Final

Click on the thumbnail to see photos from the Barber Cup Final

Mark Williams reports:

Semi-finals

Who can stop the Old Olavians? The Kent side marched into the final again with a routine victory over a plucky but outclassed Old Edwardian outfit and it will be up to second seeds the Old Salopians to try and deny the Olavians their eighth successive victory in the Alan Barber Cup. The Salopians saw off a determined challenge from the Lancing Old Boys in the other semi-final and now have three weeks to decide on the best line-up and team tactics to break the Olavians dominance.

Quarter-finals

The rearranged Barber Cup quarter-final between the Olavians and the Millhillians was finally played at Mill Hill last night, with the Olavians making it through into the semi-finals as they bid to defend their title once again. Olavian supremo Howard Wiseman put out two strong top pairs and Matthew Wiseman, Dave Mew, Sanjaya Ranasinghe and Howard himself did the job comfortably. The Olavians took the opportunity to blood youngsters Hewlett and Patel, who went down 3-1 at third pair to Faisal Mir and Nick Krendel but will only have benefited from the big match Barber Cup experience. The semi-finals take place at Eton on Sunday afternoon, with the Olavians taking on the Edwardians and the Salopians up against Lancing Old Boys 

Three of the four Barber Cup quarter-finals were played at the weekend, with Lancing Old Boys, Old Edwardians and Old Salopians all making through into the next round. The Salopians travelled to Wolverhampton for a tough-looking Midlands derby against a confident Wulfrunian side. Ed Taylor and T Walters showed the benefits of regular first pair Division 1 Fives together as they defeated Midland Tournament runners-up Mark Yates and Sid Simmons 12-4, 12-10, 12-3. The two Toms - Cox and Gerrard, winners of the Schools' title back in 2004 - made short work of Rich Ambler and Greg Hammond at second pair and the third pair was stopped at 2-2 to send the Salopians through into the semi-finals. Their opponents at Eton on Jan 30th will be the Lancing Old Boys, who proved that their run to the semi-finals last year was no fluke with an impressive 3-0 win over the Old Westminsters at Highgate. With the courts at Highgate slippery in the wet conditions, a full strength Lancing team of Doug Foster, George Campbell, Will and Tom Betts, Mylo Scurr and Nigel Cox slid their shoeless way to a win over a Westminster side missing Saul Albert, Laurie Brock and Harry de Quetteville but still featuring the likes of Giles Coren and Ed Rose. The semi-final with the Salopians looks to be a mouth-watering prospect.

In the other half of the draw, the Millhillians vs Olavians game fell victim to the weather on Thursday night and will be rearranged, whilst the Edwardians progressed at the expense of the Etonians at Eton on Sunday morning. With Alex Illingworth injured and Will Sorrell unavailable, Alex Knight and Jonathan Asquith were pressed into service at first pair. They played well. but were unable to find a way past Richard Tyler and Simon Purkis, back in action after a series of ankle and knee injuries. Third pair went the Etonians way quickly and it was apparent from an early stage that the second pair match was going to be crucial. Peter Scholey and Chris Mellor of the Edwardians started slowly, but recovered from 5-0 and 11-6 down to win the first game 14-13. They then snatched the second 15-10 before Etonians Forman Wickes and Andrew White fought back to win the third 12-6. The fourth went back to being nip and tuck but again the Edwardian pair found the edge just when they needed it to win 14-11 and take the Edwardians into their second semi-final in three seasons.

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First Round

The First Round of the Barber Cup is now near completion, with just the Harrovians vs Edwardians tie still to be played. This week has seen the Westminsters and the Millhillians qualify for the next stage, with wins against the Stoics and Cholmeleians respectively. Given the lack of active playing Old Boys, the Stoics do a great job in getting a team out each year in the Barber Cup, but they found the Westminsters much too strong for them as Giles Coren and Ed Rose at first pair and Harry de Quetteville and Saul Albert at second saw them through comfortably to face Lancing Old Boys, with third pair conceded by the Stowe team.

The Old Cholmeleians have been struggling recently in the league and their woes continued in the Barber as they were turned over in the North London derby by an Old Millhillian side fulll of confidence and riding high in Division 2. Vishal Bhimjiyani and Joe Coakley claimed a very impressive win at first pair, beating Niifio Addy and Robert Desmond in four games, and that feat was repeated by the second pair of Hutcheson and Mason who saw off the challenge of Guy Chapman and Peter Chen. Disappointingly, the Cholms were again unable to field a third pair, and it's the Mill Hill team who go on to face the challenge of the mighty Olavians in the next round.

The Old Wulfrunians finally broke their Barber Cup duck since their return to the competition three years ago with a hard-earned 2-1 victory over the Old Ipswichians at Ipswich yesterday. Mark W Yates and Sid Simmons, fresh from their run to the final of the Midland Tournament at Repton a couple of weeks ago, were quick out of the blocks at first pair winning the first game 12-1 against OIs Gareth Hoskins and Tom Fletcher. The Suffolk pair fought back and played much better in the second and third games but were unable to prevent the Wulfrunians from drawing first blood. On the other two courts, things started much better for the OIs, with David Leach and Mark Graves winning the first game at second pair and Tim Fletcher and Oli Watts doing the same at third. Leach and Graves continued their form against Chris Austin and Richard Ambler to win 3-0 and level the match at 1-1. The key to the tie was therefore the Wulfrunians comeback at third pair, where Mark A Yates and Greg Hammond recovered from the loss of the first game to come through and win 3-1, taking the Wulfrunians through to Round 2, where a tasty looking home tie against local rivals the Old Salopians awaits.

