£18.00

Collapse AllRichmond Parks Singles - Round 22 | Thursday 1 November 2018 to Wednesday 9 January 2019 (Midpoint: Wednesday 5 December 2018)

Once again Richmond Parks tennis courts were kept busy with lots of close and exciting league matches this round, so thank you for being proactive in arranging matches and also leaving lots of interesting match commentaries. With over two thirds of matches completed this was another successful round and we were pleased to welcome 3 new players alongside plenty of returning league campaigners! Here's to more of the same in the next round!

Group Summary:

This was a bumper group with everyone playing all 6 matches (except for one walkover)... so you definitely took full advantage of the tennis on offer! Congratulations to Michael for winning the group after finishing fourth last time, while it was deja vu for Mihai finishing as runner up again. Michael won all 6 matches, though just slightly unfortunately, he had to rely on that walkover to carry him over the line! Meanwhile Mihai is to be congratulated for keeping the race for top spot so tight and for just pipping Christopher to second place with the help of earning the midway bonus points. There were lots of close scorelines and great match commentaries, well played!

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Michael Archer 6 6 0 0 12 WWWW
2 Mihai Nagit 6 4 2 2 11 LLWW
3 Christopher Belcourt 6 5 1 0 10 WWWW
4 Maximilian Rudolf 6 3 3 2 9 LLWW
5 Martin Dewberry 6 2 4 2 7 WLLL
6 Hammad Siddiqui 6 1 5 2 6 LWLL
7 Tony Langford 6 0 6 0 1 LLLL

Match Results:

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentMartin Dewberry bt Tony Langford (Jan 13) 6-2, 6-7 (8-10), 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Great match with Tony, some fun rallies in the wind!"  -- Martin
Christopher Belcourt bt Hammad Siddiqui (Jan 9) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2
Reveal CommentChristopher Belcourt bt Maximilian Rudolf (Jan 6) 6-2, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Very well battled match by Max, although not on top form he dug deep, used his brain to change his style of play and took the ascendancy in the second set. Some blinding passing shots! Don't drop anything short to this man's forehand, best in the league at running in and finishing! See you again in the summer matey."  -- Christopher
Hammad Siddiqui bt Tony Langford (Jan 6) 6-2, 6-2
Michael Archer bt Hammad Siddiqui (Jan 6) 6-3, 3-6, 6-0
Reveal CommentChristopher Belcourt bt Martin Dewberry (Jan 6) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "I still can't believe the score on this match! How on earth Martin only came away with a game a set is ridiculous. So many deuces, game points, break points and long rallies, absolutely punishing on us both considering the lead ups we had. Cross court forehand was extremely tiring to play against, with beautiful topspin and consistency. Really enjoyable match, look forward to the next one! Hard luck today Martin, another day and you'd have me beat."  -- Christopher
Reveal CommentChristopher Belcourt bt Tony Langford (Jan 6) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Well battled Tony! Strong start which saw a few close games, serve started to waiver a little however which really allowed me to capitalise. Better luck net time Tony, all the best for the future league"  -- Christopher
Michael Archer bt Maximilian Rudolf (Dec 30) Walkover
Michael Archer bt Tony Langford (Dec 29) 6-2, 6-0
Michael Archer bt Mihai Nagit (Dec 23) 5-7, 6-3, 7-5
Michael Archer bt Martin Dewberry (Dec 22) 6-3, 6-1
Michael Archer bt Christopher Belcourt (Dec 16) 6-4, 6-4
Reveal CommentChristopher Belcourt bt Mihai Nagit (Dec 16) 6-4, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Finally managed to find away around the Mihai forehand. Such a tough competitor, thoroughly enjoyed well played Mihai. First set was very close and could have gone either way, however Mihai's uncharacteristic double fault to hand me the set showed his injury was affecting his play. Seems first set is crucial to decide the outcome of our matches. Look forward to our next contest!"  -- Christopher
Reveal CommentMihai Nagit bt Martin Dewberry (Dec 2) 6-1, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Good match against Martin who fought hard in all the games with many deuces and breaks. Good luck with your next matches Martin!"  -- Mihai
Reveal CommentMihai Nagit bt Maximilian Rudolf (Nov 25) 2-6, 6-0, 3-0 Maximilian Rudolf Retired

Player Comments:

  • "Max the gladiator!! What a match!!! Max started very strong, consistent and aggressive winning the first set en fanfare. The next 2 sets were more equal battles for each game with many many deuces and very long rallies. Cutting on the unforced errors and increasing the winners managed to win 9 games in a row despite my opponent determination. Unfortunately in the 4th game of 3rd set Max had to retire due to a toe injury which was quite scary and bloody. He is a proper fighter, very brave, diving several times on a hard court like I've never seen anyone! Aye Maximilian the gladiator, Richmond salutes you!! Mihai"  -- Mihai
Reveal CommentMihai Nagit bt Hammad Siddiqui (Nov 24) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "What a great match!!! Hammad played amaizing leading all the time in the first set until tie break and 3-1 in the second set. Hammad was consistent, played smart and we had many many games with 4/5 deuces. Hope you will be bit more lucky in your next matches buddy! Have a good run!! Mihai "  -- Mihai
Reveal CommentMihai Nagit bt Tony Langford (Nov 17) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Good match against Tony, the score is lying since the games were more tight. One of those days when the money points are coming your way! Good luck with your next matches Tony and welcome in the league! Mihai"  -- Mihai
Reveal CommentMartin Dewberry bt Hammad Siddiqui (Nov 17) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Long match again with Hammid - played to the death! Good game though, courts ok but not as good as York House or Cambridge Gardens - be aware future court bookers!! Good luck in future games Hammid..."  -- Martin
Reveal CommentMaximilian Rudolf bt Hammad Siddiqui (Nov 16) 6-0, 7-6

Player Comments:

  • "Slippery match that turned into a tie-break thriller. We had to change the court after the first set due to the slippery surface which reactivated Hammad and brought him up 2:5 in the second set. Somehow I managed to get back and we reached tie-break. This was dominated by very defensive tennis as non of us felt confident to go for the winner but turned out to be a 7:5 thriller. Great second set. Good luck with the next games."  -- Maximilian
Reveal CommentMaximilian Rudolf bt Martin Dewberry (Nov 10) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Classic league match. Sunny Satursay with a wet slippery surface which led to plenty of mistakes on both sides. Good luck withbyour next matches."  -- Maximilian
Reveal CommentMaximilian Rudolf bt Tony Langford (Nov 4) 6-1, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Nice match on a sunday morning. First league match for Tony who struggled with his serve. Good luck for the next matches."  -- Maximilian

Group Summary:

This was another well contested group with each of you completing all your matches and earning the midway bonus points. Fittingly only 2 points separated winner Alexandru from runner up Oliver and their head to head got off to the closest of starts with Alexandru edging the first set tiebreak by 8 points to 6. There were tiebreaks aplenty across the group with each set going to a tiebreak in David's 3 set battle against Paul while there was only one fewer in Oliver's "tough and drawn out battle" against Rags. What a group!

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Alexandru Tataru 6 6 0 2 14 WWWW
2 Oliver Chan 6 5 1 2 12 WWLW
3 Rags Martel 6 4 2 2 11 WWLW
4 Rod Sumner 6 3 3 2 8 WLLW
5 David Saville 6 2 4 2 6 WWLL
6 Manoj Jangra 6 1 5 2 4 LLWL
7 Paul Alexander 6 0 6 2 3 LLLL
8 Bruce Harrison 0 0 0 0 0 0

Match Results:

David Saville bt Manoj Jangra (Jan 6) 6-3, 6-1
Reveal CommentRags Martel bt Paul Alexander (Jan 6) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "Great sporting contest played under wonderful warm winter sun. Despite scoreline, some hard fought points, with a lots running and long rallies. Thanks for the match Paul. "  -- Rags
Reveal CommentRags Martel bt Manoj Jangra (Jan 5) 6-3, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "A much closer game than score suggests. Manoj is a strong player with all the shots. I suspect both of us had a little post-Christmas rust. Result could have easily gone the other way on a different day. Hope to see Manoj on court again soon. "  -- Rags
Reveal CommentRod Sumner bt Paul Alexander (Jan 5) 6-1, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Great to play Paul again in cold conditions at York House Gardens. The second set was much tighter with some great rallies, another enjoyable match with Paul and looking forward to some practice hitting soon."  -- Rod
Reveal CommentManoj Jangra bt Paul Alexander (Jan 3) 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Great to play Paul again after a year and a half, it was very tough match against Paul with nearly every game going to deuce. Good luck in the rest of your matches buddy!"  -- Manoj
Reveal CommentOliver Chan bt Rod Sumner (Dec 29) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)

Player Comments:

  • "Thanks for a fun match Rod - the first set score doesn't reflect it, but we hit well with a great rhythm, and you found your stride much more in the second set - look forward to some more 20 shot rallies with you soon :o)"  -- Oliver
Reveal CommentOliver Chan bt Rags Martel (Dec 20) 6-4, 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (10-8)

Player Comments:

  • "A tough and drawn out battle in slippery and tricky conditions, and the score line shows how close it was - well played Rags, you fought all the way to the end - I enjoyed playing again, and look forward to playing on some different surfaces soon!"  -- Oliver
Reveal CommentRags Martel bt Rod Sumner (Nov 30) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Strong and competitive match played under a blue sky and often blinding sun. Score hides the long rallies and close points. Great to meet you Rod. Look forward to our next game. Best, Rags "  -- Rags

Match of the Group:

David Saville bt Paul Alexander (Nov 30) 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3), 7-6
Reveal CommentRod Sumner bt David Saville (Nov 28) 6-4, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Great to play Dave again, even if the windy and slippery conditions made things tricky for us both. A couple of lucky net cord winners in a decisive game in the first set went my way and a painful slip when attempting yet another amazing get made things tricky for Dave in the second set. Great to get the game played and good luck in your next matches."  -- Rod
Alexandru Tataru bt Paul Alexander (Nov 25) 6-3, 6-2
Reveal CommentRod Sumner bt Manoj Jangra (Nov 24) 7-6 (7-1), 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Great to play Mani again, even in slippy conditions at York House Gardens. A hard fought first set was decided on a tie-breaker and I just edged it. Some great rallies and, as always, a really enjoyable match against a top bloke."  -- Rod
Oliver Chan bt David Saville (Nov 22) 6-1, 6-1
Alexandru Tataru bt Oliver Chan (Nov 22) 7-6 (8-6), 6-1
Oliver Chan bt Paul Alexander (Nov 18) 6-4, 6-1
Alexandru Tataru bt Manoj Jangra (Nov 17) 6-2, 6-2
Reveal CommentRags Martel bt David Saville (Nov 17) 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Battle between slice and topspin. And much more of a battle than score suggests. Lots of uncomfortable deuce games and exhauting rallies. Thanks for another great game. Look forward to the next one. "  -- Rags
Alexandru Tataru bt Rags Martel (Nov 10) 6-1, 6-3
Reveal CommentOliver Chan bt Manoj Jangra (Nov 6) 6-1, 7-6 (8-6)

Player Comments:

  • "As the score shows, the second set was very very close - could have gone either way, and we all know that all bets are off when it's one set apiece! Some great defensive play from Manoj - especially his fantastic lobs (pick on someone your won size!) Great to see you again Manoj, I really enjoyed tonights game, you're a pleasure to hit with. Good luck in the rest of the matches"  -- Oliver
Alexandru Tataru bt Rod Sumner (Nov 6) 6-1, 6-4
Alexandru Tataru bt David Saville (Nov 5) 6-2, 6-2

Group Summary:

It was very close at the top of Group 3 with just a single point separating winner Aman from runner up James. Although both players won 3 matches, Aman won their crucial head to head and also earned the midway bonus points. Aman held his nerve to avoid being taken to 3 sets by Ian while Ian had a battling win of his own against Gareth. Well done to those of you who had to contend with puddles, leaves, sun or a combination of the three, and we're glad it didn't detract from some great tennis!

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Aman Sood 4 3 1 2 8 WWWL
2 James Maher 4 3 1 0 7 LWWW
3 Ian McKenzie 4 2 2 2 6 LLWW
4 Nigel Harman 2 2 0 0 4 WW
5 Gareth Clark 3 1 2 0 3 LLW
6 Sebastian Hardman 5 0 5 2 3 LLLL
7 Adrian Ion 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Will Purdue 0 0 0 0 0 0

Match Results:

Aman Sood bt James Maher (Jan 9) 4-6, 7-5, [10-4]
James Maher bt Gareth Clark (Dec 31) Walkover
Reveal CommentJames Maher bt Sebastian Hardman (Dec 19) 6-4, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Played at York House Gardens on a slippery court in damp but brightening conditions. Our warm up mostly consisted of sweeping the giant puddles off the court! Luckily we managed to get through the match with only 1 or 2 minor slips. A very close first set with a lot of breaks of serve. Plenty of close games in the second and some good rallies. Good to meet you Seb."  -- James
Aman Sood bt Ian McKenzie (Dec 4) 6-4, 7-6 (7-2)
Reveal CommentJames Maher bt Ian McKenzie (Dec 2) 6-2, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Played on a blustery, grey Sunday morning at York House Gardens, luckily on one of the courts without huge puddles! Good match with some competitive rallies. Great to get back on the court after a couple of months off. Good to meet you Ian."  -- James

Match of the Group:

