Ted Avory Cup 2023

Match: Ted Avory Cup, 2023 (GB v USA)

Venue: St George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club

Dates: 29^th / 30^th June 2023

Result: USA beat GB 28-24

On the 28^th July 2023 the IC of GB welcomed our guests, the IC of the USA to St George’s Hill Lawn Tennis Club for some practice and an evening BBQ. Having not had a Ted Avory match since 2019 due to Covid (held in Berkley, USA), it was great to see some familiar faces again and restart the bi-annual match between these two ICs. The Ted Avory fixture is truly unique in the size of the match as well as the range of ages that play. Players ranged from 25 years old to 83 years old in this edition, and the match is a fantastic showcase for how tennis can be played for life!

30 matches were played on day 1, but some early morning rain meant that the grass courts were out of play so we moved over to the artificial grass and artificial clay. There was some fantastic tennis, a few minor slips on the courts and lots of great sportsmanship on show throughout the day, with a late finish on the courts pushing the dinner back until post 9pm! At the dinner as is customary with Ted Avory matches, both IC’s awarded Honorary IC Memberships to players who have shown great commitment to both the IC and to the Ted Avory fixture. Karen Hunter, David Culshaw and Anne Clarke were all given honorary memberships of the USIC, whilst The IC of GB awarded memberships to Bruce Lipka Jr and Mike Tammen who have both played 4x Ted Avory fixtures. Day 1 came to close with the score tied at 15-15.

We were able to start on the grass on day 2 but again the British weather forced us to grace the artificial grass/clay for a couple of rounds. Things were pretty close until the 3^rd round of singles, where the USA proved their strength and took 4 of the 5 matches. We managed to get back on the grass from round 4, to the delight of the US team as they had been eager to play on a surface slightly unusual to most of them! Despite some hard-fought doubles victories from the IC of GB, the USA came through in the end to win the Ted Avory Cup for the 4^th consecutive time. At the official dinner on the Friday evening, the USA were presented with the trophy after their victory, with the final score being 28-24 to the USA.

After the official fixture, the US team had a day off on Saturday before joining the IC of GB for a mix in and BBQ at Roehampton Club on Sunday 2^nd July. This was a great opportunity for the US team to meet and play with the wider IC of GB on the eve of Wimbledon, and there was some more grass court tennis on offer as the weather decided to behave itself! The USIC were then guests of the IC of GB at The Championships, Wimbledon on day 1 of the tournament.

Huge thanks to the IC of the USA for sending over such a great team of players and individuals. As always these matches provide fantastic opportunities for competitive tennis but also great friendships throughout the years. It was fantastic to also have the support of some GB players who were not playing in the match, but who came to see some of their friends from the USA. Erika Smith, Charlie Hoeveler and Bruce Lipka Jr put in lots of work in the lead up to and during the event, and we would like to thank them very much for this. Ted Avory is such a unique fixture, with a huge amount of players involved so it takes dedication from the captains to get the team together, kitted out, in the right place at the right time and (hopefully) enjoying themselves!

Thank you also to the IC of GB team for putting up a great fight and taking time out of busy schedules to host the USA, and also to St George’s Hill Tennis Club for being fantastic hosts over the 3 days.

I’m already looking forward to Ted Avory 2025!

Amanda

IC of GB Ted Avory Cup Captain, 2023

Results

Day 1

Mark Whitehouse (GB) beat Timothy Wang (USA) 6-4 6-3

Matt Kirby (GB) beat Shaun Choudhury (USA) 6-3 6-2

Leyla Ogan (GB) lost to Mariko Fritz-Krockow (USA) 7-6(3) 2-6 10-7

Emily arbuthnott (GB) beat Fernanda Contreras 4-6 7-5 10-6

Amanda Elliott (GB) beat Stphanie Kusano-Wallace (USA) 6-3 3-6 10-4

Benson Greatrex (GB)) lost to Geoffrey Cykman (USA) 

David Culshaw (GB) lost to Dean Wallace (USA) 6-1 6-3

Nik Snapes (GB) lost to Tyler Browne (USA) 6-1 7-5

Eilidh Smith (GB) lost to Amanda Parson-Siegel (US) 

Anne Clark (GB) beat Andrea Barnes (USA) 6-0 6-1

Karen Hunter (GB) lost to Andrea Rice (USA) 

