The Professional Singles for the Scott Chadd Cup was played at Marlborough College at the end of January, and Neil Smith regained the title beating his conqueror of the previous year Radley Professional Mark Hubbard 15/11,7/15,11/15,15/2,16/13. This was a match full of long exciting rallies and featured great retrieving by both players which showed Smith to be still capable of playing at the very top level. This was to be confirmed when he won the Western Open in Chicago and then the US Open Singles in New York at the end of the season.

Over the same weekend on the other side of the Atlantic Rupert Owen-Browne defeated Guy Smith-Bingham three games to one,15/5,15/6,11/15,15/5 to win the Canadian Amateur Championships at the Montreal Racket Club. In this match by beating the reigning British Amateur Champion, who went on to win the Open Singles two weeks later Owen-Browne demonstrated, once again, that at his best he is more than a match for anyone. He also won the doubles with Tim Cockroft defeating Bart Sambrook and Karel Nemec 3 games to 0, 15/5, 15/3 and 17/16.

Two weeks later Guy Smith-Bingham won his first Lacoste Open Singles Title at The Queens Club, defeating defending Champion Harry Foster in straight games 15/4, 15/4, 15/12, 15/12. He had beaten the same opponent in December, also in straight games, to win his first Amateur Title, and is only the second player in the last decade to win both titles in the same season, the other being James Male.

In the final of the Amateur Doubles Tim Cockroft and Rupert Owen-Browne beat Ali Robinson and Guy Barker 14/17, 15/17, 15/9, 15/5, 15/8. The final was marred by an injury to Barker, who tore a calf muscle during the third game.

Tom Dunbar led Oxford to victory over Cambridge at Queens Club, defeating Jamie Parker in the top singles 3/0. Dunbar. who also played in the winning Real Tennis and Eton Fives teams for Oxford, fought back from 10/14 down in the second game of the top singles to take that match and then combined well with James Willis to win the doubles.

Neil Smith beat Tim Chisholm 14/18, 17/16, 15/11, 15/4 to win the Western Open at the Chicago Racket Club and Old Cheltonian Alex Coldicott won the Amateur Racquets Championship of America, beating Old Marlburian Christopher Goodman-Smith 7/15, 15/3, 15/5, 15/6 in the final. He became the first winner of a major title from Cheltenham.

Harrow won the Public Schools Championships at Queens Club Peter Dunbar and Joe Bone beating Eton’s Ainsley Barker and Harry Franks 14/17,15/9,15/2,17/15,15/8 .

Guy Barker and Alister Robinson retained their Open Doubles Championship at Queens Club on Sunday, defeating the Smith-Bingham brothers, Alex and Guy, who were seeded third. Their victory in straight games 15/7, 15/7,18/17,15/4 meant that they did not drop a game throughout the competition reinforcing their position as the preeminent doubles pair this side of the Atlantic.