November 2025 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. Documents to download Trophée Robert-Abdesselam 2025(.pdf, 317.22 KB) - 374 download(s) Previous Article Team USA triumphs at the IC of Canada’s 60th anniversary event Tags: Robert Abdesselam Trophy Load last 15 media item(s)Loading...
September 2018 Rod Laver adds his name to the IC Junior Challenge! The Council is delighted to announce that we have reached an agreement with Rod Laver to use his name in the title of the IC Junior Challenge now that the Compass Group are no longer involved. This means that from 2019, we will be staging the following events: The IC Rod Laver South American Junior Challenge The IC Rod Laver North American Junior Challenge The IC Rod Laver European Junior Challenge The IC Rod Laver African Junior Challenge The IC Rod Laver Asian/Oceanian Junior Challenge The IC Rod Laver World-wide Junior Challenge Finals (every other year) Rod has always had an interest in encouraging juniors and he was keen to be associated with this prestigious IC event, which has been running for the last 14 years under the Compass banner. We are really pleased to have his involvement, which will considerably enhance the status of the event and hopefully encourage even more juniors to want to play in the IC Junior Challenge. Rod has been invited to honour us with his presence if he is in the same vicinity as the various Challenges, where I know this absolute tennis legend will be warmly welcomed. Previous Article Mike Dunk Elected New Chairman of South Africa IC. Next Article Compass Worldwide Finals of the IC Junior Challenge