Billy Ross-Skinner Mixed Doubles Invitational Championship 2026
Held at Hatfield House Tennis Club (Feb 20 – 22, 2026)
Sponsored by The Dedanist Society and The Jesters.
Draw:
Order of Play:
LRTA NATIONAL SCHOOL GIRLS U15 LEVEL SINGLES & DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS 2026 Report
SINGLES COMPETITION
One of the lovely things about this age group is that the girls nearly always have a smile on their faces and the often run to change ends!
Nine different schools were represented in the U15 Singles Championships with the usual format of playing in groups, with the group winner moving up to the next group. Our first match Clemmie Wilmott vs Bonnie Tindall set a very high standard from the start with Bonnie winning 5-3 due to more consistent return of serves. Bonnie stayed on court to play Olivia. Olivia raced to a 3-0 lead hitting some very attacking groundstrokes off both wings and good length serves, eventually winning 5-1. Ida then went on court to play Olivia; both girls retrieved well with Olivia winning 5-2 having slightly better control with her groundstrokes. With two wins each the match to decide group winner was between Clemmie and Olivia. On this occasion 10-year-old Olivia was the victor 5-2 producing some very good length serves. In the final game Ida v Bonnie, Ida rallied and volleyed well to win 5-0 which was not a true reflection of the match as nearly every game went to deuce.
The first match of the next group was Erin vs Tabs; Erin’s varied and tight serve gave her the edge, winning 5-2. In the next match Tabs played consistently to win 5-3 against Florrie. Florrie then stayed on court to play Olivia and whilst Olivia won 5-0, Florrie ran every ball down and it went to deuce in several games, but Olivia won the vital game points. Olivia took on Erin next. Erin served sharply to begin with going to a 3-0 lead, but Olivia rallied well to get back to 3-3, then made a couple of unforced errors to go 3-4 down and then a deuce game saw Erin finish by hitting the game ball into the dedans and become group winner. Two pairs were allowed to go through from this group so our next match Tabs vs Olivia would decide 2nd place. Whilst Olivia played tactically so well, Tabs weight of shot won her points time and again.
On to our final group where the standard of play went up by several notches. Our first match saw Zoe vs Riya. Both players can hit railroad serves which added great variety to their games. It went game for game until 2-2 with some lovely shots by both players into the corners of the court. Then Riya went up a gear and hit some excellent angled shots to take the next 3 games and win 5-2. Riya stayed on court to play Erin; this was a very close encounter and could have been any ones match but in the end Riya came through 5-3 with some super good length cross court forehands. Tabs then came on court to play Erin. At this point the accuracy of Erin’s formidable strong serve deserted her and whilst there were some excellent rests with Tabs retrieving brilliantly, Erin was for much of the time at the receiving end, Tabs winning by a well-deserved 5-1. Tabs then took on Zoe and what a tight match this was. Although Zoe won 5-2, Tabs had game balls in every game but unfortunately over hit onto the penthouse. Zoe stayed on court to play Erin and with renewed confidence attacked every ball and won 5-1. Our final group game was Riya vs Tabs. Tabs whizzed around the court making some spectacular retrievals which was off putting for Riya who, as a result, made some unforced errors. At 2-all Riya then re-asserted herself with some softer railroad serves which Tabs didn’t know how to respond. This meant that Riya came out top of the group with 3 wins and Zoe was group runner- up. So, to the final, Riya vs Zoe, one set to 8 games. There were some beautiful rests and after losing the first game through some sloppy unforced errors, Riya settled down to hit some excellent volleys and in particular sharp shots cutting down into Zoe’s forehand corner to win 8-1. Zoe fought hard, serving well throughout the match but Riya’s attacking shots were relentless.
DOUBLES COMPETITION
Just one group of 5 pairs competed in this year’s competition which included 5 newcomers from Wellington, Lucie Kitchen, Paloma Kelton, Alice Meldrum, Arabella Reed and Ashleen Gill – this event marked their first ever competition, having only picked up a racquet 2-3 weeks beforehand! However, as the matches went on, you could see how quickly they were learning to serve and began hitting the ball more confidently – all very promising.
