July 1, 2026
- A Comedy Of Errors Or It’s Not All About Winning
- CURTC Retain the East Anglian Pennant 2025/2026
- Interuniversity Tournament 2026!
- Riya Bharwad wins the LRTA Under 21 singles at Radley
- Godsill and Glasscock (almost!) win the Doubles Double
- CAMBRIDGE WIN AWAY AT MIDDLESEX!
- National League on Friday (17th)
- East Anglia Cup, 28/6/25 at Newmarket
Free Taster Sessions!
Membership of CURTC is open to all, very much town as well as gown. We love welcoming new members of any age. This ancient and intriguing game is fast or slow, tactical, subtle and addictive. One of our professionals (Kees, Peter and Mark) is usually here 9am – 5pm on weekdays or 9am – 12 noon on Saturdays, they will be happy to explain and encourage.
We offer free taster lessons in small groups usually on the first and third Wednesday each month at 12:30pm and 5 or 6pm. Just register your interest with the pros, in person, by telephone, 01223 357106 or by email curtcpros@gmail.com
Cambridge Bring the Heat to the East Anglia Cup+
 Alex Ridgeon |
 Ben Fawkes |
The recent heatwave may have somewhat moderated but conditions outside were bright and sunny – and the courts were hot and airless – on Sunday 28 June as a gallant band travelled across to Prested to take on our three East Anglian neighbours in the annual East Anglia Cup (Division 2, aka EAC+). With the Division 1 event that was due to be played on Saturday being postponed with some clubs unable to field the four players necessary, the Division 2 event for 60 plus handicaps took top billing.
Alex Ridgeon, our reigning 60s category champion led off in the first singles against Prested against young Zach Potter, half his height and somewhat less than half his age. An even match went the way of the home side, 6-8. Ben Fawkes levelled the rubber with a tight 8-7 win in the second singles. This left James Dowson and Alasdair Bovaird to seal the match with an 8-6 win holding off a late Prested charge from a 6-2 lead.
A solid team performance saw all three games won in the match against Newmarket – 8-4 and 8-1 in the singles and 8-0 in the Doubles.
Which left the final match against Hatfield House – who had lost to Prested in their second match. A repeat of the 3-0 win in the rubber would see Cambridge triumphant without the need of a countback. Alex Ridgeon won his singles 8-4, but Ben could not overcome the odds against a higher handicap novice player so went down 8-4 before James and Alasdair sealed the rubber with another 8-0 victory in the final doubles.
Which left Cambridge and Prested level with both having won 7 of their 9 matches. A countback saw the visitors awarded the trophy thanks to their victory in their opening match against the home side. A short ceremony saw the trophy awarded to the happy foursome and we look forward to taking our turn to host the event next year.
James , Alasdair, Alex and Ben with the Trophy Recovered!
Alasdair Bovaird, Cambridge EAC+ Captain
Cambridge Mixed Doubles
Full Results: HERE
Group B Stream: Green Stream
Groups A & C Stream: Blue Stream
Finals: Stream
MCC Fens Weekend
The MCC visited on Sunday as part of their annual Fens Weekend visit to the Flat Lands of East Anglia. After a last match decider at Newmarket went in favour of the MCC, they were keen for a Fens Double even if not quite so ‘fresh’ as they had been on Saturday. The first series of Doubles went the way of the visitors 3-1 before everyone switched partners and courts for the second series. CURTC crept back and needed to win the final two matches to secure the ‘Draw’ which, as TK was playing, was the predictable, if not inevitable, expected result.
 Standing room only for the post match lunch |
 Yep, TK secures the Draw |
A Comedy Of Errors Or It’s Not All About Winning
 Camice and Julie Levy doubling the number of women in the photo |
 It didn’t look this tidy as we left |
With the average ages and handicaps both the wrong side of sixty, Cambridge’s visit to Leamington on Sunday was never going to bring the crowds back. Those crowds, though, missed a fun day and, as ever with Cambridge, it ended in a 3-3 draw.
