Cambridge were represented by two players at the 2015 British Open at the Queens Club. First up was Ed Kay against current amateur champion Conor Medlow. With the format being best of 5 sets on Conor’s home court, Ed was staring down the barrel from the start. However, Ed started well, ditching his trademark railroad for a high side-wall designed to limit Conor’s world class main wall Dedans force. This worked to good effect as Ed was able to get in the rallies and use his retrieval skills to good effect to take a tight first set 6-5. Conor stepped his game up for the next two sets and managed to capitalise on some loose hitting from Ed to the next two sets 6-3 6-4. Many of the crowd thought this would be it but Ed scrapped to get the score to 5-5 in the fourth set at which point some tight serving and some retrieving usually reserved for the main stage at Crufts saw Ed edge the set 6-5. Ed then stepped it up a gear and started to dominate his weary-looking opponent and took a 5-2 lead. A few nervous games took the score to 5-4, but finally Ed closed it out 6-5 3-6 4-6 6-5 6-4.

The next day saw Ed team up with Cambridge legend Jules Camp to take on Tom Seymour Mead and Marc Seigneur. The Cambridge team started strongly and took the first set 6-3. A lack of concentration in the second saw them squander a 3-0 lead to drop the set 6-5. This spurred Cambridge back into action and some great retrieval from Jules saw them take the set 6-5. Their opponents stepped their play up in the fourth and the singles the day before was taking its toll on Ed as the fourth set went to the bad guys 6-2. Cambridge started strong in the 5th and took a 5-2 lead in the deciding set. From here the match had everything, Jules hit the ledge below the grille at match point to Cambridge, Seymour Mead fluked one behind his back into the winning gallery. The match went to 5-5 in the decider, then 30-30, then deuce, then advantage Cambridge, then deuce until finally Seigneur served an unreturnable railroad to take the match 3-6 6-5 5-6 6-2 6-5.

Next up for Ed is Hampton Court pro and world number 7 Chris Chapman, 10am this Wednesday.