IC of GB Centenary Week - Day 5 Report

The semi-finals were played in brilliant sunshine on day five at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club as Italy and Spain and Australia and Germany proceeded to the Final in the Windmill Cup and Mercelis Trophy respectively.

Italy started early in the Windmill Cup needing to win just one set in their resumed doubles match against Denmark, which they duly did. On the other side of the draw, Spain also started early as they needed to win their first doubles match against Australia to secure their quarterfinal win.

After a short break, Italy took to Court 1 to face France in the semi-finals. Andrea Monti took the first singles for Italy 7-6 (6) 6-3, before Christophe Gibiard drew level for France in the second match winning in three sets 7-6(4) 2-6 (10-4).

Straight set wins followed for Italy in the remaining two singles with Adelchi Virgili defeating Axel Damiens and the powerful Luca Vanni beating Thibaut Charron, taking an unassailable lead to secure their spot in the Final tomorrow.

Post fixture Adelchi commented: “Yesterday was a very tough match, against Denmark. My opponent was very smart, and he played the conditions really well. It was windy, cold and it was fast sometimes, because the court was a little bit wet, sometimes slow, so he was so good with those conditions. I was a little nervous but in the end, I played good, important points and we finished all the singles yesterday and today we had to play the doubles. We had to win one set – we did it! Me and my team mate Luca Vanni; he’s an incredible player. He played at Wimbledon six times, two times in the main draw and four times in qualifying so he’s a great player. I am so lucky to have him in my team.

“Today after the doubles I was feeling much better. It’s sunny and I’m like Superman taking the energy from the sun! I was more confident with my game and my opponent from France was a little tired. He played tough matches yesterday in the singles and doubles and I played so good today.

“Spain are the number one seeds, so I know their players because I was playing with two of them during my ATP career so we know each other. It will be a very tough match. Every match will be very competitive, so I’ll try to play my best and bring the same feelings that I had today to tomorrow; we will see! We need to put out our Italian creativity to win tomorrow.

“I played in an IC event for the first time in 2014, so exactly ten years ago. Our President Marco Gilardelli is really passionate about the IC and has been involved with the IC for fifty years, so he called me ten years ago, we met and we won with Italy in Mexico City, so we hope to do the same again this year to mark ten years later! For this occasion, our captain contacted me and asked me if I was able to come. I stopped playing professionally a few years ago after a motorbike accident and so I thought why not – it’s a beautiful occasion, I have great memories from ten years ago. It’s a beautiful environment with a lot of people from other countries that I really love. I love the mixing and intercultural nature of the IC, so I’d really love to play again in the future. 

“Also, how can you say no to playing in Wimbledon. I was so close to making qualifying at The Championships twice, but I got injured so I finally get to play here. For me coming here and playing is like entering a temple.

“This week has been amazing. The organisation has been on point and I’ve seen people who I met ten years ago, so it’s been fantastic.”
 
In the other semi-final Spain defeated the Czech Republic in five matches. Jose Vicente beat Petr Koula 6-1 6-2 before Gorka Fraille overcame Frantisek Stejskal 6-1 7-6(4) in the second singles match. David Simuenek clawed one back for the Czech Republic winning in straight sets against Daniel Munoz De La Nava 7-6(5) 6-2. In the last singles match Spaniard José Antonio Sanchez de Luna beat Jan Michalek setting up a doubles decider where the top seeds needed to win just one set. They did just that to secure their place against the second seeds Italy in the Final.

Hosts Great Britain missed out on a Final spot after being defeated by Australia in the Mercelis Trophy on Court 3. Karen Lamb played first and took her opponent Louise Field to three sets losing narrowly in the Championships tiebreak 8-10. She’d lost the first set 3-6 but battled back with a convincing display in the second to take it 6-1. Emily Arbuthnott played in the second match against Alison Bai, losing 4-6 2-6, with the match much closer than the scoreline would suggest. 

Over on the next court unseeded Germany defeated sixth seeds Spain with the fixture decided by the doubles match which Germany won in straight sets 6-0 6-2. In the two singles matches Amanda Carreras of Spain beat Germany’s Antonia Lottner 2-6 6-1 (10-4) before Gitte Moller made it level for Germany with victory over Eva Bes 2-6 6-1 (10-6). 

After the fixture Gitte commented: “It’s just such a great pleasure to be here and play on the magic grass. The whole week has been fantastic.

“I haven’t seen Australia play as I’ve just been busy playing myself so I don’t know what to expect. We’ll just go out and have fun again.

“This is my first time playing at Wimbledon and it’s just so wonderful. The first days seemed really unreal to be here and play, so it’s been unbelievable, just such a lot of joy and fun to be here.”

There was also a Junior Tennis Tournament incorporated alongside today’s semi-final fixtures. Four teams of four players from Glasgow, Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative (WJTI), Edgbaston Priory and Team Adderstone in Northumberland competed in a round robin format on Wimbledon’s famous grass courts, providing a once in a lifetime opportunity for the 12 and 13-year-olds. Playing six games, the boys and girls got the chance to compete on this surface for the first time taking to the most famous grass courts in the world with Team Adderstone coming out on top as winners. 

The tournament is a showcase to all the 42 International Clubs around the world to highlight the opportunity to get tennis to the grassroots and to encourage them to grow and introduce junior tennis to their events going forwards, providing a platform from which it can develop into the communities. 

The Junior Programme is funded through the IC Philanthropy Foundation, which was inaugurated officially as a charity in 2015, after being founded in 2010. The Foundation currently runs 17 programmes in 15 countries across the world with the premise not to create new tennis champions but to use tennis as a vehicle to provide kids who are in danger of falling into crime or drugs an opportunity to develop certain skills. The programmes use tennis to teach the youngsters some of the sport’s core values such as respect and perseverance. 

The programmes differ from country to country depending on the needs of the individuals, with every programme having its own identity. Through the IC network every programme has a member of the IC in charge who manages the fundraising, execution of the programme and safeguarding and ensures that each programme has a positive impact on the kids it serves. 

The aim currently is to raise awareness of the Foundation and to make the 350 people who are part of the IC of GB’s Centenary Week aware of what the Foundation does and how they can get involved. This ranges from starting programmes, to fundraising and introducing potential donors to the charity. 

The IC Philanthropy Foundation Chairman, Felipe Bunster Galeno commented: “We really want our IC Members and Friends to feel part of the Foundation and be proud of what it does and achieves every year.

“I have two main ambitions for the charity, and they are that we have at least half of all IC’s running a programme. We currently have 15 ICs with a programme, so we need to source six more. And that’s not just finding countries that are willing to and want to do it, but it’s about sourcing the money so that we can sustain these programmes for at least two to three years and operate responsibly so we don’t let the kids down.

“My second ambition is to increase the number of countries who contribute to our fundraising efforts to at least five. Most of our programmes currently are funded by the activities that we do here in Great Britain, and I’d like to grow that pool.”

To showcase the work of the International Lawn Tennis Clubs, The Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum has created two displays highlighting its history which will be in position until January 2025. The collections team took the opportunity to tell the story of the IC through memorabilia with one of the trophies on display alongside some of the famous ties, menus from dinners, minute books and incredible photographs dating back to the 1920s. This is the first time that the collectables have been on display for the public to see and hear more about how it was founded and its purpose - well worth a visit!