Perhaps the day’s highlight was a rather good, traditional Sunday roast delivered with over the table conversations that drifted from motorcycling daring-do (Norman Hyde, of course) via Texas Rangers (Julie Levy) to health in prisons (Alex Ridgeon) and back again this time via old skool policing (author) and finishing with more motorcycling before we were ushered back onto court a little late but well fuelled.
The day ended with the final doubles at 7 all, 40 all and the day still in the balance, until Alex was, as the perfect guest, politely beaten in the receiving end corner. The day’s marker was Jim Ludekens, late of Cambridge and now rather too comfortable at Leamington who could neither be bought nor intimidated. It was worth a try.
TK, aka Tony Revier
CURTC Retain the East Anglian Pennant 2025/2026
Cambridge won this year’s Pennant for the third year running (A record not achieved before), captained superbly by Alan Sharpe with helping hands of Ben Craig (Varsity 1st Men’s Captain) and brilliant Juniors Riya Bharwad & Leandros Georgoulis. EAP matches are played through the whole winter period from October – March on a Thursday evening with home and away fixtures. CURTC went into the final match away to Prested with the dreaded glass wall needing a draw to retain the pennant. After a stern team talk saying we haven’t come all this way to draw which inspired all the players (not), CURTC won our final match 6-0 and the Pennant returns home to Cambridge where it belongs.
The Pennant is played with great spirit by all teams involved followed by a friendly supper afterwards and we look forward to challenging again in 2026/27.
Alan Sharpe, EAP Cap’t
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Interuniversity Tournament 2026!
Massive congratulations to the Oxford Brookes pair, Archie Sprott and Hugo Acheson-Gray, who first defeated Hugo’s brothers, George and Rory from Durham, in a nail-biting semi final (in front of Dad James), and then our heroic Cambridge first team, soon-to-be Drs Jin Seok Lee (Robinson) and Ben Craig (St John’s), to secure the much-coveted Interuniversity Cup. Huge thanks to generous sponsorship and donations by Pol Roger, the Dedanists’ Foundation and the T&RA which make it affordable for the students to enter and possible for the Club to host.
This year 64 student players from 9 different Universities took part in 4 different competitions: the Interuniversity Cup, played off level; the Handicap Singles full of absolute bandits; the inaugural 40 all 1 point slam and the instagram competition.
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- Interuniversity Cup: Oxford Brookes beat Cambridge 1
- Handicap Singles div 1: Kai (Manchester) beat Will (Durham)
- Handicap Singles div 2: Liv (Newcastle) beat Lara (Cambridge)
- 40 all 1 point slam: Lara (Cambridge) beat James (Cambridge)
- Team Reading win the Instagram competition
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Well done to the Pros, to Ben for the draw and for introducing the 40 all slam to the world, to Jimmy, Ed H, Alan, Christie, Jacqui and Alasdair for the marking shifts and to Venetia for the 11th hour delicious canapes. Cake donations from the members were very much appreciated by all! Big shout out to Robinson College for allowing entry to their Cafe, Bar and Garden restaurant.
See more, including the winning reel, on our instagram page and watch the matches back on both streams.
2026 Varsity Match Schedule
Live Stream on MCC Youtube Channel
Friday 27th Feb
10.00 Mens third singles: 6/1 6/3 Oxford
11.15 Womens first singles: 6/2 6/0 Cambridge
12.30 Mens second doubles: 6/0 6/5 6/4 Cambridge
14.15 Womens third singles: 6/4 6/4 Oxford
15.30 Mens first doubles: 6/0 6/3 6/2 Oxford
17.15 Womens second doubles: 6/4 6/0 Cambridge
After Day 1 Women 2-1 Men 2-1
Saturday 28th Feb
10.00 Womens fourth singles: Cambridge
11.15 Mens fourth singles: Oxford
12.30 Womens second singles: Oxford
13.45 Mens second singles: Oxford
15.00 Womens first doubles: Cambridge
16.15 Mens first singles: Oxford
Final Result Women 4-2 Men 5-1
Report from Ben Geytenbeek
Varsity Team Shirt Presentation
It was a bit dark and Polly is a very black Lab. Many thanks to the Master of St Johns and Herbie Hancock for hosting!