Christine French (GB) beat Erika Smith 

Chris Hearne (GB) beat Bruce Lipka Jr (USA) 7-6 6-2

Malcolm Bryant (GB) lost to Daniel Waldman (USA) 

Shaun Leleu (GB) beat Dana Gill (USA)

Niall Sweeney (GB) lost to Paul Wulf (USA)

Paul French (GB) lost to Michael Tamman (USA) 6-4 7-6

Richard Tutt (GBR)  lost to Brian Cheney (USA)

Clive Hutchings (GB) lost to Richard Fried Jr (USA) 6-1 6-0

Matt Kirby & Mark Whitehouse (GB) beat Shaun Choudhury & Timothy Wang 6-2 6-4

Mark Beim & Katie O’Brien (GB) beat Bruce Lipka Jr & Erin Routliffe

Peter Harding & Benson Greatrex (GB) beat Geoffrey Cykman & Charlie Hoeveler (USA) 7-5 6-4

Emily Arbuthnott & Amanda Elliott (GB) beat Stephanie Kusano-Wallace & Mariko Fritz-Krockow 6-3 6-2

David Culshaw & Nik Snapes (GB) v Dean Wallace & Tyler Browne (USA) 6-2 7-6(5)

Paul French & Christine French (GB) beat Michael Tamman & Mary Dailey (USA) 6-2 7-5

Malcolm Bryant & Anne Clark (GB) lost to Daniel Waldman & Andrea Barnes (USA) 6-3 3-6 10-2

Richard Tutt & Clive Hutchings (GB) beat Brian Cheney & Richard Fried (USA) 6-4 7-5

Shaun Leleu & Niall Sweeney (GB) lost to Paul Wulf & Dana Gill (USA) 3—6 6-3 10-8(9)

Eilidh Smith & Karen Hunter (GB) lost to Amanda Parson-Siegel & Andrea Rice (USA) 4-6 6-3 10-5

Day 2

Matt Kirby (GB) lost to Timothy Wang (USA) 6-2 6-1

Mark Whitehouse (GB) beat Shaun Choudhury 

Katie O’Brien (GB) beat Mariko Fritz-Krakow (USA) 7-6(1) 6-3

Karen Hunter (GB) lost to Amanda Parson-Siegel 6-1 6-1

Niall Sweeny (GB) lost to Geoffrey Cykman (USA) 6-1 6-4

Nik Snapes (GB) beat Dean Wallace 6-2 6-0

David Culshaw (GB) lost to Tyler Browne (USA) 6-4 6-3

Josie Inverdale (GB) lost to Stephanie Kusano-Wallace (USA) 6-1 6-0

Joy Tacon (GB) beat Erika Smith (USA) 6-2 6-2

Chris Hearne (GB) lost to Dana Gill 

Julian Tatum (GB) beat Richard Fried Jr (USA) 1-6 6-4 10-5

Richard Tutt (GB) lost to Paul Wulf (USA) 6-3 6-1

Paul French (GB) lost to Daniel Waldman 6-1 7-6

Malcolm Bryant (GB) lost to Michael Tamman 6-1 6-2

Anne Clark & Christine French beat Andrea Barnes & Mary Dailey 6-2 6-2

Mark Beim & Eilidh Smith lost to Dean Wallace & Stephanie Kusano-Wallace (USA)

David Culshaw & Amanda Elliott (GB) beat Shaun Choudhury & Mariko Fritz-Krockow 4-6 6-4 10-6

Niall Sweeney & Benson Greatrex beat Paul Wulf & Geoffrey Cykman 

Mark Whitehouse & Emily Arbuthnott beat Timothy Wang & Stephanie Kusano-Wallace 6-4 6-2

Nik Snapes & Josie Inverdale (GB) lost to Tyler Browne & Andrea Rice 6-3 6-4

Malcolm Bryant & Anne Clark (GB) beat Daniel Waldman & Mary Dailey 6-4 7-5

Peter Bretherton & Julian Tatum lost to Richard Fried & Brian Cheney (USA) 6-3 6-1

Graham Neale & Shaun Leleu lost to Bruce Lipka Jr & Dana Gill (USA) 6-3 6-1

Graham Neale & Leyla Ogan (GB) lost to Michael Tammen & Amanda Parson-Siegel (USA) 6-1 5-1 ret