take it on from anywhere on the court — including very nearly a grille on a pique serve. Additionally, Riviere’s turn on the return of serve was unplayable, holding as late as he could and not revealing what side he was hitting to. As has been the case for so many before him, Long could not find many tactical innovations that troubled Riviere. His best option was a short underarm twist clipping the side wall, putting Riviere onto a volley return that gave Long options at the tambour. However, all involved could foresee the final result of the match a mile off, and by the end both were somewhat going through the motions.

The second match was between Robert Shenkman and Nino Merola, a repeat of the same fixture in the previous edition in Westwood. Merola was out to play his shots, but struggled to find an execution that really troubled Shenkman. The amateur champion calmly stepped across and played every ball, not just pushing it around but fizzing it about, making life extremely difficult for Merola. Merola went searching through his bag of tactics to try and find something that would work but kept drawing blanks. Shenkman’s control and touch showed that he didn’t need to just hit targets to win points — a relatively new innovation to his game. He played some balls as soft touch into the forehand and others driving for the back wall nick. Shenkman dropped just two games in the match, easing his way into a date with Riviere in the quarter-finals.

The evening session saw home professional Steve Virgona play qualifier Henry Henman. Henman was unafraid to take the game on, but wasn’t nearly as clinical in his shot execution as Virgona. For every missed shot or inaccurate ball that Henman hit, Virgona had a kill shot. For Henman, it was a learning experience to play singles against a world-class left-hander, slowly having to relearn the relevant tactics. In the first half of the second set, Henman determined to just enjoy himself, tossing in volleys either behind-the-back or left-handed himself. Virgona wasn’t bothered, playing his own game and keeping up the intensity.

Facing a three-game deficit in the second set, Henman began an all-out onslaught on the dedans that brought him back into the game. He also found success on his drag serve, preventing Virgona from turning on the return. He even got one to hit the ledge of the winning gallery, which was completely unplayable. Henman’s improved retrieval played against a slight drop in accuracy from Virgona’s hitting. All of a sudden, the match evened up, with the games being evenly exchanged. Virgona still had a big enough advantage to take the second set, but Henman stretched out a narrow lead in the third, before taking an injury timeout to stretch out his hamstring. After the resumption, Henman’s movement was still hampered, allowing Virgona to push on to victory.

The last match of the day saw the other qualifier, Vaughan Hamilton, take on the third seed Nick Howell. Each reste had two distinct tactical phases, firstly on whether Hamilton could constrain Howell’s cut-volley, and once he had, who would win the backhand exchange? Hamilton had to throw himself across to the forehand side after his serve to prevent the follow-up from reaching the back wall. If he managed to survive the first ball, Hamilton was even with the world number 3 in the rally exchanges. The first six games were evenly exchanged, but Hamilton was able to push through the next three to secure the first set.

Howell slowly wrestled the match to his favour in the second set. It wasn’t easy going, as Hamilton threatened a lead of his own. After hitting one floor-boasted winning gallery to the thrill of the crowd, Hamilton tried to hit the same shot again on the very next ball, only to miss and have Howell lob a dedans over his head. Hamilton’s play in general was less precise, giving Howell the option to force onto Hamilton’s double-handed backhand volley, drawing plenty of errors. Howell evened up the match at 1-all, despite a late fight-back from Hamilton.

In the third, Howell entered another fallow patch, unable to command the rally from the serve as much as he would have preferred. In trying to recover his groove, he tried blasting balls at the dedans, but ended up spraying the penthouse more often than not. Hamilton was there to lap up the mess, looking by far the stronger player in general play. He won the set easily, dropping only the second game.

The two had reached the same scoreline after three sets at the same round in the French Open earlier in the season. On that occasion, Howell ramped up his play on the back of his target hitting, dominating the last two sets. This match threatened to move in the same direction, as Hamilton was growing visibly frustrated with the shots he was missing, at one point slamming his racket into the ground, with the marker telling Howell off for trying to goad him into giving Hamilton a warning. As in Paris, Howell dominated the last two sets, moving more freely and taking advantage of Hamilton’s implosion. The Prested professional missed a few key chances midway through each set as Howell secured his place in the quarter-finals.

