Speech Day 2008 - Worthians Tennis Match Report

The summer of 2008 is unlikely to be remembered as one of long hot days when the sun beats down mercilessly on a landscape gradually turning brown and dry, but rather for torrential wind and rain.  I am afraid that, while the Worthians tennis match on Speech Day 2008 was spared the rain, it certainly was not spared the wind - which blew and blew and blew (and blew and blew and blew).

The Worthians team of Crispin Hayhoe (StB'82), Neil Laughton (C'82), Tom Corstjens (C'07) and Oliver Taylor (G'03) contained the rather unusual mixture of age and experience combined with youth and vigour (in previous years youth and vigour in the Worthians team has usually meant the fielding of one player under the age of 40!).  This year, with two players under 25, the Worthians fortunes looked all set to turn the tide of recent losses and we were lined up to defeat the school pairings of Will Neville-Smith with Alex O'Mahony-Zed, and Alex Neville Smith with Giles Saccarello.

Unfortunately the Worthians plans were disrupted by the wind which blew with storm force ferocity throughout the afternoon, thereby making the game virtually unplayable.  It was one of the most bizarre games of tennis I have ever played.  When we hit the ball hard crosscourt against the wind, the ball would more than likely land in a spot more appropriate for a down the line shot.  A ball hit with the wind down the line, would more than likely end up as a crosscourt shot or be carried out of play.  When we attempted a slice serve against the wind, the best course of action was to aim for the service box in the adjoining court, and then we would watch as the ball initially appeared to be dropping well wide, only for the wind to hold it up and carry it back into play.  Conversely a slice serve with the wind needed to be aimed at the service box on the server's side of the court, whereupon it was dragged by the wind into the service box.  It was quite bizarre.

I suspect that Neil, that conqueror of Everest, will have experienced winds of similar force before (but probably only at heights above 6000 meters).  The rest of team were, I'm afraid to say, left floundering.  Indeed short of preparing for the match in British Aerospace's wind tunnel, I don't think that the Worthians team was ever going to have much of a chance given the atmospheric conditions.

Regrettably the adverse weather conditions killed off the match as a contest, as the Worthians teams were deprived of any of the delicate and subtle touches which are hallmarks of its game.  The bare facts of the match are that Will and Alex defeated Tom and Oliver 6 v 1, and Giles and Alex defeated Crispin and Neil 6 v 2.  In the reverse pairings Tom and Oliver lost 0 v 6 to Giles and Alex, while Crispin and Neil went down 3 v 6 to Will and Alex.

Ah well there is always next year.  Did I mention it was quite windy?

Crispin Hayhoe (StB'82) - July 2008