Mens 1st Varsity
James Wilson, Leo Sanitt, Ben Craig, Jin Seok Lee
Womens 1st Varsity
Theodora Enslin, Martha Jameson, Ellie White, Venetia D’Arcy plus Ben sorting shirts
Womens 2nd Varsity
Camice Revier, Helena Hinkel, Lara Abraham, Lucy Caines (Venetia D’Arcy)
Mens 2nd Varsity
Giles Holliday, Joe Betts, Marcus Cloke Browne, Angus Todd
2nds Varsity @Oxford
Day 1 (Cambridge 1st)
W1S Lucy Caines df Rosa Mark 6/3, 6/2
W1D Lucy & Lara df Tosa & Tanisha 8/2
W2S Lara Abraham df Tanisha Reddy 6/0, 6/0
M4S Giles Holliday lt Toma Kerac 2/6, 4/6
M3S Joe Betts df Ali Cliffe 6/5, 6/3
M2D Joe & Marcus df Toma & Max 8/6
M2S Marcus Cloke Browne lt Max Benster 6/4, 4/6, 0/6
M!D Angus & Marcus lt Max & Alex 2/8
M1S Angus Todd lt Alex Williams 6/4, 2/6, 3/6
Oxford Men win 4-2
Cambridge Women lead 3-0
Day 2
W4S Camice Revier df Aarushi Chakraborty 6/0, 6/2
W2D Camice & Helena df Aarushi & Abigail 8/2
W3S Helena Hinkel df Abigail Tresise
Cambridge Women win 6-0
CURTC Category Tournaments: part 2
The 50’s, 40’s and 30’s Category Tournaments were compressed into a single weekend and came up with some exciting tennis and three new names to go on the CURTC Honours boards.
Youth vs Experience in the 50’s Final
First up were the 50’s where Giles Holliday and Simon Godsill emerged from Group B to face David Pimblett and Joe Betts in the semi-finals. Notice the perfect Senior/Student representation! Simon was not overawed by the 8 point handicap disadvantage to take an early lead and looked like an upset was on the cards. But David decided enough was enough and upped his consistency to book his place in the Final. The other semis was an all-Student match-up where Joe did not let Giles get into a rhythm with his often lethal leftie serve. So this meant the Final was a rematch between David and Joe which David had edged 6/5 in the Group stage. This time the score line was the same but the winner different!
The afternoon saw the 40’s take to the courts. Again the handicaps did not prove a reliable guide as the three groups were won by a 1st seed (Ben Geytenbeek) a 2nd seed (Rupert Grose) and a 3rd seed (Angus Todd) with Graeme Menzies completing the semi-finals as the best runner up. Angus edged Rupert in the third 8/7 of the tournament to earn the right to play Ben in the Final. By this time everything was hopelessly behind schedule but the Pros managed to juggle some court bookings to complete what proved to be a lengthy final as Angus edged home in the 4th 8/7.
Angus Todd & Ben Geytenbeek
Sunday dawned and the 30’s took to the courts to attempt to end further behind schedule than the 40’s. (They succeeded!) The two groups saw the top seeds (Josh Elliott and Jin Seok Lee) advance comfortably along with Leo Sanitt from Group A. Group B saw three players end up with a single win with Men’s Varsity Captain Ben Craig advancing on games one. It should be noted that Ben showed exemplary diplomacy in losing to the Giraffe Club Chair, Andy Smith! The first semi went to Josh but the second produced an upset as Ben overcame Jin 6/4 to reach the Final.
Josh & Ben
The match, while not as long as the 40’s Final, still kept the 30’s comfortably behind schedule as Ben pulled off another upset 8/5.
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CURTC Category Tournaments: part 1
The CURTC Handicap Category Tournaments played off level for those in a give handicap range got off to an exciting start with the 80+, 70 and 60 groups over the weekend.
The late replacement Jim McCaughan (thanks Jim!) proved to be the winner, clinching victory with a main wall force into the the Dedans! Below he receives a slab of delicious Sirene chocolate from club stalwart, Barnaby Perks.
