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Collapse AllOxford Singles - Round 43 | Thursday 9 January 2020 to Wednesday 4 March 2020 (Midpoint: Wednesday 5 February 2020)

A fantastic weather-defying round in Oxford with a very commendable 73% of all possible matches played. Many thanks to everyone for all their determination and commitment - and here's to the next one in, we hope, the sun!

Group Summary:

What a fantastic group. Tight matches, generous comments, and bonus balls for almost everyone! Well done group 1. Mark and Patrick had an epic, Tom and Patrick played a "strange and brilliant match" and Iurie's unusal style of play kept everyone on their toes but as Mark said, " Working out how to beat an unusual style of play is the beauty of tennis!" At the final count, Oliver was undefeated after 5 matches and takes gold. Tom takes silver (he tied on points with Mark but lost one fewer game per matches played!).

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Oliver Ready 5 5 0 2 12 WWWW
2 Tom Bonnington 4 3 1 2 8 WWLW
3 Mark Bagley 4 3 1 2 8 WWWL
4 Iurie Rusu 4 1 3 2 6 LLLW
5 Patrick Tissot 4 0 4 2 5 LLLL
6 Simon Haynes 3 0 3 0 0 LLL

Match Results:

Reveal CommentOliver Ready bt Patrick Tissot (Mar 1) 7-5, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Patrick hits the ball very well on both wings - especially the backhand - but the wind and a bright sun played havoc with us both. Would be great to play again in calmer conditions."  -- Oliver
Reveal CommentTom Bonnington bt Simon Haynes (Feb 14) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Thoroughly enjoyed playing Simon. It was one of those days where everything went right for me and he got unlucky quite a few times. There were a lot of tight games and lots of deuces. He deserved more than one game."  -- Tom
Reveal CommentOliver Ready bt Simon Haynes (Feb 9) 6-3, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Felt unusual playing at 9 pm on a Sunday but well worth it. Demanding rallies and Simon came back strong from 0-3 down in the second. I found myself playing defensively just to get over the line. "  -- Oliver
Mark Bagley bt Simon Haynes (Feb 2) 6-2, 6-3
Reveal CommentOliver Ready bt Iurie Rusu (Feb 2) 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Fun to play against a very different style - Iurie hits with a heavy slice and a wide range of shots. I was 3-0 up in the first, but Iurie came back strong and deserved the set. Was going with serve in the second set till 3-2, and I was surprised to pull away so quickly from there. "  -- Oliver
Reveal CommentTom Bonnington bt Patrick Tissot (Jan 30) 0-6, 6-1, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "A strange and brilliant match. A more accurate score would be 6-7 7-6 7-6. Every point was really close it seemed. Every game seemed to go to deuce. Absolutely shattered but a brilliant game. We’ve arranged to play again as it was so fun."  -- Tom

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentMark Bagley bt Patrick Tissot (Jan 25) 6-1, 3-6, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Epic match. I saved 2 match points. In games the 3rd set went 3-0, then 3-5 then 7-5 ! Patrick has an excellent double handed backhand."  -- Mark
Reveal CommentOliver Ready bt Tom Bonnington (Jan 23) 6-4, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Always enjoy playing Tom - good rallies and plenty of winners. I had 5-2 in our last match too, only to lose in two sets. Tom pulled it back to 5-4 this time, too, and I was so sure the same thing was going to happen again that I relaxed enough to win the elusive last game. The second set went with serve until I broke for 4-2 and then I managed to wrap it up quickly. A big sign of progress for me to beat Tom for the first time, though I'd still make him favourite if we played again (especially with newer balls...)."  -- Oliver
Reveal CommentMark Bagley bt Iurie Rusu (Jan 19) 4-6, 6-0, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Working out how to beat an unusual style of play is the beauty of tennis. Iurie has a very good range of spin/slice shots."  -- Mark
Reveal CommentTom Bonnington bt Iurie Rusu (Jan 17) 7-5, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Really fun match as always with Iurie. Really tight first set and lots of good points."  -- Tom
Reveal CommentOliver Ready bt Mark Bagley (Jan 12) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A close contest, like last year, but there was more variety in the play this time, perhaps because of the wind. A lot of slice, lobs, drops, low hitting, good volleys (only from Mark), and a lot of running. A good game to start the year with."  -- Oliver
Iurie Rusu bt Patrick Tissot (Jan 12) 6-1, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-4)

Group Summary:

Another terrific group with almost every match played! Charles moves up from 5th place last time to top the group this time and didn't drop a set in 5 matches! Helen is runner up and a warm welcome to newcomer James, who was unlucky not to get bonus points but made a great debut.

