Oxford Men win 154th Varsity Match in final game of dramatic deciding doubles
Cambridge Women romp to 5-1 victory
Oxford University Men have won their eighth consecutive Varsity Match against University Men by the barest of margins after a deciding doubles match that will be remembered as the best in a generation at Lord’s on Saturday. Meanwhile, Cambridge University Women completed a comprehensive victory over their Dark Blues counterparts.
The Oxford vs Cambridge Varsity match is the oldest extant annual tournament in real tennis, having been played continuously since 1859, and is the fourth oldest of the Varsity matches — after rowing’s Boat Race, cricket’s University Match and rackets’ Varsity Match. The real tennis Women’s Varsity Match was institued in 2007.
Play started on Friday, with Cambridge getting off to a rapid start in the Women’s third string singles, as Pheobe Fox (Sidney Sussex, Cambridge) found success targeting Cordelia Lamming’s (Exeter, Oxford) backhand and taking the first set 6/1. But then Lamming found a good run of target hitting, winning back the second set as she found more time at the service end. The final set was hotly contested, with Fox winning an early lead before being pulled back to 4-all by Lamming. Fox held firm on her return of serve, laying some good short chases to take the win.
The Men’s Varsity got underway with the second string doubles. Ben Craig (St John’s, Cambridge) and Isaac Wighton (Lucy Cavendish, Cambridge) were the underdogs by handicap against Beau Swallow (Somerville, Oxford) and Matthew Dick (Magdalen, Oxford), but they didn’t let it show. Wighton had played 3 previous Varsity Matches for Oxford, but switched allegiances to Cambridge in 2025. Both of the Cambridge pair were aggressively pushing up towards the net and plucking out volleys to pressure Oxford. Swallow was the stronger player of the Oxford partnership, giving him a lot of work to do to counter an opposition pair who didn’t have an obviously weaker player. From 3-all in the first set, Cambridge won the next 12 games without reply — the men’s doubles matches are played best-of-5 as a hold-over from the early days of the tournament — winning through the first and second sets in the process. Despite a late surge by Oxford in the dying stages, a Cambridge victory was never in doubt.
In the Women’s 2nd Singles, three time Light Blue Venetia D’Arcy (Emmanuel, Cambrige) took on debutant Dark Blue Grace Beglan (Merton, Oxford). It was D’Arcy’s first match back in Cambridge colours since her initial stint between 2014 and 2016. Beglan has seen rapid improvement in her game, dropping over 20 handicap points in the last 12 months alone. The match was an intriguing battle between the stable and steady D’Arcy with her double handed technique, and the erratic but courageous Beglan. In the first set, D’Arcy had set points in both the 5-3 and 5-4 game, but Beglan saved both. The Oxfordian then went on to win the deciding game to love. The second set was equally as tight, this time with D’Arcy saving two match points before falling at the third on a short chase. Beglan celebrated with her arms outstretched and shouting “come on!” at the Oxford half of the dedans.
Craig (St John’s, Cambridge) and Dick (Magdalen, Oxford) returned to the court to play their 4th string singles match. Dick settled into the match faster, taking advantage of Craig’s looser shots and getting good cut to beat some short chases on his way to a 3-0 lead. Craig relaxed into the match and found a better length on his shots. He was also moving more freely and quickly around the court, winning 12 of the last 13 games to take the match.
The day ended with the first string doubles matches, starting with the women’s. Ellie White (Queens’, Cambridge) and Pheobe Fox (Sidney Sussex, Cambridge) were too strong for Mary Strevens (Magdalen, Oxford) and Cordelia Lamming (Exeter, Oxford). White dominated the back of the court, easily chasing down anything Oxford had to offer, while Fox lurked at the net beyond the first gallery line, ready to poach anything coming in her direction. Cambridge took a 2-1 lead in rubbers going into the second day.
The last match on Friday was the men’s first string doubles. Once again, Oxford entered with an uneven pair on handicap in Alfred Backhouse (St Catherine’s, Oxford) and Quentin Gueroult (Balliol, Oxford), whereas Cambridge had a more even combination of Jin Seok Lee (Robinson, Cambridge) and Joshua Elliott (Magdalene, Cambridge). This time, though, Backhouse was able to dominate the play, while Gueroult was confident in his volleying at the net. The onslaught of forces was too strong, as Oxford notched up their first mark on the scoreboard for the match.
