AUGUST NEWSLETTER

A very warm welcome to the latest edition of RLTSC News – your regular members’ round-up of all the latest tennis, squash and social news.

TENNIS UPDATE

Radlett Grade 3 Open - Volunteers required

The club is hosting the Radlett Open LTA Grade 3 Tournament between this Sunday – August 4 through to August 10 inclusive. Thank you to all members who have already volunteered, but we still need help from members please as follows:

- Kitchen: Two volunteers per shift to help in the kitchen from 9am-11.30am, 11.30am- 2pm and 2pm-4.30pm. If you are able to assist, please put your name on the schedule situated on the noticeboard outside the kitchen.

- Court supervisors: The shifts are morning or afternoon, and the volunteers will support the tournament referee to ensure fair play on courts and that matches start on time. The tournament referee will give all guidance needed.

Please email the office admin@rltsc.co.uk if you are able to give your time.

We would encourage members to come down to watch the excellent level of tennis that will be on show.

Thank you for your support and understanding.

Tennis Club Tournament

A gentle reminder to members that a number of tournament matches need to be played by Saturday, August 17. The draw can be found on 'MyCourts' under Tournaments. As previously communicated, since we started the tournament much earlier this year, it is our intention that the play-by dates must be adhered to; extensions are not allowed. Any unplayed matches will be either subject to a coin toss and/or the Referees’ discretion.

Best of luck to our GB teens at European Maccabi Youth Games

A huge good luck to both Rocco Yanover and Rafi Zackheim who are competing for Team GB in the European Maccabi Youth Games, starting Wednesday. We are routing for you all the way!

Summer Holiday Camps

Holiday camps are up and running and the first week was a busy one - seeing over 140 children with more bookings on each day for the upcoming weeks!

If you would like to book on for the holiday camps, click on this link: https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/RadlettLawnTennisandSquashClub/coaching/camps

ACHIEVEMENTS

Noah maintains winning formula

Huge congratulations to Noah for winning the 16u Singles event at Shrewsbury last week - a great result and great preparation for his forthcoming ‘Play Your Way To Wimbledon’ National Finals event coming up in a few weeks. We will be keeping you all up to date with Noah’s progress at the tournament throughout the event via Facebook, so keep a look-out!

Dream Team win Hoddesdon Open

Another huge well done to Head Coach Chris and Radlett’s Dina for winning the Hoddesdon Mixed Open Doubles Tournament last weekend. On what was an extremely hot day, they won the tournament dropping only nine games in total across eight matches. The dynamic duo will be pairing up during the Radlett Grade 3 event, so let’s see if they can keep up this winning run of form!

Norman Cohen’s Wimbledon 2024 Reflections

Longstanding RLTSC member Norman Cohen recently completed his 35th year officiating at the All England Lawn and Tennis Championships, Wimbledon. Despite a rain-affected tournament, Norman reflected on his grand slam experience with glee.

“Another Wimbledon gone and possibly my last as a line umpire, as we still don’t know if next year's Championships will go fully electronic. If it does there will be just chair umpires with the help of 'Court Assistants' who will administer ball changes, measure the net, accompany players to the toilet, observe any code violations not seen by the Chair Umpire, etc.

“With regard to my own personal experience at this year's event, it was a quiet and exhausting fortnight. The weather really was a pain causing a very big backlog of matches which meant very long days - starting early and frequently finishing when it became too dark to continue. So, like everyone else, I covered loads of matches!”

Norman continued: “I say 'quiet' because this year I was not on the main show courts - a decision I made back in the winter, as having to care for my 102-year-old mother, I would not be able to fulfil the minimum days’ officiating in order to retain the grade to be on show courts. Okay, so I was not on with the 'big' names, but the plus side is that I wouldn't be stuck in the covered courts very late – for example, one Sinner match finished at 10.32pm!

“I did, however, get on with Musetti, Bautista Agut , Nishikori , Khachanov, Vekic, Navarro and in the Men's Doubles the eventual winners, Heliövaara and Patten.”

Norman was also on court with some of the stars of tomorrow, and commented: “As usual, being on junior matches was fascinating because you are seeing future champions in the making, and I got on with the Boy's runner-up , Mees Rottgering, a leftie.”

