Great Britain completes whitewash of Van Alen Trophy
Youth British team defeat USA team without dropping a set
Great Britain have regained the Van Alen Trophy without dropping a set against the USA at Seacourt on Saturday, following victories in all four doubles matches on offer.
Great Britain secured the Van Alen Trophy in less than half an hour’s play on the second day, with the 1 and 2 doubles pairing of Bertie Vallat and Benedict Yorston completing a decisive victory over the Americans Ben Dickinson and Spencer Yager. The Americans were unable to play with their characteristic aggression that they had shown through the rest of the week. The British pair were faultless in their play, giving away barely a dozen points across the whole match as their combined consistency and lack of errors helped them pile on the points. Their victory turned the remaining matches into dead rubbers, but that didn’t dissuade a sizeable Seacourt crowd from building and supporting their home team.
The Americans performed marginally better in the 3 and 4 doubles, as Tarquin Sotir and Dawson Chisholm played their shots against Britain’s Will Flynn and Ned Batstone. Once the Britons established their inevitable lead, they relaxed their intensity, allowing the Americans to steal a couple of games. But the result was never in doubt, with Batstone providing the solid base for Flynn to work off as they secured their victory.
By the time of the 1 and 3 doubles, the players had started to check out. Britons Flynn and Vallat were playing below their full intensity while the Americans Dickinson and Sotir were trying to salvage the game. Despite a couple of impressive winning galleries and lobbed dedans, Flynn and Vallat were never going to let the match slip away, even if it wasn’t the most inspired match the world had ever seen. The same was true in the 2 and 4 doubles — where Yorston and Batstone played Yager and Chisholm. The Americans gave the Brits a little scare at the beginning of the match, earning two quick games, but once the Radleans were in their groove, the whitewash became more and more of a certainty
The next Van Alen, Clothier and George Limb trophies will be contested in Australia in 2027, at a venue yet to be announced.
Match results:
Van Alen Trophy (GB vs USA)
10:00 AM (1 & 2 doubles): Bertie Vallat & Benedict Yorston (GB) def Ben Dickinson & Spencer Yager (USA) 6/0 6/0
11:30 AM (3 & 4 doubles): Will Flynn & Ned Batstone (GB) def Tarquin Sotir & Dawson Chisholm (USA) 6/1 6/2
1:00 PM (1 & 3 doubles): Bertie Vallat & Will Flynn (GB) def Ben Dickinson & Tarquin Sotir (USA) 6/3 6/1
2:30 PM (2 & 4 doubles): Benedict Yorston & Ned Batstone (GB) def Spencer Yager & Dawson Chisholm (USA) 6/2 6/1
All matches:
7-8 July: Limb Trophy (GB def Australia 3-1)
9-10 July: Clothier Cup (USA lost to Australia 7-1)
11-12 July: Van Alen Cup (GB def USA 8-0)
