Fukaya Trophy 2007

The BIG ONE - the glittering prize - the Eldorado of Bishopthorpe Tennis Club Well.....the 'FUKAYA' ...actually The FUKAYA Trophy (pronunciations vary...), differs from the other trophy tournaments at the Club. To win this absolutely enormous prize, you get to pick your own partner in advance. There's no seeding, and the only handicap is that one of each pair has to be a woman. (Howls of righteous indignation and abject outrage) .....only joking ladies!!! I'll cut that bit out from the final edit. I promise.

Actually (see left), Greg partnered Jane (not Tracey) in this competition.


Any pairing of the Men's First Team Captain and Greg was bound to be a red-hot favourite to lift the Trophy.


This year, as an experiment, we restricted entries to the Fukaya tournament to just 7 pairs. That was to ensure that each pair got to play every other pair, and for a reasonable number of games - 6 per match.


There was also a £2 per pair entry fee, because in this competition especially, the overheads are so high.
(Can you see what I did there??....)

Competition was so fierce that you had to keep your head well down... and your tactics even lower! Dave Wright and Julia had to employ any means possible of inching their way into the net during their match against Greg and Jane.

Greg discovered that he had to have eyes in the back of his head. However, that gave shot selection an added layer of complexity!

A good dose of fierce competition can improve your Tennis no end.



Just as long as you stay focused, get yourself into position in good time, and keep your eye on the ball, your game will come along like gangbusters.



Sometimes though, doing three things all at the same time, can be a bit too taxing...

Unlike husband and partner, Paul (above), Katie Lewis (below) had no problem with the higher-than-usual level of competition. Katie was able, not only to raise her game, but also to adapt it, finding new strategies to neutralise any advantage opponents may have had over her. Well done, Katie!

When your partner's serve is as powerful... and as wayward as Kelvin's, it takes a certain fortitude to stand at the net with your back turned. Jo found that out soon enough...

50% of the art of doubles play is good communication. Alistair, partnering Kathryn, showed he knew how to do as he was told...

...whilst the other husband and wife pairing in the competition, Simon and Andrene, had their doubles communication well and truly off pat.

After 6 rounds, it was a tie at the top. Jane & Greg had powered their way to 29 games (out of 36), just as Simon & Andrene had finessed their way to the exact same total. The final was ON!

It had been a 3-3 draw when they'd met in the preliminary rounds. However, despite redoubling their efforts (see left), Jane & Greg just couldn't surpass the Tennis machine that is Simon & Andrene playing together.

That impeccable understanding between the two of them, meant that Simon & Andrene won a thrilling final set 6-3. Just time for a photo with the fabled Trophy, and then it was a rush to get back home for lunch. (I was starving!)