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The 2010/11 Barber Cup got underway last weekend at Eton as the old Etonians beat the Old Emanuels 2-1 to advance to the second round. Emanuels star player Ant Theodossi partnered Jonathan Fagan at first pair and won a five game thriller against Alex Knight and Ed Salt of the Etonians, clinching the match 12-9 in the fifth. Further down the order, however, the Etonians were too strong for the South London team with easy wins for Giles Mckean and Hamish Mackenzie over Rajesh Rakeshwaoran and Robin Malacrida at two and Andrew White and Martin Powell over Alun Meredith and Zac Lovejoy at three. The Etonians have another home draw in round two against the winner of the Harrovians vs Edwardians contest. Read on to see the full Barber Cup draw for this season.

Barber Cup results 2010/11

Round One

Old Etonians beat Old Emanuels 2-1 at Eton 16/10/10:

A.Knight & E.Salt lost to A.Theodossi & J.Fagan 2-3 (11-13, 12-9, 12-10, 3-12, 9-12)

G.Mckean & H.Mackenzie beat R.Rakeshwaoran & R.Malacrida 3-0

M.Powell & A.White beat A.Meredith & Z.Lovejoy 3-0

Old Ipswichians lost to Old Wulfrunians 1-2 at Ipswich 14/11/10:

G.Hoskins & Tom Fletcher lost to M.W.Yates 0-3 (1-12, 9-12, 4-12)

M.Graves & D.Leach beat C.Austin & R.Ambler 3-0 (12-7, 12-6, 12-6)

Tim Fletcher & O.Watts lost to Mark A Yates & G.Hammond 1-3 (12-7, 2-12, 4-12, 12-15)

Old Westminsters beat Old Stoics 3-0 at Westminster 17/11/10:

G.Coren & E.Rose beat J.Hutter & K.Wagner 3-0 (12-5, 12-6, 14-11)

S.Albert & H.de Quetteville beat J.Irving & C.Robinson 3-2 (0-12, 0-12*, 12-0, 12-0, 12-1)

Old Stoics conceded third pair

*first two games conceded due to late arrival

Old Millhillians beat Old Cholmeleians 3-0 at Highgate 18/11/10:

V.Bhimjiyani & J.Coakley beat N.Addy & R.Desmond 3-1 (12-3, 5-12, 15-13, 12-1)

J.Hutcheson & J.Mason beat G.Chapman & P.Chen 3-1 (7-12, 15-11, 12-4, 12-3)

Old Cholmeleians conceded third pair

Quarter-finals

Old Etonians lost to Old Edwardians 1-2 at Eton 05/12/1-:

A.Knight & J.Asquith lost to R.Tyler & S.Purkis 0-3 (6-12, 6-12, 3-12)

F.Wickes & A.White lost to P.Scholey & C.Mellor (13-14, 10-15, 12-6, 11-14)

A.Clayton & T.Best beat R.Malik & E.Johnson 3-0 (12-1, 12-9, 12-5)

Old Westminsters lost to Lancing Old Boys 0-3 at Highgate 04/12/10:

G.Coren & E.Rose lost to G.Campbell & D.Foster 0-3 (4-12, 10-12, 8-12)

C.Shawcross & C.Brock lost to T.Betts & W.Betts 0-3 (1-12, 9-12, 6-12)

W.Illingworth & A.Jackson lost to N.Cox & M.Scurr 1-3 (12-5, 11-12, 12-5 conceded)

Old Wulfrunians lost to Old Salopians ½-2½ at Wolverhampton 04/12/10:

M.W.Yates & A.Simmons lost to E.Taylor & T.Walters 0-3 (4-12, 10-12, 3-12)

R.Ambler & G.Hammond lost to T.Cox & T.Gerrard 0-3 (8-12, 4-12, 5-12)

M.A.Yates & C.Austin drew with M.Hughes & R.Nichols 2-2 (13-10, 5-12, 8-12, 12-10)

Old Millhillians lost to Old Olavians 1-2 at Mill Hill 27/01/11:

V.Bhimjiyani & J.Coakley lost to M.Wiseman & D.Mew 0-3 (6-12, 8-12, 3-12)

J.Hutcheson & J.Mason lost to H.Wiseman & S.Ranasinghe 0-3 (1-12, 5-12, 1-12)

F.Mir & N.Krendel beat D.Hewlett & V.Patel (6-12, 6-12, 12-7, 5-12)

Semi-finals

Old Olavians beat Old Edwardians 3-0 at Eton 30/01/11:

J.Toop & M.Wiseman beat R.Tyler & P.Scholey 3-0 (12-0, 12-4, 12-2)

P.Cohen & H.Wiseman beat C.Friend & M.MacGeoch 3-0 (12-1, 12-2, 12-0)

S.Cooley & P.Markkanen beat S.Purkis & R.Malik 3-0 (12-1, 12-0, 12-0)

Old Salopians beat Lancing Old Boys 3-0 at Eton 30/01/11:

E.Taylor & T.Walters beat D.Foster & M.Scurr 3-0 (12-4, 12-7, 12-9)

M.Hughes & R.Nichols beat W.Betts & T.Betts 3-0 (12-9, 12-7, 13-11)

T.Gerrard & B.Alderson lost to N.Cox & G.Campbell 0-3 (5-12, 6-12, 1-12)

Final

Old Olavians beat Old Salopians 2-1 at Eton 20/02/11:

H.Wiseman & P.Markkanen lost to E.Taylor & T.Cox 1-3 (4-12, 3-12, 12-8, 5-12)