And he was able to cover both ends of the age spectrum, rubbing shoulders with some tennis legends. “Being on the outside show courts later in the tournament meant I was on many Invitation Veterans matches, so it's nice to see the oldies, particularly if they are not mucking about on the court,” said Norman.

Asked about the best match he officiated on this year, Norman responded: “This will surprise you because it was an Invitation match – the men's doubles between Tommy Haas and Mark Philippoussis against Kevin Anderson and Lleyton Hewitt. Yes, it was played in good humour, but they played to win and the tennis was quite superb - proper men's doubles - serving and volleying on all points, rat-a-tat rallies, one skyscraper lob after another in defence, obliquely angled volleys and drinks, one pair at the net fending off massive ground strokes. It was a connoisseur's delight. Tommy Haas, in particular, is a beautiful player – I’d describe him as a Federer lite!”

So, what next for Norman after Wimbledon no. 35? “Assuming it was my last Wimbledon as an official,” he said, “I still intend to carry on Chair and Line Umpiring at club and county level, and line umpires will still be needed for the smaller professional events where electronic line-calling will not be in operation.

“Finally, as with every year, once Wimbledon is over, I, like many officials and fans, suffer withdrawal symptoms!”

TEAM TENNIS

The Team Tennis season is gradually drawing towards its conclusion. Here are the latest results involving RLTSC teams.

WDTL

Ladies A beat Rickmansworth 6-3

Ladies C beat Redbourn 6-3

Ladies C beat Northwood 7-2

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Men’s A beat Old Albanians 6-3

Men’s A beat David Lloyd Hatfield 5-4

Men’s B beat Leverstock Green B 7-2

Men’s B beat Rickmansworth B 6-3

Men’s D beat Chorleywood 5-4

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Mixed B beat Cassiobury 9-0

Mixed B beat Greenwood Park 9-0

Mixed B beat Moor Park A 6-3

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Ladies B lost to David Lloyd Bushey 2-7

Men’s B lost to Cassiobury A 4-5

Men’s D lost to Chorleywood D 4-5

Men’s C lost to Harpenden A 3-6

Mixed C lost to Townsend 0-9

Mixed C lost to Chorleywood A 5-4

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Hot Rackets

Men’s B lost to Greenwood Park 1-3

Men’s B lost to Barnet 2nd 0-4

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Herts League

Ladies A beat Welwyn B 5-4

Ladies lost to Hitchin 4-5

Ladies C beat Barnet 3rds 3-1

Men beat Hertford 5-4

Men lost to Letchworth 1st 3-6

SQUASH & RACKETBALL UPDATE

Raju Shah (pictured above) enjoyed double delight after securing two Racketball Adaptive Handicap tournament titles earlier this month. Raju’s most recent success saw him defeat Harry French 15-13 in the final match.

The Racketball Handicap tournament was won by Dave Rawlings on July 23.

We hope to have another Adaptive Handicap tournament in the autumn. Thanks to all who participated.

SOCIAL UPDATE

Remembering John Apthorp

We are very sad to report the passing of John Apthorp, aged 89, following a short illness.

A self-made businessman and philanthropist who founded the frozen food chain Bejam, Mr Apthorp also co-founded Wizard Wine which became Majestic Wine.

Mr Apthorp was awarded both an OBE and CBE for his charity work, particularly in Hertfordshire. He was given the Freedom of the Borough of Barnet and was a councillor in the Edgware ward from 1968 to 1974. He was also awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts by the University of Hertfordshire.

Mr Apthorp enjoyed a long-standing relationship with RLTSC from the 1970s and he was an active participant on a number of club committees, serving both as Chairman and President over the years. His personal interest and support of the club continued long after he stopped playing and he made charitable donations to assist with renovations and key projects, as well as attending prize-givings at many tournaments.

As a result of Mr Apthorp’s generosity, RLTSC were one of the first clubs to have artificial grass and floodlit courts in the county, and he helped build the high-quality squash courts.

He loved the area of Radlett and his support of the facilities of the club, the welfare of its members and its key importance to the community was phenomenal.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of RLTSC News and look forward to bringing you further updates from within and around the Club in another round-up soon.

AUGUST NEWSLETTER

News & Events

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