Cambridge entered the second day’s play with a 2-1 lead in both matches. Cambridge quickly extended that lead in the women’s match, with Martha Rushbrook (St Catharine’s, Cambridge) easily overcoming Hannah Wilson Kemsley (Exeter, Oxford), dominating the service end and hitting winners with ease. Things were moving in Oxford’s favour in the Men’s 2nd singles, however, as team captain Beau Swallow (Somerville, Oxford) set about working over Joshua Elliott (Sidney Sussex, Cambridge) in a straight sets victory that put the men’s match on a knife’s edge.
Back over in the women’s match, the Light Blues took an unassailable lead as captain Ellie White (Queens’, Cambridge) defeated Mary Strevens (Magdalen, Oxford). White looked in control for most of the match, until Strevens threatened to cause an upset in the second by fighting hard to 3-all. It would not come to pass, with White hitting several grilles on her path to victory.
It wasn’t so easy in the Men’s 3rd Singles, with Quentin Gueroult (Balliol, Oxford) and Isaac Wighton (Lucy Cavendish, Cambridge). Wighton won the first set easily, but Gueroult fought back in the second, sending it a deciding game in the first set. Gueroult saved four match points at deuce despite some short chases set earlier in the game by Wighton. On Gueroult’s first set point, playing a hazard chase, he dropped the ball in short around second gallery to take the set, with Wighton unable to reach it at full stretch. Wighton had the lead from the start of the final set, throwing himself around the court to keep the rallies going, but Gueroult would not stay down. Wighton had another match point in the 5-3 game, but again could not convert, with Gueroult sending it into another deciding game. With the partisans in the crowd more vocal than a rackets gallery, Wighton finally won the match on his sixth match point, putting all the pressure on the final singles.
Before that point, there was the matter of the dead rubber women’s second doubles. Venetia D’Arcy (Emmanuel, Cambridge) and Martha Rushbrooke (St Catharine’s, Cambridge) were keen to put the finishing touches on a successful women’s Varsity campaign, beating through Grace Beglan (Merton, Oxford) and Hannah Wilson Kemsley (Exeter, Oxford). D’Arcy played the dependable role at the back with Rushbrooke picking out some excellent volleys at the net to take all the time away from the Oxford pair. Despite a late surge from the Dark Blues, D’Arcy and Rushbrooke were able to deliver Cambridge’s fifth victory.
All eyes then turned to the Men’s first singles between Jin Seok Lee (Robinson, Cambridge) and Alfred Backhouse (St Catherine’s, Oxford). Backhouse was striking the ball well, his shots hard and heavy. Lee was trying to respond with a classic floor game, but wasn’t accurate enough to avoid Backhouse’s big hitting. Try as he might, Lee couldn’t prevent Backhouse from sending the match into a deciding doubles for just the fifth time in the history of the event.
The deciding doubles — played as a best of 3 set match — must be played between two pairs that have not previously partnered during the match. While the reserve match took place, Oxford were nervously waiting for Swallow to return from the Eton Fives Varsity to partner Backhouse. Cambridge selected their second and third string players, Wighton and Elliott owing to their more natural volleying ability. Both pairs ended up with left hand-right hand combinations.
The galleries at Lord’s were standing room only to see the two team’s champions duel it out. It was a scintillating match, with a lot of quick reaction volleys between Elliott and Swallow while Wighton and Backhouse duelled it out at the back with their forcing. Neither pair established a lead through the first set, featuring several long, desperate and aggressive rallies. It went to a deciding game. Cambridge flirted with the bottom corner of the dedans, but couldn’t slot it in as Oxford brought up the first set point. Cambridge defended it, setting their own set point moments later. Marker Chris Bray called “not up” on a low dig by Wighton, setting a half yard chase. Playing off the chase, Elliott’s force ricocheted off the bandeau. Cambridge saw four more sets points go begging before another tight “not up” call, this time against Backhouse, gave Cambridge the set.
