Rackets: St Paul’s Teams Dominate Against Tonbridge and Haileybury

St Paul’s teams shone this week, with dominant wins against Tonbridge and Haileybury, showcasing resilience and skill across all age groups

Match vs Tonbridge (H) – 5 November
After a slow start and losing the first game 8-15, the St Paul’s 1st Pair (A. Sankaye/S. Marchand – both Lower Eighth) bounced back in style, dropping just 10 points across the next three games to secure a comfortable 3-1 victory (15-2, 15-8, 15-0).

The U16A Pair, A. Dhar/E. Traissac (both Sixth Form), faced a strong Tonbridge pair and started with great intensity and focus, winning the first game 15-6. However, the crucial second game went down to the wire, with Tonbridge narrowly edging it 17-14. Buoyed by their success, Tonbridge grew in confidence on the away court and unfortunately claimed the next two games 15-3, 15-7.

National Schools U15 Singles 3rd seed Alexei Fletcher and his skilled partner Rayaan Ahmad (both Fifth Form), playing as the U15A Pair, enjoyed a dominant 3-0 victory (15-3, 15-12, 15-3).

Meanwhile, Aiden Ahmad and Vivaan Sharma (both Fifth Form), playing as the U15B Pair, also cruised to an easy 3-0 win, dropping just eight points in total (15-0, 15-2, 15-6).

Match vs. Haileybury (H) – 14 November
With the arrival of Haileybury’s National Schools #1 Singles player, Flynn, and National Schools #1 U16 player, Benji, as his partner, the St Paul’s 1st Pair (A. Sankaye/G. Ashton – both Lower Eighth) were highly motivated for their encounter against arguably the strongest pair in the country. After a particularly one-sided first game in Aryan and Gabriel’s favor (15-2), it became evident that either St Paul’s had greatly improved or Haileybury were not the powerhouse they were thought to be. And, indeed, it was the former—Aryan and Gabriel’s level had significantly risen. They went on to claim the next two games (15-4, 15-10), securing an emphatic 3-0 victory.

Zac Joseph (Upper Eighth) and Hari Dattani (Lower Eighth) paired up as the 2nd Pair. While Hari’s game was as strong as we’ve seen previously, particularly impressive given he was playing on the left court (not usually his strong side), Haileybury’s 2nd Pair proved formidable. Despite a close second game in which Zac and Hari had opportunities to win (14-17), they ultimately lost 0-2 (10-15, 14-16).

Both the U15A and U15B Pairs — R. Ahmad/V. Sharma and A. Ahmad/R. Ahmad — delivered dominant performances, winning comfortably 2-0. Together, they dropped only nine points across all matches (15-0, 15-3, 15-4, 15-2).

This was the first fixture for our talented U14s — A. Goldberg, C. Poulios, S. Riley, and S. Rio (Fourth Form) — and they did not disappoint. With precise serving and competitive rallying, they all delivered impressive victories. Alex and Costi played first, setting the tone with a commanding 2-0 win (15-5, 15-1). Santi and Sam followed with an equally effective performance, winning 2-0 (15-5, 15-13).