Ian McKenzie bt Gareth Clark (Nov 30) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Aman Sood bt Sebastian Hardman (Nov 27) 6-1, 6-3
Ian McKenzie bt Sebastian Hardman (Nov 25) 6-4, 0-6, 6-3
Reveal CommentGareth Clark bt Sebastian Hardman (Nov 17) 6-0, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "A game that didn't really get humming until the friendly set the followed -- which was far more fraught, and infinitely closer, than the couple of quick setters that preceded it. "  -- Gareth
Reveal CommentNigel Harman bt Aman Sood (Nov 13) 6-4, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Wind. Leaves. Sun. Talent. Groin strains. Did I mention talent? This game had it all. Sort of."  -- Nigel
Nigel Harman bt Sebastian Hardman (Nov 6) 6-3, 6-2

Group Summary:

Congratulations to Denise for winning the group in commanding style, winning 5 matches and finishing 3 points clear of runner up James. Heavy rain meant that their head to head had to be rescheduled for the next day, while James and Laura had the misfortune of the floodlights breaking in what could have been the final game of the second set leaving this match unfinished! Meanwhile Cyrill and James contested a "gladiatorial match played over two sessions and 3.5 hours"... but this was nothing compared to the month it took for Jacqueline and Laura to complete their final set (we hope with an interval in between!)

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Denise Nemtzov 5 5 0 0 11 WWWW
2 James Meurer 4 2 2 2 8 LLWW
3 Jacqueline Jeromson 6 3 3 2 8 WWLW
4 Laura Campari 4 2 2 0 5 LWLW
5 Cyrill Roessler 5 2 3 0 5 LWWL
6 Matthew Sotherton 2 1 1 0 3 LW
7 Richard Head 4 0 4 0 0 LLLL

Match Results:

Jacqueline Jeromson bt Cyrill Roessler (Jan 8) 6-1, 5-7, [10-3]
Reveal CommentJames Meurer v Laura Campari (Jan 7) 6-4, 6-5 TBC

Player Comments:

  • "Good fun playing Laura as always - lots of great rallies. Just as we were getting to the end of the second set and possibly final game - the floodlights broke! No time to reconvene before the deadline unfortunately. "  -- James
Reveal CommentCyrill Roessler bt Richard Head (Jan 6) 6-2, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Was a good match against Richard on a nice Sunday afternoon"  -- Cyrill

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentCyrill Roessler bt James Meurer (Jan 6) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (9-7)

Player Comments:

  • "Gladiatorial match played over two sessions and 3.5 hours... Virtually every game going to multiple deuces. Started indoors at Dukes Meadows - but couldn't get it finished in over 2 hours, so we decided to play a last set at York House Gardens, expecting an hour to be enough to play just one set... But no. We had to convert to a short set - and then got to a tie break and still we ran well over. We had some great rallies despite us both suffering the curse of inconsistency. Great fun. "  -- James
Reveal CommentJacqueline Jeromson bt Richard Head (Jan 5) 6-2, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "A nice friendly match that helped us both get over the post-Christmas slump!"  -- Jacqueline
Reveal CommentDenise Nemtzov bt Laura Campari (Jan 5) 6-1, 6-0

Player Comments:

  • "This definitely was not as convincing as it looks as we had many close games and long rallies. I think I got lucky this time as Laura hadn't played for a few weeks so was not her usual dynamic, unrelenting self! Hope to see you soon and have a lovely weekend."  -- Denise
Laura Campari bt Matthew Sotherton (Jan 2) Walkover
Reveal CommentDenise Nemtzov bt Richard Head (Dec 30) 6-1, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "'Think we burned off one or two mince pies as we were out there for nearly two hours! Some close games and long rallies, especially the very first game! It was fun today and a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for the game Richard and hope you got back in time for lunch!!"  -- Denise
Reveal CommentDenise Nemtzov bt Cyrill Roessler (Dec 16) 6-0, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • " Was a bit wet and slippy but we laughed our way through it (even though I fell flat on my face!) Lots of very close games and endless rallies. Lovely to meet you Cyrill and catch up soon! "  -- Denise
Reveal CommentDenise Nemtzov v Matthew Sotherton (Dec 15) 6-3, 2-6 TBC

Player Comments:

  • "Freezing morning! We managed two fun sets before the rain came and made it too slippy. lLooking forward to a dry window! "  -- Denise
Reveal CommentDenise Nemtzov bt Jacqueline Jeromson (Dec 10) 6-2, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Loads of long rallies and very close games. The score definitely did not depict the game. A pleasure to play with Jackie and hope to meet up again."  -- Denise
Reveal CommentDenise Nemtzov bt James Meurer (Dec 4) 6-3, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A match played over two days as bucketing down at the first attempt although James would have happily played on regardless! (Nutter! Ha ha, he admits himself!) Many deuces, rallies and long games, A pleasure to play and a lovely person!"  -- Denise
Reveal CommentJacqueline Jeromson bt Laura Campari (Dec 3) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A 3hr match that was competitive to the end as we battled long and tight rallies, even if it did take over a month to play the final set! Thanks for a great match Laura."  -- Jacqueline
Laura Campari bt Cyrill Roessler (Nov 22) 6-1, 6-2
Reveal CommentMatthew Sotherton bt Jacqueline Jeromson (Nov 10) 6-4, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Great to face Jackie again, always good bantz and played in a fun spirit, and we dodged the rain!"  -- Matthew
Reveal CommentJames Meurer bt Richard Head (Nov 10) 6-3, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "There seems to always be an issue with the light when Richard and I play! Last time it was inconsistent floodlights - and this time a low blinding sun! We struggled on however and managed to carve a decent game out. "  -- James
Reveal CommentJames Meurer bt Jacqueline Jeromson (Nov 8) 7-5, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "A short window of beautiful weather in an otherwise miserable week helped make this a really enjoyable match. I had my eye on a win from the start but Jacqueline was determined to make me work for it and she really did. Jackie looked fresh as a daisy at the end, and I... Well. I looked like I'd played two hard sets of tennis!"  -- James

Group Summary:

It couldn't have been closer at the top of Group 5 with Terry and Joseph both finishing on 9 points while their head to head was finely balanced at one set all and 2 games all when play stopped due to fading light. Unfortunately the pair didn't manage to resume their match so instead Terry's fewer games conceded on average per match saw him clinch the title. Paul was hot on their heels in third place while Hashem & Richard and Paul & Hashem enjoyed close Sunday morning contests It was a successful return to league action for Terry winning the group by the finest margins, finishing on 9 points the same as runner up Joseph but Terry took the honours by

Final Rankings:

Pos. Name Played P Won W Lost L Bonus BNS Total PTS Form
1 Terry Rollinson 3 3 0 2 9 WWW
2 Joseph Fraser 3 3 0 2 9 WWW
3 Paul Snoddy 5 3 2 2 8 WLLW
4 Michael Ruggier 3 1 2 2 4 LWL
5 Hashem Mirzadeh 5 1 4 2 4 LLLW
6 Richard Fitter 3 0 3 0 0 LLL
7 Aoife Linnane 0 0 0 0 0 0

Match Results:

Reveal CommentTerry Rollinson v Joseph Fraser (Dec 22) 6-3, 4-6, 2-2 TBC

Player Comments:

  • "Match will be completed next weekend - we stopped because the light was fading and the scores were even."  -- Terry
Reveal CommentPaul Snoddy bt Richard Fitter (Dec 8) 6-1, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Fun match despite the windy conditions which made some rallies somewhat unpredictable!"  -- Paul
Terry Rollinson bt Hashem Mirzadeh (Dec 2) 6-0, 6-0
Reveal CommentJoseph Fraser bt Michael Ruggier (Dec 1) 6-1, 6-1

Player Comments:

  • "Really enjoyable game with some good rallies. Thanks to Michael for lending me a racket after I managed to leave mine at home!"  -- Joseph
Reveal CommentJoseph Fraser bt Hashem Mirzadeh (Nov 25) 6-0, 6-2

Player Comments:

  • "Good match with a fair few duce games."  -- Joseph
Reveal CommentJoseph Fraser bt Paul Snoddy (Nov 24) 6-2, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "Enjoyable match played in damp conditions."  -- Joseph
Terry Rollinson bt Paul Snoddy (Nov 23) 6-1, 6-3
Terry Rollinson bt Richard Fitter (Nov 17) 6-0, 6-0
Michael Ruggier bt Hashem Mirzadeh (Nov 17) 6-1, 6-1
Reveal CommentPaul Snoddy bt Michael Ruggier (Nov 16) 6-1, 6-3

Player Comments:

  • "As ever a very enjoyable match with Michael with lots of fun rallies. Not the nicest of days for tennis and I dealt with the conditions a little better giving me the edge. "  -- Paul

Match of the Group:

Reveal CommentHashem Mirzadeh bt Richard Fitter (Nov 11) 6-3, 7-5

Player Comments:

  • "Great match on Sunday morning. We had lots of close games, but I finally managed to win the match"  -- Hashem
Reveal CommentPaul Snoddy bt Hashem Mirzadeh (Nov 4) 6-3, 6-4

Player Comments:

  • "Fun Sunday morning match. Lots of tight games but I managed to win a few more of the key points. "  -- Paul