Oxford opened a lead for the first time in the match in the second set, owing to some excellent cut-volleys by Backhouse and Swallow. The Cambridge partisans in the crowd pushed their players back into the game, reaching full voice after every point, bringing it back to 3-all. Not to be outdone, the Oxford crowd raised their voice as well, the biggest cheer coming after a long rally to bring up a 5-3 lead. Oxford brought up three set points in the 5-4 game. On the second, a high floating ball appeared to feather the out of court line. Wighton stopped and called it out, but Elliott played it back anyway. The Oxford pair stopped with Wighton, and the ball was called a chase. Both sides protested, with the marker ultimately calling a let ball. It came to naught anyway as Oxford won the next point to take it to a deciding set, chest bumping in celebration.
The final set of the event, with the Lord’s Long Room on standby for the celebration drinks, saw the most intense and highest quality tennis of the weekend. All four players were playing well above their standard, refusing to let the ball go past them. The tension was evident, with Cambridge head professional Kees Ludekens nervously pacing up and down the side galleries. The next dramatic moment came in the 2-all game, with advantage to Cambridge, chase better than 4. Cambridge played a long and desperate rally attacking the chase. Eventually, Backhouse saw a ball he didn’t think was going to make it, so watched the ball bounce down to his feet. The Cambridge crowd erupted in applause only to be turned to groans after the marker called chase off. Oxford went on to take the game, then Cambrige won the next. Finally, Oxford took a narrow lead and, with the scoreboard pressure now weighing on the shoulders of the Cambridge pair, extended it out to 5-3. Oxford brought up their first championship point with a grille, but couldn’t convert following a Backhouse volley error. The next shot feathered the out of court line to keep Cambridge alive. Cambridge then blitzed the next game from the service end to send it to a deciding game. It was nervy, with several unforced errors from both sides as the tension reached boiling point and the players tried to force a conclusion. Oxford won the match on the third championship point, erupting in celebration to a massive cheer from the Dark Blue crowd.
Match results (Cambridge players first):
Friday results:
10:00 am (Women’s 3rd singles): Pheobe Fox (Sidney Sussex) def Cordelia Lamming (Exeter) 6/1 2/6 6/4
11:15 am (Men’s 2nd doubles): Ben Craig (St John’s) & Isaac Wighton (Lucy Cavendish) def Beau Swallow (Somerville) & Matthew Dick (Magdalen) 6/4 6/0 6/3
1:00 pm (Women’s 2nd singles): Venetia D’Arcy (Emmanuel) lost to Grace Beglan (Merton) 5/6 4/6
2:15 pm (Men’s 4th singles): Ben Craig (St John’s) def Matthew Dick (Magdalen) 6/4 6/0
3:30 pm (Women’s 1st doubles): Ellie White (Queens’) & Pheobe Fox (Sidney Sussex) def Mary Strevens (Magdelen) and Cordelia Lamming (Exeter) 6/1 6/2
4:45 pm (Men’s 1st doubles): Jin Seok Lee (Robinson) & Joshua Elliott (Magdalene) Alfred Backhouse (St Catherine’s) & Quentin Gueroult (Balliol) 3/6 2/6 1/6
Saturday results:
10:00 am (Women’s 4th singles): Martha Rushbrooke (St Catharine’s) def Hannah Wilson Kemsley (Exeter) 6/1 6/2
11:15 am (Men’s 2nd singles): Joshua Elliott (Magdalene) lost to Beau Swallow (Somerville, Oxford) 3/6 2/6
12:30 pm (Women’s 1st singles): Ellie White (Queens’) def Mary Strevens (Magdalen) 6/1 6/3
1:45 pm (Men’s 3rd singles): Isaac Wighton (Lucy Cavendish) def Quentin Gueroult (Balliol) 6/0 5/6 6/5
3:00 pm (Women’s 2nd doubles): Venetia D’Arcy (Emmanuel) & Martha Rushbrooke (St Catharine’s) def Grace Beglan (Merton) & Hannah Wilson Kemsley (Exeter) 6/2 6/4
4:15 pm (Men’s 1st singles): Jin Seok Lee (Robinson) lost to Alfred Backhouse (St Catherine’s) 1/6 1/6
5:00 pm (Men’s deciding doubles): Joshua Elliott (Magdalene) & Isaac Wighton (Lucy Cavendish) lost to Alfred Backhouse (St Catherine’s) & Beau Swallow (Somerville) 6/5 4/6 5/6
Final results:
Cambridge Men tied Oxford Men 3-3 (Oxford won the deciding doubles)
Cambridge Women def Oxford Women 5-1
Thanks for the thorough coverage - much appreciated by those of us who can't be there!