Two pairs stood out as possible finalists, Erin Hartman/Zoe Neville and Olivia Jacobs/Clemmie Willmott. These two pairs played each other first in the group. Olivia began serving to Zoe and immediately produced an impressive railroad, followed by a strong forehand into the base of the tambour. Zoe began to read Olivia’s serve and also produced some strong forehands of her own, however, Olivia and Clemmie managed to not concede any chases. At deuce, Zoe hit a return into the dedans making it their advantage, however, it was Olivia and Clemmie who kept their composure to win the first game with a volley by Olivia under the grille which Erin could not return. The next game went to Erin and Zoe to make it 1-1. It was not until the third game that a chase was laid. Erin and Zoe then took control of this match with Erin and Zoe’s strong and varied serving and impressive groundstrokes. They went onto win the match 5-2. Olivia and Clemmie stayed on to play Lucie and Paloma and won 5-0. Next on were Alice and Arabella (Bells) vs Lucie and Paloma and this time it was Lucie and Paloma’s turn to win 5-0. Alice and Bells then played Bonnie Tindall and Ashleen Gill and lost 5-1. Bonnie and Ashleen stayed on to play Erin and Zoe with the latter pair proving too strong and winning 5-0. It was the same score in Erin and Zoe’s next match against Lucie and Paloma. Lucie and Paloma stayed on to play Bonnie and Ashleen. This was a much closer match with the latter pair showing more confidence and hitting the ball better but nonetheless losing 5-3. The remaining group matches saw Olivia and Clemmie proving too strong for Bonnie and Ashleen 5-1, and then again against Alice and Bells 5-0, with the remaining group match being won by Erin and Zoe 5-0 against Alice and Bells.
The final between Erin/Zoe and Olivia/Clemmie was an 8-game set. Both pairs played well demonstrating some excellent volleys, serves and producing strong forehands. Gradually Erin and Zoe’s confidence grew, and their placement of shots became more accurate which Olivia and Clemmie found difficult to return. The result was a win for Erin and Zoe 8-1, however, the score does not reflect the closeness of the games.
Our thanks to our co-sponsors, The Dedanists’ Society, and to Wellington College for hosting the competition. Additional thanks to Dan Jones and Adam Player for their marking and general support and finally, a thank you to Alex Garside and Jill Newby for their support in running the competition.
Entries open for 2026 British Ladies Handicap Tournament
Event Timing: Friday 17th – Sunday 19th April 2026
- Leamington Tennis Court Club, 50 Bedford Street, Leamington Spa, Warks CV32 5DT (Tel: 01926424977)
- Moreton Morrell Tennis Court Club, The Tennis Court, Moreton Morrell, Warks CV35 9AL (Tel: 01926 651229)
We are delighted to invite entries to the British Ladies’ Handicap Tournament at Leamington and Moreton Morrell tennis clubs where we look forward to an exciting event on and off court, with lots of competitive and fun tennis!
Entries will be divided into two Divisions depending on numbers and handicaps.
We encourage all women to enter, but please note that the maximum handicap off which anyone may play in Division 1 is set at 50 and Division 2 is set at 75, subject to change, depending on entries.
Both Singles and Doubles will be Round Robin events, followed by a knock-out tournament for the winners and runners-up of each group. Each match will be one first-to-six set. Due to the number of entries, some people will have to play on Friday so please let us know if you can. Formats of both events are subject to change depending on numbers of entries and availability on Friday. If two people enter the Doubles as a pair, but end up in different Divisions, they will each be given the option of teaming up with another player in the same division if possible.
Entry fees: Singles and Doubles £55; Singles only £40; Doubles only £30;
Junior (under 21 on date of tournament) Singles & Doubles £30; Singles only £20 and Doubles only £20.
LRTA tournament rules will apply. A drinks reception and Tournament Dinner will be held on the Saturday night. You are welcome to bring guests and the cost per head will be £45.
To enter, please complete the Entry Form. All entrants must be a member of the LRTA and registered with GoCardless. Overseas entrants should contact [email protected] to arrange alternative payment method.
Entry and dinner payment will be deducted via GoCardless as per signed entry form.
