Taylor-Matthews blows through competition at Real 10

Comes top of a field including Rob Fahey, Levi Gale, Robert Shenkman and Will Burns.

Ben Taylor-Matthews has regained the Real 10 title in fine form in the annual pre-British Open event at Middlesex University Real Tennis Club.

Held in the run-up to the Open, the Real 10 is an invitational exhibition evening with five players in a round robin and a first to five game format. Matches are played off half-handicap. The event attracts both students and club members and eschews some of the tradition and stoicism associated with some real tennis events. This year’s invitees included defending champion Robert Shenkman, former World Champion Robert Fahey, first time player Levi Gale and home professional Will Burns.

“I love this event. I love playing in it every single year. I love the atmosphere. There’s a time and a place for the silence and polite applause and this isn’t it,” said Taylor-Matthews.

The first match in front of a crowd of Middlesex students saw a well-tuned Taylor-Matthews blitz through a slow-starting Burns. Taylor-Matthews found the grille with ease and finished the match with a classy winning gallery.

The first game between Fahey and Shenkman went to 40-all with several changes of ends. Shenkman closed it with a grille but all it did was fire up Fahey for the fight, as he exhibited his main wall force and rolled his top-spin forehand boasts to great effect. Fahey raced through the next three games to build a crucial lead. Shenkman brought one back with the advantage of the handicap but was ultimately not enough as Fahey closed out 5/2.

Taylor-Matthews continued his run against Gale, racing through to a 5/2 victory. Gale’s scrambling to both sides of the court seemed only to feed Taylor-Matthews pin-point accurate shots; Gale’s first game coming from a fortunate call on a last gallery chase.

Shenkman and Burns seemed intent on making the match as fast as possible, both players spending very little time between points. Shenkman interrogated Burn’s backhand corner for much of the match, consistenly finding errors in Burn’s play. Burns tried turning the tables by hitting hard at the targets, though Shenkman was eventually able to counter. The handicap naturally led several games to 40-all, but Shenkman proved the stronger player, rounding out the match 5/2.

Gale came out with intent against Fahey, hitting several forces and boasts and catching Fahey flat-footed on several occasions. Gale had the handicap behind him and he used it to full extent, as Fahey never really had a look in through the match. Fahey’s only real chance came against a short chase in the fifth game, where his dedan shot fell short by a few inches.

The View From The Hazards battle between Taylor-Matthews and Shenkman was the closest on handicap and was also the closest match of the evening. Both players knew each-other’s game well. Shenkman looked best when he was boasting, utilising the walls to full effect, while Taylor-Matthews was solid in defense throughout the match. At 2-all, 40-all, playing a Last Gallery chase, Taylor-Matthews missed his force at the dedans high, only for it to roll of the side penthouse and run flush with the back wall. His lead didn’t last long. The next game also went to 40-all, this time won by Shenkman in an epic point defending Worse than 3, finishing with a double nick under the winning gallery. Shenkman quickly grew a lead in the 4/3 game, but Taylor-Matthews defended five match points as Shenkman’s inner demons looked to be surfacing. Finally, Shenkman took the lead again in the final game, this time able to close it out after a long backhand to backhand rally.

The next match, despite being the largest handicap difference of the evening, was also incredibly close. Burns came out swinging against Fahey, as the former World Champion seemed to be slow out of the blocks and slow to adjust to the court. Eventually, Fahey found his rhythm, looking as though he could blitz through the Rec 1/2 15, Owe 1/2 30 handicap. Burns seemed out, though he brought the local support into voice after hitting a no-look winning gallery. Going in to the final game at 5/5, Burns again hit the winning gallery to defend the first match point, but it would be in vain as Fahey calmly hit a Worse than 3 chase to set up the match.

The close matches continued, with Shenkman and Gale never separated by more than a game throughout their match. Both players went full gas on the attack, with Shenkman eventually winning through due to an incessant length towards the grille and tambour. Shenkman also found the length for his railroad, but both players suffered some unfortunately timed unforced errors.

Taylor-Matthews entered the penultimate match with Fahey needing a win to guarantee the title. The match was perhaps the highest standard of the night, though as it progressed Fahey’s frustration began to show. Although he reached 4/3 first, he never found any match points and it was Taylor-Matthews who closed out the match and the title.

The final match was a dead rubber between Gale and Burns. Gale was very attacking, striking several dedans and only conceding the one game due to a sequence of unforced errors.

“I felt like I played pretty well this evening - moved well in parts,” said Taylor-Matthews. “I haven’t competed since the Champions Trophy and wondered if there’d be a bit of ring rust, but feel good.”

The event attracted an enthusiastic and diverse crowd which included the founder of the court Peter Luck-Hille and former US and French Open winner Sue Haswell.

“We get a mixture of ages, and as we saw tonight we have octogenerians down to students and every age group in between. The ability for everybody to mix with the professional players is quite unusual in sport, and that’s a pretty magical combination,” said tournament sponsor Ed Cotterell.

All five players will use the event as a final test of their preperation ahead of the British Open to be held at the Queen’s Club later this month. Tickets are still available for all days and may be purchased from the Tennis and Rackets Association.