The Robert Abdesselam Trophy returns to France

The 10th edition of the Robert Abdesselam Trophy took place from 21-23 August and brought together four international teams — Spain, Belgium, Great Britain, and France — for a competition featuring one Women’s Doubles, one Men’s Doubles, and two Mixed Doubles per match.

The French team prepared with great professionalism, with some high-altitude training in the Vercors Mountains. There, the players enjoyed scenic hikes through historic forest trails, breathtaking views over Grenoble, and, most importantly, an intensive tennis camp led by their long-time coach, Bruno Delorme, at the Villard-de-Lans Tennis Club. Off the courts, the group took time to share meals and test their culinary skills, further strengthening team spirit and camaraderie.

On arrival in Avignon, the competitors faced stormy weather. The French delegation managed a short training session on the superb courts of TC Montolivet before heavy rain rendered the grounds unplayable. The club’s President, Jean-Pierre Azam, and his wife Gisèle extended a warm welcome to all participants, their passion and dedication keeping the Avignon club thriving.

Due to the weather, the opening matches were held indoors on a single court instead of the planned four outdoor ones. Consequently, the format was shortened to a single set of six games with a tie-break at 6-6. France started the tournament strongly, defeating Great Britain — a new permanent participant in this long-standing competition — by 4–0 in the morning session. Spain then overcame Belgium in the afternoon.

The following day saw the return of sunshine, allowing play to resume outdoors for the France–Belgium encounter. Despite gusty conditions, France prevailed 3–1. In the afternoon, players and guests enjoyed a guided cultural visit to the Chartreuse de Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, a monastic complex renowned for its austere order and beautiful architecture.

The evening’s social programme featured a warm reception hosted by Odile de Roubin in her elegant family residence, where players gathered for an aperitif before the official dinner — a highlight of the event’s convivial atmosphere.

The final day brought the much-anticipated showdown between France and Spain. The French team were eager to reclaim the Robert Abdesselam Trophy, which had been in Spanish hands since the 2023 edition in Madrid.

The opening women’s doubles match proved challenging: Spain’s pair, Pauline Rodriguez (a former French player ranked no. 15) and Noelia Perez Penate (former WTA no. 121), showed their experience, while France’s Isabelle Billard-Delage sustained an early injury. Fortunately, the French men responded with a narrow win, leaving the teams level at one match apiece.

It was therefore down to the two mixed doubles to decide the title (and avoid a super tie-break in the event of two tied teams after all the matches). The French pairs — Chantal Grimal & Alain Moracchini, and MarieDo Larras & Nicolas Fourcade — made an excellent start, taking their first sets 6–1 and 6–0 respectively. Grimal and Moracchini secured their victory swiftly, while Larras and Fourcade were pushed into a deciding tie-break after their Spanish opponents, Noelia Perez Penate and Fernando Gomes de Segura, fought back to win the second set 6–4. The final tie-break was a thrilling affair, keeping spectators — including loyal French supporters Pascale and Christine — on edge. In the end, the French pair held their nerve to win 11–9, sealing overall victory for France.

The Robert Abdesselam Trophy thus returned to France, to the delight of players, organisers, and supporters alike — a fitting conclusion to three days of high-level tennis, sportsmanship, and international friendship.

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75th Anniversary Royal International Lawn Tennis Club of Belgium Columbus Trophy + La Carreta

On the occasion of its 75th anniversary, the IC of Belgium has organized two important competitions of the IC Council in Brussels from 25 to 30 June 2023:

• La Carreta for ladies W50+ and W60+
• The Columbus Trophy for men M55+ and M65+

The participating countries were as follows:

• 8 teams in La Carreta (ladies): South Africa, Germany, Canada, Great Britain, Spain, USA, Luxembourg, Belgium
• 10 teams in Columbus (men): Mexico, Luxembourg, France, Ireland, Canada, Spain, Great Britain, Holland, USA, Belgium.

A total of 70 players participated in the event.

The winner of La Carreta was South Africa, defeating Germany in the final with two ladies (René Plant and Rosanne Duke) who were absolutely unbeatable in the doubles.

The winner of the Columbus was the USA after a superb final against Spain. The number 1 singles (55+ and 65+) were both decided by a super tie-break in favour of the USIC players. After the singles, USIC was leading 3-1. A victory in the doubles 65+ was sufficient for them to win the trophy.

The competition was played with knock-out draws and consolation ties to rank the teams according to their results. It took place in two clubs: the well-known Royal Leopold Club and the very nice club of Le Roseau.

The atmosphere was fantastic throughout the week, and the matches were often of great quality, reflecting the best IC spirit. The planned programme could be easily followed thanks to the most favourable weather.

We were honoured by the presence of the chairman of the IC Council, Peter McQuibban, on the last day.

As usual, the IC of Belgium made some of the players honorary members during the closing dinner, which gathered 145 guests: Sabine Schmitz (Germany), Carmen Chilliqa (Spain), Dale Kozics (Canada), René Plant (South Africa), Maxime Buyckx (USA), Keith Porter (Canada), and Miguel-Angel Varela (Mexico).

The visiting ICs also honoured some IC of Belgium members: Annemarie Van Coillie by USA, South Africa, and Canada; Alex Lamquet by USA; and Pierre Mignot by South Africa.