Peter Cipriano and Christian Portz captured a 7th US Amateur Doubles title, beating father-son pairing William and Freddie Bristowe in the Final.
Portz and Cipriano were impervious all weekend, seeing off former Doubles World Champion Jonathan Larken and his partner Christoper Scott in the Quarters, before dispatching top British pairing Julius Manton-Jones and Jamie Giddins in the Semis. Cipriano, making his return to the court after a successful knee surgery, mixed power and precision whilst another former Doubles World Champion, Portz, proved that his reflexes were as sharp as ever.
The Bristowe and Bristowe pair came into the event as number two seeds, but were widely considered the underdogs in their Semi-Final match against youngsters James Rossiter and Henry Smith. The Bristowes were aiming to become the first family winners of event since Philadelphia’s Pearson brothers won in 1956 and in 1957, and the first Father-Son combo to win in the tournaments‘ 125 Year history. William Bristowe is a previous US Amateur Doubles champion, though 25 years have passed since his last triumph. He could have asked for no better partner than his world number two ranked son, Freddie who played a ‘sweeper’ role, cleaning up the few balls that made it past his father’s defenses. Smith and Rossiter were unable to isolate consistently the elder Bristowe; and, on the few times they did, they found he was more than able to hold his own.
The Final was a different matter, with the experienced pairing of Portz & Cipriano moving the ball around the court with ease. The ‘Nigel Gordon’ balls in use for this event tended to play a little faster than many competitors are now used to. The six-time champions used this to their advantage with some excellent serving and powerful kill shots’ putting their opponents on the back foot throughout. Despite a valiant effort from the Bristowe pairing, Portz and Cipriano were able to capture the title in three straight games.
In the US Amateur Singles Final, James Rossiter triumphed over fellow-Brit and real tennis maven, Jamie Giddins. Rossiter, who had spent several months in 2023 as the R&TC fellow, had too much offense for the incredibly consistent Giddins. Rossiter had already beaten top-seed Julius Manton-Jones in three close games, along with home-favorite Zach Sacks en route to the final.
Giddins also had to navigate a difficult path to the Final, saving several match balls against Henry Smith in the Quarters, before edging past Oli Cooke, who had himself seen off second-seed Christian Portz, in the Semis.
Giddins was aiming to complete a rare double - adding the US Amateur Singles Rackets title to the US Amateur Singles Court Tennis title he captured in 2019.
Rossiter was also looking to create his own piece of history by defending the title he won last year in Detroit.
The Final was a demonstration of athleticism and skill that was fully appreciated by a bumper Sunday afternoon crowd. Rossiter tended to be the aggressor, with Giddins soaking up considerable pressure whilst also landing some impressive counter-punches of his own. Though frequently in the serving box, Giddins struggled to put together many meaningful runs and, thus, exert significant scoreboard pressure on the younger man. Rossiter looked cool and calm as he took a two game lead, before stumbling slightly as he neared the finish line. Giddins played his best game of the day in the third, perhaps freed by the situation at hand. However, it was not enough and Rossiter clinched the title with a near-trademark straight forehand winner.
The Paired Doubles continues to be one of the most popular and well supported events of the Silver Racquet weekend. A expanded draw meant matches this year began on Tuesday, with a number of Racquet and Tennis Club members looking to make early progress through to the latter stages.
Former winner of the US Amateur Doubles, Bart Sambrook, paired up with SDA Squash player Val Quan to make a formidable partnership. They met the lefty pairing of Liam Culman and Tommy Shields in the semi-finals. Sambrook’s experience, along with some extraordinary retrievals from Quan saw them through in three tight games.
On the other side of the draw, Chris Oberbeck and George Genieser teamed up to great effect with Oberbeck excelling with his serve and return whilst Genieser did most of the leg work. They faced young British pair Ambrose Garson and Hector Brown in the Semi-Final. Garson and Brown had clearly put in a strong performance at the legendary Saturday night dinner dance, and weren’t at their absolute best on Sunday morning, leaving Oberbeck and Genieser to advance.
The final was a see-saw affair with Genieser and Oberbeck cruising to a 15/1 first game, before Sambrook and Quan both went on strong service runs to take the second 15/3. The deciding game was a much more evenly contested affair with both pairs edging ahead in the scoring. In the crucial final moments, it was Genieser and Oberbeck who managed to keep their composure and seal the 2024 Silver Racquet Paired Rackets title.
Players in attendance were quick to acknowledge the work of the entire R&TC staff, and thank Tournament Director Zach Sacks and Games Committee Chairman Christopher Scott for all their work ensuring the smooth running of this event.
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