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Charles Olsen 5 5 0 2 12 WWWW
2 Helen Watts 5 3 2 2 10 LWWL
3 Fiona Fanthome 5 3 2 2 9 WLLW
4 Fabio Di Donato 6 4 2 0 8 WWWW
5 Mike Brooks 6 1 5 2 6 LLLL
6 James Staples 4 2 2 0 4 WLWL
7 Andrew Tacon 5 0 5 2 2 LLLL

Match Results:

Reveal CommentFabio Di Donato bt Andrew Tacon (Feb 21) 6-4, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Tricky windy conditions but managed to get away with it in 2 sets. Look forward to playing again in nicer weather conditions!"  -- Fabio
Reveal CommentJames Staples bt Helen Watts (Feb 21) 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)

Player Comments:

  • "Really close first set with some challenging wind. Ran out of time after the 2nd set...hunger and work were calling us away. to be continued... Good fun, thanks Helen, will be in touch"  -- James
Reveal CommentFabio Di Donato bt James Staples (Feb 20) 6-4, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Very long and enjoyable rallies, especially during the first set! Good luck with your next matches!"  -- Fabio
Reveal CommentFabio Di Donato bt Mike Brooks (Feb 19) 2-6, 7-5, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Lovely meeting you and playing with you, Mike. I am sure we will meet soon on court but hopefully we won't have another extra-opponent: the wind! Take care, Fabio"  -- Fabio
Fiona Fanthome bt Andrew Tacon (Feb 13) 6-3, 6-2
Charles Olsen bt Mike Brooks (Feb 13) 6-4, 6-0
Reveal CommentJames Staples bt Mike Brooks (Feb 11) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Great game, a nail biter that could have gone either way. Thanks Mike"  -- James

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentFabio Di Donato bt Fiona Fanthome (Feb 8) 7-6 (10-8), 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Very fast-paced and enjoyable first set in a very nice facility. Long rallies and change of pace. Second set not as much good as the first one but luckily for me I managed to get away with a 6-4. There should have been a decisive third set to make it fair to everyone. Thanks so much Fiona for arranging this match and good luck with your next onces! See you soon, Fabio"  -- Fabio
Fiona Fanthome v Helen Watts (Feb 5) 5-7, 6-4 TBC
Charles Olsen bt Fabio Di Donato (Feb 2) 7-5, 6-0
Charles Olsen bt Fiona Fanthome (Feb 1) 7-5, 6-3
Reveal CommentHelen Watts bt Fabio Di Donato (Feb 1) 6-1, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Fun match in tricky windy conditions. Thanks Fabio!"  -- Helen
Reveal CommentFiona Fanthome bt James Staples (Jan 28) 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "My first match! Bit of a rusty start, but there is some hope! Thanks to Fiona for the introduction to the league and encouragement, sorry I wasn't able to put up more of a match."  -- James
Reveal CommentFiona Fanthome bt Mike Brooks (Jan 27) 6-2, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Thankyou Mike for a good first match. The scoreline does not adequately represent the length of our games and the multiple deuces, especially in the second set. Mike made me run around the court a fair bit. "  -- Fiona
Reveal CommentHelen Watts bt Mike Brooks (Jan 22) 6-0, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "I was glad to play Mike near the start of his injury comeback - the result could be very different in several months time! He was starting to find more rhythm in the second set, so I was glad to be able to finish it in two."  -- Helen
Reveal CommentCharles Olsen bt Andrew Tacon (Jan 19) 6-3, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Wonderful morning game of tennis"  -- Charles
Reveal CommentCharles Olsen bt Helen Watts (Jan 18) 6-3, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Good game, good standard. Good fun to play Helen again."  -- Charles
Mike Brooks bt Andrew Tacon (Jan 16) 6-4, 7-6 (7-2)
Reveal CommentHelen Watts bt Andrew Tacon (Jan 15) 6-2, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "We chose an amazing afternoon to play in full sunshine- great to get on court after all the rain. Thanks, Andy!"  -- Helen

Group Summary:

As sometimes happens, the runner up (Jon) beat the winner (Sam) and in a 'marathon'. But Sam won one more match than Jon which was enough to lob him on to the podium! Well played. Many a close match here and every one came with a commentary - many thanks. A shame Alejandro didn't get underway. Please let us know if we can help another time!