For further information about the event please contact Rachel Hollington
Entry form: https://forms.gle/eTweEmzqmoqqtA526 Entry deadline is Friday 27th March 2026.
NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED.
U19 National School Girls Level Singles & Doubles 2026 Report
10th –11th January 2026 at Wellington College
In the U19 National Schools competition matches are played in groups starting with the highest handicap group playing first, and on this occasion both the winner and runner–up were being allowed to go through into the next group. Matches were played off level. Our first match saw Tabs Bridgeman v Honor Pennant both of Wellington College. Tabs raced to a 3-0 lead, but Honor managed to get back 2–3. Some lengthy rallies were played but Tabs just had that much greater control on her groundstrokes, in addition, hit some excellent length bobble serves. Tabs stayed on court to play Bonnie Tindall (Godolphin and Latymer). Both players were solid volleyers. It was a close encounter until 2–2 then Tabs surged away with continued accurate serves and good use of the side walls on difficult shots to win 8–2. Our final group match was Honor v Bonnie. This match went 1–1, 2–2, 3–3, etc right through to 7–7. In the end, Honor took the final game. Both players had improved as the game went on and the rallies became longer with Honor hitting some lovely volleys and Bonnie becoming stronger at returning Honor’s difficult serve. Honor should have gone through as runner– up of the group, however, fortunately, from Bonnie’s point of view, it was Honor’s 18th birthday, and she had other pressing engagements to go to, so we let Bonnie go through into the next group.
In this next group the first match was Erin Hartman (Bohunt Liphook) v Zoe Neville (Bohunt Wokingham). This was an excellent match with Zoe hitting some very accurate return of serves into the backhand corner and winning 6–2. Erin stayed on court to play Tabs. This was another exciting game with Tabs so quick about the court and getting every shot back and Erin, when given the opportunity, hitting the ball crisply into the corners, and eventually Erin winning 6–4. Bonnie then took on Tabs who was improving with every match. Despite Bonnie getting to 40-all in 4 games, Tabs won the match 6–0. Next up was Bonnie v Zoe. Bonnie put up a great fight producing much improved returns of Zoe’s tricky serves but losing 6–3. Zoe then stayed on court to play the rapidly improving Tabs. Tabs rallied well but Zoe’s variety of serves and sharp shots into the corner resulted in a well-deserved 6–3 win for Zoe. Our last group match saw Erin v Bonnie, whilst Bonnie was managing to stay in the rallies as soon as she played a loose shot Erin tucked the ball away into a corner. Zoe won the group and Erin was runner- up with both going up into the next group.
The first match in group 3 saw Isabella Wylie (Charterhouse) v Clemmie Batstone (Wellington). Isabella was extremely accurate off both wings hitting balls into the corner to win 6–1 and then again against Zoe Neville, 6–3. The third game saw Erin v Zoe. It was level match to start with until 2–2 then Erin had a spurt to go 4–2 up only for Zoe to serve to a great length and creep back to 4–4. Then it was Erin’s turn to serve well and take a 5–4 lead which she held onto taking the final game. Next on court was Erin v Clemmie and this was again a very close tussle. Erin took a 3–2 lead but for Clemmie to play very consistently as well as hitting several shots into the dedans and take a 5–3 lead. Erin clawed back the next two games, and it was 5–5, then deuce. An error by Erin gave Clemmie her 3rd match point when she conclusively hit the ball into the dedans to win the match. Zoe and Clemmie were next, and this was yet again another amazing contest not knowing who was going to win until the last ball had been struck with Clemmie beating a chase of a yard with a lob into the dedans. Our final group match was Isabella v Erin, again a lovely match with Erin being the more consistent player, winning 6–3. This result meant that we had three pairs with 2 wins and on counting who had won the most games, Erin and Isabella went through as group winner and runner – up respectively.