Carl & Simon, about to take to the court for the 70’s Final
However, there was no stopping Simon in this second match with Carl as he doubled up on the Sirene chocolate thanks to a 6/2 vistory.
Kees
CURTC Doubles Champions League
CURTC has long held a ‘Champions’ League for the winners of the Divisions of our Spring/Summer Singles League currently sponsored by Tayabali & White. Peter remarked that maybe we should make space in our crowded schedule of League matches for a ‘Champions’ Doubles League for our winners of the Divisions of CURTC’s Doubles League! Long overdue if you ask me.
In the first semi, Vamos, the T&W Singles Champions League Champions, were unabale to complete the double as they lost 2-1 to the Student team who they had defeated in the Singles Champions League. In the other semi Tayabali & White edged past the Dedans Dynamos 2-1 having saved six match points in the first of the three rubbers which turned out to be crucial. In the final there was no stopping the Students as they swept passed T&W 3-0 with a combination of ruthless volleying and cunning serving. So congratulations to the Student team of Arnaud du Roy, Theodora Enslin and Grey Godsal along with Giles Holliday who are the inaugural CURTC Doubles Champions League winners!
Finalists: Arnaud, Simon, Giles, Grey, Theodora & Vix
You can rewatch the final here: youtube.com/live/…
Peter
Christmas Tournament Inspirations
The annual Christmas CURTC Tournament on 27 December 2025 was one of those events we only fully appreciate when it’s missing — a reminder of just how special it is. A day awash with memories, smiles, and genuinely joyful moments, it delivered exactly what makes this club such a great place to be.
Huge thanks go to Peter, tirelessly on the go from 08:00 onwards, keeping everything running seamlessly, and to Alan Sharpe, whose constant and diligent marking was beyond reproach — even if the festive hat made it impossible to take him entirely seriously 😍. Jokes aside, this dedication is precisely why the club’s members make it a great club.
There were plenty of inspiring performances and joyful wins, including Gillian Moore, and the “now not so young” Felicity, freshly back in competition after her first term at York University. We all know Felicity will still be playing — and inspiring others — well into her 70s, 80s and beyond.
The tournament even had an international flavour, with Danny (from across the Atlantic (Canada… or was it the USA? 🇺🇸🤭), and Colin, who not only contributed a delightful handmade cake packed with healthy nuts, but also looked impeccably turned out — as if he’d just stepped off Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven set (though with a much better smile 😃).
With genuine member contributions, some exceptional rallies, and a warm festive spirit throughout, it was a day many will treasure — one that perfectly captured why this tournament, and this club, mean so much to so many. For 2025, champion Charlie Perks will long into the wind continue this heritage status (huge congratulations Charlie).
Ian Glasscock
ps Results from the Group phase (Doubles & Singles) can be found HERE
CURTC Ladies Championship
Ulla Petti and Ellie White faced off in the CURTC Ladies Championship last Thursday cheered on by an enthusiastic Dedans full of supporters ranging from the parental to the curious to the wizened. I believe this was the first such final where both players were sub 40 handicapwise, a testament to the strength of the current CURTC players. The first games were full of canny probing rallies, short chases and multiple deuces which Ellie turned into a 4-love lead albeit in over 20 minutes. But Ulla fought back to 5-4 before losing the first set to one of those agonizing volleys which bounces up off the Penthouse to just clip the top of the Tambour… Ulla continued to press and had a couple of points for a 4-2 lead in the second set. However Ellie’s footwork and relentless returning turned the tide to ensure the CURTC’s Ladies plate returned home with her!
But don’t take my word(s) for it, the stream of the match is available here: www.youtube.com/live/rwhqwSyXosw It really is worth a watch!
Congratulations to both players for a cracking* match
*as per marker Peter who also provided the photos
ps Sign-up for the 25/26 Ladies Championship is now open.
Riya Bharwad wins the LRTA Under 21 singles at Radley
CURTC is grateful for the support of our Sponsors…
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…and Supporter!
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Giraffe Club: CURTC Alumni
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