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Sam Brind 5 3 2 2 9 WWWL
2 Jon Bennett 5 2 3 2 7 LWWL
3 Mark King 4 2 2 2 6 LLWW
4 Nick Fahy 3 2 1 0 5 WL
5 Annabel Lloyd 2 2 0 0 4 WW
6 Edward Payne 3 2 1 0 4 LWW
7 Simon Stanford 4 0 4 2 2 LLLL
8 Alejandro Rubio Diaz 0 0 0 0 0 0

Match Results:

Reveal CommentAnnabel Lloyd bt Jon Bennett (Mar 4) 5-7, 6-0, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Jon is up 5-3 in the third set and we plan to finish on the last day of the run."  -- Annabel
  • "This was a tussle of a match played over 2 days and finished on this the last day of the run. Jon and I are of a comparable standard and I needed to neutralise his opportunity for an angle and subsequent point," -- Annabel
Reveal CommentSam Brind bt Edward Payne (Mar 1) 7-6 (10-8), 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Great to get back on court after not playing for so long due to bad weather. Another really close game, where the first set tiebreak probably decided the direction of the match."  -- Sam
Reveal CommentNick Fahy bt Jon Bennett (Feb 29) 7-5, 3-2 Jon Bennett Retired

Player Comments:

  • "I think that this was our fifth or sixth time rescheduling this match due to bad weather, and frankly Storm Jorge might have given cause to do that today too, but we were determined to get it played! Surprisingly good tennis under the circumstances; commiserations to Jon who had to withdraw with injury part-way through the second set; hope it gets better swiftly. "  -- Nick
Reveal CommentSam Brind bt Simon Stanford (Feb 8) 6-4, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "A close game, probably swinging on a handful of points. We played against some intermittent winds but still had some really good rallies."  -- Sam

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentNick Fahy bt Mark King (Feb 4) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3)

Player Comments:

  • "Great game of tennis, played in near perfect conditions. Any match with two tiebreaks could clearly have gone either way, and this one was an arm wrestle throughout. Thanks and good wishes for his other matches to Mark. "  -- Nick
Reveal CommentSam Brind bt Nick Fahy (Feb 1) 6-3, 1-6, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Wow, an almost 3 hour epic. The standard of shots and rallies was excellent, despite the fact we were battling against the wind as well as each other."  -- Sam
Reveal CommentAnnabel Lloyd bt Simon Stanford (Jan 30) 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Simon and I were well suited ability wise and the match could have gone either way. I was in trouble if I angled a short ball as it would come back angled the other way for a winner. Annabel"  -- Annabel
Reveal CommentEdward Payne bt Simon Stanford (Jan 25) 6-2, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "A very enjoyable match on a cold, grey day."  -- Edward
Reveal CommentJon Bennett bt Mark King (Jan 19) 7-5, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Beautiful day - and a close match"  -- Jon
Reveal CommentJon Bennett bt Sam Brind (Jan 18) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A marathon, and very close. "  -- Jon
Reveal CommentMark King bt Simon Stanford (Jan 12) 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Thanks for the game Simon. Maybe see you at OUP or at the rugby on Sunday mornings!"  -- Mark
Reveal CommentMark King bt Sam Brind (Jan 11) 7-6 (7-2), 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A game played in touch conditions with wind and rain! But we still managed to play some good points. Needed full concentration to get through this one! "  -- Mark
Reveal CommentEdward Payne bt Jon Bennett (Jan 11) 6-2, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "An enjoyable game in very blustery conditions!"  -- Edward

Group Summary:

All but one possible match was played in this group - a fantastic achievement, and they all come with commentaries! It's particularly impressive to get so many matches played as there was flooding, ice, rain and wind. Group four players are clearly made of sterling stuff. There was a great battle between Flora and Justine, demon serving from Jamal and a great deal of running! Sergio tops the group but runner up Joshua, who won their head to head, gets bragging rights. Well played all.

