Ron Terry Mixed Doubles Tennis Tournament
(Saturday 30^th July 2005)

A one day tournament held at Reading University

Peter H, Mary D, Phil and Margaret R all took part in this unusual and enjoyable tournament.

First of all it was on grass, making it a very different game from play on our own club courts. It took several games (at least) to adapt.

Despite heavy downpours elsewhere in the region, we were fortunate in only having a few light showers, which did not interfere with play.

The format was also unusual, but highly effective. The squad of sixteen pairs were split into four qualifying groups of four couples each, where each couple played six games against the other three couples in the group.

All the players then moved into the quarter finals, but were seeded so that those with the highest number of games played against each other and so on down the ladder, with the lowest scorers at the bottom.

All the players then moved into the semi finals, but moved up or down the ladder according to their overall scoring in games won.

And likewise into the final, so that everyone had the same number of matches and with all the couples playing in a final at their own level.

With six grass courts available and eight matches at each stage there was a comfortable ratio of play to rest.

It was an ideal format, which kept everybody involved throughout the day, matched against players close to their own standard.

As luck would have it, the Goring Tennis Club mob ended up in the same group and drew each other in the opening match.

Peter and Mary won by a 4-2 margin over Phil and Margaret in a tentative match which was indicative of the general level within the group and set the initial placings on the ladder to the final.

By shear coincidence, or maybe because of the way we played, we met again in the final. A more positive match ensued with a more confident approach to playing on grass but with a similar result of 6-2.

We now share a bottle of wine (the winners) and a can of four lightly used balls (the runners up).

An excellent day out and perhaps a format that we could repeat ourselves.

Our thanks to John P, who organised the event.