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Play continues on Thursday with the remaining four first round singles matches, with the first round doubles matches beginning on Friday.

Match results

• 12:00 PM: Camden Riviere (1) def Darren Long 6/1 6/2 6/3

• 1:30 PM: Nino Merola lost to Robert Shenkman (7) 1/6 0/6 1/6

• 5:00 PM: Steve Virgona (5) def Henry Henman (Q) 6/1 6/4 6/4

• 6:30 PM: Vaughan Hamilton (Q) def Nick Howell (3) 6/3 4/6 6/1 1/6 3/6

Order of play for Thursday (all times CDT):

• 12:00 PM: Josh Dodgson vs John Lumley (2)

• 1:30 PM: Bertie Vallat vs Bryn Sayers (8)

• 4:00 PM: Ben Taylor-Matthews (4) vs Freddie Bristowe

• 5:30 PM: Leon Smart (6) vs Lewis Williams

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The day began with the continuation of the second round qualifying matches, starting with the match between Tim Chisholm and Pete Dickinson. Chisholm was slow to adapt to the Chicago court, seemingly half a yard off the pace. He did not read the court as well as he would have expected of himself, with Dickinson launching into big, powerful shots that rattled around him. Dickinson barely missed a ball as he easily built a 5/0 lead in the first set, with Chisholm only managing a modicum of resistance. But slowly, Chisholm’s legs started to work for him again, playing his way into the game and recovering four games before Dickinson finally closed out the set.

In the second set, Chisholm was well and truly out of his rut, slapping the ball at the dedans at any opportunity, and with frightening accuracy. That he wasn’t moving freely into the corners was not an issue as Dickinson was just scrambling as best he could to get the ball back over the net. If Dickinson served short, Chisholm’s punch cut-volley sent the ball sizzling into the forehand corner. Chisholm dominated the set, dropping just one game and sending the match into a third.

Dickinson managed to get some decent shots away to kick-start his run in the third set. He had to absorb the pressure as Chisholm turned in the screws on his forcing, while punching in with a big counterattack whenever the opportunity presented itself. It made for a thrilling finale, as both players edged game by game towards the finish line, refusing to budge from their primary tactics. Twice in the set, Dickinson extended a two game lead, first to 2/0 and then to 5/3, but Chisholm was unfazed and pulled it back both times. Going into the deciding game, Dickinson missed a couple of chances at hitting targets, but Chisholm was clinical each time, calmly sliding the ball into the door to beat a better than first chase to win the match at his first opportunity.

Chisholm’s opponent in the third round would be one of Vaughan Hamilton and Tom Durack, who played off in the final second round qualifying match. Hamilton brought his chaotic energy to the match, playing with a high variance — mixing in some brilliant shots with some poor ones. In order to stay in touch, Durack just needed to keep putting the ball in play and wait for the rash shot to come. But as the match progressed, Hamilton’s errors became fewer and fewer. As he got better, he started dragging Durack around the court on a string, hitting a very good line with all of his shots. There was little Durack could do to stop it, as he found himself struggling right from Hamilton’s return of serve. Hamilton breezed through the second set, setting up his place in the final qualifying round later in the day.

The third round of qualifying then kicked off with a place in the main draw — and a match against Steve Virgona — at stake. The combatants were John Woods-Casey and Henry Henman, both seeking a main draw spot for the first time in their careers. From the start of the match, Woods-Casey was calm and stoic, focussed on playing clean and precise shots, whereas Henman was an erratic hurricane, spraying balls both into the targets but also all over the penthouse. Yet across the first set, it was Henman’s tactics that paid off — as Woods-Casey’s polite responses to Henman’s mistakes were not enough to seize control of the play. After Woods-Casey won the first game of the match, Henman blasted through the next seven, finding out Woods-Casey’s backhand volleys as a particular weakness.

