Shenkman and Vallat cruise through British Amateur Singles quarter finals
Yorston and Giddins withstand target hitting onslaughts to progress to semi finals
The fight for the biggest amateur singles title is well and truly underway with the quarter finals of the British Amateur Championships taking place at the Queen’s Club in London. The prize that awaits the best amateur in the country is a place on the storied honours board with a list of champions dating back to 1888.
Defending champion Robert Shenkman took to the court in the first quarter final on Tuesday evening, against his nemesis from back in the junior ranks Charlie Braham. Braham was returning to the event for the first time since 2019 having recently returned to playing regularly at Petworth. The opening exchanges were defensive and cagey, with neither player looking for any expansive play. As the set developed, first Braham then Shenkman started to look for more attacking shots, but only when the point was in their favour and never as a low-percentage play. Once the shots came, Shenkman was finally able to get a break over Braham. From there, he was able to use the scoreboard pressure to build his advantage. He won the last four games of the first set and bageled the following two sets, rediscovering his top form.
The late match on Tuesday evening saw battle between two ex-Oxford blues, Benedict Yorston and Charlie Defries, though they didn’t overlap in their time in the Varsity match. Defries had early success probing Yorston’s backhand, drawing frequent enough errors as he built a 5-2 lead in the first set. Yorston pulled back the length of his shots slightly causing Defries to have to hit more from the floor, which reduced the amount of control he had on the ball. Defries required 5 set points in the 5-all game, honing in balls at the grille and dedans before they finally went in giving him the lead in the match.
Yorston was much improved through the second set, scampering everything down and keeping the ball in play. Defries was more attacking in his play hitting more balls into the targets, but Yorston was able to match it by putting Defries under sustained pressure. Yorston took the lead early in the second set and carried it throughout. He was even better in the third set, maintaining his consistency and never seeming to tire despite covering a large distance throughout the rallies. He brought up match points at the first opportunity in the fourth set at 5-2, but struggled to convert each time, as Defries’s target hitting brought it back to 5-4. With three match points and a last gallery chase to attack, Yorston’s cramp reached the point where he had to run off court to grab his roller for a couple of seconds, He returned to the court and ripped in a cut-volley to win the match.
The quarter finals continued on Wednesday evening with a match between two-time finalist Jamie Giddins and former British Open rackets doubles champion Nick James. James took a very attacking approach to the match, trying to end the restes as quickly as possible, mostly by hitting a straight force at the dedans. It caught Giddins a little flat-footed and under-prepared, as he struggled to fend off the incoming missiles. James had a 5-3 lead in the first set, and a set point at 5-4, but couldn’t convert them as Giddins scrambled to stay alive in the set. Instead, Giddins’s retrival was enough to carry him over the line to win the set himself. Giddins was solidly on top of the play through the second and third sets, consistently troubling James around the tambour. James was always able to keep his side of the scoreboard ticking over through his hitting, but never at a pace fast enough to keep up with Giddins.
The last of the quarter finals saw second seed Bertie Vallat playing Richard Elmitt. Vallat was clearly a class above his opponent, ruling the match with his solid backhand play and commitment to chase down every ball. He even played a Federer style between the legs shot running back from the net. He only dropped the one game early in the third set, but maintained a solid concentration as he wrapped up the match in just over an hour.
Play continues on Thursday and Friday evenings with the singles semi finals.
Match Results:
Tuesday 6 pm: Robert Shenkman (1) def Charlie Braham 6/2 6/0 6/0
Tuesday 7:30 pm: Benedict Yorston (4) def Charlie Defries 5/6 6/3 6/1 6/3
Wednesday 6 pm: Jamie Giddins (3) def Nick James 6/5 6/2 6/4
Wednesday 7:30 pm: Bertie Vallat (2) def Richard Elmitt 6/0 6/0 6/1
Order of play for Thursday and Friday (All times GMT):
Thursday 6:30 pm: Robert Shenkman (1) vs Benedict Yorston (4)
Friday 6:30 pm: Jamie Giddins (3) vs Bertie Vallat (2)