The IC of GB takes home the Gottfried von Cramm Trophy 2025

The Frankfurt Tennisclub 1914 Palmengarten was the venue at the end of August for the second Gottfried von Cramm Trophy, a team competition in which one women's singles, one men's singles and a mixed doubles are held in each match. While the two singles are played normally, the mixed doubles is a championship tiebreak. In each match between two teams, the winner can reach a maximum of 3 points. For example, if a team wins both singles but loses the championship tiebreak, 2 points go to the winner and 1 point to the loser.

In Frankfurt, five teams from six nations participated: Spain, Great Britain, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland in conjunction with Canada. Due to the odd number of teams, the format required all teams to play everyone else.

After three rounds, the teams from Spain and Great Britain were in the lead. In the last game of the tournament (against Germany), the British took the points to pass Spain and win the trophy. Below is the final ranking and the individual players:

1. Great Britain (Emily Arbuthnott, Pedro Ocana)
2. Spain (Isabel Fernandez, Carlos Garcia Villanieva)
3. Germany (Natali Gumbrecht, Tim Richter)
4. Luxembourg (Tatiana Silbereisen)
5. Switzerland / Canada (Kasia Poplawski)

MONDAY REPORT FROM COMPASS IC JUNIOR CHALLENGE WORLDWIDE FINALS

A great start to the week with some exciting and close matches. Top seeds Italy came through with a win against India but not without several individual matches going to tie breaks.

The other two matches were extremely close and the overall results in the balance through to the doubles matches. In the match between Uruguay and South Africa it was Uruguay who took a 3-1 lead after the singles but only after the top two boys went to a third set tie break which Uruguay won. This meant the doubles were critical with the Uruguay girls coming through to give them their fourth win and so the overall match.

Meanwhile a long match between USA and Japan was again very closely fought. After the singles it was tied 2-2 with the USA girls then winning their doubles to go up 3-2. Then there was a great boys doubles in which they split the first two sets with the USA boys eventually coming through in the third set tie break to give the USA the team win.  Photos from Monday can be seen here

Tuesdays match ups in the round robin are:

Italy v Uruguay

India v USA

South Africa v Japan

In a superb IC tradition the Welcome Dinner at The Grand Hyatt was an outstanding occasion with Imperial Highness Princess Takamado in attendance and giving an inspiring speech to the juniors. At the event were many sponsors, IC members, organisers , Japanese tennis dignitaries and the Ambassadors of India and Italy. In total 187 attendees. Everyone was treated to a fascinating performance of traditional Japanese drumming with the juniors being invited afterwards to try their own hand at it which was much more difficult than it seemed! On a large screen photos from Sunday of the junior teams and their participation in the clinic for the handicapped kids were shown in rotation. This was a good demonstration for all those present of this philanthropic element that the IC encourages. It was also a great demonstration of the IC motto of "Hands across the net, friendship across the ocean". The IC of Japan is to be congratulated on putting on an event which has already become a very memorable one for all involved.