In the second set, Woods-Casey leant into the playbook of serving demi-piques, and trying to hit the follow up straight into a target so as to neutralise Henman’s advantage in the long rallies as quickly as possible. The back-to-basics approach bore fruit, as it dragged Henman into having to play a strong, conventional return of serve as opposed to hitting and hoping at Woods-Casey’s backhand. Woods-Casey extended a big lead in the set, which a late Henman fightback could not overhaul.

Into the third, deciding set, the match tightened up. Henman was more controlled and tactical, not giving in to Woods-Casey’s plans. He narrowly edged a three-game lead, taking each game by a small margin in a long deuce fight. With the lead established, he only needed to hang on for long enough to prevent any comeback from festering. Henman took the set 6/3, securing his spot in the main draw for the first time.

The last of the singles qualifying was between Hamilton and Chisholm, both into their second match of the day. Chisholm was calm in his approach to the play, calculated in his movement and clinical in his shotmaking. Hamilton was the inverse, raw and reactive in his strokemaking yet equally effective. Only when Hamilton was able to draw Chisholm deep into the corners did he look like truly making inroads, otherwise Chisholm was quickly able to establish control and await the misfiring of Hamilton’s weapons. Hamilton was audibly annoyed at Chisholm’s control of the play, feeling as though he ought to be dominating the match easily himself. By trying to force the issue he fed into Chisholm’s game-plan. Even so, Hamilton had just enough tricks up his sleeve to fight most of the set to a draw. No player earned more than a game’s advantage until the very end, when Hamilton finally broke through to take the set 6/4.

The second set was as tight as the first, with Hamilton still trying to overcome Chisholm’s precision at every chance he got. He found his best success when getting Chisholm to play a backhand while on the move. But too often, Chisholm was able to generate decent play onto and around the tambour, eventually drawing an error on Hamilton’s retrieval. Again, neither player earned more than a game’s advantage, with Chisholm eventually taking the set in the 5-all game by slipping a ball into the last gallery to beat a worse-than-last chase.

After taking a short break, Hamilton finally broke through at the start of the third set, curling balls into Chisholm’s backhand corner and getting them to bite down with plenty of cut. Chisholm no longer had the composure to step across and play them, either arriving late and making a racket error or giving up on them altogether. Hamilton sensed he was on top, and stepped on the gas for the run to the finish. He won the final set without dropping a game, securing qualification to the main draw and a date with third seed Nick Howell.

The play concluded with the only match in the doubles qualifying draw, as Jack Josephs and Zak Eadle joined forces to play Tom Durack and Adam Player. Eadle took the back of the court, and was playing like the whole world was on his shoulders. He attacked and attacked, trying to blast the ball through the strings of his opponents. But Durack and Player were able to weather the storm, positioning well and covering everything. After a tight first game, the crowd were treated to some comic relief when Eadle smacked his racket full pace into his backside while attempting a between-the-legs shot. Durack and Player ran away with the first set as the Josephs and Eadle partnership refused to gel.

For the second set, Josephs dropped back from the galleries somewhat, playing a side-by-side formation. The tactic worked, bringing him into the game more and relieving the pressure on Eadle. Eadle’s forcing firmed up too, sending ball after ball whizzing past Durack’s ears. They stretched out to a 5/2 lead, but Durack and Player were always in the game, bringing back two games and sending the next to deuce. Josephs then drew an error from Durack to send the match into a deciding set.

Durack continued to wear forces from Eadle through the third set. The extra pace shook Durack and Player’s rhythm, with Josephs and Eadle winning the battles up and down the main wall. They moved through the set easily, dropping just the one game as they properly learned how to play with each other. Their win sends them through to play Henman and Max Trueman on Friday.

