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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Unity in Competition: A Day of Friendship at the Potter Cup and Two Presidents’ Cup Finals

The players of the Potter Cup and the Two Presidents Cup showed their commitment to the competition on a Saturday when the finals started two hours behind schedule. After 30 minutes of play, matches were stopped due to heavy rain, and the Potter Cup Committee couldn't determine when play would resume. Matches began again at 7:00 p.m., thanks to the significant efforts of the maintenance team at the RC Polo courts, which allowed the men’s and women’s finals to take place.

Despite the weather, the sixteen international club teams maintained the friendly atmosphere for which the competition is known, continuing a tradition that today counts with 51 years. Defending champions IC Spain triumphed over IC Italy with a score of 4 to 1, using a revised format of one pro set per match. IC Spain's Roberto Menendez, a ten-time world champion, secured a win against Stefano Tarallo with a decisive 9 to 5. Lorenzo Pennisi claimed the only victory for IC Italy, defeating Xavier Llucia 9 to 2. Joining Roberto on the victorious Spanish team were Joaquin Muñoz, Jose M. Vicente, Xavi Llucia, and Eduardo Sanz. In the women’s competition, IC Germany emerged victorious against IC Italy. Manon Kruse, a former world champion, alongside Gitte Muller, defeated Agnesse Zuchini and Annalise Bona of IC Italy in singles with a straightforward 2 to 0 victory.

The event kicked off with a clinic featuring players from various nationalities playing alongside special players from the Federación Acell, reinforcing the social and inclusive mission of the competition. Highlights of the social agenda included dinners at RCTB 1899 and an official dinner at RC Polo. During the latter, Mr. Marco Gilardelli, president of the competition, and Mr. Carlos Homedes, president of the Tennis Section of RC Polo, honored Tournament Director Berta Tintore for her contributions as she plans to retire this year.

The tournament benefitted from the support of several organizations, including the Catalan Tennis Federation, the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona, RCTB 1899, the Barcelona City Hall, Lexus Barcelona, La Llave de Oro, Aon, and Daryd.

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