Rackets success as Tonbridge wins The Mark Faber Cup  

Tonbridge emerged with The Mark Faber Cup following this year’s National Schools’ Rackets Championships, staged at The Queen’s Club, London at the end of the Lent Term.

Points are awarded to every semi-finalist, finalist and winner in the Singles events in December, in addition to those in the Doubles in March, which meant Tonbridge won as best all-round school.

The National Schools’ Doubles had 104 pairs entered in several age group tournaments, with matches played across seven full days.

All Tonbridge pairs did themselves proud. The U15 pair, Charlie Skarbek (FH2) and George Vassilev (WH2), reached the semi-final before bowing out to eventual winners Radley.

The Second pair, Sam Pike (JH5) and Jack Kirkland (JH4), won their final, recovering from 0-2 to win by 3 games to 2 against Wellington.

The First pair final between Winchester and Tonbridge was highly anticipated, as both pairs had reached the final without dropping a game. Sam Seecharan (OH5) and Jake Hazari-Webb (OH5) played a thrilling match lasting more than two hours, with Winchester prevailing by 4 games to 3 (11/15, 15/6, 15/10, 10/15, 15/12, 11/15, 15/2).

Coach Dave Makey said: “Tonbridge has been a force in Rackets for the past two seasons and, even with a narrow defeat in the First pair final, our teams did enough to win another major cup. We proved our overall strength once more and our boys fully deserve their success.”

Pictured above: Sam and Jack with the Second pair Cup.