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Play continues on Wednesday with the first half of the first round matches. The remaining four first round matches will be played on Thursday.

Match results:

• 10:00 AM: Tim Chisholm (3) def Pete Dickinson 4/6 6/1 6/5

• 11:15 AM: Vaughan Hamilton (2) def Tom Durack 6/3 6/1

• 12:30 PM: John Woods-Casey (1) lost to Henry Henman 1/6 6/3 3/6

• 2:00 PM: Tim Chisholm (3) lost to Vaughan Hamilton (2) 4/6 6/5 0/6

• 5:00 PM: Jack Josephs & Zak Eadle def Tom Durack & Adam Player 1/6 6/4 6/1

Order of play for Wednesday (all times CDT):

• 12:00 PM: Camden Riviere (1) vs Darren Long

• 1:30 PM: Robert Shenkman (7) vs Nino Merola

• 5:00 PM: Steve Virgona (5) vs Henry Henman (Q)

• 6:30 PM: Nick Howell (3) vs Vaughan Hamilton (Q)

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The tournament got off to a shaky start, as the first match was awarded as a walkover to Wellington’s Adam Player by Tuxedo’s Max Trueman. Trueman was delayed arriving into Chicago, as a storm system hit the Northeast, grounding flights out of New York.

The first match to actually be played was between Henry Henman and Tony Hollins, with Henman making his US Open qualifying debut. Henman barely missed a ball through the first set, soaking up ball after ball that Hollins was throwing at him. However, it was still Hollins who held the initiative, sneaking the odd target in and cashing in on the few shots that Henman missed. As Henman grew more comfortable in the match, he was more willing to throw in a few more expansive shots. The balance of the match turned, with the increased pace of Henman’s shots taking time away from Hollins. After the two had battled to 4-all in the first set, Henman laid down eight of the next nine games. He ultimately secured a comfortable match win, moving on to the second qualifying round to be played later in the day.

The second qualifying bracket started with the match between Pete Dickinson and Zak Eadle. Eadle opted for stand-and-deliver tactics, launching balls at the targets or cutting heavily into the corners. At first, Dickinson tried to match Eadle for pace, but Eadle was easily winning the battle. In a flash, Eadle was 5/1 up with set point. But Dickinson changed tack, absorbing the play and focusing instead on putting every ball back into play and waiting for Eadle to overreach. Eadle did win the set 6/3, but Dickinson had now found a successful formula for winning points.

Dickinson continued his nagging play into the second set. Though Eadle’s target hitting did see him build a 4/1 lead, he could not sustain his accuracy, sending balls onto the high back wall while Dickinson kept troubling him around the tambour. Eadle couldn’t find the last two games he needed as Dickinson kept clawing his way back into contention. By the end of the set, Eadle’s forces kept finding the net as he tried to blast his way out of the hole he was in. Dickinson remained calm, claiming six straight games to win the second set and take an early lead in the deciding third set.

By then, Dickinson’s confidence was growing, becoming more willing to throw in a few more expansive shots to his play. As a result, Eadle became pinned down at the service end, trying just to keep the ball in play and unable to direct the ball into the more difficult areas of the court. However, the approach brought with it risks, causing enough errors to keep Eadle interested in the set. From 2/5 down, Eadle brought back a couple of games as Dickinson went searching in his final push for the finish line. He missed a chance to send the set to a deciding game, instead ceding the match as Dickinson won a long deuce exchange in the 5/4 game. Dickinson’s win sent him into the second qualifying round to play Tim Chisholm the following day.

The last of the first round matches was between Royal Tennis Court’s Jack Josephs and Petworth’s Tom Durack, with the former making his first appearance in US Open qualifying. The play was tactical, with Durack trying to manoeuvre Josephs around the court and tuck him up against the side walls. Josephs’s response was to keep the ball in play as long as he could, even if he wasn’t reaching for winners himself. Josephs took an early 3/1 lead, But Durack was always threatening, controlling the play as Josephs could never really give him a difficult ball to have to deal with. Durack controlled eight of the next nine games to take the first set and a 3/0 lead in the second.

