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.

Load last 15 media item(s)Loading...

IC of Germany win the inaugural Gottfried von Cramm Trophy

The inaugural Gottfried von Cramm Trophy has now concluded, marking a significant moment in our IC history.

Whilst the preparations leading up to the event had posed some challenges, the tournament itself turned out to be nothing short of fantastic.

A total of seven International Clubs (ICs) participated in the mixed event for players aged 28-44, including Great Britain, the United States, Spain, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Germany.

Due to inclement weather, the quarter-finals on Friday had to be played indoors. Fortunately, Saturday and Sunday graced the tournament with sunny skies. The teams from the IC of Spain (featuring the Spanish 40+ champion Antonio Alcaraz) and IC Germany (boasting Anna-Lena Herzgeroth, former Groenefeld and Wimbledon Mixed winner, and Benny Becker, a former ATP Top 30 player) were seeded as the top two teams. The teams from Great Britain and the USA (including Mallory Burdette, a former WTA No. 60 player) were seeded third and fourth.

As anticipated, the quarter-final results aligned with these seedings. In the semi-finals, Team Spain defeated Team USA with a score of 2-1, while Team Germany emerged victorious over Team GB with a score of 2-1.

In the final, IC Germany triumphed over IC Spain with a score of 2-0. The third-place match saw IC GB securing a 2-1 win over IC USA. Luxembourg's team secured fifth place after defeating Switzerland.

The hospitality provided by the Frankfurter Tennis Club Palmengarten was exceptional, as were the supporting programme activities. A cocktail reception hosted by Radio Frankfurt on the rooftop of a skyscraper's 27th floor was followed by a players' party featuring a professional DJ at a former juice factory. The atmosphere was electric, and there was a strong call for the next Gottfried von Cramm Trophy to include a repeat of these festivities, which clearly resonated with everyone in attendance.

Ben Rogers, the IC of GB Team Captain, commented: “It was mentioned at the IC Dinner that Gottfried von Cramm was most celebrated for combining tennis excellence with a gentleman’s approach. I think that he, and indeed the founder of the IC movement, Wallis Myers, would be immensely proud of the tournament, which showcased talent, built bonds of friendship, and displayed the utmost in court etiquette and fairness.”

RESULTS:

Main Draw

• Quarter Finals:
  • IC Spain vs IC Switzerland 2:1
  • IC USA vs IC  Czech Rep. 2  3:0
  • IC Great Britain vs IC Luxembourg 3:0
  • IC Germany vs IC Czech Rep. 1 3:0
• Semi Finals:
  • IC Spain vs IC USA 2:1
  • IC Germany vs IC Great Britain 2.1
• Final:
  • IC Germany vs IC Spain 2:0 (Mixed not played)
• Tie for 3rd place:
  • IC Great Britain vs IC USA 2:1

Consolation Draw

• Semi Finals:
  • IC Switzerland vs IC Czech Rep 2  2:1
  • IC Luxembourg vs IC Czech Rep.1  2:1
• Tie for 5th place:
  • IC Luxembourg vs IC Switzerland 2:1
• Tie for 7th place: Not played