The final Singles group commenced on Sunday morning, this would determine who the two finalists would be. First on court were Georgia Toosey (Wellington) v Martha Raitt, potentially the strongest girls in the group on handicap. Georgia made a quick start with strong serving and putting her double-handed backhand to good use, making winners at the base of the tambour. Martha didn’t get many opportunities to serve, and it was soon all over with Georgia winning 6-0. Next was Martha v Erin, this game was closer. First game went to 40-all with Erin just taking it beating a chase of worse than 3 yards. Martha was taking her time to settle into the match but took the next 2 games before Erin got back to 2-2. Martha then upped her game with some impressive serving and playing to a good length and took a 5-2 lead. She won the match 6-3. Erin’s next opponent was Isabella Wylie, whom she had played and beaten the previous day. Isabella started the stronger of the two, taking a 2-0 lead. Erin won the next game with some excellent serving (2 nicks). This didn’t deter Isabella who took the next 2 games making good use of her strong forehand. Following excellent play by both players, it was Isabella who eventually won the match 6-3. Isabella stayed on court to play Georgia, the first game going to 40-all on Georgia’s serve. Isabella had to beat a chase of last gallery which she did comfortably with a hard and low return into the forehand corner. However, Georgia was not fazed by this and soon ran away with the match winning 6-1. Georgia remained on court to play Erin. Erin started well with some good serving taking a 40-0 lead. She had to beat a chase of 2 yards which she failed to do and then Georgia hit a forehand into the grille. Despite this, Erin took the first game. Both girls demonstrated some excellent railroad serving followed by strong returns across court. However, it was Georgia that got the next game at 40-all and she then went on to win the match 6-2 losing just one further game. The last game of the group featured Martha v Isabella – this was a closer game than the score suggests with both girls hitting the grille and producing some strong shots. It was Martha who came out on top winning 6-1. So, we had our finalists – Georgie v Martha.
The final was an 8-game set. Georgia got off to a good start winning the first game, but Martha struck back in the second game producing some excellent volleys and at deuce hitting a fabulous cut return of serve into Georgia’s forehand corner laying a good chase which Georgia couldn’t beat. 1-1 turned into 2-1 to Martha but Georgia wasn’t going to let Martha pull ahead. She fought back to 2-2 and then won the important 40-all point to go 3-2 up. The next game produced some strong play by Martha who pushed Georgia around the court cutting forehands into the corners. She was 40-30 up and had to beat a chase of 4 yards but Georgia managed to defend this brilliantly digging out what could have been an excellent winner by Martha into the backhand corner. Georgia won the all important 40-all point to go 4-2 up. Georgia was gaining confidence and took a 6-2 lead and then 7-3. However, Martha wasn’t giving up, she fought back producing some fabulous retrieving particularly out of the backhand corner. Georgia, meanwhile, was beginning to feel the pressure as Martha got back to 7-6. However, it was Georgia who managed to hold on and produce an ace serve to win the match 8-6.
Doubles Competition
As a result of last-minute withdrawals from this competition, the Doubles draw consisted of just one group with 3 pairs, all playing an 8-game set. Nonetheless, the pairs playing were of a good standard, so we expected great things. The first match featured Georgia Toosey and Clemmie Batstone v Martha Raitt and Isabella Wylie. Georgia and Clemmie got off to a fast start, taking a 3-0 lead through strong groundstrokes by both players. Despite the opposition clawing their way back to 3-3, Georgia and Clemmie re-gained control and won the match 8-3.
Next match saw Georgia and Clemmie take on Erin Hartman and Zoe Neville. It was soon apparent that Erin and Zoe were struggling against their opponents although they did put up a brave fight with both girls demonstrating their excellent groundstrokes and serving skills. Zoe had only recently started to serve a railroad which she did with surprising strength considering her height! Georgia and Clemmie won the match 8-1.
Erin and Zoe stayed on court to play Martha and Isabella. This was a close match up until 2-2, then Martha and Isabella took control and ran out the winners 8-3.
The final was between Georgia and Clemmie v Martha and Isabella. Georgia and Clemmie raced to a 5-0 lead thanks to their strong serving and accuracy in hitting the grille. Their opponents fought back winning the next game, but it was soon apparent that Georgia and Clemmie were just too strong and won the match 8-3.
