Neil Smith,who works at the New York Racquet and Tennis Club retained his Professional Singles title by the narrowest of margins at St Pauls School, beating Radley professional Mark Hubbard 15/10,7/15,15/4,7/15,15/11.

Smith had beaten Eton pro Peter Brake, who won this event twice in the semis 15/7, 15/4,and 15/2, Peter showing the after effects of a hard five game 1/4 final against John Eaton from Harrow earlier that day. In the other semi final Hubbard had beaten Tonbridge professional David Makey 15/8,15/5,15/8.

The first and last games produced the most absorbing rackets,with both players, who have very different styles, at their best. Smith an elegant left hander plays the more classic game straightening the ball as often as he can,hitting it hard and low and serving well to a good length. Hubbard relies more on his speed around the court,indominatable retreiving and tends to hit the ball round the walls, which on the St Pauls court, where the ball comes out into the middle gave Smith opportunity to kill the ball. Serving was the other area in which Hubbard was not as succesful as Smith, many times Hubbard seemed interested in merely getting the ball into play.