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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Double victory for IC Spain at the 50th Potter Cup and Two Presidents’ Cup

The International Lawn Tennis Club of Spain achieved a significant double victory in October at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona. The men's team successfully defended their title in the celebratory 50th edition of the Potter Cup, while the women's team, competing at the RCTB 1899 facilities, secured an unprecedented milestone by winning the Two Presidents' Cup.

The victorious men's team, comprising former world veterans' champion Roberto Menéndez, Pepe Vicente, Jonathan García-Leo, Eduardo Sanz, and Xavier Llucià, clinched the Potter Cup with a decisive 5-0 victory over IC Germany in the final. Earlier rounds saw them triumph over IC Belgium (5-0) and IC Italy (4-1), with former Davis Cup and Roland Garros champion Albert Costa, Ivan Angulo, Oriol Molina and Antonio Díaz de las Casas also contributing to their success. On the opposite side of the draw, IC Germany secured a narrow 4-3 win over IC France, earning them the third position after a loss to IC Italy.

IC USA claimed fifth place by defeating IC Great Britain 4-1, while IC Belgium and IC Ireland secured the seventh and eighth positions respectively, after IC Belgium won their match 4-1.

In the VI Two Presidents Cup, IC Spain, represented by Gisela Riera, Cristina Fontelles, Eva Bes and Sonia Delgado, captivated local spectators in a closely contested match that went down to the wire. Manon Kruse narrowly defeated Gisela Riera 7-6(2) 6-4 in the singles, but the score was levelled at 1-1 when Spanish player Cristina Fontelles won 7-6(7) 6-3 against Steffi Lauton Schlager. The decisive doubles match saw Bes and Gisela Riera secure a hard-fought 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Kruse and Kraupa, clinching the championship for IC Spain. Earlier in the competition, IC Spain had defeated IC Ireland (2-0) and IC Great Britain (2-0). IC Switzerland claimed the fifth position, followed by IC France, IC Belgium, and IC Ireland.

Following intense competition, players and captains enjoyed the social aspects of the tournament's conclusion, which also recognised the many institutions that have supported the Potter Cup over its 50 years and was attended by Peter McQuibban, President of the Council of International Clubs. Team captains gave their thanks to the organizers and expressed interest in participating in future editions.

The L Potter Cup, also known as the "XIX Campionat de Catalunya de Veterans - XX Gran Premi Generalitat de Catalunya," received support from the Real Federacion Española de Tenis, the Federacio Catalana de Tennis, the Ajuntament de Barcelona, the RCT Barcelona-1899, the Real Club de Polo, Lexus and AON.

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