Our thanks to The Dedanists’ Foundation for their sponsorship, to Wellington College for hosting the competition, to Adam Player and Simon Roundell for marking the matches and to Alex Garside and Jill Newby for overseeing the competition.
Tickets available for Women’s British Open main draw and qualifiers
Women’s British Open Qualifiers @Holyport
The action kicks off at Holyport on Friday 14th November at 4.30pm when Karla Popovic takes on Sabrina Didizian. We encourage everyone to come and support some of our top women players for what will be a weekend of exciting and competitive tennis. Please let us know if you are coming along by emailing [email protected] so we can get an estimate of numbers.
The Sir John Ritblat Women’s British Open Main Draw @Queen’s Club
The successful qualifiers, two singles winners and one doubles pair, will advance to the Main Draw at Queen’s, and play will commence on Wednesday, 19th November at 2:00pm.
Tickets for the Main Draw can be purchased directly from the T&RA here: https://tennis-rackets.eventize.co.uk/calendars/tennis/
Entries open for LRTA U21 Handicap Singles Tournament
Date: 15th & 16th November 2025
Location: Radley College Real Tennis Club
Kindly Sponsored by the Dedanists’ Foundation
We are delighted to be back at Radley for this year’s U21 Handicap Singles tournament to be held over two days on 15th and 16th November. The tournament is generously sponsored by the Dedanists’ Foundation and we have, therefore, been able to reduce this year’s entry fee to £20 to encourage as many competitors as possible.
Players will be placed in round robin groups of similar handicaps with the winner and runner up progressing through to the knockout stage. If you have a specific school/uni commitment on Saturday, please state the time of your availability on the entry form. The format of this handicap tournament is subject to change and is dependent upon entries. The tournament will be organised with the players’ best interests in mind and to provide as much tennis as possible.
Closing date for entries is Sunday 2nd November 2025 (we will endeavour to e-mail the draws to competitors by Saturday 8th November 2025). Competitors must be Under 21 years on 1st September 2025.
Tournament Organisers: Alex Garside & Jill Newby
Entry form: https://forms.gle/Gdu7gXMBnvSHa4eZA
(Deadline: Sunday 2nd November)
French Open 2025: Claire Fahey Makes History Again!
Huge congratulations to the legendary Claire Fahey! Continuing to rewrite the record books, she has secured her 47th Open title and her 12th French Open win.
Claire delivered a powerful performance in the singles final, winning 6-0, 6-0, defeating Jess Garside, playing in her first Open final.
The domination didn’t stop there and in the doubles final, Claire and Jess teamed up winning 6-0, 6-0 against the talented junior duo of Katherine Carney and Lydia Compton-Burnett – the current U19 Girls World Doubles Champions and definitely players to watch in the future!
As is often the case in real tennis, the final scores rarely reflect the intense rallies and close games that took place and we send our congratulations to all the finalists.
British Ladies Open moving to The Queen’s Club this November
The LRTA & T&RA are pleased to confirm the Sir John Ritblat British Open 2025 will take place at The Queen’s Club in November 2025. This year, the tournament will include dedicated women’s singles and doubles draws alongside the main Open draws, a change that aligns with the Australian and French Opens.
The British Ladies Open Qualifier tournament for sub 40.4 handicap players will be held at Holyport Real Tennis Club November 13th-16th, with a maximum of 16 entrants. Handicaps will be taken on the closing date of the entry.
The main women’s draw at Queen’s will feature eight singles players (two qualifiers) and four doubles pairs (one qualifier), with matches starting on Wednesday 19th November. The ladies singles final is scheduled for 6.45pm on Saturday 22nd November, followed by a tournament dinner, and the ladies doubles final at 6.45pm on Sunday, 23rd November.
The open’s singles final is on Monday, November 24th, at 6 PM, and the doubles final is on Tuesday, November 25th, at 6 PM. Alistair Lumsden is the Tournament Director for all events.
