Neil Smith is aiming to win his 13th Scott-Chad Cup at the Manchester Tennis and Racket Club over this coming weekend of the 14th to 16th of January. Smith, seeded one, first won this competition, the Professional Singles Championship, in 1985, and has won it for the last two years. On both occasions he has beaten Mark Hubbard, the number 2 seed in five very close games. Smith, who was World Champion between 1999 and 2001, has been the class player in the field for more than 20 years but nowadays he is only working part time at the Racquet and Tennis Club in New York and may be short of play.

Hubbard, the Radley School professional, who did not look all that sharp in the Invitation Singles, is scheduled to play third seed David Makey in the semi finals. In their round robin match in the Invitation, Makey, professional at Tonbridge School won the first two games before Hubbard hit his stride to take the next three games and the match. Makey showed that his form in that match was no fluke when he dominated Willie Boone for the first game and a half in the final of the over 40s Singles.