King upsets Josephs in dominant display as Ivan Ronaldson Trophy returns
Quarter-finals of young professionals trophy sees Hamilton, Henman and Medlow progress
The Ivan Ronaldson Trophy — formerly the Taylor Cup — made a triumphant return to the real tennis calendar at Radley on Friday after a seven-year hiatus, with the top 8 young professionals battling it out across the four quarter-final matches.
The first match of the tournament pitted the Queen’s rackets professional and second seed James Medlow against Leamington’s Jim Ludekens. Ludekens wasn’t bothered by the higher ranking of his opponent, playing high-risk, high-reward tennis from the start. He especially leant into his force from Medlow’s railroad, often garnering a passive response that allowed Ludekens a decent follow-up opportunity. Ludekens pulled ahead early in the first set, but constantly leaked points through the inaccuracy of his hitting. Medlow locked down the service end, becoming more expansive by the end of the set, winning the last five straight games. Medlow eased through the second set, working Ludekens all over the court and barely looking under pressure. He won the set without dropping a game, securing his place in the semi-finals.
Next followed the Bordeaux professional Baudouin Huynh-Lenhardt and the Oratory trainee Henry Henman. Henman, playing on his childhood court, looked completely at home. He read the court excellently, controlling the play and barely letting his opponent have an easy ball. He blitzed the first part of the set, giving away just six points across the first five games before taking his foot ever so slightly off the gas. It allowed Huynh-Lenhardt to get some points on the board, but Henman was never going to go so far as to give up a game. His win locked in a matchup against Medlow, while Huynh-Lenhardt moved into the placement bracket to play Ludekens.
The second session began with the Prested professional and first seed Vaughan Hamilton playing the Oxford professional Nick Jamieson — the latter on a familiar court having previously worked at Radley. Hamilton brought plenty of pace to the game, immediately putting Jamieson on to the back foot. The Oxford pro quickly had to adjust to the speed of the ball, trying to find a way to control his defensive volleys. For a fleeting period during the middle of the first set, he was able to match Hamilton shot for shot. But he ultimately overextended himself, allowing Hamilton to mop up the points he needed to close it out. In the second set, Hamilton sped ahead, picking off Jamieson’s various serves with ease. He repeatedly found the dedans without having to overwork himself, wrapping up an easy victory.
The last match of the day saw the Royal Tennis Court’s Jack Josephs play another Radley alumnus, Leamington’s Josh King. In the opening stanza, Josephs struggled to find the centre of his strings, allowing King to push ahead with his measured, consistent play. Nothing Josephs did made a dent in King, and the scoreboard pressure mounted. King didn’t give an inch conceding just five points across the first set. Though Josephs took the first game of the second set, King’s dominance continued. The Leamington pro never looked under pressure, sealing a dominant win with a winning gallery played from next to the net.
Play continues on Saturday with the semi-finals, with the losing quarter-finalists entering the placement draw. The tournament will conclude on Sunday with a series of placement finals.
Match results:
3:00 PM: Jim Ludekens lost to James Medlow (2) 2/6 0/6
4:00 PM: Henry Henman (3) def Baudouin Huynh-Lenhardt 6/0 6/0
5:30 PM: Vaughan Hamilton (1) def Nick Jamieson 6/3 6/0
6:30 PM: Jack Josephs (4) lost to Josh King 0/6 2/6
Order of play for Saturday:
12:00 PM (5-8 semi-final): Nick Jamieson vs Jack Josephs
1:30 PM (5-8 semi-final): Baudouin Huynh-Lenhardt vs Jim Ludekens
3:00 PM (semi-final): Vaughan Hamilton (1) vs Josh King
4:30 PM (semi-final): Henry Henman (3) vs James Medlow (2)
