Riviere to miss US Professional Singles, breaks 15 year hold on Schochet Cup

Wide open Satellite field features no winners or finalists from last 6 years

May 24, 2025

The draw for the US Professional Singles, playing for the Schochet Cup, this June in Newport has been released, but there is a notable omission from the entry list. Incumbent World Champion Camden Riviere will not defend his US Professional Singles title for the first time since he first won the Cup in 2010, ending a run of 14 consecutive tournament victories. He will also miss an opportunity to play competitive tennis on the court that will host his World Championship defence in September.

Riviere’s absence promotes John Lumley to the first seed. Lumley is on top form, having recently won the Final Eliminator and securing his place in the World Championship Challenge in September. Lumley will enter the tournament as a strong favourite, having only lost one set to a player not named Camden at Newport since 2017. It will give him a chance to hone his knowledge of the court ahead of the Challenge, as well as keep his undefeated streak in the 2025 calendar year alive.

Camden Riviere (L), Tony Hollins (C) and John Lumley (R) at the final of the Schochet Cup in 2024

Nick Howell enters the tournament as the second seed, also off the back of a strong Final Eliminator showing. He is seeded to play fifth seed Steve Virgona in the quarter finals, a player who he has a losing head-to-head record against even if he was the victor in the last three encounters. A semi final against Robert Fahey beckons, which would be a rematch of the recent US Open quarter final where Fahey was the victor. Reaching the final would be an impressive accomplishment for Howell given the strength in his side of the draw, but he will be aiming for one stage further given his recent form.

Ben Taylor-Matthews will be the third seed, drawn to play John Lumley in the semi finals. The two have not played in any competition since last year’s tournament, where Lumley won in four sets in the semi final. Having recently announced his move to Westwood, Taylor-Matthews’s form against his near-peers is a relative unknown, having been drawn into Riviere in his last two major outings and losing to Kieran Booth in the Australian Open — indeed he has not played a player ranked between 2 and 6 in tournament play since last season’s Champions Trophy. His recent results have been positive notwithstanding, having won the Jesmond Dene Cup, led teams to victory in the FLM Super League and USCTA National League as well as putting in a decent showing on an away court in the First Round Eliminator against Nick Howell.

Robert Fahey is the only previous champion in this year’s draw, with Tim Chisholm also absent. Fahey won the title eight times between 2001 and 2009 — excluding 2002 — and it would not be inconceivable for him to register a ninth, especially given his recent performance at the US Open where he was one point away from reaching the final. Now coming towards the end of his third year since retirement, Fahey enters the competition as a serious dark horse for the Cup.

For the players seeded five through eight, reaching the semi finals will be tough as they each face strong challenges at the quarter final stage. Steve Virgona will fancy his chances against Nick Howell at the bottom of the draw, while the only amateur in the draw Robert Shenkman would need a maiden victory over Robert Fahey to reach a semi final of a world ranking tournament for the first time. Sixth seed Leon Smart risks running into the roadblock that is Lumley, while eighth seed Lewis Williams faces a tricky first round match against unseeded Barney Tanfield, as the latter has a better handicap than the world number 11 Williams. Should he win, Williams will earn a crack at Taylor-Matthews in the quarter final.

The US Professional Singles differs from the rest of the Opens insofar as all of the unseeded players are automatically entered into the US Professional Satellite as well, giving the players an opportunity for competitive tennis as they look to become seeds in the future. This year, the Satellite will differ from previous editions as the semi final and final will be played before the start of the Schochet Cup main draw, rather than alongside the main draw semi finals and final.

Lewis Williams (L), Tony Hollins (C) and Robert Shenkman (R) at the final of the 2024 US Professional Satellite

Consequentially, the first rounds of the Satellite have a double jeopardy: not only will the winners progress to the quarter final of the Satellite, but they will also secure a place in the main draw itself. The tournament will open with a match between Vaughan Hamilton and Pete Dickinson, with Hamilton the strong favourite by handicap, then will be followed by a match between the ever improving Max Trueman and home court professional Tony Hollins.

The battle for the Satellite is wide open, with all winners and finalists since 2019 either receiving seeds or not present. Darren Long, Barney Tanfield and Josh Dodgson — champions in 2016, 2017 and 2018 respectively — will all contest, all with handicaps in the low single digits. Nino Merola is also a strong chance to do well, entering as the second seed and due to play Josh Smith in the quarter final, the latter’s first competitive match since the 2024 Australian Open and since his move to Newport. Louis Gordon could also be a contender, albeit with a tough first round match against Josh Dodgson.

Play for the US Professional Satellite commences on Saturday 7 June, and will conclude with the final on Tuesday 10 June. The US Professional Singles will then commence on Wednesday 11 June, finishing with the final on Sunday 15 June. Fans at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport will not have to wait until then to witness high quality court tennis, as they will also host the Ladies World Championships from Saturday 24 May through to Saturday 31 May.

Riviere to miss US Professional Singles, breaks 15 year hold on Schochet Cup

Wide open Satellite field features no winners or finalists from last 6 years

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