Quickly running out of road, Josephs needed to shake up the play. It didn’t need much, as Josephs started throwing in the occasional attacking shot that would draw a weak defense from Durack. From then on in the rally, he had the advantage, able to press on to win the point. It helped that Durack’s play became more desperate in response, trying to force a conclusion to points when the ball was not there. Josephs won five straight games to take a decisive lead in the second set, sending the match into a decider. Durack tightened up his game, refusing to let Josephs take control. The RTC pro’s lack of incisive weapons cost him dearly, as Durack was able to out-rally his opponent. Durack wrapped up the final set easily, moving on to the second round of qualifying to face Vaughan Hamilton.

The second round then kicked off with two matches in the first qualifying pathway to be played on Monday, with the two matches in the second qualifying pathway to wait until Tuesday. John Woods-Casey played Ned Batstone in the first match: Woods-Casey entered as the first seed in qualifying while Batstone received a bye through the first round owing to the reshuffle caused by fourth-seed Barney Tanfield’s withdrawal pre-tournament. Woods-Casey opened up with a series of expansive shots seeking to put pressure on Batstone early, but became undone by a series of racket errors, striking the frame of his racket seemingly as often as the middle of his strings. Batstone remained calm and positive, putting just enough pressure on Woods-Casey’s play to continue to draw errors but not enough to risk throwing points away himself. He took the first set, having led for its majority.

Woods-Casey tightened up his game for the second set, focusing on hitting the ball cleanly and with control. For Batstone, consistency alone was no longer enough to win games, having to take increasing risks in order to stay in touch with the surging Woods-Casey. He reduced the deficit from three games back to one, but Woods-Casey held firm to take the set. Into the third, Woods-Casey’s high serve was proving particularly effective, drawing Batstone into a loopy volley and giving the Australian an easy follow-up ball. Woods-Casey was clinical on the follow-up shots, building the point gradually and making it harder and harder for Batstone on each stroke before he cracked. Batstone’s only remaining counterplay came from the service end, but his strings there were proving increasingly short as Woods-Casey marched to a three set victory.

Woods-Casey’s final round opponent would be either Adam Player or Henry Henman, who took to the court for the last match of the day. Henman’s control of the ball was key, able to mix up the placement, pace and spin with ease, picking off targets and ripping the ball into the corners. Player’s best response came with his target hitting, but even so he was not given much to work with. He picked up a brace of games towards the end of the first set as Henman slipped into a brief fallow patch, but the neo-pro quickly recovered. Henman won his second match of the day in straight sets, locking in his spot in the final qualifying round.

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Play continues on Tuesday with the remaining second round singles qualifying matches plus both third round singles qualifying matches, followed by the only doubles qualifying match of the draw. The main draw singles matches will begin on Wednesday.

Match results:

• 11:15 AM: Max Trueman (6) lost to Adam Player w/o

• 12:30 PM: Henry Henman def Tony Hollins (5) 6/4 6/1

• 1:45 PM: Pete Dickinson def Zak Eadle 3/6 6/4 6/4

• 3:00 PM: Jack Josephs lost to Tom Durack 4/6 6/4 1/6

• 4:15 PM: John Woods-Casey (1) def Ned Batstone 4/6 6/4 6/2

• 5:30 PM: Adam Player lost to Henry Henman 3/6 3/6

Order of play for Tuesday (all times CDT):

• 10:00 AM: Tim Chisholm (3) vs Pete Dickinson

• 11:15 AM: Vaughan Hamilton (2) vs Tom Durack

• 12:30 PM: John Woods-Casey (1) vs Henry Henman

• 2:00 PM: Tim Chisholm (3) vs Vaughan Hamilton (2)

• 5:00 PM: Jack Josephs & Zak Eadle vs Tom Durack & Adam Player