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Sergio Segovia Rodriguez 5 4 1 2 10 LWWW
2 Joshua Brewer 4 4 0 0 8 WWWW
3 Flora Mcmeeking 5 3 2 2 8 WLLW
4 Diego Vargas 5 2 3 2 7 LWWL
5 Justine Cardy 5 1 4 2 5 LLLL
6 Jamal Ali 4 0 4 2 2 LLLL

Match Results:

Reveal CommentJoshua Brewer bt Diego Vargas (Mar 3) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "A good match with Diego. He has really solid ground strokes and we had some good baseline rallies, particularly in the second set. The final score didn't represent the match as there were a lot of deuces with games that could have gone either way."  -- Joshua
Reveal CommentJoshua Brewer bt Sergio Segovia Rodriguez (Mar 2) 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "This was an enjoyable match played in nice Spring-like conditions. The match was closer than the score suggests, with Sergio making me run for a lot of tricky drop-shots."  -- Joshua
Reveal CommentDiego Vargas bt Jamal Ali (Mar 1) 6-3, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Thank you Jamal for another great match!"  -- Diego
Reveal CommentFlora Mcmeeking bt Justine Cardy (Feb 25) 6-4, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Good close match with Justine which actually started in sunshine but ended up being overcast and chilly. Justine took the lead at the start of both sets with some aggressive shots which forced me to get my act together and go on the attack myself. I'd only just had breakfast so it was a battle to move much with a bowl of porridge still undigested in my stomach!"  -- Flora
Reveal CommentJoshua Brewer bt Flora Mcmeeking (Feb 20) 7-5, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "This was a really enjoyable and closely fought match, thanks Flora!"  -- Joshua
Reveal CommentJoshua Brewer bt Justine Cardy (Feb 17) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "A good match with Justine that was much closer than the score suggests, with lots of games going to deuce and some really good rallies, particularly in the second set. "  -- Joshua
Reveal CommentDiego Vargas bt Justine Cardy (Feb 5) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "It was very enjoyable playing Justine. After two hours on the court we ended up having to swiftly book an extra hour in order to give us time for playing the third and decisive set. I have no recollection of a game which didn't go to deuce! The final score line doesn't reflect the great battle we had."  -- Diego
Reveal CommentSergio Segovia Rodriguez bt Flora Mcmeeking (Feb 2) 6-2, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Great match! Lots of games of deuce, long match with great quality shots, bit windy but weather also plays haha, wishing to play again with Flora!"  -- Sergio
Reveal CommentSergio Segovia Rodriguez bt Diego Vargas (Feb 2) 6-4, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Very great match! Consistency was the key of the match as was full of long rallies, serve was working well most of the match, good luck to Diego in the rest of the league, and see you in the next one!"  -- Sergio
Reveal CommentSergio Segovia Rodriguez bt Justine Cardy (Feb 1) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "A lot of fun, very close match in general, really tricky to play today because of the wind, but it has been a very good match, wishing to play again against Justine!"  -- Sergio

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentFlora Mcmeeking bt Diego Vargas (Jan 26) 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Amazing encounter with Diego fought mainly on Sunday in dreadful rainy conditions at Florence Park. Testament both to the courts and our shoes that neither of us slipped even once. Playing Diego is exhausting - to break through his wall of defence you have to endure and survive long rallies in almost every point. Both my stamina and my patience were truly tested and every time I tried to hurry things along I was punished by Diego's speed and agility. Once I had learned to bide my time things began to improve for me. Thank you Diego for an epic match."  -- Flora
Reveal CommentFlora Mcmeeking bt Jamal Ali (Jan 19) 6-3, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Jamal and I played a fun match in beautiful sunshine, but not too blinding, at Florence Park. We had planned to play at Botley Park but the entire place was under water. Ironically, we had postponed the match from earlier in the morning to avoid ice, so the elements, as usual, played a large part in the proceedings."  -- Flora
Reveal CommentSergio Segovia Rodriguez bt Jamal Ali (Jan 19) 6-3, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Good match, really cold and difficult to get the rhythm of play, but good match!"  -- Sergio
Reveal CommentJustine Cardy bt Jamal Ali (Jan 11) 6-1, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Great to get the new round kicked off. We planned to play at Botley but had to re-locate to Florence Park as the Botley courts were flooded so had a bit of a delayed start. I think I benefited from playing Jamal early in the round as he hadn't played since October and was a bit inconsistent as a result. However, he had some demon serves and as the match went on, his accuracy increased and his back hand slice returned making the second set a challenge to finish for the win. Thanks Jamal - a pleasure as always!"  -- Justine