If you are sub 40.4 handicap and would like to play, please sign up here: https://form.jotform.com/office665/womens-british-open-2025 (Deadline: 10am Monday 20th October 2025)
For more information relating to the tournament, please contact [email protected] and for information relating to the tournament dinner, please contact [email protected]
Gabrielle Smart & Christina Huntsman Triumph at High Low Tournament
Hatfield played host to the LRTA High Low Doubles for the second time over the weekend and once again it was a great fun event with lots of extremely close matches and great tennis along the way. The High Low Doubles is a unique event where the highest handicapped player is paired with the lowest handicapped player and placed in a round robin group with all matches played to 1 set off full handicap.
Day 1 sees the bulk of the group matches played and the form pair at the end of the day looked to be Hatfield’s Sarah Sullivan & RTC’s Terri Sheperdigian who were the only pair with a perfect record of 3 wins out of 3, two fairly comfortable 6/2 wins and a very hard 6/5 win over Gabrielle Smart of Paris and Christina Huntsman from Moreton Morrell. Next best was another Hatfield/RTC partnership of Jill Akers & Peta Louise Jeffery who had managed to win 3 of their 4 matches, the only loss against Sarah & Terri but the great thing was that with 4 group matches still to be played on Sunday, all 6 pairs still had a chance of making it into the semi-final matches to be played later on Sunday.
As mentioned it was all to play for on day 2 as Hatfield’s Lis Hughes and Oratory’s Kim Walker secured their semi-final place with a win in the first match of the day and Sarah & Terri continued their ruthless run with a 6/0 win over Rhona Russell of RTC and Tabitha Jones of Cambridge, ending their chances of progressing and all but guaranteeing Sarah & Terri would finish top of the table. The penultimate match of the group stage would end up being a test run of the first semi-final match as Jill Akers & Peta Louise Jeffery took on Gabrielle Smart & Christina Huntsman and while Jill & Peta Louise won the group match 6/4, Gabrielle & Christina managed to turn the tables in the semi-final winning 6/3 to take their place in the final after timing their run to perfection! The final group match was textbook Real Tennis as the only unbeaten pair in the event played the only pair yet to win a match as Sarah & Terri faced Linda Fairbrother of Cambridge and Philippa Wells of Newmarket and as only seems to happen in this great game it was Linda & Philippa who won 6/4 to break their duck and inflict the first defeat of the event to Sarah & Terri.
Sarah & Terri still took their place in the semi-final against Lis Hughes & Kim Walker and sadly for Lis & Kim, the table topping pair of Sarah & Terri were back on form, taking their place in the final against Gabrielle & Christina with a 6/2 win. The group stage match between the finalists had been a nail biting 6/5 win to Sarah & Terri so while they went in as favourites, it was expected to be a close match. The form book went out the window at the start of the match though as Gabrielle & Christina moved into a 4/0 lead by virtue of winning 4 40 all points in a row so while the score looked one-sided, there was actually only 4 points between them. Gradually Sarah & Terri clawed it back until at 3/4 40 all, we had what ended up being the decisive point of the match, Sarah being unable to return a tight serve from Christina to stop the rot and make it 5/3 and this time Sarah & Terri were unable to make a comeback, Gabrielle & Christina closing it out 6/3 for a well deserved win!
Well done to all the players on a fantastic weekend of tennis in which there was some excellent, incredibly close matches and numerous laughs! Sarah & Terri both attempting to serve at the same time being a definite highlight! Many thanks to Sarah Sullivan and Linda Fairbrother for their excellent organisation and Sarah, Steve Sullivan and Liz Fisher for providing delicious lunches both days.
Jon Dawes
Historic First for the Champions Trophy!
July 2025 saw the first-ever Champions Trophy Ladies Real Tennis Exhibition singles and doubles matches at Hampton Court Palace. In a tightly contested singles, Nicola Doble (RTC) faced Jess Garside (Seacourt), with Jess edging it 6/4.
The action continued in doubles, as rising stars lit up the court. Doble/Blaber (RTC) defeated Garside/Carney (Seacourt/Oratory) 6/3 — a showcase of the exciting future of Real Tennis talent!
At the end of play, LRTA Co-Chair Sarah Sullivan presented the players with a token thank you for their outstanding performances along with the RTC’s head pro Nick Wood. Thank you to the tournament organisers and sponsors especially Mitsubishi Electric for supporting this new initiative.
Re-watch the action here!